Ms. Fas-hana Afaz
Founder / Executive Director
Meet Our Faculty
The heart of Happy Minds Kids Academy is our team of dedicated, loving educators. Each teacher brings experience, creativity, and a genuine passion for helping children grow.
Happy Minds Kids Academy strives to employ dedicated and experienced teachers who have chosen the field of Child Care, because they love working with children and share our vision and goal to ensure a safe, happy, loving and nurturing environment geared to providing a variety of stimulating and enriching activities each day.
All teachers at Happy Minds Kids Academy meet or exceed California State educational requirements for Child Care Centers and Preschools. This includes course work in Child Growth and Development, Child Family and Community Relations, Planning & Curricula. Most of our staff members are Child Care Credential Holders from the California Department of Education. All of our staff members are First Aid and CPR certified.
Administration
Ms. Yvonne Smith
Director
Infant & Toddler Room Teachers
Ms. Manuela Saldivar
Ms. Sally Vazquez
Ms. Mithu Thennakoon
Ms. Alyson Long
Ms. Carol Walters
Ms. Rajaa Dawood
Ms. Ashley Millard
Preschool Teachers
Ms. Britani Lazo
Ms. Clarissa Llamas
Ms. Crystal Llamas
Ms. Maricela Ramirez
Ms. Diane Genet
Ms. Israa Sheikly
Ms. Colleen Fukubayashi
Ms. Rashmi Kothari
Ms. Maddy Tarr
Support Staff
Ms. Niema
Ms. Fowzieh
Ms. Shelan
Our Team In Action
Why Families Trust Us
Dedicated Teachers, Nurturing Environment
Experienced & Trained
Every team member is background checked, CPR/First Aid certified, and trained in early childhood development.
Low Teacher-Child Ratios
Small group sizes allow our teachers to build strong relationships and give every child personalized attention.
Passionate Caregivers
Our educators are chosen not only for their experience, but for their genuine love of working with young children.