Tamara Perez, born and raised in Miami, is welcomed to L’Atelier as the Director of Operations. She is excited for this new educational experience.

Tamara began her career in Early Childhood Education at Bet Breira Preschool in 2006 as an assistant teacher for 2 year olds and soon after became a lead Pre-K 3 teacher. From 2010 to 2016, while working as a teacher she was given the opportunity to work as the Camp Director. Her passion for education led her to return to college and achieve her FCCPC in December 2013, as well as her Directors Credentials, which is also when she became the Director of the Preschool. Tamara obtains an Associates in Arts in Early Childhood Education. When Bet Breira Preschool closed in June 2016, Tamara extended her knowledge and experience as a Director at Smart Starts Day School, and is now a part of our team at L’Atelier.

Amanda Rodriguez was born in New York and was strongly influenced by her family educational background. She obtained a degree in Early Childhood Education and has been teaching since 2004 at various schools where her focus has been to understand children’s diverse styles of learning, and the various approaches to education. In 2010, she encountered L' Atelier School. A strong feeling of community invaded her and since then she has had the pleasure of teaching the classes of the 2s, 3s and Jr. Kindergarten. Amanda has participated in several professional development initiatives at L’Atelier School, as well as NAREA and Reggio Children national conferences. She participated in the IV Summer Institute in Reggio Emilia, Italy in 2017. In the summer of 2019 she participated in an important professional development initiative in Brazil, in both public and private sectors.

This school year she encounters the Class of the 3s enthusiastically! Expanding together with children, parents and teachers the knowledge of communication and the aspect of relating with both people and materials as a form of expression to re-build and re-construct the image of community following a pandemic

María Figueroa was born in Caracas, Venezuela. In 2005 she came with her family to Miami and fell in love with the Reggio Emilia approach philosophy while working at her son’s school. She has been an early childhood educator for the past fourteen years. Prior to joining L'Atelier, Maria was the lead teacher for the 3- and 4-year-olds at La Piazza Academy. Previous to that, she was a Pre-K and J-K teacher assistant at Gulliver Academy. She was also the Art teacher for the Gulliver Primary and Elementary Art after school and summer programs. Maria is interested in growing professionally and better understanding how children construct their knowledge using their creativity, different learning styles, and languages of expressions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Universidad Central de Venezuela UCV.

Ana Pineda has been interested in education since a very young age. The desire to enter in the educational field led her into the public system where she found an open door to enter in relationships with families from different socio-economic backgrounds, special rights, potentials, competencies, and talents.

In 2001, Ana joined L’Atelier as a teacher of the different age groups and opened the first kindergarten class of L’Atelier. She has invested in the understanding of how to teach and learn in different ways and has been rediscovering the multiple innate intelligences of children and adults. Ana participated and presented in several professional development initiatives in Miami, South and North America and Europe. She has deeply invested in the study of the Reggio Emilia approach also by participating in the hosting of the two Reggio Emilia Exhibits in Miami.

She has consulted school in Miami and tutored children in the community. The overall experience at L’Atelier for the last 20 years has given her a solid experience about childhood, education, different ages and their processes of learning as they create meaning of life. She is fascinated with the relationship between formal knowledge and the creative ways of thinking and learning. Her wish is always to be inspired by children’s imaginative ways of being and to cultivate curiosity in order to be enthusiastic about living with others and learning with purpose for a connected universe.

Nancy Sparrow was born in Lima, Peru. As a child she had the opportunity to spend much time playing sports and developed a strong passion for gymnastics, swimming and athletics. She has always had a connection with children and sports. She worked at Centro de Educación Inicial of Ministerio de Pesquería (Lima, Peru) and at Diamond Elementary School in Fort Stewart, Georgia as a teacher assistant in the E.S.O.L. program. Nancy is a swimming instructor certified by the Red Cross. Since 2009 Nancy has had the pleasure to work at L’Atelier School as a teacher assistant, co teacher and after school coordinator. She has specialized in the class of the 2 years old. Each year is a different learning experience of knowledge and anecdotes that fulfill her as an educator and as a person. She is also part of the early and aftercare team, which is a big privilege and commitment. As a member of the afterschool team she has developed an afterschool program year. Nancy welcomes this year as a new challenge and I plan to bring all of my experience and passion. Welcome to all!

Isabel Coles-Elie was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. At age of 13 she moved to Montreal, Canada where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Her journey with the Reggio Emilia approach began in 2003 when she joined L’Atelier faculty. As a teacher, she has had the opportunity to work with different age groups, acquiring teaching and mentoring experience and knowledge. Every new year and experience have brought her layers in her journey of understanding children’s style of constructing knowledge and learning.

She has attended many different professional development initiatives where she has had the privilege of presenting throughout the United States and Canada and participated in two important Study Groups in Reggio Emilia in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Isabel has also consulted schools in Miami.

All of these professional initiatives offered by the school together with her deep personal desire to continuously study and learn about early childhood education shaped who she is today as a person and as a teacher.

The Reggio Emilia philosophy becomes more than an approach of teaching and learning, it becomes a set of values of life that we no longer negotiate. Value of collaboration, value of communication, value of relationships are at the base of Isabel experiences in the classroom and they continue to show her that learning is not separated from life but that they come together in a harmonious way.

Lizeth Barrera was born in Bogota Colombia, since she was a child, she has liked dancing and singing, in her elementary and high school she participated in inter-school dance and choreography activities in different locations in Bogota and its surroundings. She graduated in marketing and advertising from the University Politecnico Gran Colombiano. In her free time, she practices photography and video. Lizeth is currently in the class of the 3's, Early Care and Afterschool classes. She has learned the abilities and development of each child, at different ages. “It is an honor for me to be able to link and share my knowledge in photography, I love the idea of “documenting with it. I expect to continue learning and growing professionally.”

Martina Costantino was born and raised in Varese, Italy. She moved to New York City in 2016 and just recently to Miami.

She started her professional career as a teacher in Italy, after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Education from University of Milan Bicocca.

Her first days as a teacher in Italy were in public and private schools as a preschool teacher and as a teacher assistant for children with special needs.

When she moved to the United States she worked as a Lead teacher in a Montessori School and as an Associate teacher at the Columbia University Preschool Program.

Her experiences in both Italy and the US have helped her learn how children are the main initiators of the learning process and how important it is to support them to follow their own interests in their own time and space. To create a stimulating environment where the children can learn and be curious, she thinks it is also very important to establish a good relationship with both the children and the families.

She is thrilled to join the L'atelier School community. She looks forward to meeting all of you and starting this new school. year!

Manuela Levy was born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil. She attended an American school, which gave her a sense of being a citizen of the world. Since an early age, she’s had a curiosity and interest in child development. She studied design at FAAP, where the wood and metal shops were her favorite places. After that she worked in several fronts of design, from magazines to beverage companies.

When she decided to follow her other passion, she moved to New York to obtain a Masters in Art Education at NYU. Which opened her eyes to the importance of the atelier on the life of children of all ages, other than just learning about materials and techniques. She has worked for more than 6 years in preschools and middle schools in New York and São Paulo.

She moved to Miami with her husband and two kids 3.5 years ago and it is eager to be part of L’Atelier family and continue learning and being part of children’s development and discoveries.

Leo Chiano was born in Argentina where he worked as a physical education teacher, swimming instructor, and lifeguard for five years. Sports and physical education are a fundamental part of Leo’s life. Soccer, specifically, is one of his passions and a sport that he practices every day. The world of the body, its physical education and health are essential to life. They not only provide physical development but also are a tool to build fundamental values. Some of these values include being part of a team, learning to have respect for the other, and learning the skill of compromise. Leo has been working at L’Atelier for 12 years. He brought to the school the swimming program and subsequently in 2007 he implemented the physical education program. L'Atelier entered into a deeper research of the body and its functioning. In fact, in 2010, the project “Bodyness” was born. It has been a marvelous experience to learn from the children and witness how they express their ideas and concepts through their very own and original Bodyness. Leo admires children’s development and the connections they make in creativity.

Alejandro Junco was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He graduated from Miami Killian Sr. High School in 2001. Alejandro studied Secondary English Education to teach in English in High School. When he was Sixteen he attained the rank of Black Belt in his Karate school. He loved teaching Karate and was given his first experience teaching young children, teenagers and adults alike. Eventually Alejandro worked all over Miami-Dade County in Schools, Daycares, Churches and Martial Art Schools. After a decade of working as a Karate teacher Alejandro was invited to be a Camp counselor in The Joy of Learning in 2012. The school then offered Alejandro a permanent position as a teacher for Pre-Kinder 3. Alejandro was then offered a position as a Physical Education Teacher in Kids Learning Center where he worked from 2016-2018. He then returned to The Joy of Learning and taught in the Pre-Kinder 3 class until 2022. Since the Joy of Learning is a Reggio Emilia inspired school the teachers were given the chance to attend an inspirational workshop at L’Atelier. Here Alejandro was enamored with the creative and innovative approach. He took this experience to heart and began to implement what he learned in his own classroom. It is his great honor and privilege to be a part of the L’Atelier staff and looks forward to grow and learn in this rich and amazing environment.