Our Teachers

Hello! We are the Kempl family: Kristine, Kevin, Mason (8) and Soren (3). We are previous (and current) Goddard parents, which led us on this journey to open a Goddard School to share our experience with local families and provide the opportunity for each child to build a strong foundation for school and life. Kristine has a Masters in Occupational Therapy, which focuses on developing or rehabilitating appropriate emotional and motor development across the lifespan. Kevin has a background in business management and entrepreneurship. We believe every child should have the opportunity to excel in a safe, nurturing and enriching environment. We are excited to partner with you and provide an inclusive space for your child to learn and grow. We would love to be an extension of your family! We look forward to hearing from you! Warmest regards, Kevin & Kristine Kempl Phone: 248-313-4102 Email: Novi2MI@GoddardSchools.com

Hi, my name is Ashley and I am so excited to be the Program Director here at Goddard. I have a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education Administration along with many years of experience in the field of Early Childhood Education. I have worked in every position from an assistant teacher to a lead teacher and with every age group from Infants through Pre-K. I have been a Program Director for over 8 years. I have 2 children; Madilyn who is 12 and Jedidiah who is 6. In my free time you can find me with my children, wonderful boyfriend and step son, spending time outdoors, going up north, or watching movies. My guilty pleasure is reality TV, all things Christmas, and I love to cook!

Ms. Bethany is our schools wonderful Assistant Director! She helps in all areas of the school from curriculum implementation to event planning. She has been working with children for over 7 years and has a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education. Outside of work you will find her reading a book. She has a very adorable dog named Fiona. Ms. Bethany's favorite dessert is ice cream.

Ms. Danielle is part of our wonderful administrative team. She helps as an office assistant and wears many hats. She graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelors in Creative Writing. She enjoys a child's natural curiosity about everything and their love for learning. In her spare time she enjoys reading and writing.

Ms. Sharmika is our lead teacher in Pre-K 1. She has over 8 years experience working with ages 6 weeks through 12 years. Ms. Sharmika has her bachelors degree in public health and sociology. She also has her infant/toddler CDA. She is currently working on her masters in education for early childhood and K-5. Her favorite activity to do with the children is anything sensory related. A fun fact about Ms. Sharmika is that she loves singing and lemon upside down cake.

Ms. Alexis is an assistant teacher in our Pre-K classroom. She has been working with children for over 10 years. She loves working with children because they are creative and fun to be around. Ms. Alexis has two years of college under her belt. Her favorite things include line dancing, the Detroit Redwings, and reading. A fun fact about Ms. Alexis is that she performed a line dancing routine at a baseball game!

Ms. Rakshanda is one of our Pre-K 1 assistant teachers. She has been working with children since 2018 and has 2 children of her own. She loves helping children realize their full potential. Her favorite movie is The Lorax and would love to travel to Switzerland one day.

Ms. Lisa is one of our wonderful infant teachers. She has a bachelors degree in English from Wayne State University. She also has taken early childhood classes from Schoolcraft College. Ms. Lisa loves working with children because they are so fun, energetic, and innocent. She loves fishing and spending time with her friends and family.

Ms. Karen is our First Steps lead teacher. She has been working with children for 6 years. Ms. Karen loves working with children because she loves to see them learn and grow. She has taken numerous classes in child development and child psychology. Ms. Karen aspires to specialize in pediatric neuroscience. Ms. Karen is a twin!

Ms. Sammy has worked with children for over 17 years and has her Associates Degree in Child Care Development. She has tons of patience and understands that each child learns at their own pace. Her favorite activity to do with children is arts and crafts because children are so creative and you never know what they are going to make. Fun fact about Ms. Sammy is that she has been taking Karate since she was 3 years old.

Ms. Katrina has her CDA in infant and toddler and has worked with children for over 4 years. She loves to go on walks with her dog, Amaya, and play board games with family. She prefers to dance around the classroom to music and enjoys watching her students grow and become independent. She loves Harry Potter and chocolate chip cookies.

Ms. Amanda is an assistant teacher in our first steps classroom. She has worked with children for over 2 years and attended Henry Ford College for special education and early childhood education. She loves helping children learn something new. Her favorite movie is Hocus Pocus and her favorite candy is Reese's peanut butter cups.

Ms. Chelsea is graduating with her bachelors in education in July and has been in teaching for 10 years. She is the mama to 3 beautiful girls. She became a teacher to help shape our future generations in to kind and successful humans. Ms. Chelsea is a Disney enthusiast and loves everything Christmas.

Ms Alexandra joined the early childhood field in 2016 as a support staff. She quickly transitioned into the toddler program as an assistant teacher. Ms Alexandra has a Bachelors degree in Communication from The University of Indianapolis and is passionate about early childhood development. She has recently finished her CDA in infant and toddlers and is one of our lead toddler teachers. Ms Alexandra previously lived in Athens, Greece and speaks three different languages (English, Greek, and Italian). Ms Alexandra is passionate about nurturing a love for learning with her students. Fun fact about Ms Alexandra, she is a great cook!

Ms. Maria is one of our assistant teachers. She has been working with children for 4 years. Ms. Maria loves seeing the lightbulb moment when children understand a new concept. She is currently enrolled at Oakland Community College studying American Sign Language.

Ms Joan has a passion for helping young minds grow and knew from a young age she wanted to be a teacher! She began her childcare career in 1995 working with preschoolers and has continued to foster life long learners throughout the years. Ms Joan earned her Bachelors in English Arts and Literature. She loves decorating, chalk-painting and restoring antiques. Fun fact, Ms Joan lived in Alaska for a short time.

Ms. Barbara is one of our very helpful All School Assistants. She has been working with children for over 5 years and has a daughter of her own. She loves working with children because she loves to be a part of their progress and blooming personalities from early childhood. Fun fact about Ms. Barbara is that she is from Hungary. In her free time she enjoys hiking, reading and art projects.

Ms Jenny joined the field of early childhood in 1995. Her favorite part of teaching is spending time with her students and seeing their minds grow and develop over the years. Ms Jenny nurtures a safe, and fun environment in her classroom where children can thrive, and families feel supported. Fun fact, Ms Jenny previously operated her own childcare center.

Ms. Jennifer (Jiyun) has a Bachelors degree from Michigan State University and has worked with children for over 5 years. She speaks both Korean and English fluently. Ms. Jennifer loves to make children smile and laugh! Fun fact about Ms. Jennifer is that she was born in South Korea and moved to the United States when she was in third grade. Her favorite snack is Hot Cheetos and she loves Starbucks!

Ms. Zoe is one of our wonderful Toddler assistant teachers. She is working on obtaining her CDA in Infants and Toddlers. Ms. Zoe wants to have a positive impact on the lives of children and help them learn and grow. She loves being able to have a part in shaping a childs future. In her free time Ms. Zoe enjoys painting!

Ms. Carson has been working with children for the last 2 years in various settings. She loves seeing the wonder and amazement in children as they learn and grow. Ms. Carson has degree in Zoology and loves working with her animals. She has two horses, a cat and turtle that she loves spending time with.

Ms. Monique is our lead preschool teacher. She has been working with children for several years and has her Preschool CDA. Ms. Monique loves to work with children because it is fun to see them grow and learn new things. Ms. Monique plays the double bass and piano!

Ms. Ariana is a lead Toddler teacher who has worked with children over the last several years in various ways. She is currently completing her degree in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Ariana became a teacher because she loves children and she enjoys being the person they look to for love and guidance. In her free time Ms. Ariana loves being outside or playing video games!

Ms. Alissa is one of our Toddler room assistant teachers. Ms. Alissa has several years of experience working in early childhood education. Her favorite things to do with children are singing, dancing, and playing outside. Ms. Alissa became a teacher because she loves helping children learn, grow, and reach their milestones.

Ms. Brianna is a Preschool lead teacher who loves seeing children grow and learn while becoming their own unique individuals. Ms. Brianna enjoys being able to inspire children everyday, watching them learn, and showing them new things. In her spare time Ms. Brianna enjoys traveling to new places!

Ms. Madeline is an assistant teacher who loves to get messy and creative with the kids to make learning fun. She became a teacher to to make a positive difference in the lives of children and she loves watching them learn something new and knowing she helped them accomplish it. In Ms. Madelines free time she is a henna artist!

Ms. Brianna is one of our wonderful classroom assistants. She is currently taking an early childhood education class and has experience working with children. Ms. Brianna became a teacher because she enjoys teaching and being able to witness children learn new things to help them be successful. In her free time Ms. Brianna enjoys being with friends and family and doing crafts.

Ms. Julie loves working with children, it gives her great joy to see them make new friends, have fun, and learn new ideas. Her favorite thing to do with children is arts and crafts. Ms. Julie pursued teaching because of her passion to educate and bond with children, she loves watching them grow and grasp new skills. In Ms. Julies free time she enjoys reading, working out, spending time with her own 3 children, and volunteering at dog rescues.

Ms. Savannah is an assistant teacher in our Preschool classroom. Ms. Savannah is currently pursuing her degree in Early Childhood Education. She has always had a passion to teach and has loved working with children since she became a swim coach many years ago. She loves watching children progress and get excited when they learn something new. She likes knowing she has made a difference in children's lives as well as their families. In her free time Ms. Savannah enjoys hanging out with her friends and family, playing video games, cooking, and being out in nature.

Ms. Alyssa is one of our Preschool assistant teachers. Ms. Alyssa's favorite things to do with the kids is sensory and playing outside. She loves working with children and being able to see them learn and grow especially when she gets to see them accomplish something for the very first time. Ms. Alyssa is a very creative person and she enjoys different forms of art, reading, and thrifting in her spare time.

Ms. Emily has several years experience working in early childhood education. She loves being creative and making learning fun for the kids in her care. Ms. Emily became a teacher because not only does she love teaching children new skills but they teach her new things every day. Both her mom and grandma were educators as well. In her free time Ms. Emily loves being outside with her 2 dogs and spending time with family. Ms. Emily wants children to know that where there is learning, there is fun!

Ms. Jessica has always known she wanted to work children, she loves making connections with them and helping them grow and learn. Ms. Jessica loves spending time hanging out with her family, friends, and her chocolate lab Butch. She hopes to travel to Korea or Tokyo one day!

Ms. Jordyn has worked with children in various ways over the last several years. One of her favorite activities to do with children is arts and crafts, she enjoys seeing their different art styles and their excitement over what they have created. Ms. Jordyn became a teacher because she loves being part of children's early stages of life and being able to support and watch them grow. Fun fact about Ms. Jordyn, she just moved to Michigan from California!

Ms. Jennifer is an assistant teacher in our Infant classroom. Ms. Jennifer loves watching children learn and grow and being part of helping them reach all of their milestones. In her free time Ms. Jennifer loves to travel and spend time with her family. Fun fact, Ms. Jennifer has 2 sets of twin nieces!

Ms. Kendal loves knowing that she is part of a child's growth and development, it brings her joy seeing children accomplish goals both big and small. In her free time Ms. Kendal loves to travel and spend time with family and friends. Ms. Kendal has 2 older brothers and hopes to travel to Bora Bora one day!

Ms. Molly is a lead Preschool teacher. She loves being part of a child's early years and being able to help them learn and grow. Ms. Molly enjoys getting to know the children and helping them create a love for learning. In her free time Ms. Molly enjoys being outdoors, camping, hiking, going to the beach, and reading. She has 3 sons and hopes to travel to Europe one day!

Ms. Traci is an assistant teacher who comes to us with many years of experience working with children ranging from infants thru 2nd grade. She believes working with children is her passion and she chose this field because she loves watching children learn and grow and giving them the tools they need to succeed in life. In her free time Ms. Traci enjoys shopping, watching TV, and taking care of her plants!