The Goddard School of Third Lake - Gurnee/ Grayslake

Bios

• Mr David

  Hello, my name is David Raye and my wife Donna and I are the proud Founders and Co-owners of The Goddard School in Third Lake. We have been providing an integrated education and childcare program since 2004. After two decades as an executive in the corporate world, my two children, Emily & Evan, inspired me to dedicate my life to delivering high-quality education for infants, toddlers, preschool and kindergarten children. I earned a Bachelors degree from Rutgers University and an MBA in Executive Management from St. John’s University, New York. In my free time I enjoy traveling and spending time with my wife, Donna and our two adult children.

• Ms Terry

  Hello! I’m Terry, the On-Site Owner of The Goddard School in Third Lake. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Psychology from Bradley University. I’m proud to say that I have been part of The Goddard School in Third Lake since we opened in 2004! I began my journey here as a Lead Teacher in August 2004. In January 2006, I was promoted to Education Director, and in 2016, I became Executive Director. I proudly served in that role until May 2023, when I was offered the opportunity to become the On-Site Owner. In addition to my professional journey, I have also experienced The Goddard School as a parent. All four of my children attended from Infancy through Kindergarten, which makes this community even more special to me. In my free time, I enjoy traveling and spending time with my children. I look forward to many more wonderful years serving the families of The Goddard School in Third Lake as the On-Site Owner!

• Ms Allie

  Hi! My name is Ms. Allie and I began working with young children in 2015! I started working at The Goddard School in June 2020 after completing my Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies at University of Wisconsin-Stout. I started as a floater then became a lead Preschool teacher in Seahorses. After about a year, I became a lead PreK teacher in Fireflies for almost two years before becoming the Director of Operations at The Goddard School of Third Lake. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family.

• Ms Sally

  Hi, my name is Ms. Sally and I am the Director here at The Goddard School in Third Lake, originally the Education Director, beginning in 2016. I began working in Early Childhood in 2002. I worked as a Lead Teacher and then also began a dual role of supervising and teaching in 2007. I obtained my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education and in July 2021, I completed my Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education. I am married with two daughters. I love our Goddard family and look forward to many more years here.

• Ms Stephanie

  Hi, my name is Stephanie and I am the Assistant Director at The Goddard School of Third Lake. I have my Bachelor's of Science and a Master's Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. I have been working in childcare for about 16 years and I have two children of my own. In my free time I enjoy reading, crocheting, gardening, and traveling. A fun fact about myself if that I lived in Alaska off-grid for about 8 years!

• Ms Amber

  Hi! My name is Ms. Amber! I’m very happy to be working at The Goddard School in Third Lake. I have worked in Early Childhood for over 7 years and hold a Child Development Associates degree. I spend my free time with my two children and my pets. Some of my hobbies include video games, playing Pokemon Go and reading. A fun fact about me is that I own 2 guinea pigs, Piggie Smallz and Busta Swines!

• Ms Amy

  Hi, My name is Amy and I'm excited to be working with the infants at The Goddard School! I have been working in childcare for over 15 years, 10 of those specifically with young children. I have an associate degree in early childhood education. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, crocheting, and hiking. A fun fact about myself is that my husband and I met as Civil War reenactors.

• Ms Brianne

  Hi! My name is Brianne and I am excited to be returning to work at The Goddard School! I have been working with children for over ten years and have my CDA. I have three children of my own, two girls and a boy. I enjoy reading books, crafting, and being outside, especially camping, in my free time.

• Mr Chris

  Hi my name is Chris! I have been working with children since 2021. I have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and an associate’s degree in fine arts. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and helping in the theatre building props. A fun action about me is that used to play the trumpet, and I know a few songs on the ukulele.

• Ms Cynthia

  Hi! My name is Cynthia! I have been working with children since 1996. I have a bachelor’s degree in special education from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. In my free time I like to spend time with my family, travel, and play sports. A few fun facts about myself are I am bilingual, Spanish and English, and I am afraid of heights but I love skydiving!

• Miss Danielle

  Hi! My name is Ms. Dani! I’m excited to bring my energy to the classrooms at The Goddard School Third Lake. I am currently attending college and am working towards my degree in Early Childhood Education. I love to spend my free time with my family. My hobbies include camping and hiking and anything outdoors. I love soccer and have played for about ten years! A fun fact about me is that I am an Eagle Scout!

• Ms Dawn

  Hi! My name is Ms. Dawn! I have been teaching since 1998 and have worked primarily with toddlers and two year old children. I am passionate about fostering young children’s growth both socially and emotionally. The Brown Bear room has been my home since I started working at The Goddard School in 2007. I look forward to meeting you and your child!

• Ms Haley

  Hi! My name is Ms. Haley! I began teaching in 2015 and joined The Goddard School in 2017! I have a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family.

• Ms Hannah

  Hi! My name is Hannah. I have been working with children since 2014. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in special education from the University of Kentucky. I have a son, Benjamin, who attends Goddard. In my free time, I enjoy golfing and playing my Djembe drum.

• Ms Joanna

  Hi my name is Jo. I have my bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and have been working in childcare for over 10 years. I love traveling, playing volleyball, and reading. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. A fun fact about myself is that I used to play and referee soccer!

• Ms Jordan

  Hi! My name is Ms. Jordan! I started working in childcare in 1998 and have worked as a lead teacher in every age group! I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Family Development from San Diego State University. In my free time, I enjoy spending time outside, swimming and hiking with my son and my dog Rocky!

• Miss Kaitlynn

  Hi, my name is Ms. Kaitlynn! I began teaching at The Goddard School in 2015. I obtained my Early Childhood Associates Degree from the College of Lake County. When I’m not at Goddard, I also work as a Licensed Cosmetologist and enjoy spending time with my fiancée and my mother.

• Ms Kristen

  Hi! My name is Ms. Kristen and I starting working at The Goddard School in Third Lake in April 2022. I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education at Aurora University. I have worked in as a substitute as well as an Assistant Teacher throughout the school. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and drawing!

• Miss Krystal

  Hi! My name is Ms. Krystal! I currently teach pre-kindergarten. I began teaching at The Goddard School in 2004 and have primarily worked in preschool-kindergarten. I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University with endorsements in Language Arts and Social Studies. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends!

• Mr Noah

  Hi, my name is Noah. I have an associate's degree in arts and am currently studying to earn my teaching degree. I have previously worked as a camp and sport counselor at the Grayslake Park District. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball and video games. A fun fact about me is that my last name means cheese marker in German.

• Miss Tamia

  Hi! My name is Tamia and I am excited to be working as a co-lead in Seahorses! My journey working in early childhood started in while I was in high school. I have more than 7 years experience. In the past, I have worked in a Montessori school, as a nanny for children (birth-11 years old), and as an early childhood teacher. I have an associates degree in early childhood education and am working towards my bachelors degree at NLU. In my free time I enjoy traveling, going to the gym, and trying new restaurants.

• Ms Tessia

  Hi my name is Tessia. I started working in early childhood education in 2021. I have my CDA focused on preschool aged children along with some college credits. In my free time I enjoy spending my time with my children and spending time outside. A few fun facts about me are that I played the trumpet for 12 years and I won 1st place at an Illinois skills competition for early childhood education and 6th place at nationals.

• Ms Tracy

  Hi! My name is Ms. Tracy! I have been working in early childhood since 1997 and joined The Goddard School in 2011. I have four years of college education that includes multiple early childhood courses. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family!

• Miss Vanessa

  Hi, my name is Vanessa! I have worked in childcare for 10 years and love being with the little ones! I have a daughter of my own, Dylan, who I enjoy spending my free time with along with horseback riding and being at the barn! I rode horses all four years of high school. A fun fact about me is that I was adopted!

• Miss Hayley

  Hi, My name is Hayley and I am excited to be working at The Goddard School as a floater working with all age groups. This is my first time working in childcare, and I am eager to learn from my co-workers. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, painting, and doing crafts. A fun fact about me is that I used to play the guitar and banjo!

• Ms Heather

  Hi! My name is Ms. Heather and I have been working in early childhood in 2005 and here at Goddard in 2007. I began as an Assistant Teacher in our preschool classrooms before I settled into my position in the Fireflies classroom. I am currently working towards my Child Development Associates. I really enjoy doing art projects with my students and I love getting messy! I feel passionately about teaching children about compassion and how we treat each other. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, especially my daughters Mackenzie and Morgan!

• Miss Jillian

  Hi! My name is Jillian and I am excited to be working with children at The Goddard School! I have been working with children for over eight years and previously worked as an inclusion aide at the Warren Special Recreation Center. In my free time, I enjoy hiking at forest preserves.

• Miss Kelly

  Hi my name is Kelly and I am excited to be working with the preschool and pre-k children! I have an associate’s degree in elementary education. I enjoy spending time with my mom and sister, reading, and trying new coffee shops. A fun fact about me is that I am bilingual.

• Miss Kristen

  Hi, my name is Kristen! I have been working with children since 2019. I have my associate’s degree in early childhood education from The College of Lake County and am working toward my bachelor’s degree from National Louis University. In my free time I enjoy crafting and doing puzzles. A few fun facts about me are that I have a twin sister and I was apart of the Disney College program.

• Ms Kristin

  Hi, my name is Kristin! I have been working with young children for about 6 years. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre and a Master of Arts in professional creative writing. I enjoy spending time with my husband and children, cross-stitching, baking, and reading. A fun fact about me is that I worked at Disney World for over 20 years and I interned at a children’s puppetry theatre in London!

• Ms Kyrah

  Hi, my name is Kyrah! I started working at The Goddard School in 2023. I went to cosmetology school at The Salon Professional Academy. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, friends, and doing hair and makeup. A fun fact about me is that I have 3 black cats, Loki, Sumo, and Cora.

• Miss Mackenzie

  Hi, my name is Mackenzie! I previously worked with children ages 2 to 8 in another setting for about 3 years. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I love drawing, painting, and anything involving music! A fun fact about me is that I played the clarinet for 9 years and was in the marching band for 5 years!

• Ms Pam

  Hi! My name is Ms. Pam! I’m happy to be working here at The Goddard School! I have worked in early childhood education for the last six years. I started here as a floater and am excited to join the Foxes classroom as an assistant teacher. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, reading and watching movies. I also enjoy doing all kinds of arts and crafts projects.

• Ms Surbhi

  Hi, my name is Surbhi! I am excited to be working at The Goddard School. I have been working with child since 2018 and specifically with early childhood since 2020. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, reading, and gardening. A fun fact about myself is that I am a professional tarot reader.

• Ms Anna

  Hi! My name is Ms. Anna and I am excited to be the cook at The Goddard School! I have been in the professional cooking and baking industry for over 10 years. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, reading, and cross-stitching. A fun fact about me is that I served four years in the U.S Coast Guard!