Our Goddard School Teachers

Akshi's journey with The Goddard School began in 2014, not as an owner, but as a parent who instantly connected with Goddard's educational philosophy. Witnessing firsthand the enriching environment and nurturing approach, Akshi's passion for early childhood education grew. Driven by a desire to bring this exceptional learning experience to the community, Akshi proudly opened The Goddard School of Chamblee. For Akshi, there is immense joy in watching the children at her school learn, explore, and develop their unique potential. She finds deep satisfaction in playing a role in shaping young minds during their most formative years. Akshi is deeply committed to the Chamblee community and feels privileged to provide local families with a premium childcare facility. A strong believer in the power of diversity, Akshi has cultivated a welcoming and inclusive environment at her school, which is reflected in both the children and the dedicated teachers & staff at The Goddard School of Chamblee.

As our Director of Education, Paige brings a multifaceted skill set to Goddard - Chamblee, where she's been a valued leader since 2019. Holding a Bachelor's in Sociology/Criminal Justice and an Associate's in Early Childhood Education, her journey as an educator began in 2006. Paige is deeply passionate about creating curriculum that sparks a love for learning and aligns with children's individual needs and interests. Her commitment to nature connection is evident in our National Wildlife Federation certified school garden, which she established in 2019. A testament to her innovative approach, she earned "GSI Teacher of the Year" in 2016 for her GONZO Save the Frogs Project. In 2024, Paige further solidified her leadership by receiving the Aim4excellence National Director's Credential. A proud metro Atlanta native, she delights in guiding children's growth and empowering our teaching team.

Mrs. Ruby has recently been promoted from Assistant director to Director, as well as our Spanish enrichment coordinator. She started out as a Lead teacher in the one-year-old room and has been working with us since 2018. She is currently working on completing her associate degree in early childhood education. Mrs. Ruby is a Georgia native, but her parents are originally from Mexico. While growing up she had the pleasure of babysitting for different families and has experience working with infants through toddlers. Prior to joining The Goddard school of Chamblee, she has worked at another Goddard school in Atlanta. During her free time, she loves to cook, travel, do photography and spend quality time with her family, friends and husband. She is thrilled to be a part of the leadership team and teach Spanish to the children.

Ms. Jill was born in California and has been a Georgia native since she was four years old. She has almost twenty years of experience as an early childhood educator and currently has her Associates degree in ECE. In her leisure time Ms. Jill enjoys relaxing with friends and family, football and dancing. Ms. Jill is thrilled to bring her teaching expertise to our leadership team as an Assistant Director.

Ms. Wendy is from Atlanta, Georgia. She has been with The Goddard Family since June of 2023. She graduated from Georgia State University with her associate’s degree in early childhood education. She has one daughter who she loves spending time with. Wendy’s favorite things about teaching are learning about the children, learning about their potential, and the opportunities that we can create or co-create with the children. Mostly, learning about herself, her strengths, and her opportunities for improvement as a teacher. Her favorite children’s book is “I Am Enough” by Grace Byers. The one thing that she would like to share is that she has been teaching for many years and every day her students teach her something new and she loves it!

Mrs. Kruti joined The Goddard School of Chamblee as a Part-time Office Manager with a background in Business Administration. She is honored to be a part of a team dedicated to providing a safe, engaging, and enriching environment where each child can thrive. She believes that a strong partnership between home and school is essential for a child's growth and development. Mrs. Kruti likes any book that is written by Dr. Seuss. Outside of school, her quality time is spent with her family. She loves exploring the waterways of Georgia and finding new adventures. Cooking and traveling holds a special place in her heart. She feels it offers wonderful opportunities to learn and grow.

Mrs. Vera has been a part of our Goddard family since August of 2022 and is an Atlanta native. She has a dog named Nico who she spends time with on her down time. One of her favorite things about teaching children, is that she can watch them learn every day and gets to show babies that they can be loved unconditionally. Ms. Vera is an Infant teacher and is thrilled to meet you and your family. As a child, Mrs. Vera loved the book "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Suess. Her favorite color is purple, and she also enjoys traveling around to different places.

Mrs. Sandra is originally from Mexico but grew up in Georgia. Her favorite thing about teaching is watching the children grow into their own little personalities. It brings her happiness to watch babies smile and laugh. Mrs. Sandra has two children and loves spending time with them. As a child, her favorite children’s books were “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Suess and “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. She is happy to be a part of your children’s lives and to help shape their future.

From Doraville, Ms. Hayleigh has been working with children for over three years, building upon her earlier experiences that started in middle school. She is passionate about making children feel seen and heard, guiding them as they grow. Her favorite children's book is the timeless classic, The Velveteen Rabbit. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Hayleigh is a talented photographer with over seven years of experience and enjoys exploring new cafes and losing herself in a good book.

Ms. Gabby is from Atlanta, Ga. She has been a part of The Goddard School since 2021. She is currently a student at Georgia State working on her degree. Her favorite thing about teaching is being around children and watching them accomplish different milestones. Ms. Gabby's favorite childhood book is, "All by Myself", by Mercer Mayer. She still enjoys reading that book today. Ms. Gabby is excited to meet you and welcome you to our school.

Ms. Elizabeth brings six years of experience in early childhood education to the Goddard team. A Conyers native and Heritage High School graduate, she is currently pursuing her education at Georgia Career Institute. Ms. Elizabeth is passionate about creating a positive and nurturing learning environment for children. She values the opportunity to witness children's growth and development and enjoys building strong relationships with both students and their families. In her free time, she cherishes spending time with her daughter, Emilia, and revisiting the beloved Junie B. Jones series."

Ms. Sirica is our Lead Infant 2 teacher, and she has been a part of the Goddard family since 2018. Ms. Sirica has been working with children, specifically Infants for more than twenty years. She holds a Child Development Associate and a tremendous amount of training in the childcare field. She loves working with Infants and likes watching them grow into their own little personalities. We love having Ms. Sirica a part of our Goddard School Family.

Ms. Adriana brings over 25 years of experience to her role, with a passion for early childhood education. Originally from Mexico, she now calls Georgia home. She holds a degree in Psychology and her CDA in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Adriana finds immense joy in sharing her knowledge with children and learning about their unique ways of growing and developing. In her free time, she enjoys listening to classical music and relaxing at the beach. She is also a proud mother to one daughter and two grandchildren.

A proud graduate of Chamblee High School, Ms. Jacqueline is thrilled to embark on her first year of teaching. She’s passionate about fostering a love of learning in her young students and is excited to watch them grow and develop. Her favorite children’s book is Judy Moody by Megan McDonald. She still enjoys reading that book today. In her free time, she cherishes quality moments with family and friends.

We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Kairstan to the Goddard School! Originally from New York, she brings a unique blend of experience and warmth to our team. With a degree in Early Childhood Education from Georgia State University and over two years of working with children, she understands the joy of witnessing young learners discover the world around them. As a dedicated mother of three boys, she finds particular delight in seeing children's eagerness to learn and reach their milestones. Her love for children's literature is evident in her continued enjoyment of 'Corduroy.' With her Jamaican background, Ms. Kairstan feels her ability to connect with children in the States is her superpower!

Ms. Pearline is from Atlanta, Georgia. She joined the Goddard School of Chamblee in May 2021. She likes to see children learn and grow in her care and is thrilled to be a part of The Goddard School. Her favorite children’s book is The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse.

Mrs. Jamshiya was born and raised in India, where she graduated from Calicut University with a BA in History and Political Science. She also holds a certificate in Creche and Preschool management. Mrs. Jamshiya has been working at The Goddard School since December of 2023. She enjoys being a part of the children’s learning and development as their teacher. When she is not working, she is busy being a mother to three children. We are so excited to have Mrs. Jamshiya as part of our Goddard School family!

Ms. Maleyah is from Atlanta, Ga, and joined our Goddard School Family in December of 2023. Her favorite thing about teaching is seeing every child’s growth throughout their journey. When she is not at work, you will find her being a mother to son who she loves being around. Ms. Maleyah's favorite children’s book is “Dairy of a Wimpy Kid”, by Jeff Kinney. She is very easy-going and tries to make every moment in a child’s life memorable for them.

Ms. Ava joins The Goddard School with 13 years of experience nurturing young minds! Originally from Denver, NC, she now calls Georgia home. A devoted mother of three (with another little one on the way!), she understands the joys and challenges of raising children. Her passion for early childhood education shines through in her dedication to creating a warm and welcoming classroom where children thrive. Ms. Ava's greatest joy is witnessing those "lightbulb moments" as children learn and grow, and she loves sharing her favorite book, Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, with her students. Along with her dog, Oakley, and her growing family, she's excited to embark on this new adventure at The Goddard School!

Ms. Yessenia is originally from Atlanta, GA, and this is her first-year teaching. She's already discovered the joy of witnessing children's excitement as they learn new things. A big fan of the humorous Amelia Bedelia stories, Ms. Yessenia also enjoys diving into novels and audiobooks in her spare time.

Ms. Abby is our Lead Bridge teacher, and she has been with us since 2021. She is currently enrolled in school working on her Child Development Associates degree. Ms. Abby has prior experience working with children and she loves working with little ones. Her favorite thing about teaching is making connections with her children and watching them grow. When Ms. Abby is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, painting, and playing video games. Her favorite book to read to the kids is ‘No David’ by David Shannon.

Ms. Jacky joined our Goddard family in 2022, and she has been working with children for over two years now. She graduated from North Atlanta High School and will be attending school soon to gain her nursing degree. Her favorite thing about teaching is getting to meet all the different types of personalities the children have and watching them grow into unique individuals. Her favorite children’s books are written by Dr. Seuss. She is excited to see where her teaching journey takes her at The Goddard School.

Ms. Ellie is a dedicated early childhood educator with a degree from St. Petersburg College. Originally from Clearwater, Florida, she now calls Georgia home. When she’s not nurturing young minds, Ms. Ellie enjoys spending quality time with her three beloved cats, Cash, Savannah, and Cooper. Her passion for teaching lies in building strong connections with her students, watching them grow, and fostering a love of learning. A lifelong fan of “Goodnight Moon,” Ms. Ellie brings a touch of childhood wonder to the classroom.

Mr. Michael is from Tucker Ga. He graduated from Western Carolina College with a degree in Early Childhood Education and has been working with children for six years now. His favorite thing about teaching is when the children are faced with difficulties and need help. He likes to help solve the problem and help them grow. As a child, his favorite book was “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown.

Ms. Jenna is from Atlanta, Georgia. She has been with the Goddard family since May of 2021. She graduated from Tucker High School and has multiple training courses working with children. Her favorite thing about teaching is playing with children. Her favorite children’s book is “Cat in The Hat” by Dr. Seuss. A few fun facts about her are she likes to color, sing, dance, and watching DVD’s. She is a great asset to The Goddard School!

Ms. Avi joined The Goddard School of Chamblee in February of 2022, and we are so happy to have her a part of our team. She wears many hats, and she can be seen helping in most classrooms. Ms. Avi is a Georgia native, and she recently graduated Georgia State University with a degree in Psychology. She loves engaging with children and loves watching them grow up into unique individuals. When she is not working, Ms. Avi enjoys playing basketball, cars, and loves shoe shopping. Her favorite children’s book is “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”.