Maddy Quaglino
A little bit about myself. I moved here from Red Bluff, California in 1983 to attend Cal Poly. I graduated from Cal Poly in 1987 with a degree in Horticulture. I returned to school to get a degree in Early Childhood Education from Alan Hancock College, and then later graduated from the University of La Verne in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. I married in 1987 and have two wonderful children; Kassondra and Jeffrey.I have been a childcare provider in San Luis Obispo County since 1991. For 11 years I owned and operated a small family childcare program. In 2001, as a childcare provider, I received National Accreditation for family childcare. This is the highest honor a childcare provider can receive for providing quality childcare. In 2002, our family moved and I entered center base care as a preschool teacher for four years. In 2006, I was blessed to become the director of the Arroyo Grande United Methodist Children’s Center as the need arises, I also teach from time to time.
My goal as an early childhood educator is to recognize each child as a unique individual and to provide him or her with a sense of security, value, and consistency. I will offer security by fostering a safe environment where each child is treated with respect and kindness. I will value each child by giving him or her my attention, patience, and guidance. I will provide consistency through daily routines while building a strong relationship with the family.
My approach to teaching is to provide a purposeful play-based, age-appropriate environment that supports a child’s intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development. There will be structured and unstructured times, enabling children to learn at their own rate. Children are encouraged to make choices, make mistakes, and try again. This allows them to think creatively and be problem solvers, so they may succeed in a complex and ever-changing world.
My passion is to advocate for quality care for young children. I have participated in various groups that support the same common goal in the early childhood community. My early years of providing childcare, steered me to co-found the Family Child Care Association of San Luis Obispo County (FCC of SLO Co.), of which I later became the president.
My ambition for the AGUMCC program has been to provide the best care to families of young children by following the standards for Accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Currently, our program is a partner in the Quality Counts Program through the Child Care Planning Council. We have aligned our program by using tools that define qualities: the Environmental Rate Scale, the Desired Result Developmental Profile, and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Parents can be assured that their children will receive the best quality and personal care at AGUMCC.
With my understanding and experience of quality care guidelines, I will guide the AGUMCC staff through the Accreditation process during the next few years. As an experienced teacher and director, I will use my knowledge and leadership to ensure that the program meets academic standards established by the NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children).
Cindy "Bo" Beaudoin
To tell you a little bit about myself, Cindy 'Bo'(Beaudoin), and my history of working in the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE), I would like to tell you the story of how I came about my name. I began teaching for a private preschool, after graduating from Santa Barbara City College in 1979, with an AS degree in ECE. It was there that I worked with Cindy MacIsaac. To make a distinction between our names, she became known as Cindy 'Mac' and I became known as Cindy '0' (my maiden name was Olson). I worked for thirteen years at Grace Church Preschool, my final eleven years as Director, serving families of children 2 ½ - 5 years (60 children a day).Following my time at Grace, I accepted a position working at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in their Infant/Toddler program. By this time, I was attached to the name children called me by so; I decided to bring "Cindy '0' with me. It was at Cottage Hospital that I was first introduced to, and embraced, the RIE (Resources for Infant Educarers) approach and methods of working with infants and toddlers. It was during my seven years at Cottage that I also went through RIE training and continued my education, specializing in Infant/Toddler Care. During this time, I also became a Mentor Teacher with the California Early Childhood Mentor Teacher Program, mentoring ECE students from Santa Barbara City College.
While at Cottage, I was offered the opportunity to help start up a new infant, toddler and preschool program, supporting and influencing staff toward practicing the RIE philosophy. Holding on to the name, Cindy '0', I took the position as Assistant Director/Coordinator Infant/Toddler Program, Casa Alegria Children's Center, a program of St. Vincent's, in Santa Barbara, in 1999. What a wonderful time of challenge and growth this was for me. In 2000, upon receiving the Michael Marsh International Fellowship award, I was granted the privilege of conducting a week of research and study at the Emmi Pickler Institute (popularly referred to as "Loczy") in Budapest, Hungary, where the inspiration for the RIE approach and methods began. This was both a personal and professional experience of a lifetime that I will forever be thankful. More on my philosophy: PDF (278kb).
May 1 2005, I married my husband Randy, took a new name (Beaudoin), entered into step-motherhood of three wonderful children, Buddy, Miranda, and Nicole, and moved to Santa Maria. God is faithful and I believe He led me into each of my past places of work and again led me to Arroyo Grande United Methodist Children's Center. Shortly after moving to the area, I heard that this new school, with one class of preschoolers, wanted to respond to the need of the community and start up a toddler program. I began my work as a toddler teacher at AGUMCC, helping to start up the toddler program, in October 2005. Now, what was I to do? I was now Cindy Beaudoin. Do I still go by Cindy 'O'? It came to me! I can become Cindy 'Bo'! My new name has stuck and I have appreciated each child and family that has given me the opportunity to get to know them and hope that they will always think of me, Cindy 'Bo', as someone who truly cares about them.
Whether Cindy '0' or Cindy 'Bo', professional growth and affiliations have always been important to me. I have a State of California Supervisor Permit, am a current member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), served on the local chapter (SBAEYC) as both President and "Month of the Young Child" Chair, and was a Co-founder and Chair of the first California Chapter of Stand for Children (2002-2005). A commitment toward providing quality care to children and families and having a philosophy and practices that I value has been my criteria for each children's center I have chosen to work for, including Arroyo Grande United Methodist Children's Center.
Shirley Willmott
My name is Shirley Willmott and I am privileged to be teaching at AGUMCC. I have been teaching for over 30 years. I graduated from Cuesta College with an Associates Arts degree in Early Child Hood Education. I had my own childcare business and have worked in other private childcare centers before coming here. I have worked with a variety of students including children who are challenged by special needs as well as the children that function above the typical level of development. I am confident that my unwavering commitment to education is a positive asset to this school.
I was born and raised in San Luis Obispo County. I have lived most my life on the central coast and currently live in Nipomo. I am a mother of two adult children: Kristy and Robert. I have a granddaughter, Karisa, and a great-granddaughter, Aubriella. My hobbies are writing poems, watching sports, and praying for others.
I encourage student learning by incorporating creative centers, hands on activities, and fun manipulatives. These methods prove to stimulate student's social, emotional, physical, and academic growth. In addition, I will utilize these strategies to introduce new concepts, and establish a connection to the classroom and everyday life.
Areas of expertise include:
- Use of Manipulatives
- Student Assessments
- Role Playing
- Student Motivations
- Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Cooperative Learning.
Mary Throndson
Hi! My name is Mary Throndson. I have been in education since High School. I started out as a helper in a Sunday School Class, got promoted as a teacher and I have been teaching or assisting since then. Would you believe it has been over 50 years of my life. Teaching has been something I can't stay away from. I am very passionate about it and believe there are always students out there, as well as adults, including myself, that can learn about God's wonderful world. How we become a productive member and how we take care of God's world and treat others has been my life long adventure.On a personal note, I have a wonderful husband of nearly 44 years, who is a retired rancher and currently a real estate agent. We have a marvelous daughter, who is a travel agent. We all like to read, be in the outdoors, and travel. My daughter and I like to quilt. My husband likes politics and movies.
Getting back to my background and after Elementary and High School, I started out at a Junior College, transferred to a private college - Whittier College, and then finished my BA at Fresno State University, along with classes at Pacific College and others. After teaching Kindergarten, First Grade and Third Grade in Visalia and Exeter for 31 years, I retired from Public Education and went directly into Preschool teaching at Pacific Coast when we moved here, Arroyo Grande, in 1999. As I said, I started right away at Pacific Coast, then moved up to First Grade, then to Tutoring and in 2006 became the Preschool Director. At that time I was also on the Preschool Board of the Arroyo Grande United Methodist Church Children's Center. I left the Pacific Coast position in 2009.
Soon after that break, and since there was a shortage of Subs in the Preschool, Maddie asked if I would be interested in subbing for her and the other teachers. So I prayed about it and after some paper work I came to work in the summer of 2011,here at UMCC. I work from to time to time and volunteer too.
I have enough education classes to receive a Master's or maybe Doctorate, but never had the time to fulfill that, but I am one who is always open to new ideas and classes. Some things that go around come back. I feel there is not just one right way to teach, but one has to respect all ideas and apply them when working with children. All of us are unique. We don't all learn the same way. Many of us need multiply modalities to learn, comprehend, and apply what is presented before us.
I believe that all children are a precious gift from God. Teachers are entrusted to love, train, and guide students as they grow. I look to God's Word for wisdom concerning students, teachers, and families. Children are very forgiving and we learn we need to be also. We pick up and go on and accept one another.
I believe in programs that value and nurture a child's individual development while fostering family relationships. I believe that each child has the right to play and learn in an inclusive environment. I accept each child at his and her individual stage of development and respect this and her own readiness to learn. I strive to support a child's need to live and work cooperatively while learning self awareness, problem solving abilities, competency, self-worth, socialization, and life skills. I want to make the most of every opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students and families.
To sum it up: Children learn by example, with encouragement, by exploration, through experiences, at their own pace, on their own level about God's love and His world.
Swati Gupta
My name is Swati Gupta. I was born and raised in India. I came to the United States of America after I got married. I live in Pismo Beach with my husband, two children, and my in-laws. I feel blessed for my strong family bond. My strengths are hardworking and a positive outlook. I also like to learn new things and love challenges. I have a bachelor’s degree in Science and a master’s in Business Administration from India. Currently I am attending Allan Hancock College and studying Early Childhood.My work experience with children is through Lucia Mar School District and San Luis County, as a substitute teacher. I have worked in a many classrooms with a variety of students ranging from preschool to high school. When I work with children it gives me happiness. I feel like I am doing something good for our community.
I believe that childhood should be a happy and stress-free time. It is a time when children can experience physical and emotional security. It is a time for play and for learning through exploration and developmentally appropriate activities. The heart of my early childhood teaching philosophy is Constructivism. It is how young children learn, by reflecting on their experiences, and by doing so, they construct their own understanding of the world they live in.
As a teacher, I can provide love, support, and an enriched environment, which is required for children to be successful in life. For myself, teaching provides an opportunity for continual learning and growth. One of my hopes as an educator is to instill a love of learning in my students, as I share my own passion for learning with them. I strive to provide an environment where children and families from different cultural backgrounds feel welcomed and accepted.
“A teacher affects eternity; you can never tell where this influence stops.”
Elizabeth Delory
My name is Elizabeth Delory, and I am blessed to be a teacher at Arroyo Grande United Methodist Children Center. My teaching career started 22 years ago in Hawaii. I worked diligently with a passion for teaching all ages of students.I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Psychology and Master’s Degree in Education from San Diego State University. Being a teacher has been one of the best choices of my life. I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and later moved to Germany and Hawaii. I then landed on the central coast of California, where I met my husband, and we have two wonderful children.
My vision as your child’s teacher is to create an environment that empowers your child to explore, ask questions, take on challenges, and find joy in learning through the process of play. Engaging in this process will help your child develop Important skills such as communication, planning, and problem-solving.
It will be my honor to watch your child grow through the process of play. This will be an amazing journey for all of us!
Ms. Elizabeth
Elvia Reyes
My name is Elvia Reyes. I was born in Mexico and have lived in California since I was eight months old. I am a mother of two boys, Edgar, who is ten, and Emilio, who is six years old. My oldest son is on the Autism spectrum, so my husband and I decided that I should stay home to support him. After several years, I pursued my passion for working with children. I started working at AGUMCC in March of 2022 and have enjoyed every moment.In 2019, I graduated from Allan Hancock College with two associate degrees, one in Social and Behavioral Science and the other in Mathematics. I also have 21 units of Early Childhood Studies. My long-term goal is to continue my education and earn my Early Childhood Studies associate degree to become an even better teacher for children.
My teaching philosophy is that children learn best through play experiences. As a theorist, Jean Piaget declared, “Play is the work of childhood.” (https//playlearnthrive.com). It may seem like children are just playing and not learning anything, but playing plays a crucial role in children’s lives. Through play, children make sense of the world around them. It is also important because it helps children develop socially, physically, cognitively, emotionally, and creatively. By providing and guiding children through play experiences and activities, I will help them form relationships with others, share, problem-solve, cooperate, cope with their feelings, understand them, have self-confidence, treat others with respect, and be kind. Lastly, I will help them develop their gross and fine motor skills through various activities. I value the whole child because all children grow and develop at different stages.
I am excited to work with children and be a part of their growth and development while having fun and learning together.
Thank you,
Elvia Reyes
