Our Goddard School Teachers

Christina is the heart behind The Goddard School – Woodlake. A former kindergarten teacher and passionate advocate for early childhood education, she blends her classroom experience with strong leadership and a deep love for people. Christina holds a Master’s Degree in Early and Elementary Education and a degree in Deaf Studies, which have shaped her belief that every child learns best through connection, understanding, and individualized care. As the on-site owner, she is involved in every aspect of the school — guiding teachers, supporting families, and creating a warm, engaging environment where children thrive. At home, Christina is a proud wife to a firefighter and mom to two boys, Micah and Asher, who inspire her daily to create a school that feels like an extension of home — full of heart, laughter, and learning.

Ms. Emily has been part of the Woodlake Goddard School family since 2009, and she’s done it all—from caring for tiny infants to guiding energetic school-age kids. She loves helping little minds grow, explore, and discover the joy of learning every day. When she’s not at school, you might find Ms. Emily running on a trail, reading a good book, spiking a volleyball, or camping under the stars. She enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and their playful pups, making every adventure a family affair!

Ms. Rachael joined our Goddard Family in the fall of 2022 as a Pre-Toddler teacher and quickly found her way into the front office, where her sunny personality brightens everyone’s day. She loves watching how every child brings their own special light to the world and feels lucky to be surrounded by our future generations every single day! When she’s not at school, Ms. Rachael enjoys spending time with her daughters, attending concerts, loving on her fur babies!

Ms. Tara joined our Goddard Village in 2021 as a Lead Teacher and, about a year ago, brought her energy and smile to the front office of both of our buildings. She serves as the bridge between the annex and preschool building, making sure everything runs smoothly and everyone feels welcome. With years of experience working with children, Ms. Tara is First Aid and CPR/MAT certified. Her favorite part of working with little learners? Seeing the world through their eyes—it’s a daily reminder to slow down, enjoy the little things, and embrace life’s simple joys.

Ms. Natalie is one of the friendly faces you’ll see in the front office at Woodlake Goddard School. She loves creating a welcoming environment for families, staff, and children alike. With her CDA in Infant/Toddler and Preschool, Ms. Natalie thrives on supporting interactive and engaging classroom experiences for our little learners. You can usually find her in our Annex building, spending time with our Pre-K and school-age students. When she’s not at school, Ms. Natalie enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new places on her travels, or testing her wits in escape rooms—always up for a fun challenge!

Ms. Bailey joined our Goddard family in the late summer of 2024. She thoroughly enjoys the sense of community that our school provides and loves how uplifting everyone in the building is. Her favorite thing about working with children is how they impact her day in such a positive way, regardless of what type of day she is having to start out with.

Ms. Michelle has been nurturing our tiniest learners at Woodlake Goddard School since the fall of 2022. A Chesterfield native, she also shares her love of teaching on the weekends as a Sunday School teacher. You’re sure to hear her sweet songs echoing through the hallways as her class makes their way to the playground each morning and afternoon. When she’s not at school, Ms. Michelle enjoys spending quality time with her family, making every moment count.

Ms. Alyssa joined our Goddard team in the spring of 2023 and has quickly become a favorite in our Infant classroom. Coming from a big family, she knows all the tricks of caring for little ones and brings warmth, patience, and plenty of smiles to every day. She loves celebrating each milestone—big or small—and making every moment with her students special!

Ms. Kelsey came to us in the summer of 2024 with a love for story time and art projects. Her favorite thing about coming to work each day is seeing the smiling faces of all of her students!

Ms. Aaliyah came to us in the Spring of 2025 with several years of experience working with children. From day one, we have loved how she dove right in offering to help write lesson plans and how she began forming relationships with the students.

Ms. Daniela loves working with children because their enthusiasm and curiosity makes every day exciting and rewarding. Seeing their growth and helping shape their understanding of the world is a privilege that brings immense joy and fulfillment.

Ms. Madison joined our team in the late Spring of 2024 as a resource teacher helping out in a variety of our classrooms. She is currently attending VCU for nursing and enjoys watching children grow both academically and socially!

Ms. Marin comes to us with invaluable experience of raising her own two children who now currently attend The Goddard School. She has previously worked in children's ministries and enjoys making weird crafts and speaking in silly voices. Ms. Marin can be observed creating lessons that inspire the children to become curious, life-long learners.

Ms. Michelle is the lead teacher in our Robin's classroom and comes to us with 30 plus years of experience in childcare with all age levels. She enjoys learning, reading, and taking care of children. "When given the opportunity to teach children at a young age, you yourself are learning from them, and I love learning."

Ms. Amanda is a Lead Teacher in our bridge program. She has seven years of experience in early childhood education. Ms. Amanda was born and raised in the Chester area. She has two daughters, three cats and a bird.

Ms. Kylie is one of our Two's teachers and has been with the Goddard school since 2023. She is from South Carolina where she received her associate degree in technology and cosmetology. She has two years of experience subbing in the public school system and has also been a nanny. Ms. Kylie is excited to get to know her students and build relationships with each of them.

Ms. Amaya joined our team back in 2023 as an Assistant Teacher in our preschool program. Since then, she has become part of our resource team which spends time helping out in all of our classrooms. She enjoys science experiments and teaching her students to think outside of the box. In her spare time, she likes to read, paint, and cook!

Ms. Ari joined our team back in 2023 as a lead teacher in our bridge program. She came to us with plenty of experience, but what really sealed the deal was her infectious smile and engaging lesson plans!

Ms. Ashley is one of our fantastic Preschool teachers. She has dedicated years to caring for children and while doing so, she has attained her cosmetology license. Her one true passion is working with children which is what brought her to us! In her free time, you can find her crafting for her family and her classroom!

Ms. Jasmine joined our team in 2021 as one of our lead Preschool teachers. She is in the process of obtaining her CDA in Early Childhood Education and pursuing her bachelor's in mathematics. Ms. Jas' favorite thing about working with children is providing them with tender love and care.

Mr. Peter, who is a recent retired Chesterfield County Public School teacher, came to us at the start of the 2024/2025 school year to lead one of our Pre-K classrooms. His ability to captivate his classroom and instill lifelong lessons is something you'll have to come see for yourself!

Mr. Carlyle has been with Goddard since 2022. He is one of our fabulous bus drivers and handy men.

Ms. Emma joined the Goddard Family early in 2024. She came to us with years of experience teaching Irish Dance. Ms. Emma is one of our part-time resource teachers who can be found helping in various ways around the school.

Ms. Bri joined our team at the start of 2022. Since then, she has been the lead in our school-age program, assisted in kindergarten, led her own preschool classroom, and run many successful summer camp programs. One of her favorite parts about teaching is watching children's imaginations come to life. Ms. Bri has her bachelor's in education and her master's degree in nutrition. In her free time, Ms. Bri enjoys working out, gardening, and spending time with her family.

Ms. Shaquita has been a part of The Goddard School since 2012 and is currently one of our Preschool teachers. She earned an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, and is a Virginia State Qualified Lead Teacher. Ms. Shaquita has certifications in Pediatric CPR, First Aid, and Emergency Medication Administration. Her favorite thing about working with children is teaching them and watching them learn and grow.

Ms. Illi joined our Goddard family in the Spring of 2025. She has a background of working with children in a Montessori setting and brings a wealth of knowledge/experience to our school. Please help us in welcoming Ms. Illi to The Goddard School!

Ms. Shelitta comes to us with 30 plus years of early childhood education. Her passion is helping young students and families find their love of learning and to navigate the transitions that come with it. You can find Ms. Shelitta in our PreK classroom playing games, ALL music, and finding the joy in everything!

Meet Ms. Leila! She joined our team in 2021 and is one of our co-lead teachers in our prekindergarten program! Leila has been working with children ever since she can remember and loves knowing that they are happy and healthy!

Ms. Ann has been with The Goddard School since 2022 and is one of our lead Pre-K teachers. She loves teaching and can't wait to see how much growth her students make. In her spare time, she loves to bake and spend time with her family.

Ms. Clarissa joined our staff in 2021 as a Resource teacher assisting in our various classrooms. Ms. Clarissa's favorite thing about working with children is that they are full of surprises and love expressing themselves. She believes one of the most important things a teacher can do is teach children to be kind to one another.

Coach Randa has been part of the Goddard family since early 2023. They are currently a student at VCU pursuing their bachelor's in communication arts. Coach Randa loves to work with children of all ages and can't wait to build relationships with them.

Having Ms. Maura return for her third summer here at The Goddard School has everyone jumping for joy. She is a natural with the children, a true go-getter, and such a pleasure to be around! Maura is a Psychology major who attends college in Pennsylvania during the school year.

Help us in welcoming Ms. Colleen who is gaining even more experience as they dream of one day becoming a teacher. You can find Ms. Colleen helping out in various classrooms as a resource teacher, but don't be fooled, they are equally as hands on as our classroom teachers and enjoys dance parties in the classroom!

We are thrilled to introduce Ms. Abigail to our Goddard Village as she will be joining our Prekindergarten team this fall. Ms. Abbie comes to us with a degree from VCU in disciplinary studies and 2 years of experience working with children. Fun fact, Ms. Abbie received a scholarship to play basketball in college and is looking forward to playing alongside her students this year!

Ms. Laura is one of the part-time afternoon teachers in our infant classroom. Upon meeting her, we were overwhelmed by her kind nature and optimism! We knew right away that she would be a wonderful addition into our youngest of classrooms.

Teacher Amaya is one of our newest resource teachers who comes to us with an infectious smile on a daily basis. They will be getting to know all of our students better over time so they can step in as a resource teacher and/or closer in the evenings. Teacher Amaya received a degree in Literary Studies and enjoys writing!

Ms. Emma brings joy and energy to every classroom she enters. She loves making children laugh, singing songs with them, and creating moments that make learning fun and memorable. Outside of school, she enjoys horseback riding and spending time in nature. Ms. Emma is currently attending college to pursue a degree in Elementary Education, with the goal of becoming a classroom teacher in the future. Her passion for working with young children and helping them grow shines through in all that she does, and she is excited to be part of The Goddard School family.

Ms. Kyleigh joined our team in the Spring of 2024 wanting to gain experience in education. She is attending college to become a teacher one day and what better way to fulfill that role than to work with our students here at The Goddard School! You can find Ms. Kyleigh in our Squirrels classroom teaching our preschoolers.

Please help us in welcoming our newest teacher to the Goddard Village; Ms. Chloie. She comes to us with two years of experience in childcare and exuberates patience and understanding!

Ms. Gabi is one of our fantastic resource teachers who joined our team back in the winter of 2024. She has completed her biology degree at Virginia Commonwealth University and is now attending the master's program while working full time with us.

Ms. Davon started as a mom at our school and soon after decided to join our Goddard team in the early summer of 2024. She has been an amazing resource teacher to several classes and enjoys being the type of teacher that children every deserve. Ms. Davon takes the time to get to know and care for each of her students individually and it is evident that she has a teacher heart!