Our Staff

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​Nature’s Edge Child Development Center teachers are thoughtful and intensely creative Early Childhood Specialists. They have either completed AA, BA, or MA programs in Early Childhood Education or are working on their higher education.  NECDC provides many opportunities for ongoing staff development, workshops, and professional development for our staff. Each Staff member must complete 21 professional development hours annually.

In addition, all staff members have prior experience in the field, are CPR/First Aid Certified and many are members of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  NECDC staff members are fingerprinted and have received background check clearance by the Department of Social Services and the Department of Justice prior to their first day of employment.

Jayanthi Wimalaratne (Ms. Jay) ​

Director

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
​ -Nelson Mandela
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Ms. Jay has been actively involved in the childcare community for over 30 years.
She has an educational background from Long Beach City College and California
State University, Long Beach. Ms. Jay completed both, Bachelor’s degree and her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education at CSULB. She has an immense amount of experience  in Early Childhood Educational and directly work with children, parents, and the variety of Community agencies. Her experience in the Field is extensive ranging from being an Assistant Teacher in Los Angeles, to a Lead Teacher of a preschool in North Carolina, and finally to be the Director of her own preschool program in Long Beach. She has served the LAUP Preschool program sponsored by First Five LA for 10 consecutive years, operating a high-quality in-home Preschool for 16 years, and now the founder and the Director of Nature’s Edge Child Development Center. She is also long-time  member of  NAEYC, as well as its local affiliates. She is also member of the North American Reggio Alliance (NAREA).
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Ms. Jay strongly believe  higher education and professional growth. Children she believes , are much more than sometimes given credit for. They are honest, imaginative, and resilient and can offer a different prospective into the world. Given the chance and with the right tools and expressing themselves  freely in a safe environment  with teachers they can trust, they can thrive. She is originally from Sri Lanka, which is a beautiful Island surrounded by the Indian Ocean and moved to USA in 1990.She enjoys gardening, loves tortoises and turtles, volunteers for Animals. Ms. Jay is married and has a son who graduated from CSULB with a focus in mechanical Engineering. He works as a Project Engineer for Space and Defense Composite Manufacturer, Reinhold Industries. Currently he is enrolled in MBA program at Pepperdine University.
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Amber Hernandez ​

Lead Pre-K Teacher Butterfly Classroom/ Site Supervisor  ​

​“It’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.”
​~ L.R. Knost
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 Ms. Amber is excited to start working at Nature’s Edge Child Development Center and get to know all the children, parents, and staff. Ms. Amber earned her bachelor’s degree in 2020 on Child Development and Human Development at CSULB. She worked with children for a couple years in internships and volunteering in a kindergarten class. Her goal is to have her own classroom and teach kindergarteners. Ms. Amber loves to see how children grow academically and socially. It brings her joy on how children can learn and adapt to their new environment. Children gain so much knowledge through play and exploring their environments.

She is the first member from her family to graduate from a 4-year university. She enjoys walks at the beach and going to amusements parks. She also likes spending time with her family and friends. 

Ms. Janet ​

Teacher Butterfly Classroom

​“Children can see magic because they look for it.”
 Christopher Moore
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Ms. Janet Ramos, she is 24 years old and currently living in Long Beach. She
graduated from Cal State Long Beach in Fall 2023, with a Bachelors in Child
Development and Family Studies. In her free time, she loves to play volleyball as well as to go on jogs with her dog. Ms. Janet really enjoys spending time with children because of their loving and fun energy. Each child is unique in their own way because they each possess their own characteristics which include their learning styles, temperaments and attitudes. As Christopher Moore once stated, “Children can see magic because they look for it,” which means that each child possesses wonder and curiosity for the world.

Ms. Victoria ​

Teacher Caterpillar Classroom

​"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn
Benjamin Franklin

Ms. Victoria is currently attending Long Beach City College for Associates in Early Childhood Education. She is very excited about this new experience and is happy to be a part of the team. She believes it is important for children to be able to work together while being creative, imaginative, and talented.

Ms. Victoria enjoys watching movies, reading, playing recreational sports, and play all types of games.​



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Ms. Samantha ​​

Support Teacher

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood."
Fred Rogers 

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Ms. Samantha returned to work for Nature's Edge Child Development Center after taking a break from school and the commute. Ms. Samantha will work at Nature's Edge until she gets her AA degree in Education and furthers her education at Cal State Long Beach. Ms. Samantha is delighted to be back and watching the children grow into who they become.  
 
Ms. Samantha loves to play video games, listen to music, and play with her chinchillas. Ms. Samantha also loves to watch movies, especially "The Nightmare Before Christmas."  ​

Ms. Vida​

Teacher Assistant

​“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”
Bob Marley
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Ms. Vida is currently attending California State University Long Beach to study both English and Education. She is excited to join the team and bring her positive energy, love for learning, and creativity to the classroom! She recently completed a course in Early Childhood Education at Long Beach Community College and held an internship as a teacher and office assistant at an elementary school, where she began to pursue her passion for working in early childhood education. Inspired by the positive impact of her own teachers, Ms. Vida hopes to offer the same support and encouragement to the next generation of learners by encouraging students to learn new things, build healthy friendships, and reach for the stars.

Ms. Andrea​

Teacher Assistant

“The best way to make children good is to make them happy.”
Oscar Wilde

I am 18 years old and want to gain experience working with children. Want to explore my options and see if becoming a teacher is my path. I love learning new things and have always wanted to become a teacher. I’m a very patient, loving and caring person when it comes to kids. During my free time I like to spend time with my family and go to the beach.
 
In the classroom, she loves singing songs, telling stories, doing arts and crafts, and spending time learning new things. As a lifelong musician and artist, Ms. Vida brings a lively and imaginative spirit to everything she does, and encourages students to grow and have confidence in their ability to learn and persevere.
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