Michelle Miller
2’s Teacher
Mrs. Miller is excited to be part of St. Timothy’s Christian Preschool as the Pre 2’s Teacher. For the last 19 years, she has been teaching preschool ages 18 months to 4 years. Mrs. Miller has a B.A. in History with a minor in Art/Photography from Pine Manor College in Boston and is currently enrolled at West Valley College to further her teaching education. Mrs. Miller is fluent in Spanish and was taught by her Cuban-born grandmother. When not teaching, Mrs. Miller and her husband love to mountain bike, walk on the beach and take their dog Coco to the park.
Mrs. Miller’s favorite bible verse is
Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”
Melissa Gonzales
2’s Teacher Aide
Ms. Melissa has been working with children for over 7 years. She currently holds her Associate Teacher permit and is working towards her AS degree in Early Childhood Education. She is very excited to be teaching at St. Timothy’s! Ms. Melissa loves working with children and being in the 2’s classroom. In her free-time, she enjoys going to new places with her daughter, trying new foods and spending time with family
Ms. Melissa’s favorite bible verse is
Psalms 20:4
“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”
Susan Mapes
2’s Teacher
Susan has taught children ranging from 3 years to Kindergarten for the past 28 years! Ms. Susan received her BA in Early Childhood Education from Bethany College. She has been married to her husband, Jim for 7 years. They both love to travel and their favorite place to visit is Disneyland! Ms. Susan is really excited about this school year!
Ms. Susan’s favorite Bible verse is
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Cheryl Johnson2’s Teacher Aide
This is Ms. Cheryl’s 1st year at St. Timothy’s Christian Preschool serving as a 2’s Aide. Ms. Cheryl received her BA in Liberal Studies from Pt. Loma Nazarene College and earned her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential the following year. She has been married for 28 years and has 4 teenage/young adult children. She worked at the elementary school level for many years before stepping away to raise her own 4 kids. In 2018 she reentered the work force continuing to nurture children as a Preschool aide. Making sure teachers are supported and every child feels loved and safe, is her focus each day. She believes in the importance of modeling and teaching children to love, respect, and show kindness towards others. Ms. Cheryl loves the outdoors. Taking long hikes, going to the beach, cheering for her kids, and serving in ministry along side her husband are her favorite things.
Ms. Cheryl’s favorite Bible verse is
Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.“
Shawnese Laffoday
3’s Teacher
Mrs. Laffoday teaches in our Extended Care Classroom and is also our Assistant Director. She has been teaching young children for over 31 years. She attended West Valley College and holds over 37 units in early child development. Ms. Laffoday is married with an 18 year-old son. She hopes to obtain her AA now that her son has graduated high school. Ms. Laffoday is truly passionate about teaching and strives to make her class a fun learning environment. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, baking and playing computer games!
Mrs. Shawnese’s favorite Bible verse is
Psalm 20:4
“May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed”
Courtney Herbert
3’s Teacher
Miss Courtney is excited to be a new addition to St. Timothy’s staff! She has a growing family and loves to read and spend time with family and friends! She grew up in the Lutheran Church and taught at a Lutheran preschool in Livermore for 6 years. Miss Courtney has always had an excitement for and devotion to teaching!
Ms. Courtney’s favorite Bible verse is
Romans 12:6-7
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach.”
Freya Simmons
3’s Teacher Aide/Full-Day Plus
Ms. Freya is excited to be a part of St. Timothy’s as an Assistant Teacher in the Kinder Readiness class. Ms. Freya holds 32 EDC units and has been teaching preschool for 11 years with infants up to 5 years old. She enjoys helping children learn and experience things for the very first time! When not teaching, Ms. Freya enjoys taking her dog, Kona to the beach and on walks. She also enjoys hiking.
Ms. Freya’s favorite Bible verse is
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Cindy Rivera
JK Teacher
Ms. Cindy has been a teacher for eight years, teaching children ages one to five years old. She taught at St Timothy’s for five years and recently came back after the pandemic because this is where she started as a teacher and where she wants to be teaching. She enjoys the challenge of teaching students academically, but her passion is helping children thrive socially and emotionally. Ms. Cindy loves helping young children grow and develop through guidance, love, and patience. It is important to her to create a community in her classroom with her students and their families. Her teaching philosophy is to nurture the whole child and to create learning
experiences that encourage children’s curiosity.
experiences that encourage children’s curiosity.
Ms. Cindy’s Favorite bible verse:
Romans 12:12
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Sherene Saenz
Floater
Ms. Sherene has been teaching for over 30 years. She holds over 35 ECE units from West Valley College. She loves teaching children because they make her laugh and keep her young at heart! Not blessed with children of her own, when her students are under her care, she treats them as her own! In her free time, Ms. Sherene loves spending time with family and friends or going to the movies and splurging on popcorn!
Ms. Sherene’s favorite Bible verse is
Joshua 1:9
“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Francis Laffoday
Teacher Aide/Floater/
Full-Day Plus
Mr. Francis has worked at St. Timothy’s as a floater for the past year. He is currently a student at San Jose State University, majoring in Child Psychology. Mr. Francis believes that the brain is a sponge which absorbs every experience and bit of knowledge from childhood to be used throughout life. Mr. Francis has two dogs. In his free time, he enjoys watching things like wrestling and playing dungeons and dragons with his friends.
Mr. Francis’ favorite Bible verse is
James 1:19-20
“Be quick to listen my dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
