Stephanie Rau was born and raised in Orange County, California before moving to San Francisco in 2005. She started her journey at Calvary Nursery School as a Pre-K teacher in 2016 with her MA in Art Education, before making the transition into leadership as Director in 2023. In her spare time she likes to adventure outdoors with her husband and two daughters, get creative, and try new restaurants when she can!

Mariana Schwartz (Mrs. Smith) was born and raised in San Francisco. She started working at Calvary Nursery School in 1993 as the Pre-K teacher. The position of Art Specialist was created for her in 1999 and she has been teaching Art ever since. She has three adult daughters who all got their start at Calvary. She has a BA in Fine Arts and an AA in Textile Design. In her free time she loves to Quilt and is an active member of the San Francisco Quilters Guild and the Modern Quilt Guild. She enjoys weekends in Guerneville with her boyfriend, gardening and floating on the river.

Istdel B. Burciaga is our Administrative Assistant. In 2002 she moved from Durango, Mexico to the Bay Area and started working towards her B.S in Industrial Psychology. Before joining Calvary Nursery School, she worked with the Special Needs population for over 10 years. During her leisure time she highly enjoys family outings, playing volleyball, and the beach.

Beth Rodgers was born and raised in San Diego, California. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area 25 years ago. She and her husband raised their three children in Marin County where she began her career as a Preschool Teacher. She taught Pre K in Marin for 6 years. She moved back to San Francisco in 2022 and began teaching at Calvary Nursery School in 2023. In her spare time she loves traveling, going to art museums, boating, and trying new Italian recipes!

Julie Shapiro was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI and has lived in San Francisco for nearly 20 years. She has a BA in business administration but a move to Chicago and a nanny job piqued her interest in child development and early education; she now holds a California child development site supervisor permit. In her free time she loves to travel with her husband, read and keep active with swimming and pickleball.

Erica Chiarucci is a San Francisco native who has been an Early Childhood Educator for over twenty years. She loves implementing the Reggio Emilia philosophy in the classroom and observing how the children embrace it. She also enjoys taking long walks, working in her garden, listening to the birdsong, reading, watching Premier League soccer, and Giants baseball. She is a dog lover and adores catching up with her family, especially her two nieces, and friends.

Annette Jarrett was born on the island of Jamaica and has lived in England, as well as the states of New York and Georgia. She moved to San Francisco in 2015 and started working at Calvary Nursery School in 2016 as an Assistant Teacher. She has been working in childcare for over 35 years. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, playing tennis, and being with family.

Janet Wong was born and raised in San Francisco, and currently lives in Daly City with her family. She earned her BA in Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical Child from San Francisco State University. She also holds a certificate in “Safe Start,” Early Childhood Violence Intervention and Counseling, and a Teacher Permit from the State of California. She has been an educator for over 24 years and worked in a variety of school methodologies and pedagogies ranging from Developmental, Emergent, Project Approach, to Academic Curriculum. She has worked with children ranging from 3 months old to school-age. In her free time she enjoys baking, cooking with family, traveling, watching dramas, and hiking.

Marilyn Bayubay was born in the northern part of the Philippines. She moved to San Francisco 30 years ago to pursue her dream in becoming a teacher. She has 16 years of experience in Early Childhood Education and decided to join the Calvary team in 2023. She loves going out for walks with her family and spending time with friends on weekends. She enjoys cooking, creating new recipes, and traveling to places she’s never been before!

Alina Khakimova was born and raised in Russia before moving to San Francisco in 2020. She earned her BA degree in Art Education and worked as an art teacher for 5 years. She completed and received a certificate in Early Childhood Development in May 2023. This is going to be her third year with us at Calvary Nursery School. In her spare time she likes to travel with her family, oil painting, reading, and cooking.

Katy Coe grew up in the Central Valley and moved to the Bay Area for college. She lived in San Francisco after graduation for twelve years and started teaching preschool overseas. She taught and lived in five different countries over eight years. She returned to San Francisco last year and this is her second year teaching at Calvary. In her spare time she likes to take Zumba classes, read, and knit and crochet.

Rocio Aguirre was born and raised in Mexico City before moving to San Francisco in 2006. She has been teaching for over 25 years, spending time with infants, toddlers and elementary aged children. In her free time she loves to walk outdoors, take care of her plants and her energetic puppy named Lucky.