Discovery Jungle Preschool

Our Teachers

Ms. Joleta

Hi! I am Joleta and I am the Owner and Director of Discovery Jungle!  This is my 13th year working with children.  I am always excited for all the fun we have with the kids, each and every year. I graduated with my bachelor’s in Health and Social Services from NMSU.  I started working on my Master’s in counseling when I decided to work full time with children. I grew up in a small town in New Mexico and I have also lived in the big cities in California.  I’ve lived in Rio Rancho for about 9 years now with my family of 3 boys, daughter, 4 dogs and cat.  I can’t wait to get to know all of you!

Ms. Julianna

Hello, my name is Ms. Julianna. I have worked at Discovery Jungle for about a year and am currently attending CNM for my certification in child development. I have been working with children for many years and have taken dual credit courses in childcare. I have developed a passion for working with kids and it is my belief that every student is unique. My goal is to provide a classroom where every student can express themselves freely. While I do not have any kids of my own, I think of all the students as my kids and work to ensure that I am doing all I can for them to be successful.

Ms. Marissa

Hello, I am Ms. Marissa, and I am so excited to be teaching the 2’s and 3’s this year. This is going to be my second year working in the toddler’s classroom and I am looking forward to getting to know all my students and helping them grow and develop. I believe that Early childhood education is important in a child’s life because it teaches them how to accomplish everyday tasks. We are teaching kids at an early age how to set goals and how to have a positive attitude towards learning and how to navigate playing with others.

Ms. Cheyane

Hello, I am Ms. Cheyane Benavidez. I have experience in baby sitting and tutoring and have worked at Discovery for 2 years now. I have developed a passion for working with kids and I am currently working towards a career in child physiology. I want to help all of our students become their best selves. In my classroom, students will learn how to interact with each other and how to problem solve. I love learning how each student thinks and interacts within their environment and care deeply for each of my students. While I do not have any children right now, I do have two giant fur babies and hope to one day have a baby or babies of my own.

Ms. Kimber

Hello, I am Ms. Kimber. I am a licensed teacher in the state of New Mexico and hold a degree in Elementary education. My passion is education and working with children to help them develop mentally, socially and emotionally. I have worked with kids of all ages and know that every child is different and learns in their own way at their own pace. I strive to get to know each child and learn how they think so that I can best support them both in a classroom setting and in the real world. I believe that all children deserve access to an education and feel as though children should be the one to drive their own learning. As a lifelong learner myself, I want to make learning fun and instill a love of learning within my students as well.

Ms. Angelique

Hi, my name is Angelique, I’ve been in childcare going on 10 years! I’ve worked at discovery jungle for 3 ½ years. Seeing the children learn and grow from the infant class to preschool graduation is why I take pride in my job! I’ve had a passion for working with kids and I’ve been thankful I stuck to it while having 5 kids of mine own. But I make it a goal of mine to be the best teacher and trusting care provider I can for your kids because I would want the same for all kids. My Goal for my classroom is for the children to learn through play, imagination, laughter at their own pace and focus on individuality.

Philosophy

At Discovery Jungle, we inspire learning through the natural curiosities of children. We believe in providing infants, toddlers and young children with positive learning experiences in a safe, hands-on environment. By fostering a high quality and developmentally appropriate learning environment, we can promote educational experiences focused on exploration, critical thinking and corporative play.

About our program

Our school provides children with developmentally appropriate educational experiences. Our staff facilitates a safe environment where students can grow and learn through play. We work to build relationships with the students and create a community of learning. We encourage discovery through hands on projects and experiences looking through the lenses of a child. Each of our classrooms are unique and set up so that it is developmentally appropriate for that age group.

Our infant classroom enrolls children ages 6 weeks-23 months and provides a low teacher to student ratio. Our classroom is equipped with age-appropriate tools so that the infants can have access to toys in a safely monitored environment. We focus on differentiated instruction and consider each child’s individual needs in development.

Our toddler class provides children ages 2-3 with a curriculum appropriate to their development. In this classroom, we have toys and lessons designed to teach communication skills, critical thinking and fine motor skills. We focus on learning through play and show students how to appropriately interact with their peers and their classroom.

Our pre-k classroom works to get students ready for their future endeavors in education. We prepare them to think critically and provide them with the necessary academic foundation to achieve future success. In this classroom, our routines are created so that our preschoolers learn how to follow directions and behave within a classroom setting. We work to develop deeper communication skills, emotional regulation as well as social and cognitive growth.