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Prapanna Smith - Founder/President
of CIE
and Principal of IES
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Nancy Walsh -
Preschool Director
Secretary/Treasurer of CIE
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| Prapanna Smith holds a Masters Degree in Education Administration from the University of Redlands; a California Administrative Credential; and a California Teaching Credential. During a 5-year career in California public education he taught all the subjects of the curriculum with at-risk middle school children, and social studies in the regular and GATE programs. Prapanna lived at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram from 1998 to 2001 and, during that time, he was a teacher of History, Geography, Philosophy, and Study Skills at the Sri Aurobindo International Centre for Education (SAICE). During his tenure at SAICE, Prapanna was highly involved with the school's latest experiment in Free Progress Education, a truly student-centered approach to learning and teaching that is being developed and refined at the school. Prapanna is currently working on a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at UC San Diego and CSU San Marcos. |
Nancy Walsh, our Preschool Director since 2002, holds a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and serves as a member of the executive staff. She has had experience teaching in preschools, with an emphasis on children with special needs. For many years, Nancy worked in post-secondary education administration holding positions in Admissions, Financial Aid, Academic support, Placement, Student/Alumni Services and as a Campus Director. She also served as secretary to the Board of Directors of a Non-Profit organization developing vocational training for adults. Helping young people reach their potential through education has always been her passion and the philosophy of Integral Education provides her with a new avenue to assist students in finding themselves and becoming what they want to be. |
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Carla Swan Gerstein -
Co-Founder/Vice President CIE
and Vice Principal of IES
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Sharmila Watts -
PreK Preschool Teacher
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Carla Swan Gerstein is responsible for business operations, community relations, networking, school newsletters, and grant writing. Carla holds a California Teaching Credential and a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She spent 13 years as a computer programmer, project manager, department manager, and customer liaison. She acquired her teaching credential in 1999 and has had experience teaching second and third grades. She has two young girls of her own who are (or have been) students at our sister school, Integral Elementary. Carla also is a nationally competing athlete in barefoot water-skiing, and was ranked fifth in her age division in the United States in 2003. In 2000, she visited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and attended the annual Cultural Program and Physical Education Demonstration, both of which moved her deeply. She is very committed to this new vision of education that CIE is creating in the US, and is delighted to be playing an integral part in manifesting it here.
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Ms. Sharmila is one of our Pre-Kindergarten teachers. She was born in the wonderful city of Bombay, India. She is a mother of a young teenage girl, and a loving wife. She has a Bachelors Degree in Commerce and a Diploma in Montessori and Kindergarten. She also holds certificate courses in ADHD and Bipolar disorders. Her career in teaching started in Bombay as an assistant teacher, and in a couple of years she was lead teacher. She got married in Tanzania, Africa, and lived in this exotic country for five years. She tought in the International school as head of the English dept. She has been in the US since 1999 and worked at a Montessori school in Denver for 6 years. She next moved to sunny San Diego and has been with CIE since 2005. In all she has 18 years teaching experience, and has found the real joy of teaching and learning from children. |
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Ambreen Saini -
PreK Preschool Teacher |
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Meena Mishra -
Preschool Teacher |
Ms. Ambreen is our other Pre-Kindergarten teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany/Zoology and a Bachelor of Education from Punjab University in Pakistan. She taught Biology to high school students there before coming to the United States in 1998. After giving birth to her son, Jason, she became intrigued with Early Childhood Education and returned to school where she decided to pursue a degree in Child Development. She attended Miramar College where she has completed 35 Early Childhood Education units. She loves working with the Pre-K children. She hopes someday to pursue a career in Elementary Education.
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Ms. Meena is our latest hire at Rainbow Kids, and she is the lead teacher in the Lower Preschool toddler classroom. Ms. Meena has a Masters Degree in Child Development from Nagpur University in India, and a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from Orrisa University in India. She has worked with young children both in India and in the United States. She is happy to find a school to work at here in San Diego that is so aligned with her way of living. |
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Aiza Chuck -
Preschool Teacher |
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Indu Smith -
Preschool Teacher's Assistant
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Ms. Aiza is our Upper Preschool teacher (ages 3 to 4). She was born in the Philippines, and moved to the US at the age of 11. She is currently attending Miramar College and majoring in Child Development. She has been working with RKIP since September 2006, where she started as a teacher's aide. Ms. Aiza was promoted to be the Lower Preschool teacher last year, and this year she moved up with the children into the Upper Preschool classroom. She is excited to have her own classroom to create a wonderful, happy environment for her students.
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Ms. Indu is one of our teacher's assistants in the Lower Preschool class of 2-3 year-olds. Ms. Indu was born in Chidambarram, India, and was raised in Pondicherry, India. In 2001, she immigrated to the United States with her daughter. She brings a sweet presence and a radiant smile to the classroom and has a genuine love for all the children. Indu says that some of the best moments of her life are when she experiences the wonder and joy that working with small children brings. |
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Katie Laughlin -
Preschool Teacher's Assistant
Yoga Teacher
Aftercare Teacher |
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Cely Nagen -
Preschool Teacher's Assistant
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| Ms. Katie is our teacher's assistant in Ms. Sharmila's PreK classroom. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Women’s Studies and Religious Studies from San Diego State University. She became interested in child development and early childhood education after the birth of her daughter in 2005. She completed her Child Development units at City College and continues to take child development courses there. Ms. Katie is also a Certified Yoga Kids Teacher and has taught yoga classes for kids and teens at the Kroc Center. Katie is the yoga teacher in all the classrooms, and is the after school care teacher as well. |
Ms. Cely is the teacher's aide in Ms. Aiza's Upper Preschool classroom. She is a double degree holder: she is a commerce major in Business Management (cum laude), and she has a Bachelor's of Science in Education. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Management Technology (suma cum laude graduate). She was in the process of getting her doctoral in Educational Management before she left the Philippines in late 2006, to migrate to the US. Her work experience includes: preschool teacher, bank specialist, marketing and business research coordinator, and Department Head of various business academic departments. She has been in the field of education for over 12 years. She loves children, and is passionate about teaching. She plans to continue to develop herself academically and professionally in the future. |
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Adhi Smith -
Preschool Teacher's Assistant |
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Ms. Adhi works as a teacher’s aide in Ms. Sharmilla’s pre-kindergarten class. She recently completed high school, where she earned six units of college credit in Early Childhood Education (ECE). Ms. Adhi enjoys working with small children and is pursuing a career in education. She is continuing her schooling at Miramar College, with plans to become a preschool teacher, and then an elementary teacher. Ms. Adhi immigrated to the USA from India as a teenager, with her mother in 2001. She aspires to become a citizen of the USA within the next year.
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