Our Mighty Team
Your Child Is in Great Hands
I am very fortunate to be the director of our small, mixed-age preschool where I get to blend the best of best of connection-centered, project-based and democratic early childhood philosophies. Each day we strive to practice and embody respectful, loving relationships where children, parents and teachers are seen, heard and valued. We are honored to see the world through the wondrous, present eyes of children - as scientists experimenting with and discovering the world.
When I’m not poring over brain research or nature-based provocations, you'll find my family and I with nets, wet shoes, sun-kissed cheeks hiking, picnic-ing, and catching and "thinking like" newts, tadpoles, crabs and butterflies. I love paddle boarding, jogging, yoga and watching my kids surf and mountain bike with their dad while our baby and I collect rocks and try not to eat sand. I'm proud mama to Noelle (7), Teddy (5), Hope (17 months) and Nina dog (10 years).
I have spent the past 16 years helping children construct their own understandings and lighting a life long passion for learning. I've worn many hats in the field of education: infant caregiver, elementary classroom teacher, college application mentor for underrepresented youth, Director of a private school and home-based preschool. In addition to directing and teaching at Mighty Bambinis, I'm honored to serve the Bay Area early childhood community as CCSF Child Development Faculty, former Wonderschool Mentor Teacher and Advisor, and Early Childhood Matters parent education workshop facilitator.
I have a Masters in Education, California Multiple-Subject Teaching credential with an Elementary Math Emphasis, Early Childhood Education Site Supervisor Permit, and a BA in Communication from UCSD.
Evelyn Nichols, M.Ed.
Teresa O'Connor
Hello!
I am Teresa O'Connor, and I'm a mother of two teenagers, a gardener/permaculturist, a maker/crafter, and a committed, earth-rooted educator. I have lived in the Bay Area for over 25 years, and am so grateful to call this beautiful, richly diverse, progressively minded community my home!
My teaching experience includes many roles within early childhood educational contexts, and over the years has shifted gradually from a focus on the visual arts, to a growing interest and practice in edible gardening, nature education, and regenerative earth stewardship. I welcomed the opportunity to teach and train within a small, Waldorf-inspired forest school program based in San Geronimo, Marin. I witnessed and experienced the power and joy of being in connection with nature all day, every day.
I am thrilled to be a part of the Mighty Bambinis burgeoning community, and grateful to have the opportunity to share with your children all that I've learned and experienced along my journey so far!
My teaching philosophy is influenced by many years of experience with the Reggio Emilia Approach at La Scoula, IB Italian school, in San Francisco. This constructive approach to inquiry and learning creates relationships among teachers, students, and the environment that are in a continual flow of discovery, investigation, deepening, and reflection. As an earth educator, I believe that our precious planet is our greatest teacher, and if we care for her, she will care for us.
Mia Ciccarelli
The wonder and creativity that children bring to this world is what I have always cherished the most. Working with children and watching them blossom into wholesome human beings is my greatest passion. I have been lead teacher at Sweet Peas Preschool in San Francisco since graduating Chico State with my degree in Liberal Studies.
Being immersed in nature is the best way for a child can have to learn not only about the way the outside world works but also, how to connect themselves with the Earth. I love to foster the children’s love for the outdoors while showing them the wonders that the world has to offer us if we treat the Earth and one another with love, kindness, respect and care.
Some of my passions include hiking, yoga, nature’s insects (especially bees), and spending time with my loved ones. Living in the Bay Area has shown me the true beauty of the outside world and all of the reasons why we need to take care of our planet so that she can take care of us in return.