Kiddie Academy of Henderson

Juliann Pupa

Eagles (Four Year Old Program) Lead Teacher

Ms Julie is the Lead Teacher of the Eagles classroom and brings many years of experience in early childhood education. She has worked with infants and toddlers since her early twenties and is passionate about nurturing young learners. A proud mother of two, Ms. Julie has also served as a Girl Scout leader and enjoys sharing creativity, music, and hands-on learning with children. She loves teaching, crafting, animals, and the ocean, and looks forward to partnering with families to support each child’s growth.

Melissa Duran-Galdo

Academy Assistant Director

Melissa has been an integral part of our academy since May 2022, bringing over a decade of experience in early childhood development. Originally from Peru, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Educational Psychology from the University of Lima and worked as a psychologist for more than four years before moving to the United States. She later earned her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2023. Over the past three and a half years, Melissa has grown from Assistant Teacher to Lead Infant Teacher, helping to build the strong, nurturing, and high-quality Infant Program that so many families know and love today. Her calm leadership, professionalism, and commitment to excellence have earned her recognition as Kiddie Academy’s Educator of the Year 2024 and a nomination for the Nevada Department of Education’s Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award.

Pamela Donohue

Classroom Support Teacher

Ms Pam is a dedicated early childhood educator with five years of experience at Kiddie Academy. She has primarily worked with toddlers to three-year-olds, including three years as the Lead Teacher in the Lions classroom and Bobcats. Pam holds an Infant–Toddler Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Ms Pam is passionate about building meaningful relationships with children and families and creating a nurturing, engaging learning environment.

Sadie Quiroga

Bobcats (Three Year Old Prgram ) Lead Teacher

Ms Sadie has been a valued member of the Kiddie Academy team for nearly four years and is currently the Bobcats classroom teacher. She holds her CDA and is continuing her education in child development. Ms. Sadie is passionate about supporting children as they reach important milestones and enjoys creating a nurturing, engaging learning environment. Outside the classroom, she enjoys the outdoors, painting, and photography.

Nannette “Nettie” Barba

Kangaroos Lead Teacher

Nettie has worked in childcare for over twenty years from home daycare to center based learning facility.  She loves teaching toddlers and watching them learn new things, and watching their eyes light up.  Nettie enjoys working for Kiddie Academy because of the awesome teamwork and positive work environment.  On her own time, she enjoys hiking, crafts, baking, and spending time with her family. Nettie has three sons of her own, and one black lab named Luke. She likes to eat salads, Mexican, Asian, and Italian food.  Something you may not know about her is she is a patient, passionate, and caring person. She also has a very big family on her mom’s side. (Over 80 plus cousins and counting).