DIRECTOR

Jessica Bell is the Director of Building Blocks Nursery School. Jessica previously was a Lead Preschool Teacher at the 55th Street School, with over 10 years of early childhood education experience. She holds a degree in Society Ethics and Human Behavior, with an emphasis in Education from the University of Washington. Jessica is a Washington State Certified Teacher and holds an Early Childhood Education State Certificate.

In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, including her two daughters, exploring the Pacific Northwest, cooking, traveling, and of course, learning new things!

JUNIORS

Lead Teachers

Catherine Lehmann-Reide is our Co-Lead Juniors Teacher. Catherine has worked with preschoolers for the past 13 years, teaching at Perkins Preschool in the Ravenna neighborhood for 10 years. She believes in providing children with nurturing support and following their lead as they are naturally curious about the world. Catherine is fluent in French and enjoys incorporating the language into daily instruction. She also teaches French to the Preschool class weekly.

Kristen Darby is our Co-Lead Juniors Teacher. Kristen has extensive experience as a preschool teacher, having taught 2–3-year-olds in the classroom and dance studio for over 25 years, most recently at Villa Academy. Kristen’s goals include inspiring, motivating and bringing the love of education and learning to each child. She enjoys incorporating music, dance and art into her learning curriculum and also teaches dance to the Preschool Class. Outside of work, Kristen has two daughters, two dogs and two cats. She enjoys being outdoors, playing the drums and spending time with family.

Preschool

Lead Teachers

Emma Hughes is our Co-Lead Preschool Teacher. Emma has an AA in Early Childhood Education from North Seattle College, her International Montessori Teaching Diploma from the North American Montessori Center, a certificate in Handwriting without Tears, and recently completed her Early Childhood Diploma. Emma was previously a Pre-K teacher at Little Nest Preschool in Seattle for seven years and is dedicated to early childhood education. She is passionate about helping children grow and develop in all areas of life, and focuses on providing a safe, nurturing environment to children. 

Emma was born in Trinidad and grew up in Antigua. She lived on a boat for the first seven years of her life and had the opportunity to sail throughout the entire Caribbean, exploring all the islands with her family. She has a passion for children's artwork and being able to connect with children in very nurturing way.  In her free time, you can find her exploring the outdoors, taking road trips and spending time friends and family. 

Miranda Edwards was a teacher at the 55th Street School in both the 2-3 and 4-5-year-old classrooms. She also has experience as a nanny for children from infants to preschool age. Miranda loves kids and brings a passion for science and creativity to the classroom. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, crocheting, traveling and baking.

Cheyne Godfrey is our Co-Lead Preschool Teacher. Cheyne previously worked at the Early Learning and Development Center, and has his BA in English and Literature from Western Washington University.

sPECIALISTS

Music Specialist: Jocelyn Manzanarez received her BA from the University of Montana in Music Education and her MA in Music Education from the University of Washington. She is a certified K-12 music educator in Washington state as well as a Washington state S.T.A.R.S. certified trainer for childcare providers. In 2003, Jocelyn founded Musically Minded with the hope of reaching the very youngest musicians. She and her team of teachers now share the love of music with children ages birth-5 through weekly classes at childcare centers and preschools in and around Seattle.