Our faculty and staff represent a diverse array of backgrounds and educational experience, as well as a sincere love for our students and early childhood education. Our teachers work collaboratively with our director to carry out a thematic curriculum that is creative and, engaging while also developmentally appropriate for our students. Our team challenges themselves to continuously think innovatively and outside the box to provide the most meaningful early learning environment for their group of young children. Learn more about our team below!
Ellen Park - CEO & Co-founder
As a business owner and a mom, Ellen has championed Peekadoodle's balanced approach to learning. She continues to witness its success in creating confident preschool graduates with a lifetime love of learning. Ellen describes her investment in the earliest educational experiences of families as immensely rewarding and inspiration for her own life and parenting journey. Happily married for almost 20 years, her two children, Faith and AJ attended Peekadoodle, Cathedral School for Boys, and Katherine Delmar Burke School. READ MORE
Stefanie Stoddard - Director of Education
Stef has been an Early Childhood Educator since 1999. From 2004 to 2017, she worked a Calvary Nursery School as Head Pre-K Teacher, Professional Development Coordinator, and Head Mentor Teacher. Stef has also been a Mentor Teacher for the State of California and adjunct professor at San Francisco State University. She has a B.A. in Liberal Studies and Creative Arts from San Francisco State University, and a Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education. A Bay Area Native, she enjoys A’s or Raiders games and live music.
Edie Rindal - Senior Lead Teacher & Curriculum Specialist
Edie is 4th generation San Francisco native, with over 20 years of Early Childhood Education experience. She has led two in-home preschools, and been a lead teacher, cooking specialist, and assistant head to the lower school at Calvary Nursery School. In her role, Edie mentors and supports the teachers and oversees curriculum development. Edie enjoys volunteering at her two daughters’ schools and at community organizations.
Cassandra Wichelhaus - Community & Development Coordinator
Cassie is originally from Kansas City and spent almost 8 years living in New York City before settling in San Francisco with her family. She has a degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Kansas and is currently finishing her Masters in Early Childhood Education from San Francisco State University. Cassie has worked at preschools, children’s yoga studio, and most recently at a global children’s learning center as Lead Trainer and Curriculum Designer. In her free time, Cassie enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, doing DIY projects at home, going for hikes, or catching up on her favorite shows.
Gabrielle Marsden - Administrative Operations Manager
Gabby grew up in the Midwest, and earned a degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Iowa. She worked as a preschool teacher in Chicago, and as a nanny after moving to San Francisco in 2016. She loves spending time with children and is excited to be a member of the Peekadoodle team! Gabby is an arts and crafts enthusiast, and enjoys exploring California's National Parks in her spare time.
Frances Percides- Prep Lead Teacher
Frances has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and has taught ESL / TESOL to various ages. Through her teaching experience, she discovered that her passion was Early Childhood Education. Since attending the Montessori Teacher Education Center, Frances has taught preschool for over a decade, with the majority of those years at Peekadoodle. She avidly reads science fiction and fantasy novels, and enjoys relaxing at home with her husband and 3 children.
Elizabeth Sweetbaum - Academy Lead Teacher
Originally from Colorado, Lizzy worked as a counselor for 6 years in the Rocky Mountains before completing her undergraduate degree in Journalism at the University of Arizona. In 2014, Lizzy joined Peekadoodle as the lead enrichment program teacher and has since transitioned to teaching our Academy program. She brings her creative and artistic skills into the classroom, and loves to create engaging and interactive sensory activities. On weekends, Lizzy enjoys playing with her dog, doing photography, and hiking.
Delaney Jimenez - Academy Lead Teacher
Delaney is a graduate of San Francisco State University, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Family and Consumer Sciences with an emphasis on children and families. After working at a literacy program for preschoolers, Delaney joined the Peekadoodle team as an assistant teacher, and worked her way up to the lead Pre-K teacher. In her free time, Delaney enjoys cooking authentic Mexican food, reading historic non-fiction, and painting.
Jocelyn Hernandez - Academy Lead Teacher
Jocelyn grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the Bay Area to attend SF State University, where she is currently pursuing a B.A. in Psychology. She has prior work experience teaching in a preschool classroom for students ages 3-5. Jocelyn loves to incorporate art, science, and sensory activities to help students learn and explore their surroundings. She especially likes to create curriculum that focuses on creativity and discovery. In her free time, Jocelyn can be found hiking, painting, and cooking.
Marisol Reyes - Academy Lead Teacher
Prior to moving to San Francisco, Marisol lived in Dallas, Texas with her husband, son Luca, and dog. She attended the University of Texas at El Paso, with a focus on early childhood. Marisol has over 14 years of experience teaching preschool, mostly from a Montessori approach. Her favorite part of teaching is lesson planning and seeing how excited the children get when they learn new things. Marisol loves to practice yoga as well as camp, hike, and bake delicious dishes from her Mexican heritage.
Lori Jiang - Academy Lead Teacher
A San Francisco native, Lori attended SF State University and received a B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development with a Minor in Special Education. Her past work experience includes volunteering at a preschool, and working as a behavioral therapist. Lori loves to include dramatic play in her teaching. On weekends, Lori can be found walking her dog, hiking, going to the beach, and spending quality time with family.
Alta Granillo - Academy Associate Teacher
Originally from Mongolia, Alta joined Peekadoodle in 2012. During her time working at Peekadoodle, Alta uncovered her passion for teaching, and is now committed to a career in early childhood education. Currently, Alta is completing her degree coursework in Early Childhood Education. In her spare time, Alta can be found exploring San Francisco with her friends and spending time with her family and her sons Elijah and Ethan.
Naomi Alvarado - Academy Associate Teacher
Naomi is from Daly City and received her Bachelors in Psychology with a Minor in Education at UC Riverside. She worked for several years as a teacher’s assistant for students ranging from kindergarten to middle school age. What Naomi loves the most about working with children is learning something new from them everyday, and that they teach you as much as you teach them. In her free time, she enjoys going to the movies, watching T.V. shows, and going on walks.
Jacqueline Bushee - Prep Associate Teacher
Jackie grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and received a B.A. in Environmental Science with a Minor in Science and Math Education for K-8. In her prior roles Jackie has taught preschool, led a children’s enrichment program, taught art in an after-school program, and designed an environmental program for preschool children. Jackie especially loves to incorporate art and science into her curriculum and lesson planning. Her hobbies include going on hikes, painting, and reading a good book.
Sophie Yoo - Acaademy Assistant Teacher
Sophie is a San Francisco native that has recently graduated from UC Davis with a BS in Human Development. Her past experience with children includes private tutoring, camp counseling, and interning at a preschool/early childhood development research facility. She enjoys working with children because they help create an adventurous learning environment for everyone in the school. In her free-time, Sophie enjoys crafting, baking, and spending time with her dog.
Angie Lorena Yaccoub - Academy Assistant Teacher
Born and raised in Colombia, Angie moved to San Francisco in 2023 after living in Washington DC area for 3 years. She has a BA in Foreign Languages and has prior experience in different academic settings including ESL and Montessori. Angie enjoys engaging with kids through sensory activities and creative thinking, she believes kids can teach you new things every single day. In her free time, Angie loves walking her dog in the Marina and the Presidio and finding new places to eat around the city.
Tunga Baatarsuren - Maintenance Team Member and Kitchen Supervisor
Originally from Mongolia, Tunga has been living in San Francisco since 2008. Prior to working at Peekadoodle, Tunga was a teacher’s assistant at a home based day care center. Since joining Peekadoodle in 2008, she has held many positions from maintenance team member, cafe manager, to overseeing the student lunches and maintenance team. In her free time, Tunga enjoys swimming, hiking, and spending time with her husband and daughter.
Christine Brenneman - Art Specialist
Christine Brenneman is an early childhood educator and art specialist with over 20 years experience. She has been a preschool teacher, a resident teaching artist in underfunded schools, and has taught art in private and public schools. Christine founded Art CampSF, an art/art history program that takes children on museum-based fine art adventures. Her art classes at Peekadoodle engage children in experiences that encourage and foster creativity.
Linda Moody - Music and Movement Instructor
Linda has over 20 years of experience as a musician and teacher. In addition to a Masters degree in multi-cultural education, Linda has a teacher credential and has been a former Preschool Director. Her favorite aspect of teaching music is bringing people together and creating a feeling of connectedness and joy. Linda loves playing her guitar during class as well as both children’s classic songs and modern tunes.
