Kiddie Academy^® of Colonia

We can't wait to meet you

• Ms. Joanne, Administration: Center Director

  

  Joanne Johnson leads our center team as Director of Kiddie Academy of Colonia. She brings with her over 20 years of experience...   Read More

  Ms. Joanne, Administration: Center Director

  Joanne Johnson leads our center team as Director of Kiddie Academy of Colonia. She brings with her over 20 years of experience in Early Childhood Education. Joanne began her career as a classroom teacher, working with every age group we serve. She has held roles as a Center Director, Program Director, Leadership Mentor, Early Childhood Trainer and Classroom Teacher. Joanne's Director experience includes corporate/client-based childcare, nonprofit and community-based settings. Additionally, Joanne carries with her the experience of having worked for Kiddie Academy previously as both an educator and administrator, for over 10 years. Joanne fosters a first school experience for her students where faculty focus on the space between the minutes, because that is the space where lasting bonds, memories, and attitudes about learning, are born. She believes in respecting and appreciating childhood and celebrating everything that makes each child in her care unique and special. Joanne looks forward to meeting with you and learning more about your child as well as your families needs. Call today 732.800.8818 or email us at Coloniaadminteam@kiddieacademy.net to coordinate a time to meet with Joanne or a member of our administrative team, and learn more about what makes Kiddie Academy of Colonia so unique!

• Ms. Ashley, Administration: Executive Director

  

  Ms. Ashley serves as the Executive Director at Kiddie Academy of Colonia.  Ashley has her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Kean University...   Read More

  Ms. Ashley, Administration: Executive Director

  Ms. Ashley serves as the Executive Director at Kiddie Academy of Colonia.  Ashley has her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Kean University and comes to us with over 15 years of experience in childcare. She has held many positions in childcare such as lead teacher, assistant director, and director and loves watching each child she cares for learn and grow. Ms. Ashley always wanted to be an educator and credits her wonderful teachers for sparking this desire in her from a young age. Ashley loves interacting with all the children and families who attend our academy and always makes herself available to assist in any way she can. In her spare time Ms. Ashely loves to care for her puppy Marley who she co-parents with her boyfriend Greg. Ashely lives locally and loves the Colonia community!

• Ms. Tara, Assistant Center Director/ Head of Academics

  

  Ms. Tara is the Assistant Center Director at Kiddie Academy of Colonia. Ms. Tara holds her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education...   Read More

  Ms. Tara, Assistant Center Director/ Head of Academics

  Ms. Tara is the Assistant Center Director at Kiddie Academy of Colonia. Ms. Tara holds her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from West Chester University and comes to us with almost 20 years of experience working with young children and their families. In addition to working with Ealry Childhood aged students, Ms. Tara has also taught in elementary school, primarily working with Kindergarten aged students. Ms. Tara loves working with the families, children, and teachers here at Kiddie Academy of Colonia and strives to make every day better than the last. She also is our Head of Academics, and oversees the curriculum at the center. Miss Tara lives by the beach with her husband, son Matthew, and puggle Daphne. In her spare time Ms. Tara loves to go out to eat, spend time at the beach, cook, and be with her family. She also loves any book, movie, or tv show where the main characters are witches, wizards, werewolves, or vampires! The more magic and science fiction the better!

• Ms. Rida, Faculty: Pre Kindergarten Assistant Teacher

  

  Ms. Rida is our Pre Kindergarten Assistant Teacher. Ms. Rida comes to us with a wealth of previous experience working with Pre...   Read More

  Ms. Rida, Faculty: Pre Kindergarten Assistant Teacher

  Ms. Rida is our Pre Kindergarten Assistant Teacher. Ms. Rida comes to us with a wealth of previous experience working with Pre Kindergarten at several other Early Learning Centers. Ms. Rida has a master’s degree in marketing from St. Peter’s University and loves to travel and explore new places. She is also a fantastic cook and baker. Ms. Rida describes herself as very detail oriented and has an eye for fashion and would one day love to open her own fashion boutique! Ms. Rida brings all of her skills into the classroom and focusses on cultivating strong relationships with her students and being creative in her lesson planning and approach to teaching. Ms. Rida’s favorite children’s book is “I Believe I Can” by Grace Byers as she too agrees that every child has limitless potential Ms. Rida's favorite quote:   “You learn more from failure than from success. Don’t let it stop you. Failure builds character.”

• Ms. Navpreet, Faculty: Lead Infant Teacher

  

  Ms. Navpreet serves as our Lead Teacher, working with our infants. Ms. Navpreet works with our youngest of learners, who come to...   Read More

  Ms. Navpreet, Faculty: Lead Infant Teacher

  Ms. Navpreet serves as our Lead Teacher, working with our infants. Ms. Navpreet works with our youngest of learners, who come to us as young as 6 weeks of age. She loves to provide a loving and nurturing environment that supports her students needs. Ms. Navpreet brings her creative talents and patient friendly nature into the infant room where her little friends thrive under her care. Ms. Navpreet is from India, where she received a Bachelor’s degree. She continued her education in the United States as well where she holds various Associate degrees. In her spare time, Ms. Navpreet loves to spend time with her children, garden and go shopping! She also has a golden doodle names Coco who she loves to sped time with and care for. It’s not wonder her favorite children’s book is “Clifford Goes to Kindergarten!" Ms. Navpreet's favorite quote: “The purpose of our lives is to be happy” – Dalai Lama

• Ms. Melody, Faculty: Assistant Teacher

  

  Ms. Melody is an Assistant Infant Teacher at Kiddie Academy of Colonia. She graduated from Colonia High School and is now studying...   Read More

  Ms. Melody, Faculty: Assistant Teacher

  Ms. Melody is an Assistant Infant Teacher at Kiddie Academy of Colonia. She graduated from Colonia High School and is now studying Elementary Education and ESL at Middlesex College. Ms. Melody was born in Miami Florida prior to relocating with her family to Colonia! Ms. Melody loves teaching because she gets to watch the children in her class grow and change every day. She likes that every day is different even with all the routines we have in place! In her spare time Miss Melody loves to spend time outdoors skiing, spending time with her dogs, surfboarding, and going to concerts. It’s no wonder that when she was little Miss Melody wanted to be a mermaid! In the future, Miss Melody would love to open her own daycare. Ms. Melody's favorite quote: “If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan, but never the goal.” 

• Ms. Nicole, Faculty: Lead Preschool Teacher

  

  Ms. Nicole is our Lead Preschool Teacher. She brings with her a wealth of exprience teaching young children. Her favorite children's book...   Read More

  Ms. Nicole, Faculty: Lead Preschool Teacher

  Ms. Nicole is our Lead Preschool Teacher. She brings with her a wealth of exprience teaching young children. Her favorite children's book to read to her students is “Pout Pout Fish” by, Deborah Diesen. Ms. Nicole graduated from Drew University and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University! It should come as no surprise that Ms. Nicole loves everything hippie! She collects pineapples and VW buses and in her spare time enjoys listening to music and playing with her two golden retriever puppies. Miss Nicole loves working with children and helping them grow. She finds playing a large role in their early development rewarding. Miss Nicole loves doing projects with her students and getting creative in her lesson planning. Students and families can find Ms. Nicole participating to the fullest in every Spirit Day at Kiddie Academy of Colonia! Ms. Nicole says that if she could have any super powers it would be teleportation and she loves Sour Patch Watermelon candies and blue Gatorade!

• Ms. Nicole, Faculty: Lead Jr. Preschool Teacher

  

  Ms. Nicole is our Lead Jr. Preschool Teacher! She works with our 2 1/2 - 3 year old students to prepare them...   Read More

  Ms. Nicole, Faculty: Lead Jr. Preschool Teacher

  Ms. Nicole is our Lead Jr. Preschool Teacher! She works with our 2 1/2 - 3 year old students to prepare them for Preschool!  Ms. Nicole loves working with her students and seeing them happy as they learn and grow. She uses her patience and care giving personality to form relationships with her students while helping to develop them in to caring young people ready to learn. Ms. Nicole comes to us with experience providing care for children of a variety of ages and has grown from an Assistant Teacher to a Lead Teacher during her tenure at Kiddie Academy of Colonia. In her spare time, Ms. Nicole loves listening to music, walking in the park with her dog Jersey, and collecting stuffed animals. She also loves anime and Boba Tea! Ms. Nicole can most often be found at Kiddie Academy doing projects with her students and providing them with a host of learning opportunities in her classroom!

• Ms. Madison, Faculty: Assistant Teacher

  

  Ms. Madison serves as an Assistant Teacher at Kiddie Academy of Colonia.  She comes to us with experience working wit children of...   Read More

  Ms. Madison, Faculty: Assistant Teacher

  Ms. Madison serves as an Assistant Teacher at Kiddie Academy of Colonia.  She comes to us with experience working wit children of a variety of ages. Ms. Madison's favorite book to read to children is “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” by, Laura Numeroff. Ms. Madison loves to see her students engaged in what she is teaching them and experiences so uch joy watching them make connections to new learning experiences. In her spare time, Ms. Madison loves to run and is currently learning to play the piano! Ms. Madison comes from a large family and can often be found spending time with all of her cousins!

• Ms. Gabby, Faculty: Seasonal Lead Teacher

  

  Meet Ms. Gabby! Gabby is a Seasonal Lead Teacher on faculty at Kiddie Academy of Colonia. Ms. Gabby is pursuant of her...   Read More

  Ms. Gabby, Faculty: Seasonal Lead Teacher

  Meet Ms. Gabby! Gabby is a Seasonal Lead Teacher on faculty at Kiddie Academy of Colonia. Ms. Gabby is pursuant of her Dual Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Monmouth University. She joins our team with years of experience working with young children in various settings. Many people in our community may recognize Ms. Gabby from her time spent teaching CCD locally. She has also volunteered at the Matthew Jago Elementary School Camp PACE where she worked with students who were early childhood aged through elementary aged. Ms. Gabby brings with her a joy of working with children of all ages and is excited to meet your child! In her spare time, Ms.Gabby enjoys curling up with a good book, trips to the beach and spending as much time as she can with her family and friends. 

• Toby Turtle, Social Emotional Puppet

  

  Meet Toby Turtle, one of our Social and Emotional Puppets! Kiddie Academy of Colonia has a group of puppets that are also...   Read More

  Toby Turtle, Social Emotional Puppet

  Meet Toby Turtle, one of our Social and Emotional Puppets! Kiddie Academy of Colonia has a group of puppets that are also "on staff" at our facility! Each puppet has a different personality. Our puppets are frequently brought out to interact with students who might need some additional support. Toby Turtle is very shy, but loves to make new friends. He often visits with students that might be feeling shy or nervous and helps them to connect with their emotions and surroundings by mirroring their feelings and slowly acclimating to their classroom space. Sometimes students feel more comfortable interacting with a puppet friend first, who will help to connect with them and set them at ease. Toby and his puppet friends live at Kiddie Academy of Colonia and are always available any time they are needed. Families interested in learning about Toby can see a brief video about him on the school Instagram (kiddieacademyofcolonia) Fun Facts About Toby Turtle: Toby is 12 inches tall, his favorite food is pizza, his favorite song is "Wheels on the Bus" Toby's favorite story is Yertle the Turtle, his favorite color is lime green, he enjoys being read to, getting hugs, giving high-fives, making new friends, visiting the playground and helping the office.