Our Staff

Sam P

Owner / Partner

ScuttleBugs has been quite the labor of love, and that’s why Sam often refers to our center as her third child! In fact, ScuttleBugs was created out of necessity when she started a family of her own, and just wasn’t satisfied with the childcare options available.

Her career spans 30 years encompassing all manner of roles such as neighborhood babysitter, English teacher abroad, teacher’s aide, Team Lead, Assistant to Regional Manager, and Center Purchasing Manager. Sam was able to hone her skills under the mentorship umbrella of Universal Childcare, now “Only About Children”, the premier childcare company in Australia.

The ScuttleBugs crew get a real kick out of learning wacky Aussie expressions such as “chuck a sickie” (time off work pretending to be sick), “dag” (look it up – basically a slob), and she insists we refer to the snacks we serve as morning and afternoon tea on the menu – admittedly it does sound fancier.

Her other titles include Resident Queen Bee and Jill of all trades, master of none! Budding ornithologist, whose other hobbies include sleeping, aromatherapy, and dancing with her boys to 80’s music. Her secret past time is sharing her mad origami skills by leaving a toilet paper hospitality fold in random public bathrooms, although this Grasshopper has yet to master “the fan” (think serviette/napkin in a posh restaurant).

But behind it all, Sam is a strong advocate as well as serious student of early childhood development. She follows developments close to home and around the world and her opinions are always insightful. You can read her ongoing thoughts and research – and occasionally some of the kiddies stuff that makes us weep with laughter – here.

Michael F

Center Director

Mr. Michael, ScuttleBugs center director, has been working with children since 2012. His experience includes the role of an Area Manager and Child Care Director, as well as Infant Teacher, Preschool Teacher and Master Teacher. He received his education from De Anza College, he has a Master Teacher and Site Supervisor Permit issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

“I believe in whole child learning, every aspect of the child matters. – says Mr. Michael. – I want nothing more than a child to reach their full potential, but we can only do that by meeting their every need. The children’s education and life outcomes depend on their access to safe and robust learning environments and rich learning experiences. I love providing safe, happy and loving care to children. Each child is unique and they learn in their way and we need to harness these needs so that they can be successful.”

Mr. Michael says that children, including his own, teach him every day. He’s a father of 3. He’s an Army veteran, he loves gaming and has a lizard collection – he once had 17 in his house! His favorite is his Northern Blue Tongue Skink (Australia).

Arina S

Kitchen Manager

Ms. Arina brings nearly 10 years of professional cooking experience with her. She has worked for catering companies making dishes from a range of cuisines for a varied clientele. She has also worked cooking for children at another Preschool.

Ms. Arina’s first experience cooking, dating back to many years ago when she and her partner were young parents of 3, is still fresh in her memory:

“The first time I made fried chicken, I forgot the oil and wondered why it wasn’t frying up!!

That didn’t discourage me!! I kept pushing, and eventually I grew from dreading making food to really enjoying creating interesting and tasty dishes. … My love for my kids motivated me as a mother, and forced me to learn things out of my comfort zone.”

Ms. Arina loves the fact that cooking allows one to transform even simple basic ingredients into something extraordinarily tasty!! She most enjoys making soups, sandwiches & sauces.

“Working with children, you get to be silly and they keep your energy level high. You learn from them, they bring out your creativity and, my personal favorite, they show love in the purest form.” – says Ms Arina. At ScuttleBugs she finds it amazing that children at such a young age are opened minded to trying different types of foods – without being bribed!

In her free time, Ms. Arina loves to spend time with her children and her 5 (!) dogs. She also loves to sing at home although she admits that she’s repeatedly told that she shouldn’t!

Nicole B

Infant program

A Los Medanos College Graduate, Ms. Nicole has also completed ECE units at De Anza College and a Reggio Emilia Course, and now she is working towards her degree. She has almost 20 years experience of working with young children and is one of the supporting columns of our new Curriculum! She loves to hear children laughing and seeing smiles on their faces. Ms. Nicole believes that communication is the key, both for working life and life in general! “I enjoy helping children reach their milestones” – says Ms. Nicole about what’s the best of being a child care teacher.

Ms. Nicole is helping and supporting her son Evan with his goal to be a San Jose State Graduate with his BA in Communication. The two enjoy trying new burger joints and Chinese restaurants together.

She always stands out with her clothing and shoe style, and has a ready joke for every occasion! Ms. Nicole loves to read, and is a Big Fan of Harry Potter (We are making bets about her next Halloween or Fall Festival costume!!!). She strives to read a new book or vlog twice a month. Ms. Nicole also loves watching the Food Network and tries to incorporate new techniques in her cooking style.

See a video of Ms. Nicole with some parenting tips about the period when your baby is learning to walk.

Maritza S

Infant Program

Armed with a BA in Child Development and nine years of tiny-human expertise, Ms. Maritza is practically a baby-and-toddler whisperer. We’re talking five years with toddlers and four with infants – that’s like earning a PhD in diaper dynamics and sippy cup science!

“I love that children are full of curiosity and wonder” she says. “I find working in the field very rewarding. I take pride in helping children develop and learn new skills. Seeing them reach important milestones warms my heart and puts a smile on my face!” (And trust us, that smile is contagious!)

When she’s not helping tiny humans conquer their next big achievement, Ms. Maritza is on an epic quest of her own: visiting all 50 states! That’s right, this road-trip warrior is turning the entire USA into her personal playground. Between state-hopping adventures, you might find her channeling her inner artist with a paintbrush in hand, or engineering the next great LEGO civilization. And get this – she actually ENJOYS biking in the rain!

Isabella R

Infant / Toddler Program

Ms. Bella has over 6 years of experience working in early childhood education with children from infant to school age. She has a BA in Early Childhood Studies plus 2 AA degrees: one in Social Sciences and the other in Human Development.

“Everything is new, exciting, fun to young children! I love their wonderment about the world around them! – says Ms. Bella. – I believe that it is a privilege, a gift – to be a part of their growth and exploration of the world. It’s amazing how every child, no matter how young, has their own personality and strengths. I am so excited to get to know each child in my care, and provide an environment for them to feel safe, explore, play, experiment, grow.”

Ms. Bella’s other great passion is dancing, and she has worked teaching ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary dance to students aged 3 years old and older. Her favorite dance style is tap dance, and her favorite place to be is at a beach.

Amanda P

Toddler Program

Ms. Amanda, with a bachelor’s degree in Child & Adolescent development obtained at San Jose State University, has been working with children since 2020, from newborns to 7-year-olds. And this without counting her taking care of her many nieces and nephews.

“I love seeing the world through children’s eyes, and being a part of their development and help them learn through exploring – says Ms. Amanda. – And it’s exciting to observe how their personalities form.

Ms. Amanda is an animal lover, her house is like a little farm. She has a dog (while boxer), 3 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 2 crested geckos, 2 lizards and 2 water frogs as well as a 5 gallon fish tank with a dozen tropical fish and a beta fish. An ideal day for Ms. Amanda is a day spent playing with her puppy and listening to country music.

Sara R

Room 3

Ms. Sara has obtained her teaching certifications from DeAnza College, and she is continuing her education in early childhood education. She has been working with preschool age kids since 2016 and she really enjoys watching and helping children as they experience the world around them and help them grow and understand themselves. Instead of giving children ready solutions, she believes the best is a slight nudge for the kids to see the problem and find their own ways to solve it.

Ms. Sara enjoys cooking, playing video games (outta my way!), and reading – according to her own confession, she likes cheesy romance novels and manga. Fast reader, Ms. Sara can finish a book of 300 pages in a day and sometimes has to intentionally slow down so that she can enjoy a good book a little longer. Fun fact: she would love to open a small flower shop one day.

Destiny R

Room 3

Ms. Destiny, with an Associates Degree in Child and Adolescent Development, says she enjoys working with children because they inspire the best in her. “I adore that we, as early childhood teachers, play such a significant part in their early years of development. I enjoy watching them and guiding them to achieve their little and big milestones.” – says Ms. Destiny.

She thinks that her profession helps her to develop the skill of being open-minded and she is learning from little ones and in particular their imagination. In her own words, “Children are unique because they have such a vivid imagination. I strongly encourage imaginative play because it enables children to think past their pretend limitations. Additionally, supporting hands-on learning helps kids understand concepts and maintain focus.”

Ms. Destiny enjoys traveling by car, board games and painting. Sun, sand, and the sea is pretty much a description of Ms. Destiny’s happy place. In her personal rating, the playas in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, are the absolute winners, while her favorite beaches in the US are the beaches in San Diego.

Kristina M

Room 3

Ms. Kris started working with children when she was a teenager (babysitting), and later early childhood education became her career choice. She continued to work with young children, including an experience working with special needs children in a kindergarten setting, and obtained her AA diploma in Child Development from De Anza College.

“It’s fun! “– says Ms. Kris about working with kids. – “It’s challenging at times but I love providing fun experiences and a safe presence. The most rewarding part of working with children is seeing them develop their skills & discover their interests right in front of me! I believe children learn best when they guide the learning – I like to encourage questions and attempts to figure things out on their own! Of course, children need support from trusted adults, but the most memorable learning experiences for me as a child were times where I worked through a problem myself (with help at times).”

Ms. Kris has a really wide range of interests: she likes to bake and cook gluten & dairy free, as well as work with clay, make costumes, make resin art and draw and animate. She’s a cat mom to a tortie cat named Toast, and she also is very interested in insects, in particular iris weevils. Bigfoot weevils are her favorite!

Joanna B

Room 3

Ms. Joanna, with Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education, has always found great joy in seeing children learn and grow, and her heart has always been set on teaching

“There’s something truly special about witnessing a child’s development and growth firsthand. – says Ms. Joanna. – I am motivated by the opportunity to make a lasting impact on their lives during their formative years.

Teaching, for me, is about fostering a nurturing environment where each child feels valued and inspired to explore their unique interests through play and hands-on learning. I believe In celebrating diversity and collaborating closely with families to support child’s growth, both academically and emotionally. It should be fun too, so they’re motivated to learn and be more curious.”

Ms. Joanna’s idea of fun is either dressing up to go visit places and eating at cute cafes, go bowling or just being at home baking or cooking food while watching shows. Ms. Joanna loves capturing the moment, so she takes lots of pictures wherever she goes. Growing up, she was really into dancing and at middle school she was a part of a contests-winning dancing group!

Amy T

Room 5

Ms. Amy’s vocation for early childhood development started when she was babysitting her brother, cousins, and nieces/nephews (while still a child herself). A Girl Scout from the times of middle school, she was a cadette leading of brownies and juniors and then eventually became a venturer and helped oversee the girl scouts and cub scouts. In her senior year of high school, Ms. Amy worked with young children in a preschool setting; now she is at her fourth year at San Jose State University.

“I enjoy working with kids because they are very eager to learn and are very energetic. I love it when children are curious about their environment and ask questions, or are very into a subject and are excited to tell you all about it.”

Ms. Amy believes that learning should be fun for kids. “At this age they should be able to enjoy learning and be able to learn and explore what they want. It is important as teachers that we are there to help, facilitate, monitor and help guide children when they are learning instead of making them do activities that they are not interested in. I also believe that children should be able to express their emotions, and as educators we should talk to children about their emotions.”

Ms. Amy is a foodie but instead of having a bucket list of places, she has a bucket list of foods she wants to try, and every time when going somewhere she checks if she can find any food from her bucket list there. Ms. Amy is one of the very few people who actually chose their own name! Her birth name is Nhi but when she was in preschool, she came back home one day and told her parents that her name was Amy, and everyone has been calling her Amy since then!

Michelle E

Room 5

With a BA in Public Health and Child and Adolescent Development, Ms. Michelle kicked off her teaching adventure in Spain, where she taught English to 7 and 8-year-olds. (We hear she can still order tapas like a local!)

When it comes to her teaching philosophy, this energetic educator knows exactly what makes childhood special. “Children are full of energy and I always enjoy listening to their stories,” she says. “I believe it’s very important to build a relationship with children and parents.”

On her free time, you might find Ms. Michelle blazing trails on local hiking paths or hunting down the city’s latest food hotspot. She is always in if it’s about trying out a new restaurant. From Spanish classrooms to mountain trails, Ms. Michelle brings a world of experience to early childhood education.

Jessica H

Substitute Teacher

Ms. Jessica loves reading, journaling and going to concerts – especially those of Harry Styles! As a huge fan of Friends (the T.V. show, not the group of people – well, obviously she likes them too but…..), Ms. Jessica has an uncanny ability to provide a Friends reference for most situations. “I’ll be there for you”! Every year she rewatches the entire show! Ms. Jessica also confesses that she likes dancing even though she’s not good at it.

Ms. Jessica loves working with children because it gives her a possibility to contribute in helping them achieve their milestones and creating a safe and stimulating environment for them. She says, she was inspired to become a teacher by her teachers who created a safe environment and were there to support her… “Thanks Ms. Rosa!”.

At the moment she’s working on her Associate Degree in Child Development (graduating in fall 2022, yay!). Ms. Jessica has worked with children at the school she attended as a child.

Audrey T

Substitute Teacher

Ms. Audrey has 3 years of experience working with young children in the classroom, as a tutor and nanny and is working on her Major in Childhood & Adolescent development at San Jose State University.

“I enjoy working with children because I find interacting with them and being in their company to be genuinely fun! Children’s energy is so contagious, you truly feel that they are feeling. Also, being able to witness and be a part of their development is reward within itself.” Ms. Audrey believes in close collaboration with parents for every child’s individual early educational path.

Ms. Audrey’s all-time favorite hobby is singing! She admits to be unable to go a day without singing. She seriously considered a career of a musician and has 13 years of experience playing piano and 4 years of vocal lessons. Other hobbies, in her own words, include “dancing, crafting, knitting, playing with my two cats, thrift and spending an unreasonable amount of money at Disneyland.” Ms. Audrey’s entire family are Annual Passholders at Disneyland and they visit the Parks about once a month! Her older sister even has her own Mickey ears business where she sells custom-made Disney ears.

Megan C

Substitute Teacher

Ms. Megan started babysitting in Middle School. “Ever since I was little I knew that I wanted to work with children when I got older. Children are amazing “little” humans! It has always been fun watching children grow and go through all of their developmental stages, and they always know how to put a smile on your face.” She has a BA in Child Development – Teacher Prep – obtained at San Jose State University and has been working with young children for about 7 years now.

Ms. Megan is a huge fan of Disneyland. She collects Minnie Ears and Disney Pins and every time she visits Disneyland, Ms. Megan can’t wait to try their new foods/drinks. She also has two fur babies, Duke and Bear – chocolate lab mix and black lab.

“I believe that every child develops in their own way, regardless of what other children may be doing (if they are the same age). Play is a big learning advantage since they are able to do many things with that and are able to use their imagination.”

Alolika T

Staff Support / Breaker

Ms. Alolika has been working as a preschool teacher for the last 4 years, and before then she used to be a volunteer working as substitute teacher and after school teacher. She believes that children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening and observing.

Besides 31 Early Childhood Education units completed at De Anza College, Ms. Alolika has a diploma in Fashion Designing – which is her passion along with imitation jewelry design. As many teachers at ScuttleBugs, Ms. Alolika speaks several languages (Marathi and Hindi, as well as English of course). She loves music and singing as well as travelling and learning about different cultures.

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