Heather and Sara are both experienced teachers. Between the two of them they have been teaching for 33 years.
Heather has a degree in Montessori Education as well as a Masters Degree in Early Childhood and Child Development. As a parent she has found inspiration in Waldorf. She has been working with young children for 18 years in many realms: as a classroom teacher, an administrator, a teacher mentor, an Associate Professor, an editor for the National Association of Young Children and as a consultant for San Francisco Public Schools. She is pictured here with her two young daughters.
Sara has been teaching for 15 years. She has worked with children of many ages for 10 years as a dance and creative movement teacher and brings a wealth of talent to Little Fawn. She has also taught cooking and nutrition for K-5th grade and has worked extensively as a preschool teacher. She has a degree in Early Childhood Education and is pictured with her son Ellis, our youngest Little Fawn.
Please click on COMMENTS to read more about Sara and Heather
They are very pleased to be working together in this joyful work with young children at Little Fawn Play School. Everyday is truly a delight.
Please click on COMMENTS to read more about Sara and Heather
They are very pleased to be working together in this joyful work with young children at Little Fawn Play School. Everyday is truly a delight.
Heather Gray is a goddess! She was my son's preschool teacher several years ago. She is the most compassionate teacher you will ever find. Her quiet way with children is amazing. I feel as though she saw each child in the class as an individual and helped them based on what they needed. She has a contagious laugh that puts anyone at ease the momemt you meet her. She is truly a gifted teacher and a lovely all-around person. And she sings and plays guitar, too!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, my son, who is now 12, remembers his time with Heather with great fondness...and so do I. Your children will benefit in myriad ways under Heather's guidance. She is a gem.
Robin Galguera
Luz Salazar said...
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky to have had Heather Gray as my daughter's pre school teacher at Mills Children School. During the two years our daughter attended Heather's room, she thrived socially and academically. Heather's deep understanding of what it means to teach young and older children makes the experience of being in her room extraordinary. Even though it has been over six years since our daughter was in pre school, she still remembers the songs, the plays, the class projects and the explorations in the nature walks.
Along the way our daughter forged close friendships that have lasted up to today.
What is amazing about Heather is her ability to create not only a community of learners within her class, but also within the families/ parents of these children. Heather is a lovely, caring and patient teacher- that our daughter thinks- is the best teacher she has ever had.
Paul Mueller said...
ReplyDeleteMy daughter participated in a play-based series at Little Fawn in which the kids constructed a play about rain forest animals. She had great fun in the process and was thrilled to preform the play to a standing room only crowd of parents. Along the way she shared lots of social time with old friends and made valuable new friends too. Any preschool-kind-of-place is only as good as the people behind it; Heather has all the experience and training a parent could hope for, but her main asset is her loving and patient way with children.
H is OUT OF CONTROL awesome with kids. H, if you weren't so far away, I'd love for Cormac to attend Little Fawn.
ReplyDeleteHeather was my teacher AND baby sitter some 20 years ago. She is nothing less than amazing around kids. I clearly remember feeling most comfortable around her out of all the adults I was supervised by. My only complaint with Heather is that she left us in Ohio for greener pastures in California.
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My daughter Izzi participated in Heather's recent rainforest play-group, and she had an amazing time. Heather did a tremendous job of seamlessly weaving together learning about rainforests, basic principles of peaceful coexistence, the painting of props, music, and just plain good fun. I often think to myself, 'how does she do it, and make it look so effortless?' She has a peaceful, compelling, humorous presence that the kids really seem to lock into. Little Fawn is a great place!
ReplyDeleteHeather is a wonderful early childhood educator. She exudes warmth, patience, excellence, a commitment to helping children grow, and a gentle sense of humor. As a former student teacher of Heather's, I feel grateful to have worked with and learned so much from her.
ReplyDeleteHeather was my mentor teacher for 2 years and a colleague for 4 years. Heather is an exceptionally gifted and loving teacher. She brings great ideas and respect for each child to her work and creates a vibrant learning community in her classroom.
ReplyDeleteLittle Fawn is so lucky to have Sara joining its staff...my son has been in Sara's care for the past year and a half, and we are deeply sorry to see her go. She is a caring, warm and patient teacher, and she respects each child's individual personality and needs. Her background in and passion for dance and movement are such assets when working with the under-5 set, as children that age experience the world through movement and play--Sara harnesses that and turns it into meaningful and joyful lessons. While we are sad to see her go, we know she will be a wonderful addition to the Little Fawn family.
ReplyDeleteI have known Heather for over 10 years as a colleague and friend, and she is simply one of the most seriously dedicated, intelligent, inspired and thoughtful teachers I have ever known.
ReplyDeleteShe understands that working with young children is a deep intellectual pursuit. At the same time she brings a sensitivity to her interactions with children that is profoundly honest, respectful and nurturing. She connects with children in a joyous way that is filled with grace and warmth.
Blessed are the children and families of Little Fawn!
My daughter has been fortunate enough to have Sara as one of her preschool teachers the past year and a half. Sara is an incredibly warm, compassionate, stable guide for children, and we will miss her terribly. Sara has a gift for working with the imagination and movement of children, and knows a great deal about the early childhood development and education. I have seen Sara work with kids from ages 2-5, and she is great with all age levels. I always appreciated Sara's care for all the children, including my daughter who wasn't "assigned" to her, but was with her a great deal in the outside program. Though we will miss Sara, I know she'll be a wonderful caregiver and teacher at Little Fawn.
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Heather is an amazing teacher. My Son was lucky enough to have her as a teacher for two years at the Mills College Children School. My Son grew so much during the time in her classroom. Heather just knows how to work with young children of various ages in a single environment, period. She gets their cooperation and set boundaries in a very loving manner. Heather also helped my Son get over his speech delay. Heather even went with him to his speech therapy session to learn more about the speech delay. We still remember the "Rain Forest" play and the Chinese New Year's parade she and the children put on.
ReplyDeleteTom
Teacher Sara has been my daughter's dance instructor for about a year now (18 mos - 2 1/2 yrs). She absolutely adores her and talks about her all week. "I love teacher Sara." My daughter is in a lot of activities and has never looked so forward to seeing someone. Sara is incredibly patient and positive. She addresses each child and makes them feel special and takes the time to teach them in a way that they can relate to. Because of those traits, my daughter has a love for dance and feels comfortable.
ReplyDeleteWhen my kids finished their preschool experience at Mills with Heather as their afternoon teacher (for a combined total of 5 years), the other parents and I used to joke about how our kids' educational experience had peaked and would probably never be as fulfilling and meaningful. I keep hoping that's not the case but we have yet to come across a teacher as wonderful and talented as Heather Gray. To this day (my last kid left preschool 4 years ago), I still see Heather's impact on my kids: conflict resolution skills, consideration for other human beings and the planet, creative thinking, empathy. Heather also taught ME, a new Mom with small kids, about parenting and helping my kids in their early years. I also still use the skills I learned from Heather, from watching her with the kids, and learning from her example. Anyone fortunate enough to share time with Heather or to have her as a preschool teacher will likely realize what we did: she's one of a kind.
ReplyDelete"Teacher Sara" is so fun! My daughter just took dance class with her and would always ask if "Teacher Sara" would be there, and wanted to know where she was at other times and where she lives! Sara talks with and engages with pre-schoolers at just the right level and could not be more enthusiastic in whatever they are doing. Any child would be lucky to be in her pre-school class!
ReplyDeleteFor those of you checking into the Little Fawn who may know Heather but not Sara, I want to assure you that you will be incredibly blessed to have her as a teacher. I was teribly sad to see her leave our preschool. I learned a lot from her in terms of respectful language to use with my child and other children. I loved how she communicated with the children and also loved how she used bodies and movement for learning, balancing their energies and fun. I wish your hours were longer and all week so we could continue learning from Sara!
ReplyDeleteSara was one of my child's teachers at OGS for over a year. Rarely have I seen a teacher have such a natural affection and tenacity for teacher very young children...her songs and games were part of what captured me (and my son) at first. She also has a wonderful ability to help children problem solve and work through frustrations. We miss her dearly and you are SO lucky to have her at Little Fawn.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest son, who is now 20, had Heather for his Montessori pre-school teacher for 3 years in the early 1990's. I cannot imagine a better beginning to his school years, being taught and nurtured by Heather. Perhaps the fact that my son and our entire family remain in contact with Heather 15 years later and long after she moved away from Ohio is in itself enough testimonial to the kind of impact she has on young children and their families!
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