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At Primavera, we believe that each child deserves to be healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Primavera has a long and rich history of using a “whole child” approach to educating our students. A whole child education prioritizes the full scope of a child’s developmental needs to advance educational equity and ensure that every child reaches their fullest potential. A whole child approach understands that students' education and life outcomes depend upon their access to more profound learning opportunities in and out of school and their school environment and relationships.
Research and education practice confirm that a whole child approach to education will develop and prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow by addressing students' comprehensive needs through the shared responsibility of students, families, schools, and communities.
At Primavera, we believe that children who are actively involved in their learning, through play and exploration, make good choices and take responsibility for their learning. We provide developmental materials for each child in our classrooms and encourage them to make choices and pursue their individual interests. Our goal is to help children become self-directed learners.
Our Preschool offers two distinct classrooms: a Montessori and a Reggio inspired community classroom environment where children are free to explore and engage with their environment based on their unique curiosities. Both classrooms incorporate child-led learning programs that follow each child at their own pace to explore their interests. Children engage in various weekly enrichment classes, including P.E., French, Spanish, and Music. The Preschool teachers present lessons of inclusion, cultures, planet care practices, language, mathematics, science with nature-based play to engage the whole child and encourage the lifelong learner in each child.
We emphasize social and emotional growth, where education is a natural process experienced by the child in a prepared environment with guides to independence and care of self and community.
Sue came to Primavera in 2015. She loves the learning environment, the supportive staff, and wonderful families. She is excited to be in the Preschool Montessori classroom with its beautiful space and outdoor creative learning model.
Sue has 20 plus years of early childhood teaching experience in the Prescott area. Her credentials include a degree in Early Childhood Education, a certificate from the National Center for Montessori Education, National Geographic Teacher Certification and several other continuing education certificates.
Her goal is to guide children and enhance their joy of learning with discoveries of the natural world. Introducing them to the wonders of letters and numbers in a self-paced, nurturing environment that fosters the child’s inner need to explore the world.
Laurie began working at Primavera in 2021 after retiring from YRMC as one of our Early Childhood Afterschool Teachers.
Laurie found Primavera through her sister, Ms. Sue. She is happy to share her time working with children after retiring from a long and successful career in healthcare.
She enjoys getting to know the children and working alongside the staff. We are thrilled to have Laurie as part of the Primavera family.
Kala came to Primavera in 2023 as a teacher’s assistant in the TK room. She is now the lead teacher in one of the preschool classrooms.
Kala is currently enrolled at Yavapai College and is working toward earning her Early Childhood Education degree. She has experience as a teacher’s assistant in the classrooms, along with working with young minds.
Kala has been inspired by Montessori and all it has to offer and has recently shifted the classroom to a Montessori environment and can not wait to bring that into the children's lives. Kala was born and raised in Prescott and loves what this charming town has to offer. She is married, loves to be out in nature, and hopes to share that love with the kids!
Domineque found Primavera while looking for a preschool for her daughter in 2023. She fell in love with the whole-child approach and the inspirational teachers and environment that Primavera offers. Although she was a parent at the time, she could see herself teaching at Primavera one day, and when there was finally an opening as a preschool teacher in 2024, she seized the opportunity to join the Primavera family.
Before her position as a preschool teacher at Primavera, Domineque taught Kindergarten in Chino Valley in a public school setting for 2 years, fifth and sixth grade at a private passion-based and sustainable school in California for 3 years, and fifth grade at a full inclusion charter school in California for 7 years. Having taught in three different settings, Domineque found her passion for teaching in a student-led environment, like Ms. Sue’s Montessori preschool classroom. She believes that good education is cultivated from student interests and passions. When students are invested in what they learn, they truly thrive. Domineque has a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and a K-6 Multiple Subject Teaching Credential in Arizona and California.
When Domineque is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids. They love hiking, spending time outdoors, reading books together, and having dance parties. In her spare time, Domineque and her husband run a small LLC called A Poet & A Flame, in which they make candles and poetry gift sets. Domineque looks forward to becoming immersed in the Primavera way. She plans to spread her love of learning and kindness in the classroom.
Transitional Kindergarten or TK is a school grade that serves as a bridge between Preschool and Kindergarten, to provide students with time to develop fundamental skills needed for success in a school setting appropriate to the student's age and development. Eligible children turn five by December 31 of the school year. This program aims to provide an extra year of growth for children to be developmentally appropriately challenged in preparation to transition successfully into Kindergarten the following school year.
Play develops a child's physical, emotional, and cognitive growth. TK curriculum is a unique blend of learning play and structure, including daily center time to practice skills. Children have many opportunities for free and guided play as they grow in communicating with others, expressing ideas, and incorporating reasoning using language. They are beginning to represent thoughts and ideas using written symbols. Children also engage in various weekly enrichment classes, including P.E., Forest Exploration, French, Spanish, and Music. Using an integrated approach to cognitive development, children learn about themselves, their families, and their local communities.
At Primavera, our goal is to help bridge that particular gap between Preschool and Kindergarten, to help make your child's transition as seamless as possible, all the while getting them "ready" to enter the Primary grades in school.
Allie started teaching at Primavera in the summer of 2024, beginning with the aftercare program for PreK. They have taught both in person and online since 2016. They taught Music at a district for 5 years and then moved up to Prescott for a change of scenery. They taught online for two years when a position opened up at Primavera! Primavera is the first time teaching elementary students, and they love having the flexibility to teach what the students need!
Allie has a bachelor's degree in secondary education, emphasizing biology. They fully believe that education takes place everywhere and that students learning organically holds more weight than lectured learning. They feel that students will let you know when they are ready for the next step. I also believe in integrating technology at the higher levels and allowing the students to feel they are in charge of their learning. They feel they should just be the facilitators for the learning naturally taking place, giving them the tools and watching and guiding them through the learning, which is more how education should be!
Allie has an adorable puppy named Maverick and lives with their sister! Getting to spend extra time with family has been great! They enjoy all kinds of things outside of teaching, Photography, Art of all kinds, Music, hiking, camping, and generally just being outdoors and enjoying nature!
Kindergarten is a magical time for children. They're still young enough that everything is amazing, but they're old enough to start learning in a more formal setting. Kindergarten is the first year of "real school," elementary school. In the formative years of Kindergarten, our students are offered opportunities to better understand the world around them through individual and shared inquiries. We nurture children's natural curiosity, imagination, and enthusiasm and ensure excitement is cultivated as each child grows and develops. At Primavera, our goal is to set a foundation for a love of learning for the rest of their lives. We strive to teach them to be kind to everyone, be confident in themselves, and succeed in all they do.
Allie started teaching at Primavera in the summer of 2024, beginning with the aftercare program for PreK. They have taught both in person and online since 2016. They taught Music at a district for 5 years and then moved up to Prescott for a change of scenery. They taught online for two years when a position opened up at Primavera! Primavera is the first time teaching elementary students, and they love having the flexibility to teach what the students need!
Allie has a bachelor's degree in secondary education, emphasizing biology. They fully believe that education takes place everywhere and that students learning organically holds more weight than lectured learning. They feel that students will let you know when they are ready for the next step. I also believe in integrating technology at the higher levels and allowing the students to feel they are in charge of their learning. They feel they should just be the facilitators for the learning naturally taking place, giving them the tools and watching and guiding them through the learning, which is more how education should be!
Allie has an adorable puppy named Maverick and lives with their sister! Getting to spend extra time with family has been great! They enjoy all kinds of things outside of teaching, Photography, Art of all kinds, Music, hiking, camping, and generally just being outdoors and enjoying nature!
Amanda has been teaching at Primavera since 2019. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies with an emphasis in Child Psychology from Arizona State University. She began teaching in 2013.
Amanda’s biggest goal as a teacher is to let each and every student know that they are unique, lovable and capable of success. She enjoys communicating and connecting with her students on an individual and personal level to let them know they are important because of who they are, not what they can do.
Amanda’s hobbies include doing art in a multitude of mediums, kayaking and reading any good books that she can get her hands in a variety of genres. Amanda also loves all dogs and spends lots of time with her dog at home. She and her husband have been in the Prescott area for over 9 years and are both from the Phoenix area originally. She is thrilled to be a part of the Primavera family and work among other brilliant minds amidst the incredible community that is the Primavera population.
First Grade is an exciting year of growth! We strive to help each first grader learn as much as possible, make healthy choices for their brain and body, be a kind friend and a capable learner. First graders are eager to learn new things, and they're curious about everything. Your students will go on new reading adventures as they begin to discover who they are as readers. They'll grow into confident writers sharing their own stories and become creative problem solvers and flexible thinkers in math. In first grade, additional enrichment classes are added to expand their studies, including P.E., Music, French, Spanish, and Art. Using a whole child approach, first graders at Primavera participate in community building activities to support their social and emotional growth.
Debbie started teaching at Primavera School in 2013, and she's been teaching since 1994. She has taught in both public and parochial schools, and nearly all of her experience has been in the first grade. She also has experience teaching 2nd grade, kindergarten and reading remediation. Through it all she’s learned that she loves small, community-like schools and first graders!
Debbie has her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from NAU and is a certified reading specialist. She believes education encompasses much more than academic learning. She guides students as they grow academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. She believes all students can learn and it is her privilege to help each student achieve all they can. She loves teaching, learning and the innate beauty of children.
Debbie and her husband have 3 children, who are all proud Primavera Penguins! Outside of school, she love to read, garden, craft and spend time with her family.
Welcome to the wonderful world of second grade, where each child's competence, independence, brilliance, and natural curiosity are nurtured through experience-rich learning opportunities. Second grade is an exciting time for elementary school students! They are no longer the babies of the school, and they are starting to make meaningful connections with the world at large. Second grade is when students become more independent in their learning and application. They have mastered the basics and are moving on to more advanced topics. Second grade students at Primavera are supported with tools and strategies for them to explore and develop independence and individuality.
Miss Jenni came to work at Primavera in 2010 after graduating Summa Cum Laude from NAU. She has a bachelor of science degree in elementary education. She was a Golden Axe Award recipient! She will be teaching 2nd grade with Miss Kelli and Art!
Jenni has been teaching for 13 years. She has taught kindergarten through third grade, and she ran a 21st Century Community Center for Learning grant program for two years at Lincoln School in Prescott.
Miss Jenni lives with her husband, two daughters, and two silly pugs! Her favorite place is the forest. Her favorite foods all start with P! And she’s obsessed with iced black coffee, especially from Dutch bros. She loves to paint, hike, garden, and go to Disneyland!
Kelli came to Primavera in 2020 as a co-teacher in our 1st/2nd grade classroom. She helped us launch our Transitional Kindergarten program and is now back co-teaching in the 2nd grade.
Kelli has an AA in Early Childhood Development and has over 12 years experience as a Lead Teacher in Preschool, Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and 1st/2nd grade classrooms in private school settings. She loves our school community and all the opportunities to be outside and collaborate with other classrooms and teachers as we work together as a team to help make our students' learning experiences fun, enriching, and memorable.
Kelli lives with her husband and two sons, has been a part of the Prescott community since 2008, and can't imagine living elsewhere! Her favorite things are animals, crochet, ice cream, worship music, church, and working with Ms. Jenni in 2nd grade!
Children in third grade who have mastered essential reading and math skills are primed to build upon what they've already learned. Third grade students begin to move from concrete to more abstract concepts and understandings and look for explanations of how things work and why things happen as they do. Students make use of reference books and other materials and use third-grade math and science concepts to continue to explore the world around them. Third graders at Primavera begin to think more globally as they learn about the world beyond home and school and become interested in learning new things.
Trish started working for Primavera in 2014, serving the school in many capacities since that time. After seven years working with both Pre-K and elementary students, Trish became the lead 3rd grade classroom teacher in 2020.
Trish has an Associate’s and Bachelor’s in Business and Marketing and earned a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Development and Diversity in 2019. Prior to working at Primavera, her teaching experience includes 6 years being a Teacher’s Assistant in Preschool in Oklahoma and over 10 years of experience working and teaching people with varying abilities. She has a passion for helping all children realize their potential through exploration and hands-on learning.
Trish and her husband have been a part of the Prescott community since 2011, and have enjoyed raising their four daughters, the youngest a Primavera Penguin. Outside of teaching, Trish loves to be outdoors! In her spare time, she likes to hike, bird-watch, garden, swim, and paddleboard. She and her husband are also veterans. Trish is thrilled to be working with such wonderful children, parents, and co-workers!
Fourth and Fifth grade is about finding our sense of place in the community and the natural world! Students practice deeper analysis and critical thinking skills with complex topics, making text to text, text to self, and text to world connections. Students develop an understanding of the relationship between reading, thinking, and reflection. Fourth and Fifth graders continue to experience independent reading, small group literature study and read aloud. They develop their skills in reading both fiction and non-fiction texts. Students continue to extend, refine, and revise their skills as scientists by observing, predicting, categorizing, and organizing data they collect. Students at Primavera start to develop personal responsibility in these grades while preparing them academically for the rise to 6th grade structure.
Mia has been teaching at Primavera since 2011. She considers herself incredibly lucky to have taught Preschool, Kindergarten, and 2nd through 6th grades here and is currently content leading our 4th graders.
Mia received her BSED from NAU in 2012 and taught Integrated Technology to grades K-8 at Mingus Springs Charter School before landing at Primavera. Her teaching strengths lie in her varied educational and experiential backgrounds, which include visual arts, martial arts, writing, boutique and resale shop ownership, and art/nature-focused preschool and summer programs. These allow her to provide rich, creative, and exciting hands-on learning opportunities. She believes the learning environment itself is a powerful teacher.
Outside the classroom, Mia walks our beloved downtown square daily, lifts weights, gardens, reads, creates, thrifts, and plays with her granddaughters. Mia has lived in Prescott since childhood, and her mom and daughter have also taught at Primavera. She has four children, two former Penguins, three grandchildren, two current Penguins, and one great-granddaughter, a future Penguin.
Children in third grade who have mastered essential reading and math skills are primed to build upon what they've already learned. Third grade students begin to move from concrete to more abstract concepts and understandings and look for explanations of how things work and why things happen as they do. Students make use of reference books and other materials and use third-grade math and science concepts to continue to explore the world around them. Third graders at Primavera begin to think more globally as they learn about the world beyond home and school and become interested in learning new things.
Ben started his teaching journey as an instructor at a science camp in California. After 14 years teaching science at camps there and here in Prescott, he took a few years off to be a stay-at-home dad to his 4 young children. He took up teaching again at Skyview school where he taught science and math at the middle school level for two years. When he heard about Primavera's Outdoor School, he realized it was the perfect blend of his experiences in outdoor and formal education.
While working at the Outdoor Education Camps, Ben designed and taught the entire curriculum. When he moved into the classroom, he loved being able to go into more depth on each topic. He loves hands-on, practical and meaningful activities. And he loves seeing a child's eyes light up when they finally Get It.
Ben is the husband of Sandra who is also a teacher. He has four kids grades 3rd through 8th, a dog who thinks he's a kid and a roommate who is actually a cat. When he's not teaching, he's hiking, kayaking or in his shop building something for somebody.
John is thrilled to have joined the Primavera Staff in 2021. After a variety of roles throughout his professional career he was fortunate enough to stumble into the field of environmental education. After spending two years teaching science at Aspen Creek Outdoor School in Prescott, he spent three years as the Director of Programs for Backcountry Unlimited, a Prescott based adventure company. He has experience in leading and creating programs for team building, leadership and a variety of outdoor adventures including Rock Climbing, Mountain Biking, Kayaking, Canyoneering and Orienteering.
Having grown up in a small town in New England, John understands how lucky he was to grow up in the outdoor world. As our world changes, too often we lose touch with nature and he would like to inspire the students at Primavera to learn to love, appreciate and protect the amazing place we all live.
The goal John has with everyone he works with is quite simple - To connect people with themselves, others and the natural world. In his free time you will most likely find him in a tent getting ready to explore some part of Arizona or Utah for a new experience.
Becca has a love for life-long learning and wants to share her experiences with her students. She grew up in Vermont with the wilderness and tight knit community. Becca moved out west and graduated from Prescott College in 2018. Becca majored in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Expeditionary Learning and a minor in Wilderness Therapy.
Becca first discovered Primavera when she came to do her student teaching alongside Mr. Dan in 2017. Primavera was the perfect fit for her to continue her education and implement creative and nature-based lessons. After her student teaching she joined the Primavera staff as a classroom teacher and has experience working in many of our grades. Becca has been leading the 4th/5th since 2020.
Becca enjoys elementary grades because she can make a difference and provide a foundation for the rest of a student‘s educational career. She teaches science, math, language arts, and social studies in thematic, relevant, current and fun ways. Her class has an opportunity to play and study in Arizona’s own backyard and cover many themes. Becca weaves in camping trips, hiking, rafting, field trips, ropes courses, etc into the curriculum. She enjoys working at Primavera and being able to focus on the child as a whole.
There are many options for assistance in sending your child to Primavera.
