The Goddard School of Sparta

Bios

• Mr Jim

  My name is Jim Freda. I am the owner of The Goddard School in Sparta. My wife Marianne and I have a fantastic son named Gavin. I graduated from Kean University with a degree in Management Science. I love children and I am excited about coming here every day. Imagine having a job that everyday you're a "Rock Star". Owning a Goddard School is a dream and a privilege, and I hope you are as happy here as I am.

• Ms Terri

  Miss Terri is a Graduate of William Paterson University. She has been working for The Goddard School corporation for 16 years. We are very proud to say that Terri has been our Educational Director since September 2014. She brings a lot of energy and pride to our school, and we are very excited to have her on board.

• Ms Brandy

  Miss Brandy is our longest reigning teacher here at The Goddard School. She loves teaching children so much that she has been here since 2005, can you believe that?! She is local to the Sparta community, with three children of her own. She loves watching her students grow and having that 'Ah-Ha' moment. She loves reading stories the children bring from home, "this is such a special moment that brings our class together". Miss Brandy could not imagine having any other career other than teaching.

• Mrs Elizabeth

  Miss Liz has been working at Goddard since 2012. She has a degree in Baking and Pastry from Atlantic Community College and her Child Development Assessment. Her favorite part about working with the babies is being able to watch them grow and development at each stage. She loves bonding with all of the babies and finger painting with them. She loves to read "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Are You My Mother?". In her free time Liz enjoys spending time with her husband, her daughters Aubree and Lily, and her son Donato.

• Julianna

  Miss Julianna is new to Goddard as of Spring 2022 where she took on the role as the Year to Grow teacher! Miss Julianna is local to the Sparta community with two children of her own. She is in the process of completing her Child Development Associates. Julianna loves doing science experiments with her class and seeing their reactions! She welcomes all children to explore and challenge themselves, mistakes are not to be ashamed of but celebrated. In her free time, she enjoys being a 'couch potato' watching Harry Potter!

• Kaitlyn

  Miss. Kaitlyn absolutely loves working with children. She has her associates in Early Childhood Education and is completing her Bachelor’s in Education as well. She has over 5 years’ experience teaching children and thoroughly enjoys encouraging her class to get messy with paint and arts and crafts. She is such a great asset, and we are so lucky to have her be a part of our team!

• Mrs Kelly

  Miss Kelly is definitely not new to this field as she has been working in childcare for over 15 years, while also having two young children of her own. She began working at Goddard back in 2019 while obtaining her CDA as well. She loves this age because of the innocence but also being able to grasp their independence, "I enjoy forming a bond that makes children feel happy and safe". Miss Kelly's favorite book to read to the children is "Guess How Much I Love You", which talks about a young child trying to measure their love for their parent.

• Kelly

  Miss Kelly is not new to the childcare world as she has been teaching for over five years! She loves working with this age group because the children are all learning how to talk more and express themselves. She loves all things coffee and Disney! Miss Kelly loves doing art activities with her class and small group activities so that she can work and play more closely with the children. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and her daughter!

• Melissa

  Miss Melissa joined our team and jumped right in and became our Lead Bridge teacher in 2021. While completing her Child Development Assessment, she floated around to all classrooms whenever needed. Miss Melissa loves being a "small" part of the children's day but making a "huge" difference! Her favorite thing to do with the children is singing different songs with them. She loves to see them smile and dance along. In her free time, she enjoys camping and is a major Ranger's fan!

• Miss Sarah

  Miss Sarah Rome has been working at the Goddard School since September 2016. She has been a Lead in Bridge and has transitioned to the Pre-K realm. Miss Rome has her bachelor's in family and child studies. She is newly married with three fur-babies! Sarah says her favorite part about working with children is being able to have the ability to explore the world with young eyes. "I love watching that light bulb moment when my students learn something new".

• Serina

  Miss Serina began working for us in September of 2022 and we are so happy she did! She does a great job transitioning the children and getting them acclimated to her classroom. She has her associate degree and plans on going back to school to finish her bachelors in the near future. Miss Serina's favorite part about working with children in watching them grow. She says she feels "so proud when she sees her old students and how much they continue to accomplish". And she definitely has a sweet tooth for candy!

• Thomas

  Mr. Tom joined our Before and After Care team originally back in 2022. He has decided to take on the challenge of the main building classrooms. Tom has become accustomed to all rooms and helps everyone out when needed. He is a big lover of Halloween and horror films. His favorite part about working with children is that it is never a slow day!

• Alex

  Miss Alex is our big ball of happiness. Not a day goes by that she isn't smiling and exuding her fun-loving personality into her classroom. She loves seeing the children progress and grow together. Miss Alex is currently in the process of completing her Child Development Assessment, and she can't wait to use these new tools in her classroom. In her free time, she loves sewing and taking long walks.

• Ashley

  Miss Ashley is our "mom" of the class, any craft or activity you'll find her wearing her apron! Her favorite part about working with children is being able to watch them grow, experience new things and learn. Miss Ashley loves sour Skittles with a big glass of peach tea! In her free time, she enjoys doing arts and craft activities with her daughter Allison.

• Brenna

  Miss Brenna has been our ray of sunshine here at Goddard! She joined us just in time for the 2023 school year in our Two's classroom and has now transitioned to a Lead Teacher role! She has her bachelor's degree in marketing and management, which she says definitely comes in handy with managing these children! Miss Brenna grew up dancing and performing her whole life and loves watching the children express themselves through music and movement.

• Brittney

  Miss Brittney joined our Goddard team just in time for the 2023 school year. She was recently a town dispatcher but is not new to the childcare world as she has over 5 years experience. She has a son of her own who she loves doing outside activities with. Miss Brittney has her associate degree in early childhood education as well. She loves watching her students learn new skills independently and together with their peers. In her spare time, she enjoys going on spontaneous adventures.

• Elia

  Miss Elia has been our afternoon Preschool Assistant since 2019. She works at the local Ogdensburg Elementary School as a Paraprofessional. Miss Elia loves gardening in her free time and doing musical activities and reading with the children. Her favorite story to read with the children is 'Rainbow Fish', "It's great to see the children learn to share and seeing the satisfaction when they make others happy".

• Grace

  Miss Grace joined our team in February 2024 and we are so happy she did! She is new to the childcare industry, but her goal is to eventually become a lead teacher! Miss Grace loves to sing songs and read stories with the children. She is a big lover of gummy bears and Target of course. In her free time, she loves baking and spending time with her friends and family.

• Haley

  We are so happy to have Miss Haley as a part of our school! She has worked with all ages and has been fitting in great with our preschool team and now taking on the role of Pre-K assistant. In her free time, she loves baking sweets and watching sports on tv! Haley loves being able to provide her students with love during the day. "I like showing my class that you can never be too big or old to have fun and be silly"!

• Hannah

  Miss Hannah joined our team in January 2024 and has made quite the impression on her class! She absolutely loves putting smiles on their faces and making children laugh. Hannah loves reading ‘The Ugly Duckling’ to her class, she believes it teaches the children that being unique and different is beautiful. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting and baking all different flavors of cakes! “I love being involved in children’s learning and play, while giving them space to express themselves”.

• Kaitlyn

  Miss Kaitlyn has a very busy day from being in our main building to transferring over to our Before and After Care classroom. Her favorite things to do with her classes are hands on activities like painting and science experiments. Miss Kaitlyn is no stranger to the childcare world as she has worked in public school before and has an educational background in psychology and early childhood education. She is also the oldest of 8 siblings!

• Leigh

  Miss Leigh joined our team in the Summer of 2021 in Pre-K. In her free time, she enjoys attending concerts. Miss Leigh loves teaching and encouraging her students to learn new things. Her favorite part about working with children is being able to build a strong bond and make a positive impact on their lives. Her favorite child's story is 'Edward the Emu', Edward tries to be like every other animal at the zoo but eventually realizes that being himself is the best thing after all! She is also just a little bit Disney obsessed!

• Nicole

  MisMiss Nicole has been in childcare since 2016. She joined our team in August 2022, just in time for the new school year to begin. She is local to the Sparta community and has two boys of her own. Miss Nicole's favorite part of working with children is being able to put smiles on their faces and make them laugh, "it makes every single day worth it!". In her free time, she enjoys playing with her children and watching the Bachelorette on Monday nights.

• Rachel

  Welcome Miss Rachel! When she started here, she assisted in our Pre-K program, but now is starting out strong as one of our Lead Preschool teachers. She has her Child Development Assessment credentials as well. Her favorite story to read to her class is "The Giving Tree". She believes it shows that love is so deep that it can endure even the most difficult challenges. She loves all things that involve being creative and sunflowers.

• Rebecca

  Miss Becky started out as one of our Staff Support teachers and has now found a home in one of our Toddler classrooms. She received her bachelor's degree in art history back in May 2023. She loves all things knitting, crocheting, and art! Her favorite part about working with children is being able to see a concept or an idea instantly click in their head. "I love being able to show my nurturing side and making special connections".

• Riley

  Miss Riley joined our infant program in September 2022. She is very much enjoying all things 'baby'! In her free time, she enjoys crocheting and playing with her pups! She loves making art with the babies and playing with the tunnel! Her favorite story as a child was "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". She loves the ending when the caterpillar finally grew and turned into a beautiful butterfly!

• Sara

  Miss Sara has joined our team in February 2018. She was our Year to Grow Teacher and Staff Support Administrator. She recently has taken the new role as the Assistant Director. She has worked in public school and in the childcare setting for over 10 years! In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places and does photography on the side. We are excited that she is part of our administrative team!

• Suzanne

  Miss Suzanne is finishing her bachelor's degree and would like to eventually get her masters. She loves listening and dancing to music with the children in her care. Her favorite story to read is "The Three Little Pigs", "it's so fun to watch the children huff and puff and blow the houses down!". In her free time, she loves to go camping and ride quads.

• Syrina

  In the Summer of 2021, Miss Syrina became one of our Bridge Assistants and now has moved onto all things Two! She loves playing on the playground and performing gross motor activities outside with her class. "The Little Engine that Could", was her favorite story as a child, "no matter how small we are mighty"! Miss Syrina loves animals, she has; 1 dog, 2 turtles, and a 30-gallon fish tank!

• Wendy

  Miss Wendy is no stranger to childcare as she has been in this business for over 20 years! She joined our team back in 2019 and has experience with all ages from infants to pre-k. Miss Wendy loves a good bowl of penne vodka and a cup of hot coco! She says her favorite part about working with children is how imaginative they are! “Green Eggs and Ham is my favorite story to read to the kids because Sam was so patient with his friend, and that we should always try new things”!