Kelly Arnao
Mrs. Arnao is thrilled to be starting her fourth year as a Threes/Fours teacher at St. James Preschool. She is a superstar teacher with degrees and certifications in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, and Special Education from Rowan University in addition to being a Masters level certified Reading Specialist. She has boatloads of teaching experience and we are lucky to have her at St. James while she is home raising Henry and Harper (now St. James alumni!) a Mrs. Arnao loves reading, yoga, crafts, crafts, playing with her kids, taveling and going to the beach and spending time with her family. She loves getting creative and sharing that creativity with her students. She considers the class to be a family, full of respect, fun, and learning. She is thankful to you parents for allowing her to help your children grow and thrive. Mrs. Arnao’s calm confidence, bright smile, super positive energy, and go with the flow attitude make her a favorite amongst her students and staff. We are so fortunate to have her as part of the St. James family!
Jennifer Arraya
Mrs. Arraya has been teaching our youngest students at St. James Preschool for 10 years now! As she begins her 11th year (after a brief year off to manage her children’s online schooling during the pandemic) she continues to have the same excitement and energy that she has had since year one! Mrs. Arraya is a proud mom to 2 St. James Preschool grads, Stephen and Elisabeth. She enjoys volunteering with West Marching Band, spending time with her family and her fur baby and is an active outdoorsperson, hiking, biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and traveling and doing photography. Mrs. Arraya holds her B.A. in Spanish and K-12 Education from Gettysburg University and has done graduate work as well. She is bilingual in Spanish/English and even studied at the University of Seville in Spain, so don’t be surprised if your children learn a bit of Spanish in her class. Mrs. Arraya is passionate about teaching and works to ensure students learn and grow in their first year of preschool. She has taught all ages possible and preschool is her favorite by far! Mrs. Arraya is a hard worker who gives her all to her students and we are so thankful to have her as part of our St. James Preschool family.
Charlene Breindel
Mrs. Breindel lives in the Downingtown area with her husband Ralph. Mrs. Breindel is beginning her 20th year teaching at St. James Preschool. She holds an Associate
Degree from Penn State University with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education as well as an Associate Degree in Business from DuBois Business College. She’s very proud of her son Jesse , daughter Nikki , and her son in law David. She loves being a grandma to Natalie and her grandson who will be arriving very soon! She enjoys family time, reading, cooking and baking, and visiting the beach and Disney! Mrs. Breindel teaches our 3 day AM Pre-K programs this year. Mrs. Breindel has always been active in her children’s education and activities and, now that they are all grown up, she is happy to be able to continue to work with our
youngsters here at St. James. She finds every day to be a new, fun experience and loves the children’s excitement to be at school and learn new things and master new skills. She loves to listen to their stories and watch them learn and grow! Mrs. Breindel’s creative ideas, sweet disposition, and love of
learning and children make her a very valuable member of our staff.
Nicole Campadonico
Mrs. Campadonico is thrilled to be starting her ninth year at St. James Preschool, after many years of being one of our favorite substitutes! Both of her boys are St. James Preschool alumni, Ethan is now a senior and Dylan is a freshman! She enjoys bird watching, traveling, spending time with her family, and taking care of her two spoiled cats! She has earned an Early Childhood Education Certificate and is very happy to be a part of the St. James Family. She looks forward to seeing each child learn and grow everyday and we love her kind and loving demeanor and calming presence in the midst of any situation. Mrs. Campadonico always has a sweet smile for everyone and we are so happy to have her as a part of our staff to brighten everyone’s
day!
Suzanne Diodato
Mrs. Diodato has been at St. James Preschool for over 22 years, starting as a Pre-K teacher (and a parent of a student) and then taking on the position of co-director in 2006. Mrs. Diodato has three beautiful daughters, Katie , Julianna, and Gabi. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from East Stroudsburg University. She’s been teaching for over 25 years and loves the new adventure every day with the children. She feels that each day is a fun and exciting experience for herself and the whole class. In her spare time, Mrs. Diodato enjoys crafts (especially making things on her cricut!), spending time with her family, and watching her daughter play softball and taking walks with her dog and watching Hallmark movies! Her enthusiasm and love for the children make her a favorite among St. James families and we all enjoy her creativity and fun projects.
Terri Haggerty
Mrs. Haggerty is in the midst of her 17th year at St. James. Mrs. Haggerty holds a B.S. in Biology from Drexel University and a M.A. in Nutrition from Immaculata University. After staying home to raise her children for seven years, Mrs. Haggerty re-entered the work force as a teacher assistant. She is a loving mom of twins Noah and Sara–a boy and a girl–age 23 ! She enjoys watching her students experience and learn new things and loves the hugs and love they have to share! In her free time, Mrs. Haggerty enjoys walking her dog, volunteering with Canine Partners for Life to help train service dogs, gardening, and doing yoga. Mrs. Haggerty’s calm and patient manner and nurturing disposition make her a wonderful addition to our staff.
Shelly Klenk
Mrs. Klenk is excited to be back at St. James for her 9th year as a teacher assistant. A proud mom of 2 SJP alumni Andrew (14) and Natalie (11), Mrs. Klenk was an active member of the PTO as well as a frequent parent substitute before joining our staff. She has a B.A. in Communications with a minor in English from Villanova University. Mrs. Klenk loves watching her kids play sports, traveling, baking, photography, reading, and spending time with her family and friends, especially outdoors. She hopes to pass on her love of learning and exploring new ideas and places to the children in her classroom. We love having Mrs. Klenk’s boundless energy, team spirit, and positive attitude as part of our team!
Melissa Knight
Mrs. Knight may only be in her second year as our Threes/Fours assistant, but as a long time favorite substitute, active PTO member and multiyear PTO president, and parent to two St. James Preschool graduates and one current student, she’s no stranger to our preschool family. Mrs. Knight was a certified cosmetologist in her previous career, but she has spent the last decade busy raising her children and becoming well versed in early childhood education, gaining lots of experience in our classrooms. She enjoys going to the beach, spending time with her family, reading, and enjoying all kinds of animals. Mrs. Knight is a go-getter, willing to take on any project or special event to create memorable experiences for her students and their families. She’s a quiet do-er who steps up to solve a problem or fill a need without being asked – whether it’s cleaning up the playground, adding some pizazz to an event with balloons or décor, or coming in at the last minute to help cover a classroom. Mrs. Knight loves to help families create special preschool memories and enjoys her fun interactions with the kids. We have been lucky to have her as an active parent volunteer and now we are proud and thankful to call her a member of our staff.
Hope Latch
Mrs. Latch is currently in her 12th year of teaching at our preschool. She is well-qualified with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Bloomsburg University and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum Design and Instruction from Penn State! Mrs. Latch enjoys music and going to concerts, traveling, hiking, baking, reading, watching her kids play field hockey and ice hockey and spending time with her family. She has two children, Megan, a junior in college, and Matthew, a senior in high school and the newest addition to the family, puppy Scout! Mrs. Latch is so excited to be teaching your children and is looking forward to singing songs, playing games and doing crafts all while learning. It’s her passion to teach and see the wonder in children’s eyes. She’s an awesome teacher and we are thankful to have her getting our big kids ready for kindergarten!
Nicole Lesch
Mrs. Lesch is officially joining our staff this year as our Tuesday/Thursday Threes/Fours teacher, but she’s been a member of the preschool family for a long time before that. As the mom of two preschool grads and one current student, we have gotten to know her very well as both a parent and a substitute teacher. Mrs. Lesch holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Penn State and a Master’s in Human Resource Development from Towson. She has boatloads of teaching experience and now has the added experience of raising three children of her own to round out her qualifications! She enjoys traveling, Penn State football, and spending time with her family and children, Kate, Cameron and Allie. Mrs. Lesch has a refreshing go with the flow personality which is a perfect balance for our “in betweener” room of children who are not quite old enough for Pre-K. Some may be brand new to school, some may have a year under their belt, but either way Mrs. Lesch is ready for whatever they throw her way. She is the perfect balance of calm confidence and fun energy—keeping the kids focused, engaged, and ready to learn. She is excited to be transitioning back to the workforce as a teacher while still being very involved with her children at home. We are so happy to have Mrs. Lesch on our team!
Maha Raman
Mrs. Raman has been at St. James for 18 years, but we have known her even longer. Her daughter is a St. James graduate and while she was here, Mrs. Raman was one of our most popular parent substitute teachers! Mrs. Raman currently is our Tuesday and Thursday Pre-K teacher, and our Pre-K Assistant on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday mornings as well as our Pre-K Plus and Lunch Bunch Teacher! She holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Applications from Alagappa Chettiar Engineering College. In her former career, she trained professionals with the latest software to meet their needs–now she is training the future professionals with the basic skills needed to become successful students! She loves working with young children and her enthusiasm and love of learning shine through. She especially loves science and math. Mrs. Raman is trained in classical Indian dance and enjoys yoga, gardening, travel adventures, early morning walks, riding motorcycles, hiking, and experimenting with new recipes especially gourmet cooking. She is a loving mom of son, DJ, a mechanical engineer, and daughter, Medha, pursuing her Masters at Boston Medical College. Mrs. Raman is a huge team player and the very best at lifting up anyone she encounters, especially students, parents, or colleagues who are having a tough time. She is a force of positivity, whose love for those around her makes everyone feel good!
Emily Tarkington
Mrs. Tarkington is excited to be returning to the St. James Preschool Staff for her 6th year! She holds a B.A. degree from Shippensburg University. Mrs. Tarkington is proud mom of St. James alumni Nora, 11, and Graham, 8 and she was a St. James Parent for 6 years! She loves going to the beach and being outside, gardening, and building, sewing, crafting or creating any project. Mrs. Tarkington is full of energy, creativity, songs and positivity. She’s a do-er who has an ability to make good things happen, and she is such a wonderful asset to our school. Our youngest students thrive under her loving care!
Johanna Uggla
Mrs. Uggla has been part of St. James staff for 20 years. Prior to that she was an active PTO president and parent of two children at the preschool. Now long graduated, Sami is in a post-grad paralegal program at Villanova and Spencer is in his first year at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Jefferson University. Mrs. Uggla has a B.A. in History and an M.Ed. in Educational Counseling from West Chester University. Mrs. Uggla enjoys spending time with her children, husband, and 2 dogs, cheering on the Phillies and the Eagles, reading, walking outdoors, and spending time on 2nd Street beach in Ocean City, NJ. Odds are if she’s not at the preschool, she’s down the shore. She loves helping children learn to love school and working to make their first school experience a great one. Mrs. Uggla is super proud of the team at St. James Preschool.