Albany Preschool is extremely proud of our outstanding and dedicated teaching staff and administration, many of whom were once themselves parents of APS students. Our staff meet all state requirements for their positions and every member has had several years of experience working with children. As a cooperative preschool, our students’ learning environment is also enriched by the loving involvement of parent volunteers in the classroom. You can learn a bit about our staff below, but more importantly, please come and visit so that we can meet you in person!
 Teacher Susy – PM Director & AM teacher Susy has been a valuable part of Albany Preschool for 25 years; first as a parent, then as a teacher, and now a teacher for the morning program and teacher/director for the afternoon. She loves being at Albany Preschool because the school is “full of life and love, very community-oriented, and a great multicultural place to be.” There are years where we have students from all over the world, which makes the preschool a wonderfully diverse place. Susy is thankful that, in this setting, we all learn important lessons about different cultures and customs. Susy is a winner of the Habitot’s “Teachers Make a Difference” award for 2016 – 2017 |
 Teacher Nighat – PM Teacher Nighat has been a part of the school for over 15 years, first as a parent volunteer while her children attended, then as a substitute, and finally as a teacher for the past seven years. Nighat believes that preschool is fundamentally important to build the social skills children need to help them in the future. She appreciates that Albany Preschool is a very close-knit community, creating a unique and wonderful learning environment for the children. |
 Laurie Costa, PM Teacher Teacher Laurie is a native of Massachusetts (with a brief stint in Ocean Beach, San Diego). Laurie is avid organic gardener, and free-range chicken wrangler, and a graduate of Wheelock College in Boston, where she earned her BA in Elementary Ed. She has worked as a teacher, director, and coordinator in kindergarten, preschool, and elementary age programs in a variety of settings both public and private. Two years ago, Laurie relocated to the Bay Area with her husband, who is working on an environmental clean-up project in San Francisco, and two of their four children. Her youngest daughter is a student at Berkeley High School, and her oldest daughter attends college here. Her sons attended college in MA, and NYC. Prior to arriving at APS, she was a volunteer in the Berkeley Public Schools. Teacher Laurie is excited to join the dynamic and dedicated staff and parents at APS.
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 Nancy Martling, Executive Director, AM Director; PM Teacher Nancy is thrilled to join the families at Albany Preschool! She loves the sense of history, community and the “powered by play” philosophy. Nancy has worked in education for 24 years. She has been a director for both elementary and preschool programs. She lives in Larkspur with her son Aiden and is active in the community. She spends her weekends digging and weeding in the Community Garden, hiking Mt. Tamalpais, reading and outrigger canoeing. Nancy earned her BA and Masters from San Francisco State University. Please read our release about her joining APS: Press Release |
 Ebba de la Rosa, School Administrator Ebba first became involved in Albany Preschool as a parent participator when her twin daughters enrolled. Soon after they started, she joined the Albany Preschool Board as Membership Chair. After graduating from Albany Preschool, it was so hard to say goodbye that she stayed on as participation substitute for another year. In the Fall of 2013 the School Administrator position become available, and we contacted her to see if she would be interested. She was very excited to come back to Albany Preschool, and appreciates that through the school she has gotten to know so many families in the community. |
Enrichment Kirah J. Caminos, MNA. Returning to Albany Preschool to teach our music and movement enrichment programs is Preschool music teacher, Kirah J. Caminos. Kirah is the founder of Salsa4kids.com and the Program Director of the Preschool Program at Acme’s House of Music in Oakland. Growing up in the Lower east side of Manhattan and raised by a musical family, she studied piano, World and Latin dance for over 15 years. To date, she has trained with some of the best Salsa instructors in the Bay Area. Kirah lives with her three sons and husband in Oakland, CA. |
 Melita Silberstein Melita has worked as a music specialist for young children for over 15 years, both in and out of the Jewish community. She is based in Berkeley and currently teaches music classes in several preschools, including Gay Austin, Gan Ilan Nursery School, Gan Shalom Preschool and Netivot Shalom Preschool. She holds a certification in early childhood education and has received training in an array of teaching modalities including Waldorf, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Music Together and Orff Schulwerk. Melita is a founding member of two popular children’s bands, Octopretzel and Kid Kaleidoscope, and has performed all over the West Coast for children and families at events, festivals and popular music venues. She has recorded several CDs, two of which have been distributed by the PJ Library. Melita also co-facilitates “rites of passage” groups for girls aged 8-10, and last but not least is the mother of a bright nine and a half year old girl. Melita’s classes are engaging and interactive, integrating movement, puppets, and instrument play with original songs as well as traditional favorites. The classes are delightfully fun and age-appropriate for children of all ages! |
