San Jose Montessori Preschool :: Mandala Children's House :: Staff

5038 Hyland Avenue, San Jose, CA 95127 (408) 251-8633

License # 430709411

5038 Hyland Avenue
San Jose, CA 95127
408.251.8633

We Nourish Our Staff!
A key part of Mandala's mission statement is to "nourish the staff." This is drawn from one of our founding principles, written 26 years ago when we established the school:

"…to create an environment where teachers, staff, and childcare providers can learn and thrive through support of their personal, as well as professional, growth."

When we started Mandala, we wanted to create a workplace that supported women's need to both have a career and a family-and be successful at both! We think we've done that.

Our Staff Remains With Us
We refer to ourselves as the "Mandala Family." Mandala is a happy and satisfying place to work because we are all professionals who care about children and we share similar values about educating young children. Best of all, we are committed to supporting each other in doing our best. As a result, we have a very low staff turnover rate at Mandala. Many of our staff have been here 15 or more years. Some have even been here over 25 years. The staff at Mandala are committed people and we feel grateful to have them!

Participatory Management: The Team Approach
Since its beginning, Mandala has been committed to a "participatory" style of management. This is in keeping with our philosophy. Mandala is committed to a team approach in which employees at each level are given independence and self-determination in decision-making about their area of work.

The Mandala staff is composed of two teams: the Classroom Teaching Team (8 teachers) and the Administrative Management Team (4 office administrators).

The Administrative Management Team is composed of the three office administrators: Administrative Director, Childcare Director/Finance Manager, and Family Services Director. They collaborate and function cooperatively in goal-setting and decision- making for the school. Each program director is responsible for her own program area and is accountable to the Administrative Director and the Board of Directors.

The Administrative Director assumes full responsibility and accountability for the total program of Mandala Children's House. While she retains the ultimate authority in determining the direction and decision-making of the entire program, she operates in a coordinating and synthesizing role on the Administrative Team. The Administrative Director, however, takes the responsibility for insuring the proper functioning and the leadership of the Administrative Team.

The management team is well rounded and experienced.

Marilyn Drino, Administrative Director Preschool Program and General Administrator - (408) 251-8633 x13 E-Mail: mdrino@yahoo.com We call Marilyn the "founding mother" of Mandala. In 1975, Marilyn (in collaboration with Linda Hovis and Anne Kangas) created the plans and philosophy for a preschool and satellite licensed family day care network. It was Marilyn's vision to establish a preschool in the East foothills of San Jose that fit the ethnic and economic diversity of the area. When Mandala first started, Marilyn taught in the mornings and was the Assistant Director in charge of curriculum and classroom oversight. Later, as Mandala grew and changed, Marilyn assumed increasing responsibility, and she eventually stepped into the role of Administrative Director in 1984. Marilyn is the "glue" that holds Mandala together. Her unique gifts and talents foster the "community" feeling that Mandala is so widely known for.
Jean Buell, Family Childcare Director Child Care Referral and State Funded Child Care Program - (408) 251-8633 x10 E-Mail: jbuell@hotmail.com Many years ago, Jean started with Mandala as a childcare provider, and she became well known for her vocal advocacy of the many providers in Mandala's program. In the early 1980's, she was hired as a part time Resource Coordinator and soon became the Childcare Director, administrating the state funded child care program. This program has grown tremendously, from a $25,000 budget to over $500,000. Jean is also our "resident computer expert," and keeps us up to date with current technology. Jean is also responsible for handling the FACTS Management Program, and collecting tuition. She collaborates with Marilyn in overseeing the financial aspects of the program. She looks forward to meeting with any parents concerning tuition, employer reimbursement receipts, or problems/changes with FACTS.
Anne Kangas, LCSW, Family Services Director Family Support and Child/Parent Resources - (408) 251-8633 x14 E-Mail: anne_kangas@hotmail.com Anne helped start Mandala with Marilyn Drino and Linda Hovis in 1975. She served on the Board for many years, taking responsibility for Personnel and offering administrative support. In November 1990, when the need for services to children and families was recognized, Anne was hired as the Family Services Director. She can now be found in the office four days per week. Anne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and specializes in parenting, child development, and family problems. She also has a private psychotherapy practice.

Mandala has some of the best preschool teachers in the area. We are known for our "warm and nurturing" staff, and we are widely respected in the Early Childcare field. Many of our teachers have years of teaching experience with young children. They are enthusiastic, confident, and they really know young children! We also feel very fortunate to have teachers from a variety of cultural backgrounds, speaking a total of eight different languages.

The teachers at Mandala work together cooperatively as a team. They are responsible for maintaining the classroom environment, planning curriculum, teaching, and assessing children. The Administrative Director directly supervises the Teaching Team, and the Family Services Director consults with them about children, giving feedback and direction on emotional/behavioral/social issues.

Every week, the Teaching Team and Administrative Team meet jointly for weekly 1 ½ hour staff meetings on Tuesdays. Mandala also strongly believes in staff development. We offer numerous onsite trainings for our entire staff on a variety of issues relevant to young children and their development. We also provide incentives for our staff to continue their education by taking classes and workshops. Many of our teachers have gone on for advanced training and degrees since coming to Mandala.

Penny Lawrie is our Assistant Preschool Director. She oversees curriculum and mentors the teaching staff. Penny has been a teacher at Mandala since September 1980. Penny came to Mandala as a parent, then returned to school and received her AA degree in Early Childhood Education from San Jose City College. She received her Montessori training from California State University Hayward Extension Program. Penny is also a certified CPR and Pediatric First Aide Instructor. She is a Mentor teacher with SJCC and supervises student teachers (Mentees) at Mandala every semester. She will complete a BA in Child and Adolescent Development from SJSU in May 2010. Penny is a gifted Montessori teacher who has an intuitive sense of how to invite children into learning. She is widely known and respected in the Early Childhood field. We appreciate the way she keeps us linked and connected to the wider community. Penny’s two boys went to Mandala. She now has 4 grandchildren.
Mary McDonald works in the classroom as a teacher and also in the office as our Childcare Program Assistant. Mary started at Mandala as a substitute teacher and has been a part of our permanent staff since January 1996. Before she worked at Mandala, she taught at Evergreen Community Center. Mary recently received her B.A. in Early Child Education from National University. Mary has two grown children. The oldest went to Mandala. The youngest has volunteered at Mandala. Mary is enjoying taking on more administrative work and challenge in the office. Mary brings an upbeat personality and a lot of energy to Mandala. She always has a positive comment to offer and her continual optimism brings "sunshine" to the classroom.
Denise Rivas is the Lead Teacher in the Early Preschool. She has been a teacher at Mandala since March 1999. She was a substitute teacher and a child care provider for us for many years prior to her joining our staff. She received her Early Childhood Education training from San Jose City College and is now working towards an A.A. degree. She completed her Montessori training from North American Progressive Montessori Teacher Training Centre. Denise has 2 grown children and 3 grandchildren. Denise's calm and accepting presence is very soothing to children in the classroom.
Nasreen Ilyas began teaching at Mandala in 2001. She has been working in Early Childhood for more than 20 years, and we feel very fortunate to have her and the wealth of teaching experience she brings to us. Previously, Nasreen worked for Rainbow Montessori and the Children's Preschool Center in Evergreen. She received her ECE training from San Jose City College and De Anza College. She has a Bachelor's degree from the University of Punjab. She has also done training in Montessori. Nasreen has a lovely way with young children and they are drawn to her quiet, gentle way. We especially appreciate the cultural richness Nasreen adds to our classroom environment. She grew up in Pakistan and speaks both Urdu and Punjabi fluently. Nasreen is the parent of three sons, ranging from elementary to college age.
Christina Ybanez has been teaching at Mandala since 2001. She has unofficially been part of Mandala for many years as a parent in the school and then a grandparent. It had always been Christina's dream to work with young children. She is one of those "natural teachers." When the opportunity arose, she started back to school and took her Montessori training, receiving her certification from North America Progressive Montessori Teacher Training Centre. Christina also continues to work on her A.A degree in Early Childhood Education from San Jose City College. She fills a real need in the Early Preschool, especially with her a warm and loving way. In the afternoons, she loves working with the older children, too. Christina also speaks Spanish and enriches us with her Hispanic culture.
Veronica Brandariz started as substitute teacher at Mandala and did her student teaching here working as a Mentee from San Jose City College under the supervision of Penny. She has been a part of our permanent teaching staff since October 2002. We feel very fortunate to have her as part of our preschool teaching team. Veronica brings fresh energy and zeal to classroom with her lively personality and her enthusiasm with children. She has a big smile and a kind word for everyone. Before she came to Mandala, Veronica taught for five years at Evergreen Community Center. Veronica has a BA from Golden Gate University and completed her ECE training at San Jose City College. She received her Montessori certification from North America Progressive Montessori Teacher Training Centre and is always continuing her education by taking additional classes. Veronica has two children now in high school.
Tiffany Lindsay began teaching at Mandala in the Early Preschool in the summer of 2005. She loves working with young children and they love her. Tiffany has a quiet and gentle way in the classroom, and we love that she is so open to growing and learning. After getting more experience at Mandala, Tiffany became clear that she was called to teaching as a career. She completed the Early Childhood Adult Education program with Penny Lawrie as her teacher. Tiffany then took her ECE classes at SJCC and is now working on her A.A. at National Hispanic University. She worked in the Extended Care Program at St John Vianney before coming to Mandala. Tiffany teaches in the Early Preschool in the morning and in the Preschool in the afternoon. She is a wonderful addition to our Mandala Family.
Aparna Veeraraghavan came to San Jose in July of 2000, and she started as a volunteer at Mandala in 2001 and continued to work for 2 more years in the preschool as a teacher. Aparna, like many others, first came our way as a parent. When she generously volunteered to assist us in the classroom, we knew immediately that she was a perfect Mandala “fit.” Aparna left Mandala when she moved out of the area. She worked at Pioneer Montessori for 2 years and returned to Mandala in the fall of 2009 when the opportunity arose to be a part of the Mandala family again. We love having her back. Aparna has a Bachelors of Science Degree from Mount Carmel College in Bangalore, India and received her Montessori Certificate from North American Progressive Montessori Teacher Training Centre. She is currently working on her ECE classes at San Jose City College. On the home front, Aparna has two beautiful girls ages 11 and 4. Aparna has a real gift for teaching Montessori. We are also pleased to have her bring the culture of India alive for us. She speaks Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Kannada, as well as English. Quite impressive!
Neetu Sethi started as an assistant teacher in 2003 in the Early Preschool. She was on maternity leave for two years and then returned to work for us as a substitute teacher in 2007. In September 2009, she became a teacher in the Early Preschool classroom. Neetu did college work in computer application for business, and web design, but she decided after working at Mandala that her real interest lies in teaching young children. She is currently working on her AA degree in Early Childhood Education from SJCC. Neetu says that she has always loved Mandala. Her daughter, who is ten, attended Mandala, as does her four year old son, who is in the preschool. We appreciate that Neetu brings even more cultural enrichment to our staff, speaking Hindi, Punjabi, and “a little Telugu.” She adds a calm and caring presence to our classroom and the children love working with her.


The teachers work in different Morning and Afternoon classes. These are the teacher placements for this school year.
	Early Preschool (a.m. only) teachers are Denise Rivas, Christina Ybanez, Tiffany Lindsay and Neetu Sethi Morning Preschool teachers are Veronica Brandariz, Nasreen Ilyas, Aparna Veerarghaven,Penny Lawrie on TTh and Mary McDonald on MWF. Afternoon Preschool teachers are Penny Lawrie, Tiffany Lindsay, Christina Ybanez, Mary McDonald MWF and Denise Rivas TTh. Tiffany and Christina each take every other Friday Afternoon off and Neetu Sethi works for them.