“The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don’t tell you what to see.”
— Alexandra Trenfor
ABOUT US
Missions Hills Community Preschool is a play-based preschool that supports and nurtures children as they construct their own learning, knowledge, and beliefs about the world. We draw inspiration from the Reggio approach, and incorporate our favorite aspects of Waldorf and Montessori, as well.
MHCP was founded in 1971 as a play-based preschool, serving children between the ages of 2 and 5 years. In 2020, Mission Hills Community Preschool became a 501(c)(3).
MEET THE TEAM
Part of what makes Mission Hills Community Preschool so special is our dedicated team of seasoned teachers. Each teacher embodies a sense of warmth, kindness, respect, and nurturing. These qualities are essential to ensuring a positive preschool experience.
Click on the “+” for each of our team members to read more about them!
-
DIRECTOR
Anna has been the Director at MHCP since 2006, and has worked in the field of early childhood education since 1989. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing with an emphasis in Poetry from Pacific University, a BA in Studio Art from UC Santa Cruz and completed 60 units of graduate coursework in Child and Family Studies at SDSU. Anna has two daughters who attended MHCP. Her older daughter graduated from Cal Polytechnic in San Luis Obispo, and works in San Diego as a Mechanical Engineer. Her younger daughter is a senior at UCLA, majoring in Comp Sci/Linguistics.
What Anna enjoys most about working with young children is their honesty, enthusiasm, and openness to trying new things and thinking about things in different ways. She is constantly amazed by their curiosity and creativity, and loves to share music, storytelling, and art with them. She feels fortunate to get to work with such amazing children and families each year.
-
LITTLE HOUSE TEACHER
Lynn began teaching at MHCP in 2002, and has been working with young children for more than 25 years. She holds an Associate’s Degree from Southwestern College as well as a Children’s Center Teacher Permit.
Lynn believes that children learn best through play in a warm and nurturing environment. What she enjoys most about teaching is the curiosity and energy that children bring to the classroom. She also appreciates having the opportunity to work closely and build strong relationships with the preschool families.
-
LITTLE HOUSE TEACHER
Stacey began working at MHCP in 2009, and has been working with young children for 13 years now. She holds a BA in Child Development with a minor in Psychology from Point Loma Nazarene University, and a Master's degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College, with a specialization in Early Childhood Education.
Stacey feels that a positive early childhood experience centers around children's interests and explorations She values free-play, child-directed experimentation, (appropriate) risk-taking, reflection, collaboration, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. Her favorite part of teaching is discovering with the children what it means to be a caring friend, kind person, and engaged learner.
-
PRE-K TEACHER
Deanna began working at MHCP in in 2007, after having worked for San Diego Unified School district as an aid for children with special needs. She studied child development at Mesa College, and enjoys helping children learn to resolve conflicts peacefully.
In her free time, Deanna enjoys spending time in nature, yoga, meditation and spending time with her family.
-
PRE-K TEACHER
Bio coming soon!
-
PRE-K TEACHER
Elizabeth began working at MHCP in the summer of 2024. She holds a BS in Child and Family Development from SDSU, and has worked in the field of early childhood education since 2021. Elizabeth is dedicated to creating a positive, nurturing environment in which children can thrive and reach their full potential. Elizabeth’s favorite part of working with children is experiencing their creativity. They are so full of ideas and new ways of thinking about things. She also enjoys watching how much they grow and change throughout the school year.
-
OFFICE ASSISTANT
Brenda began working at MHCP as a part-time administrative assistant in 2020. Previously, she worked as a paralegal assistant. Her son graduated from MHCP in 2005, and went on to graduate from UC Berkeley with a degree in Engineering and Computer Science. In her spare time, Brenda enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with her family.