Crystal Rosario (Potty Training/Early Preschool Director) -  Hi! I began working at Poppy Patch in July 2011. I have been in the Child Development field for over 10 years. I currently do not have children but am considering adding to my own family...time will tell. My dad and his wife live in Stockton and we visit them several times a month. My mom and step dad live in OK. I have 1 sister who just moved to VA this year with her new husband and my two nieces. I have a rather large Yorkie named Zeus and inherited a Boston Terrier, named Lady Bird, two years ago when my grandpa passed. I enjoy archery, scrapbooking, journaling, sewing, cooking and cake decorating too. I chose to work in the field because it makes me happy. How many people can honestly say they are happy and satified in their career choice? I can! I enjoy reading stories, telling stories, and illustrating stories. I like using the imagaination, I feel it has become a lost skill!

  POTTY TRAINING/EARLY PRESCHOOL

Jennifer Estrada (Teacher)- Hi! My name is Jennifer. I like to read, play word puzzles and do community service in my free time. I do not have children and am originally from Galt but currently live in Sacramento. My family consist of my mom, sister, my brother-in-law and my niece. I do not have any pets at this time. I began working at Poppy Patch in May 2011. I love teaching children and watching them grow and learn from what I have taught them. I have been in the Child Development field for over 10 years. My favorite activity to do with the children are cooking projects because I enjoy letting them make something and then taste the end results. I love working with children!

Kristin Conner (Teacher)- My name is Kristin. I am an only child and I grew up in Elk Grove, CA. I currently live in a house with a few other roommates in Sacramento. I enjoy camping, being outdoors, and watching movies. I also enjoy playing the piano.

I graduated from Cosumnes River College in May 2006 with an AA degree. I then went away to Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, where I graduated in May 2008 with a BA degree in Elementary Education and an endorsement in early childhood education. During my time at Northwestern I student taught in a 4 year old preschool class, taught kindergarten, and 4th grade. I enjoyed each age group in different ways! I have always wanted to work with children, and I am thankful to have a job where I can influence children’s lives every day!

Steven Curchin (Teacher) - Hello, my name is Steven. I have been employed with Poppy Patch since December 2007. Before becoming a teacher at Poppy Patch, I worked as an assistant in a Family Child Care home for two years. I then became a staff member for the City of Sacramento in a before-and-after school program called "4th R." During my time there I was a recreational leader caring for elementary age students for four years. I am currently working on my A.A. degree of Site Supervisor in Early Childhood Education. I will then transfer to the state university and receive my B.A. in Early Childhood Education. My ultimate goal is to achieve my teaching credential and be able to teach preschool through 6th grade.

I currently do not have any children of my own but would one day like to become a father. I do have a large family consisting of five siblings (two brothers and three sisters) and four parents (mother, father, step-mother, step-father) who have shaped me to be the person I am today. My philosophy on working with young children is that they learn from play. I prefer to use "teachable moments" where the children learn through interaction in the moment. I do base my curriculum on the children's interests but also include the basic learning of colors, shapes, letters and numbers in games and activities. I believe teaching is an incredibly important profession and am glad to be a part of it.

Amber Grays (Teacher) -My name is Amber, I have worked at Poppy Patch for over a year. I have two daughters, Juliana (4 years old) and Aya (3 years old). Both my daughters attend Poppy Patch. I was born in Los Angeles, but have lived in Sacramento the past 20 years. I love singing, dancing and going to movies. I love animals, but don’t have any just now. I have been working in the child development field for the past 2 years. I personally think that this field is a very life-enrichening. Being able to teach children things they will use their whole lives is very rewarding. My favorite activity with the children is free painting and dancing, because its a great way for them to express themselves. The best thing about working at Poppy Patch is the uplifting environment created by the staff.

Tam Bui (Toddler Teacher) - I am a Viet Nam native. My parents, four siblings and I moved to Sacramento in July of 1995, since then my husband and I have established our own family. We have a daughter named Kathy Thao Le and a son named Matthew Khoa Le. After working in the field since 1998, I started working at Poppy Patch in November 2006. I enjoy reading and singing with the children. Aside from my family and work, I really enjoy cooking, shopping and traveling.

Esther Gomez (Infant Teacher)- I began working at Poppy Patch February 2012. I was originally born and raised in Long Beach but have been in Sacramento for over 20 years.I am married and have 3 children and several grandchildren. I have 1 cat named Socks. In my spare time I like to read, crochet and travel. I love seeing the children's individual development grow and blossom into unique personalities. Children are always eager to learn new challenges and I like to grow with them. I have been inthe field about 10 years.

Blanca Zingelman (Infant Teacher)- I began working at Poppy Patch May 2012. I was raised in Texas and then moved to California. I am married and have 3 children who are Amye, Caleb and Sarah. I like to read and go for walks. I have two pets. My catis named Daisy and my dog is named Mia. I love working with children. I have always been around children, even growing up. I have worked in the child development field for 12 years. I enjoy reading and singing with the children.   

Teresa Marshall (Toddler Teacher)- Hello! I began working at Poppy Patch May 2012. I was born in Alabama and raised in New York. I am married and have 2 daughters, Tricea and Narceka.  Our family is very close and loves the Lord. I enjoy lifting weights, decorating, gardening, reading, and hiking in my spare time. We have one cat named Tiffany and she is very spoiled. I have been in the child devlopment field for 12 years and enjoy art, music and outdoor play with the children. 

Crystal Mar ( Head Teacher) - I was born and raised in Sacramento and began working at Poppy Patch in April 2009. Professionaly, I have worked in this field since 1999. I taught recreational gymnastics for over 9 years, earned a BA from Sacramento State and have been working in child care since 2008. I chose this field because I love making a positive impact on children's lives. My favorite activity to do with the children is singing. I have a small family, which consists of my parents, a younger sister and myself. I have a half Poodle, half Chihuahua Terrier named Vegas, which is where I got him. In my spare time I like to karaoke, listen to music, dance and watch movies. The best part of working at Poppy Patch is getting to enjoy nurturing the children and watching them grow. 

Hilary Scott (Infant/Toddler teacher)- Hi! I began Poppy Patch in August 2011. I enjoy swimming, watching movies and learning to play the ukulele. I have one older brother, Parker, and my mom and dad. I currently do not have any children. I have two cats named Jack and Ozzy. I have worked in the child development field for 6 1/2 years. My favorite activities to do with the children are to play ourside and sing. I love working with children and seeing how they learn new skills and master old ones.   

Raina Hernandez (Teacher) - I have worked in the ECE field since 2006 but have been helping care for children most of my life. I love children and this is a field that interest me and that I care about. I also wanted to be near my children, Mikayla and Madilyn, and this allows me to do so. I was born in Sacramento but have lived many other places along the way. However, I am always a Northern California girl at heart. I have a large family and am one of six siblings, so I was never alone during my growing up years. My immediate family now consists of myself, my boyfriend and our girls. In my spare time, I enjoy anything craft or that gives me the opprtunity to express myself through education or knowledge. My favorite thing about working at Poppy Patch is forming strong and caring bonds with the children and families. I always love waking up and coming to work.   

Brenda Hupp (Teacher) - I have worked in the field of child development on and off since 1997. I began working at Poppy Patch in July 2007. I have also volunteered at my children's elementary school since 1997. I love children and think there is no better sound than that of a child giggling. I am the mother of two children, Mariah and Travis. We also share our home with two German Sheppards and one cat. In my spare time I enjoy fishing, waterskiing and watching my son play basebell and my daughter play soccer. The best part about working at Poppy Patch is the wonderful families and children. I enjoy the one-on-one interaction with the little infants that I expereince every day.

OFFICE MANAGER: Tracy Hutson-Hello! I just began working at Poppy Patch in June of  2011. I was born and raised in Roseville and now live in Loomis. I enjoy reading, camping qnd gardening. I am married and we have a small family and my relatives live in the same area. I have a son,Tyler, and a daughter, Hollie. I also have 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 horse and 5 chickens. I chose to work at Poppy Patch because I like being around children and love to read to them. I have spent the last 20 years running a small business with my husband. Whenever I could I volunteered at my children's school. I helped in the classroom, chaperoned on field trips and tutored children in reading.  I like the environment of being around the children at Poppy Patch and everyone here is so nice.     

FACILITIES:

Karina Tapia (Chef) - Hi, my name is Karina and I am the Chef here at Poppy Patch. My Husband, son and myself have been living in Sacramento for the past 5 years. We are a very small family but very close. We have a cockatiel, a yellow lovebird, a fish and a cat. We are a united Mexican American Family. In my spare time I like to draw and paint.  I enjoy cooking and cooking for the children. Previously I worked in my parents' restaurant. One of the things I enjoy about the children is how honest they are and how they tell it like it is. I have been the Chef at Poppy Patch since July 2006.

Emilia Zamorano (chef)- Hello. My name is Milly and I just began working at Poppy Patch in October 2011. I enjoy playing soccer, practicing yoga, knitting and working on photo collages. I have a medium size family that I am very close to. I am hispanic and my parents both came here from Mexico. I have a goldfish named Goldi Hawn. I was born in Sacramento and currently live in Elk Grove.

"The teachers are here for the children. The families are here because this is a place where their children can learn, grow, and development at their own pace and be supported every step of the way."