We are so glad you've come to look at this page on our website! Our amazing educators make Discovery the amazing place that it is! Each teacher is fully qualified with a minimum of five years ranging up to 30 + years of experience in the field. Teachers at Discovery are life-long learners, open to learning and professional growth. As a Reggio Emilia inspired school, teachers have to be creative and observant. With all their combined experience and collaboration, amazing things are happening here at Discovery!
Lindsey Duran- Preschool Educator
Ms. Lindsey brings her nurturing and loving approach to working with our Butterfly children here at Discovery! She has been working in the community with children for the past 10 years, in children's theater and preschools! She is so fun to have around as she uses her humor and kindness to connect with the children. With her extensive theater background, she brings many fun ideas to our team of educators. She loves working with children because they are willing and excited to learn new things. Parents find her knowledgable and thoughtful as she takes notes and carefully observes each child in her care! We are lucky to have Lindsey here at Discovery!
Mita Nandy - Preschool and Tk/ Kinder Educator
Hello, my name is Mita Nandy. Let me take a moment to introduce myself. I have been living in Santa Cruz, since I moved to the United States from India in 2001. I live with my husband of 25 years. I have a 22 year old daughter who graduated from UCSD this year. I have been working with children since 2001. I started volunteering as a kindergarten teacher when my child was in kindergarten. Since then I volunteered for more than 12 years with the kindergarteners. Here is where my love for children was sparked. After this experience, I decided to pursue a career in Early Childhood Education which has brought me to Discovery Preschool. As a mother and an educator, I believe that the children develop and learn best in a loving, nurturing, empathetic, safe, fun, and healthy environment. My aim in the classroom is to create a caring community of active learners and emphasize the importance of respect, equality and diversity. I believe children are rich in potential. I want to give them the freedom to grow, to be who they are, to love, to voice their opinion, and to explore. I believe in each child and their potential. All children have something very special to offer and it is my commitment to ensure they do.
Samantha O’Shea- Preschool Educator
I am overjoyed with the opportunity to be part of the team of educators in the Bambini classroom as well as work towards enhancing our beautiful outdoor space and materials. In my five years of experience working as an early childhood educator, I have learned the importance of building strong relationships and creating safe, nurturing environments for each child to find safety and confidence in becoming their authentic self. I value the importance of observation and documentation to be able to create a curriculum that supports their many curiosities and interests.
Another strong passion of mine is working as a florist. Having the opportunity to combine my two passions and share my admiration for nature’s perfect, imperfections; exploring all of the elements that nature has to teach us is a dream come true.
I am honored to be part of the Discovery team and look forward to the abundance of connections to come.
Suzy Plessas - TK/Kinder Educator
Hello, my name is Suzy Plessas and I am so excited to be Discovery Preschool’s new TK/ Kindergarten Teacher! After growing up in Mill Valley California, I moved to Santa Cruz for college and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I received my Bachelors of Arts at UC Santa Cruz and then went on to continue my learning in the Early Childhood Education field. After teaching children for over two years I found a deep love for the Reggio Emilia approach in a preschool setting and it seemed like fate when I found that Discovery was looking for a new educator. My focus in the classroom is to create a kind and caring environment in which children will be able to discover, imagine, create, and investigate the world around them while learning valuable literacy skills, mathematics, science, and much more. I am passionate about storytelling, engineering spaces, and visual and performing arts. I look forward to getting to know you and your children, so that I may create a curriculum that answers the questions your children are asking, and design an engaging inspiring experience for them. In my free time I love to play my ukulele, garden, paint, hike, and spend time with my boyfriend, our three dogs and our one fat cat!