MILLS COLLEGE CHILDREN'S SCHOOL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Head Teacher, Younger Preschool
One half of our Spanish-music teaching team for the Elementary School program, Anna-Maria Violich-Olivier is originally from Venezuela, and holds a Masters in Education, a Bilingual Teaching Credential, and ORFF Certification (music program to teach young children).
Job Titles:
- Teacher Assistant, Younger Preschool
Ashley Brown is Bay Area native. She has BA in Sociology from Holy Names University and is now pursuing her MA in Equity and Social Justice Education at San Francisco State University. In her free time she likes to travel and spend time with her two chihuahuas.
Job Titles:
- Head of School
- Member of the Admin Team
Debra L. Brown, Ed.D., has served as Head of School at MCCS for the last decade. She came to Mills College as an undergraduate and continued her academic and professional journey here for 20-plus years, earning her Master's degree, teaching in the School of Education, and receiving her doctorate in educational leadership. Ms. Brown teaches the School of Ed's Early Childhood Education Theory & Practice course, with support from Jenny Bond, our Assistant Head of School, and together they will be guiding a new generation of student teachers through their practicum experiences at the Children's School.
Job Titles:
- Teacher Assistant, Toddler
Gyasi joined our elementary team 12 years ago and his role is to oversee lunch supervision, facilitate games during recess, teach PE to all K-5 classes, and coordinate our School Age Care (SAC) after school program. Gyasi gets to know each and every one of the elementary students at the Children's School. Gyasi grew up in East Oakland and he and his wife have two children. He enjoys cooking, college football, reading spy novels, and exercising.
Job Titles:
- Head Teacher, Transitional Kindergarten
Jasmine recently moved to Oakland from New York, where she grew up. Jasmine currently holds an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from Westchester Community College, a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts from The College of New Rochelle, and a Masters Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Sarah Lawrence College. Jasmine's pedagogy centers around a holistic, play-based, and culturally-relevant approach to education, focusing on making each child visible using a strength-based lens. Jasmine's teaching experiences in New York City have led her to develop a wide range of approaches to teaching and learning, and she is looking forward to bringing what she has learned to a new city and community of learners.
Additionally, Jasmine brings a particularly strong passion for the arts and music to the Children's School. In her spare time, she loves to sing, play the guitar, cook, listen to live music, spend time talking to family in NY, and exploring all that beautiful California has to offer.
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Assistant
- Head of School
- Member of the Admin Team
After five years as a Head Teacher in our Elementary School program, Jenny Bond joined our admin team in 2017 as Assistant Head of School. Jenny earned her Master's from San Francisco State and taught in independent and public school classrooms for more than 20 years, and also served as a Student Teacher Supervisor at Mills.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Admin Team
- Office Manager
Jessica graduated from Mills at Northeastern with a B.A. in Communications and Media Design. During their time at Mills at NEU, they worked with the Center of Student Leadership and Excellence, as well as Orientation and Family Programs. Before her campus experience, she led the front of the house operations at the Bay Area Children's Theatre and cared for children at the YMCA East Bay. Jessica is passionate about advocating, entertaining, and supporting students, and she feels fortunate to bring these skills to the Children's School.
Kara Fleshman has been a Bay Area Educator in San Francisco, Oakland, and Richmond public schools for the past 9 years teaching TK through 8th grades after beginning her educational journey as a preschool teacher in Davis. She earned her Masters in Educational Leadership doing action research exploring systems literacy in lower elementary grades. Kara finds so much joy in working with her hands. She is deeply in love with plants and loves to make herbal remedies, naturally dye fabrics, screenprint, illustrate, write, and create art in and for community.
Kati was born in Marysville, CA and has lived in the Bay Area for 20 years. She attended San Francisco State and holds credentials in Early Childhood, Multiple Subject and English. Over the past 16 years, she has taught preschool to 5th grade and held leadership positions ranging from PK-2 Administrator, Curriculum Development and Literacy Coach. Kati lives in Alameda with her family. On the weekends you can find them at one their children's sports game or eating a local treat.
Job Titles:
- Teacher Assistant / SAC Team Member
Lyndsay Schaeffer received her Masters degree in Education from Mills and was a K/1 student teacher at the Children's School. She then spent several years teaching 5th and 6th grades in Berkeley and Oakland, facilitated working groups on student inclusion, and led extra curriculars for students. Ms. Lyndsay and her daughter Ofelia love to dance, hike, and explore Oakland's beautiful parks together.
Job Titles:
- Teacher Assistant, Toddler
Job Titles:
- Teacher Assistant, Toddler
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Teacher Assistant, Transitional Kindergarten
Mauricia Matias is the TK teacher assistant. Born in Guatemala and raised in Oakland, Mauricia attended Mills College in 2017. She has a background of teaching TK at a charter elementary school in oakland. In her free time, Mauricia enjoys hiking, spending time with family, and painting. Mauricia is excited for the school year and she's looking forward to meeting you all.
Job Titles:
- Teacher, Younger Preschool
Job Titles:
- Teacher Assistant, Transitional Kindergarten
One half of our Spanish-music teaching team in the Elementary School program, Natalia Bernal is originally from Uruguay and holds a Masters in Education, a Bilingual Teaching Credential and is trained to teach early childhood music through Music Together and children's yoga through It's Yoga Kids.
Job Titles:
- Lead Teacher, Transitional Kindergarten
Rebecca Keller has been a K/1 Head Teacher at MCCS for over five years, having moved over to the elementary school from our preschool program. Before coming to Mills for her Masters degree, she worked with children in a variety of settings and has taught environmental and garden education in Maryland, Brazil, and New Mexico. She is fluent in Portuguese. Ms. Becca grew up in the Washington, DC, area and is an avid traveler and SCUBA diver. She lives in Oakland with her husband Joe, dog Kasai, ball python, and two parakeets. Ms. Becca teaches first grade this year.
Job Titles:
- Head
- Head Teacher, Toddler
Seferina Rivera has been a Head Teacher in our Toddler Classroom for 22 years and has been teaching this age group for 33 years. After all of this time, she continues to be fascinated and delighted by this unique period of development and rapid growth for young children. She lives with her partner Freddy, her daughter, and her son. Seferina grew up in San Francisco and loves nature and dancing.
Sofia got her MFA from Mills College and has more than a decade of experience with classroom art instruction, curriculum development, after school programming, and more. She has worked with students young and old, in bilingual and special needs settings, and her wide range of artistic skills include painting, drawing, ceramics, sewing, stop motion animation, video production, photography, metal working, wood working, sculpture, printmaking, recycled arts, and found object installation. Sofia joined our elementary team four years ago.
Taylor Harvey received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Mills, and was a K/1 student teacher at the Children's School. Before earning her credential, Taylor spent several years as an Instructional Assistant in Oakland and Berkeley public schools, supporting students in full-inclusion classrooms. She has taught in classrooms abroad, facilitated after-school programs, and holds a certificate in Girls Leadership. On weekends, she can be found hiking in any one of the Bay Area's beautiful parks with her husband, Nico, and their spunky black lab-mix named Rosie.
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Finance Coordinator
- Member of the Admin Team
Teresa Henry joined the admin team in 2013, bringing an abundance of office and