Ms. Emily is thrilled to be joining the Discovery Preschool community as Lead Teacher in January 2022. When Ms. Emily moved to Calgary over ten years ago, she searched for a Reggio Emilia preschool for her daughter, and found Discovery Preschool. Since then, three of Ms. Emily’s four children have attended Discovery Preschool. For three of those years, Ms. Emily volunteered on the preschool parent board. She has loved the caring teachers that her children have had over the years, and the community focus of the preschool – many of the friendships her family developed at Discovery Preschool will be lifelong ones! Ms. Emily has a degree in Elementary Education, and Master’s of Education in Developmental Psychology, specializing in Early Childhood. Ms. Emily is thrilled to be returning to teaching after taking a break to stay at home with her children. Ms. Emily is quick to use a silly song to diffuse a tense moment, and loves to invite children to be curious about the world around them. She is passionate about the principles of Reggio education, and is excited about being a co-learner with your children. In her free time, Ms. Emily can be found exploring the mountains with her family (x-country skiing in the winter, and hiking and rock climbing in the summer), and checking out an insane amount of books from the local library. Together with Ms. Nakia, this teaching team provides an exceptional experience for students and parents.
Ms. Nakia has been teaching and caring for children for 7 years in varies types of programs throughout Alberta. She has experience working with children ages 0-12 years old but has spent the last 5 years teaching preschool age children in a variety of preschool settings. Ms. Nakia plans on starting her degree in Child Studies after completing her diploma in Early Learning and Childcare. She takes as many opportunities to further her knowledge and skills in child development through training and professional development. She loves to stay active and spend as much time as possible outdoors, exploring in nature alongside her students. She has a bubbly personality and loves to teach through song, dance, laughter and exploration. When Ms. Nakia is not at school she is busy at home caring for her adopted daughter with special needs. Ms. Nakia looks forward to meeting all the children and their families! Also looking forward to a great year!