DIRECTOR
Jessica Bell is the Director of Building Blocks Nursery School. Jessica previously was a Lead Preschool Teacher at the 55th Street School, with over 10 years of early childhood education experience. She holds a degree in Society Ethics and Human Behavior, with an emphasis in Education from the University of Washington. Jessica is a Washington State Certified Teacher and holds an Early Childhood Education State Certificate.
In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, including her two daughters, exploring the Pacific Northwest, cooking, traveling, and of course, learning new things!
JUNIORS
Lead Teachers
Catherine Lehmann-Reide is our Co-Lead Juniors Teacher. Catherine has worked with preschoolers for the past 13 years, teaching at Perkins Preschool in the Ravenna neighborhood for 10 years. She believes in providing children with nurturing support and following their lead as they are naturally curious about the world. Catherine is fluent in French and enjoys incorporating the language into daily instruction. She also teaches French to the Preschool class weekly.
Crystal Leavitt is our Co-Lead Juniors Teacher. Crystal holds an AA in Child Development. Prior to Building Blocks, Crystal was a toddler teacher at Hutch Kids. She has spent her life devoted to children, from volunteering at nurseries to running a small childcare center. Crystal has a daughter who she loves to create art with, read, write stories and enjoy nature together. She is passionate about the social and emotional development of children, as well as group dynamics, and strives to create an environment where all children can embrace their individuality, flourish and learn.
Preschool
Lead Teachers
Emma Hughes is our Co-Lead Preschool Teacher. Emma has an AA in Early Childhood Education from North Seattle College, her International Montessori Teaching Diploma from the North American Montessori Center, a certificate in Handwriting without Tears, and recently completed her Early Childhood Diploma. Emma was previously a Pre-K teacher at Little Nest Preschool in Seattle for seven years and is dedicated to early childhood education. She is passionate about helping children grow and develop in all areas of life, and focuses on providing a safe, nurturing environment to children.
Emma was born in Trinidad and grew up in Antigua. She lived on a boat for the first seven years of her life and had the opportunity to sail throughout the entire Caribbean, exploring all the islands with her family. She has a passion for children's artwork and being able to connect with children in very nurturing way. In her free time, you can find her exploring the outdoors, taking road trips and spending time friends and family.
Miranda Edwards was a teacher at the 55th Street School in both the 2-3 and 4-5-year-old classrooms. She also has experience as a nanny for children from infants to preschool age. Miranda loves kids and brings a passion for science and creativity to the classroom. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, crocheting, traveling and baking.
Cheyne Godfrey is our Co-Lead Preschool Teacher. Cheyne previously worked at the Early Learning and Development Center, and has his BA in English and Literature from Western Washington University.
support staff
Float Teacher: Ari Girourad helps in both the Juniors and Preschool classrooms. Ari graduated from UW with her BA in Early Childhood and Family Studies in 2020 and spent two years volunteering at the Experimental Education Unit, part of the Haring Center for Inclusive Education.
Float Teacher: Sadie Bates is currently a student at the Seattle Colleges planning to transfer to UW to get her Bachelors in English Literature and Education. She has worked in early childhood for the past 6 years. She loves her two cats, writing and reading poetry and fiction, spending time outdoors and being with her friends and family. She hopes to help children explore their imagination through storytelling.
Dance Specialist: Kechelle Jackson, a Seattle native, began working with youth in 2004 when she joined the Washington Reading Corps. Realizing her passion for teaching, she became a preschool teacher, while earning her degree in Early Childhood Development. She taught preschool for 5 years, while taking on additional roles as a mentor supervisor and small group enrichment teacher. In 2012 and 2014 she completed The Creative Dance Center’s Summer Dance Institute for Teachers with Anne Green Gilbert, embracing Brain Compatible Education curriculum and honing her skills in facilitating and assessing quality movement experiences for young children. She is now on faculty at the Creative Dance Center where she teaches Creative Dance, Creative Modern, Hip Hop, Parent/child classes. In 2013, Kechelle founded Emerald City Creative Arts (ECCA), providing movement enrichment services in over 10 schools across the greater Seattle area. Kechelle loves working with children and families to foster and enhance social, emotional, physical and cognitive development through dance.
Music Specialist: Jocelyn Manzanarez received her BA from the University of Montana in Music Education and her MA in Music Education from the University of Washington. She is a certified K-12 music educator in Washington state as well as a Washington state S.T.A.R.S. certified trainer for childcare providers. In 2003, Jocelyn founded Musically Minded with the hope of reaching the very youngest musicians. She and her team of teachers now share the love of music with children ages birth-5 through weekly classes at childcare centers and preschools in and around Seattle.