Our Teachers

Neda has 20+ years of teaching experience, a Master of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education & Special Ed from NYU and a BA in Child Development from San Diego State. She began teaching at PV Hills in fall of 2016. She has held a variety of positions in the field; a teacher, outdoor classroom coordinator, parent coach and college professor. She is a South Bay native and has passion for Mindfulness.  Neda’s career goal has been to bring mindfulness practices to as many children, families and educators as possible. Her mindfulness practice with children started at UCLA Early Care and Education, where she worked with infants, toddlers and preschoolers for 8 years. She was trained by Susan Kaiser Greenland and was recently asked by Susan to be a founding member of the Inner Kids Collaborative; which hosted 150 mindfulness classes online for families during the start of the pandemic.

Neda is currently blending her mindfulness practices in the various settings she is working in. Neda and her colleagues are currently working to create a program to support children in their mindful practices. A program for children to help build attention, balance and compassion through yoga, mindfulness and the arts. Neda believes that mindfulness unifies everyone; that it helps to ground us and make us feel connected to ourselves, others, and the environment around us.  Neda has been volunteering as a teacher at Peace 4 Kids, a non-profit organization for children in foster care since 2014. She is passionate about supporting our community and creating a safe space for children to learn, grow and feel connected. Neda was invited to sit on the Executive Committee of the Association of Child Development Specialists, Los Angeles (ACDS-LA) in 2016. She became President of the Association in January 2020.

In her free time Neda enjoys spending time with her family & friends and engaging in yoga, dance and the arts.

Nika is an experienced teacher, mentor, mother of three boys, artist and nature enthusiasts. She brings with her a strong passion and belief that the work we do as preschool teachers is so important.

Nika has 25 years of teaching experience, has led art enrichment classes, storytelling at special events, owned and taught art and science beach summer camps and has been a mentor for other teachers new to this field. Nika fell in love with the study of early childhood development while volunteering at a preschool during an assignment for her high school class. After becoming a parent and with the encouragement of her son’s preschool teacher in 1998 she decided to pursue it as a career. She worked at South Bay Center For Counseling, as an aide while attending early childhood development classes at El Camino college, Harbor City College and UCLA Extension.

From 2004-2014 Nika was hired as a lead teacher at American Martyrs Preschool in Manhattan Beach. While there Nika was gifted with the opportunities to fill her teacher “goodie bag” by attending multiple workshops including ‘Music Together’ and ‘Handwriting Without Tears’. She had the honor and privilege to attend a 3 day retreat at Bev Bos’s school in Roseville California. She was inspired by Bev to slow down, observe, respect and believe in the process of each individual child and how brilliant their minds are.

Nika is an expressive, playful, caring and knowledgeable teacher. This shines through in her songs, art , storytelling and genuine love for children! Away from PV Hills she’s lost in the woods having adventures with her dogs and family, watching her boys play sports or working in her garden.

Katherine has dedicated the last 10 years to working with children of all ages in various settings. She has spent the last four years working in play based early childhood programs in the West LA area. There, she implemented developmentally appropriate practices with an emphasis in social emotional development. Katherine has also worked as a companion teacher supporting neurodivergent children in preschool settings. Katherine is currently on the path to completing her BA in early child development with the intent of applying to an occupational therapy master’s program. Her ultimate goal is to apply her knowledge and experience in play based practices to a pediatric occupational therapy setting. During her free time Katherine enjoys being outdoors, crafting, and spending time with family.

Trichelle recently began teaching at PV Hills after her daughter attended the preschool here. Prior to teaching at PV Hills, she was an elementary school teacher in Manhattan Beach and a stay at home mom. Her educational background includes a Master of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Loyola Marymount University. Trichelle enjoys volunteering in her daughter’s classroom, reading, and gardening.

Laura’s educational background includes a Multiple Subject Credential and 10 years of elementary school classroom experience.  She began teaching at PV Hills in 2006 after her own children graduated from the program. She is grateful for the opportunity to work with the children and their parents. She knows the positive effects of parents being a part of their child’s education and watching them grow and develop. She believes the best way for a child to learn is through play.