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Our program provides a safe, nurturing, loving, and caring environment by having a well-rounded, educated, CPR and First Aid trained staff. To assure safety and supervision we keep a low child/adult ratio of 5:1.
Teacher Liz
Director
Liz Nelson has been interested in education from a very young age. It was during her freshman year of high school in Lucas Valley that Liz decided to take a job working at a preschool called Don Timateo. Liz enjoyed it so much that she decided to stay on at the preschool all through her four years in high school. After graduation, Liz attended Chico State University where she attained a degree in Liberal Studies with an area of concentration in Child Development. She then went on to get her teaching credentials from Dominican University and also became CLAD certified, which means she is trained to work with English language learners.
Continuing to follow her desire to teach, Liz began student teaching right out of college at Gallinas (K – 8th grade) and Sun Valley (K- 5th grade) schools. After one year of teaching, Liz was hired as a full-time teacher at Sun Valley Elementary School, and has enjoyed her time there so much that she is now in her tenth year. About five years ago Liz changed to a part-time schedule due to the birth of her daughter, Ryann, and has worked since then in the classroom on Thursdays and Fridays. During her career as a teacher, Liz has taught Kindergarten, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade
Liz teaches at Novato Parent’s Nursery School on Mondays, Wednesdays and occasionally on Tuesdays. For the past two years Liz’s daughter has attended NPNS, which is how Liz got her first introduction to the school. She decided to enroll her there after comparing it to the other preschools in the area. Liz found the closeness of the staff and other families in a co-op unique and difficult to find in traditional preschools. She also was looking forward to the opportunity to be directly involved in her daughter’s first school experience. Liz found all of these qualities appealing and has enjoyed the environment so much that she was hired on as our director. We couldn’t be more excited!
“The co-op is such a unique way to teach and be involved. It’s exciting to imagine all the possibilities of each day with the children and their parents. I’m so happy to be a part of it” – Teacher Liz
Teacher Leslie
Head Teacher
Leslie Robertson was born and raised in Terra Linda. She has enjoyed working with children as long as she can remember through babysitting, teaching preschool in San Anselmo, and teaching in the City of San Rafael After School Programs. She always knew that she would become a teacher in some capacity. Her college career began at Santa Barbara City College. While there, she became a nanny to a family with three small children. During her sophomore year, she decided to spend a semester abroad studying at Cambridge University in England. This was her first experience traveling abroad and she quickly realized that this was a passion of hers. While there, she lived with a family and helped with their children. When she returned home, Leslie transferred to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Health Education. Leslie has always had an interest in Health and Wellness and planned to become a Physical Education Teacher. After college, she found that most California Schools were no longer hiring full-time P.E. teachers so she decided to work outside of the teaching field to broaden her experience.
In 1998, she left the U.S. to travel around the world for one year to see and experience different people and cultures and to do some soul-searching. During that trip, she decided that she dearly missed working with children and that it was time to finally fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher. So, upon her return to the United States, she attended Dominican University for her Elementary Credential with a CLAD emphasis so that she would be certified to teach second-language learners. Dominican University has one of the most prestigious credential programs in California.
While still finishing her credential program, Leslie was offered jobs by several Principals, and accepted a second grade position at San Pedro Elementary in San Rafael. She taught there for 6 years in both second and third grades. Leslie also became busy in her personal life. She married her husband Ken in 2001, had her first child, Chet, in March 2004, then in July 2006 she welcomed a daughter, Adeline. While Leslie was on maternity leave from her classroom in October, an NPNS parent let her know that the school was looking for a temporary preschool teacher. She was hired and has decided to stay permanently. Leslie is now where she feels she was meant to be--around a bunch of preschool-aged children just being messy and having fun!
“This job and school fit who I am now in my life, a mom and a community member. I love the children and the families here at NPNS. It is a positive and supportive school community.” – Teacher Leslie
Teacher Julie
Julie Ramser was born and raised in Novato. While in high school she taught little children gymnastics and springboard diving for the City of Novato. After high school Julie moved to Santa Barbara--Which, by the way, is the only time she has lived outside the town of Novato. She is definitely a true hometown girl! While in Santa Barbara she attended Santa Barbara City College and UC Santa Barbara where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. During the summer months of college she was in charge of running summer camps for 5-year-olds in both Santa Barbara and Novato.
After college Julie decided to move back to Novato to teach at a preschool and day care. She worked for the City of Novato and helped spearhead the effort to build up their preschool and Pre-Kindergarten programs; this became a huge success and the preschools have kept this program in place ever since. Later Julie decided she wanted to earn her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education so she enrolled at Sonoma State University. Halfway through, Julie applied to Dominican University since she thought she could possibly do more with a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential with a CLAD emphasis. She earned that degree in 1997.
Julie’s very first teaching job was as a kindergarten teacher in Novato. She then went on to teach 2nd grade for 3 ½ years in the Ross Valley School District in San Anselmo. After a few years, she decided she wanted to work closer to home, so for the next three years she worked at Lu Sutton Elementary School both in the after-school reading program and as a substitute for her friends in their classrooms. A few years previous, Julie had gotten married and a year later had her first child. After staying home for a while with the birth of her second child she began to think about how she really missed working with younger children in a classroom. Since joining Novato Parents Nursery School, Julie has found it to be a perfect fit!
“The parents are great. I have met several good friends through the school and I am so excited to be a part of this community.” – Teacher Julie
Teacher Angela Villaluna
Angela Villaluna is a credentialed elementary school teacher. She is also a National Board Certified teacher, certified by the United States in curricula second through sixth grade. She graduated from Sonoma State University with a B.A. in Liberal Studies, received her teaching credential through Chapman University and is C.L.A.D. certified. Angela has taught in grades Kindergarten through Third and a bit in Fifth. Angela's son, Devin, attends NPNS and is two and a half years old. She also has a nine-year-old stepdaughter, Katrina.