Staff

Leslie K

Hello CHALK families! My name is Leslie. I attended UC Irvine where I received my BA in Psychology and Social Behavior. I’m so excited to have transferred to the CHALK in Tarzana from CHALK in Manhattan Beach! I’ve been working with children for the past 14 years and grew my love for teaching through private tutoring and working as a preschool & school-age teacher. I am excited to help guide your children to reach their highest potential by providing a positive learning experience and working through challenges together. I love to see their curiosity flourish in the classroom through learning and exploration.

In my spare time, I love spending time with my husband and our daughter, family, and friends, traveling, and trying new and interesting foods/restaurants. I absolutely love food and love to expand my taste palate. I truly look forward to meeting all the amazing children and their families here at CHALK Preschool in Tarzana!

Julie F

Hello CHALK families! My name is Julie. I have had a passion for working with children and music ever since I was a child. I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, where I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Film Scoring. After some time in the industry, I missed being around kids. I went back to school for Child Development, and I have been an educator for 10 years. I love teaching because I have the opportunity to help build foundational skills for the early years.

I enjoy showing my students how to be compassionate and part of a community, while providing them with the tools they need to achieve their developmental goals. Watching the “light bulb” go off in their head is my favorite part of the job. In my spare time, I love spending time with my husband and daughter, friends, hiking, and trying new food. I am so excited to be back at CHALK and I look forward to being on your child’s journey with you!

Ms. Iris

Hello CHALK Families! My name is Iris and I am a teacher in Orange Room. I am very excited for this new journey with CHALK. I was raised in Los Angeles and have lived in Sherman Oaks my whole life. I have 15 years of teaching experience, and the past 12 years have been at Woodcrest. I adore teaching children and I am passionate about their education and growth. I look forward to new adventures with your children in the Orange Room!

Ms. Alysa

Hello CHALK families! My name is Alysa and I am a teacher in the Orange Room. I am very excited to join the CHALK team. I have been working with children for more than 10 years and I have my AA in Elementary Education and I am finishing up my BA in Elementary Education at Azusa Pacific University as well. I have experience with ages 6 weeks old to 6 years old. I enjoy watching the children develop, grow, and learn throughout the year and I can’t wait to be a part of your child’s educational journey at CHALK!

Ms. Ambre

Hello! My name is Ambre (although I go by Amber) and I have been working with children for over ten years. I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Child Development from California State University, Northridge. I have experience working with all ages from Preschool to Elementary. I am fluent in French as well as a little bit of Spanish. I love to incorporate these languages into my lessons. I am so excited to be a part of your child’s educational journey here at CHALK Preschool.

Ms. Dulcie

Hi! My name is Dulcie, and I am excited to be a part of the CHALK family. I received a Bachelor's Degree in Communications and I've always had an interest in working with children. During my free time, I enjoy illustrating and bringing my illustrations to life with animation. With my background in graphic design, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to integrate my creative career into my interest in working with children. I'm excited to help children develop their own visual literacy skills and creative problem-solving abilities. In addition, I look forward to incorporating design thinking to prepare kids for a world that is increasingly shaped by visual communication.

Ms. Shannon

Hello, I'm Shannon! I have AA degrees in Behavioral Science and Humanities as well as a BA in Psychology and Social Behavior. I have been teaching for 2 years and love my job because I love learning! My favorite thing about working in the education field is the ‘light bulb moment’ when a child finally understands or completes a task they have been working on. I'm looking forward to teaching in a new environment here at CHALK Preschool and meeting all of the wonderful families.

Ms. Diana

Hello CHALK families! My name is Diana and I grew up in the San Fernando Valley. I am currently in the process of getting my degree in Child Development. I have been working with children since I was 19 years old. I am fluent in English and Spanish. Watching children grow and develop new skills is so beautiful, and meaningful to me. I look forward to not only teaching but also learning from this amazing group of children, as I proactively assist in setting a solid foundation for their future schooling and growth. I am so excited to teach your children here at CHALK Preschool and I can't wait to meet all of you amazing families!

Ms. Courtney

Hello everyone, my name is Courtney. I knew from the very beginning that I have always loved children. I quickly realized it was my passion to become a teacher. I started working with children in 2016 and took many child development classes. I have taught all early childhood age groups ranging from infants all the way up to 5 year old's. What I’m looking forward to most working at CHALK is building those relationships with the students and families. I love watching the children grow and seeing what they can accomplish. I can't wait to get to know all the wonderful families here at CHALK!

Ms. Katelyn

Hello! I'm Katelyn, and I'm delighted to be a part of the CHALK Preschool team. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Family Consumer Sciences Education from California State University Northridge and have dedicated the past four years to the joy of teaching preschool. Creating a nurturing and engaging learning environment is at the core of my teaching philosophy, and CHALK aligns perfectly with these values.

I am passionate about witnessing the growth of students as they embark on their learning journey. I'm excited to be one of your child’s teachers this year and look forward to a year filled with curiosity, creativity, and growth.

Ms. Evelyn

Hello, my name is Evelyn, and I am very excited to be part of the CHALK team! I recently graduated from Cal State University Northridge with a Bachelor of Arts in Child and Adolescent Development. During my senior year in college, I was given the opportunity to intern at my university preschool as a student assistant. During my time there, I gained knowledge and experience working with children from the ages of 2-5 years old.

One thing I love about working with children is being a part of their educational journey and watching them learn new skills and finding new ways to enhance their development. I can't wait to meet all the wonderful families and be part of your child's development here at CHALK!

Ms. Kylah

Hello CHALK families, I would like to introduce myself as Ms. Kylah. I am a very passionate educator who holds my Bachelors degree from California State University, Northridge in Child and Adolescent Development. I am originally from New Jersey, but I have lived in California for 5 years now. I am excited to be on board with the CHALK team and I look forward to working closely with the students and their families.

I have been working with children for over 8 years, but have had a passion for teaching and nurturing children my whole life. I come from a family of educators and I take pride in teaching and helping young minds to grow and develop into who they will be forever. I can’t wait to sing, dance, have fun and learn with your children!

Ms. Samantha

Hello! My name is Samantha and I have been working with children for 5 years. I volunteered at a local preschool for 4 years and transitioned to working with high school students for 1 year. I received my Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Early Childhood and Adolescent development from the California State University, Northridge. I am fluent in English and Spanish.

I have always loved working with children and believe that their early education is very important for their developmental skills. Being able to see their progress as they grow is such an amazing experience. I am excited to help the children grow and reach new milestones as they grow. I am looking forward to working with the children watching them grow and develop new skills along the way and I cannot wait to learn more about them. I look forward to meeting all the CHALK Preschool families!

Ms. Jenna

Hello CHALK families! My name is Jenna and I am so excited to be here. I have been working with children for over ten years. I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education from California State University, Channel Islands. I have experience working with children ages 2-5 in both an assistant and lead teacher capacity. Prior to taking some time off to raise my two kids, I was working at the CHALK Preschool location in Westwood for 3 years.

I love teaching because helping and watching children learn new skills and the pride they feel when they do is a wonderful experience. I am really looking forward to being back at CHALK and meeting all of the amazing children and their families because community is so important to facilitating a welcoming environment.