Faculty

All of our teachers are Montessori trained and/or credentialed, and undergo continuing educational training throughout the year.   We also incorporate a variety of special interest teachers from our community in the fields of science, art, music and physical education.

All our teachers meet the highest academic and personal standards, and are dedicated to the ideals and principles under which Tara Redwood School operates.

During our biannual parent/teacher conferences your child's specific academic curriculum and social, emotional and physical development will be addressed and goals outlined based on the individual child.   Our teachers are always available to meet with you privately throughout the school year to discuss your child's specific needs and progress.

Preschool

Ages 3 - 4

Teachers: Bev Gwyn, Sarah Love, and Jessie Durant

The Tara Redwood School Preschool program serves children aged 3 and 4.   It is a licensed family home daycare center, with administrator Lilian Brito the license holder.     

Bev Gwyn, lead preschool teacher, has worked in the Preschool since its inception, and is a state credentialed teacher.  

Jessie Durant, preschool assistant, graduated from UCSC with a BA in History of Art and Visual Culture. She worked as a babysitter while she attended school. In addition to working in the preschool at Tara and babysitting, she is taking classes in Early Childhood Education at Cabrillo College and took a Montessori training over the past summer.  

Bev     Sara     Jessie

Primary (Pre-K/Kindergarten)

Ages 4.5 - 6

Tara Redwood School's Primary program helps children move into an academically based school day while reinforcing their natural curiosity about the world and their interest in learning to be self-sufficient and helpful.

Teachers: Melissa Reyes and Ami Cayton   

Melissa Reyes has been the lead teacher in the Primary room for two years. She has an Associates degree in Liberal Arts and a Montessori teaching credential. She has been teaching for ten years, with a break before starting at Tara when she had her son Kai, who will soon join the Tara Preschool room. Her emphasis is on motivating children to become independent and being respectful to all living beings as well as to themselves. Essential Education has proven to be more true to her values than any other form of education given by other schools where she has worked.  

Amrita (Ami) Cayton is the assistant teacher in the Primary and Elementary classrooms. She received her teacher training at Sierra Nevada College, later earning her K-8 teaching license. Ami is looking forward to starting as lead teacher in the new upper elementary class at Tara next year (ages 9 -12). Essential Education is a philosophy that Ami believes in and supports, so working at Tara Redwood is such an exciting and wonderful learning experience for her. She especially appreciates working with Essential Education in the curriculum and in how the students and teachers relate to each other.  

Melissa     Ami

Elementary (First through Third Grade)

Ages 6 - 9

Teachers: Amanda Dofflemyer and Ami Cayton   

Amanda Dofflemyer received her B.A. in Religion and Philosophy, with a minor in Native American Studies, in 1999. During that time, she traveled as much as possible and eventually taught English in Japan. When she returned to the states in 2001, she worked with a diverse group of amazing children in the Boston area who inspired her to became a certified teacher so that she could work with children to develop social and emotional intelligence in the public sphere. Her hope was that this small but heartfelt contribution would hopefully lead to a better world with less conflict. She returned to California and received a M.A. in Education and a CA State Teaching Credential in 2003. It was at this time that she found Tara, and she has been here ever since.  

[See Ami Cayton's biography under Primary (above).]  

    Ami

Upper Elementary (Fourth and Fifth Grade, starting in Fall, 2008)

Ages 9 - 11

Teacher: Ami Cayton   

This year's Primary and Elementary classroom assistant teacher will start our new Upper Elementary classroom for the 2008-2009 schoolyear. Please return for more details.  

[See Ami Cayton's biography under Primary (above).]  

Administration

Administrator: Lilian Brito

Lilian Brito is a Montessori-trained teacher, and holds a Brazilian teaching credential as well. She was formerly the preschool co-teacher. She now supervises the operation of the school.

Please give us a call if you would like to schedule a visit to any of our classrooms. 

For more information contact the Tara office at (831) 462-9632.

Tara Redwood School . 5810 Prescott Road . Soquel, CA 95073 . 831-462-9632 . e-mail . map