Russian Hill Preschool in San Francisco

Bonnie McFadden, MA - Director
Bonnie founded RHS 25 years ago. Over the years she has developed an innovative arts-based
curriculum, using extended learning art projects to teach pre-school academics pre-reading and
math skills through the arts. She incorporates the best of the best of early childhood curriculums
into Russian Hill School's open classroom format. Bonnie prides herself on individualizing with
each child and is hands on teaching in the classroom daily! Bonnie holds an MA in Early
Childhood Education and a BA in Education and Fine Art.

Lyvette Loyola – Head Teacher (8am-4pm daily)
Lyvette is our very special head teacher. She has been with RHS for well over a decade! She is
an early childhood educator by training and has become a specialist in the unique RHS arts-
based academic curriculum. Lyvette individualizes with each of your children daily and she is a
wealth of information about child development. Lyvette is also a talented mosaic artist.

Ivonne M. Heisberger-Rensch - Teacher (8am-2pm daily)
Ivonne is originally from the Republic of Suriname in South America. She graduated from the
Social Academy in the Netherlands where she studied Child Development. Ivonne worked with
children through the Salvation Army as both a child development specialist and a social worker.
She then immigrated to the U.S., and spent 18 years working in Early Childhood Development as
a head teacher and child care director. Ivonne has been sharing her talents with us since 2006.

Michele Zucolata, MA - Teacher (10am-6pm daily)
Michele is originally from Brazil. She moved to SF from Santa Barbara where she pursed her
graduate studies. Michele has been living in the US for over five years during which time she
completed her MA in Education and gained valuable teaching experience in early childhood
education. Michele joined our arts-based classroom in the Spring of 2010 as a multi-cultural
teaching specialist. Her gifted teachings deeply enrich our ongoing multi-cultural unit study.

Allison Sexton, M.Ed - Teacher (12pm-6pm daily)
Allison grew up in Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota with an M.Ed in
Early Childhood Education. In graduate school she worked for the Multicultural Family Literacy
Program where she taught classes and helped college students tutor children in the
Minneapolis schools. After graduating Allison decided to escape the cold Minneapolis weather
and move to her favorite city, San Francisco. Allison joined our teaching team in the fall of 2009.
She is an outdoor enthusiast and rock climber!

Summer Manqueros - Teacher (10am-6pm daily)
Summer joined the RHS in the Spring of 2011 after many years of teaching in ECE programs on
the peninsula. She holds a BA in Education and is as gifted in her creative pursuits as she is a
natural and talented teacher.

Hend Abdelwahhab - Teacher (8am - 1pm daily)
Hend is one of those rare San Francisco natives. She is an ECE specialist by training and the
mother of 3 teenagers. Hend has been sharing her creativity and natural teaching abilities with
RHS for over five years.

Heather Piper - Admissions Director, Education Consultant
Heather has been with RHS in different capacities for well over a decade. For the past six years
she has been our Admissions Director and a Special Education Learning Consultant. Heather
has an MA in Special Education & Early Childhood from SF State and a BS from the University of
Vermont in Developmental Psychology.

Katharine Caldwell, MA - Assistant Director
Kate literally grew up in the school. Bonnie is her mom (in case you didn't know!). In high school
and college she was TA and then worked as a teacher at RHS after graduating from UCB. Since
then Kate has shifted her focus to school operations. She is the Vice President of the RHS
Board of Directors, and a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in child
and family.

Tamie Mak - Office Manager
Tamie is a life long learner who came to RHS in 2008 after a career in design and business. In
addition to keeping the RHS office running like a dream she continues to take college classes in
ECE and other interesting topics. Tamie helps in the classroom from time to time as she loves
children deeply enjoys teaching. Tamie love hiking and travel - ask her where she has been!

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