Jamaroo Kids

Natalie Ernst joined JAMaROO Kids in 2013 as a full-time teacher with a degree in Child Development from CSU Chico. Her experience working with children prior to joining JAMaROO Kids spans over 10 years and includes working as a preschool teacher at a number of preschools, teaching summer camp, and teaching children’s gymnastics. Natalie has been singing and playing the guitar since she was a child. She has a background in musical theater and has been formally trained in gymnastics, which she still occasionally practices. When Natalie isn’t teaching for JAMaROO Kids, you can find her face painting for parties and events and performing with multiple theater groups and improv troupes.

Jacqueline is a graduate of Saint Mary’s College with a BA in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. She first started working with children as a summer camp counselor for a local recreation department and knew this type of work was what she wanted to do someday. Jacqueline has taught preschool in both the public and private sectors for over 12 years and has also volunteered creatively for her son and daughter’s children’s theater, school, and scout events! Jacqueline has always loved art, music, and the performing arts. As a child, she played piano, flute, and sang in mixed choir and performed in her school musicals. She is a firm believer in the importance of PLAY for all ages and enjoys exploring sensory multimedia art for fun.

Joyce Chan joined JAMaROO Kids in the beginning of 2022 with a degree in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University and many years of experience working with young children. She is currently back in school working towards a certificate in Early Childhood Education Administration. Prior to joining JAMaROO Kids, Joyce had taught at a privately owned preschool here in San Francisco, as well as at Bright Horizons Schools. Joyce learned how to play guitar over 10 years ago and has also been playing the ukulele for 5 years. She sings on her church’s worship team, and through her volunteer work at her church’s summer camp, she has been able to pass on her love for music and dance by teaching children song and dance. Joyce is a native San Franciscan, and in her free time, you can find her watching Chinese dramas, singing karaoke, drinking milk tea and playing board games. Her favorite board games include Azul, Splendor and Dominion.

Sohnjay Reeve joined JAMaROO Kids in 2019 as a part-time teacher and moved into a full-time teaching role when he graduated in 2020 from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in Music. Prior to working with JAMaROO Kids, Sohnjay worked at the Children’s Creativity Museum for two years in San Francisco. Sohnjay has always had a love of music and movement and has been playing the French horn for 8 years and also plays the ukulele. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to rehearse and play with several community orchestras. In his free time you can find Sohnjay hosting a game night and dancing with friends.

Jamaica Stevens is a teacher, entrepreneur, speaker, published author and children's music artist and producer. Jamaica founded JAMaROO Kids in 2004 after teaching preschool for 7.5 years and studying the performing arts since childhood. Currently Jamaica leads a team of educators who specialize in creating and teaching developmentally appropriate enrichment programs for young children at over 100 schools, childcare centers and community venues throughout the Bay Area. Her work includes "The Vegetarian Cookbook for Kids" and "Yoga Adventure!," as well as producing the original children's album "Celebrate with JAMaROO Kids," which can be found on Itunes, Spotify and all major streaming platforms. Jamaica has taught over 10,000 classes to young children and has worked with over 100,000 children and families over the past 20+ years! She presents at educational conferences all over the United States and has captured the attention of over 2 million views on the JAMaROO Kids YouTube Channel.

Lori Landers joined JAMAROO Kids in early 2017. Her experience working with children prior to joining JAMaROO Kids spans over 20 years and includes working at multiple Bay Area preschools, including teaching for 6 years side-by-side with Jamaica in Marin County before Jamaica founded JAMaROO Kids. She later taught for 7 years at Bright Horizons Schools, a globally recognized corporation that takes pride in bringing early childhood education to its highest standard. Lori has always loved music, dance and theater. In high school, Lori took modern dance classes and did set design for her school’s theater company. As an adult, she sang for a couple of years in a gospel choir in Southern California.

Kate Morrison joined JAMAROO Kids at the beginning of 2022 as a full-time teacher. Kate graduated from James Madison University with a degree in Music Education and has been teaching music in public elementary schools for 12 years. After 6 years teaching in the DC area, she founded a music program for a public charter school in San Francisco, where she taught for 6 additional years before joining JAMaROO Kids. Kate is formally trained in voice and plays a little piano and trombone. As a child, Kate took voice lessons, ballet, gymnastics, performed in musicals through high school, and sang in her college choir. When Kate isn’t teaching, you can find her chasing around her toddler son!

Shelby Chopra joined JAMaROO Kids in September 2022 as our full-time, onsite operations manager and teacher! She was instrumental in the opening of our JAMaROO Kids Club on Union Street, where you can find her working Monday through Friday. Shelby has a degree in Music Education from Kansas State University and grew up studying music and the performing arts.

Jessica Uher joined JAMaROO Kids in the summer of 2022. Jessica holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in Theatre Arts from Boston University, where she focused her studies on physical acting and ensemble theatre. She also spent an exciting semester at the Academia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy studying physical theatre, commedia dell’arte, and clown. Jessica began choreographing for musical theatre and teaching theatre for children when she was in high school, and has worked with Peninsula Youth Theatre and Swivel Arts. She also spent 4 summers working with Camp Galileo, making up songs, wearing tutus, and encouraging kids to dream big and make marvelous mistakes. A lifelong performer and dancer, Jessica has a trained in ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary dance. In her free time you can find Jessica cooking vegan dinners (with extra garlic, of course), rhinestoning costumes, and spending time outside in all of the Bay Area’s gorgeous parks. Jessica loves to move her body as much as possible, and she’s always looking forward to the next pilates, yoga, or dance class!

Alexis Alcala joined JAMaROO Kids in 2022 as a full-time teacher with a degree in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University. She has 6 ECE units and over 5 years of experience working with preschoolers and kindergartners throughout San Francisco. Alexis grew up dancing. Her formal training includes jazz, ballet, hip-hop, modern, and tap. She is currently pursuing an AA degree in Dance Performance Art at the City College of San Francisco. She has performed with numerous teams and companies. Currently, she is a part of the Barclay Broadway Dance Company and Sambaxé Dance Company. When she is not teaching, Alexis loves taking dance and yoga classes, going on walks through Golden Gate Park, reading at her local coffee shop, and baking.

Sara Jayne McDonald joined JAMAROO Kids in the Spring of 2019 as a full-time teacher. She has earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Latin American History from Oswego University in upstate New York, where she grew up and then had the opportunity to live in South America for a year, where she was able to use her Spanish first hand. She also has over 12 ECE units, fulfilling the CA State licensing requirement for preschool teachers. Her experience working with children spans over the past 10+ years and includes various forms of teaching preschool, English, music lessons, and tutoring, as well as children’s entertainment and camp counseling. Sara Jayne is formally trained in cello, which she began playing at the age of eight, and is also self-taught in ukulele and a variety of percussion instruments, including the cajon drum and glockenspiel. When Sara Jayne isn’t teaching, you can find her filling her free time playing in a folk trio and a local women’s orchestra!

Jules Weiss joined JAMaROO Kids in 2022 as a full-time teacher with 14 years of experience in education and multiple degrees, including a B.A. in Theater from San Francisco State University, AMI Primary Diploma from Montessori Northwest, Masters of Education from Loyola University Maryland, and a Masters in the Arts of Teaching, at the elementary level, from Concordia University Portland. Jules’ first teaching experience was in 2008, when she was an assistant in a Montessori toddler program for two years. After graduation she spent four years teaching in a Montessori Primary environment.. In Marin, she has taught for both the Marin County School District and several private schools. Jules grew up playing lots of sports and was also in musicals. It wasn’t until her freshman year in college that she discovered her love for theater and she continues to hone her craft and acting skills. She is also a certified yoga teacher and health coach. Jules enjoys bringing music to her students. She is a beginner ukulele player and has taken saxophone lessons as an adult.

Tina de Ryss joined JAMaROO Kids in 2023 as a full-time teacher. Tina is a multidisciplinary performing artist and curator with an affinity for teaching dance and musical theater to children. Her experience spans over 10 years and includes teaching music, dance, and theater to children, as well as being a cheerleading coach. Tina’s formal dance training includes ballet, modern, jazz, and competitive cheer. She has danced and choreographed pieces for different LA and Bay Area-based companies. Tina grew up singing in choir and participated in many musical theater productions. She also plays the guitar and enjoys incorporating guitar and percussion into her music classes. In Tina’s free time, she likes to hang out with her husband and senior dachshund, Sancho, sing and play guitar, dance, and roller skate. She enjoys cooking Filipino food for her friends and family. When Tina was asked what she loves about teaching for JAMaROO Kids and working with children, she responded with, “I love to see my students discover their love of dance and music. Watching their eyes light up when they recognize a song or movement is so rewarding!” Tina believes in the power of dance and music to bridge generational gaps. As she says, “everybody loves a dance party!”; and we all know that’s the truth. Fun Tina Facts: Tina collects vinyl records and vintage t-shirts Favorite Animal: Pangolins – they’re scaly anteater-like creatures that live in a few hot places on the eastern hemisphere Favorite Color: Yellow Favorite Food: Pepperoni and black olive pizza with a pesto sauce drizzle Favorite Dinosaur: Triceratops

Deanna Rae Gomes joined JAMaROO Kids in early 2023 as a full-time, Peninsula-based teacher. Prior to joining JAMaROO Kids, her experience working with young children spanned over 20 years, including working as a lead teacher at several Peninsula-based preschools, camp counselor, camp director, nanny and vocal music teacher. Deanna has over 12 ECE units, fulfilling the CA state licensing requirement for preschool teachers. Deanna studied gymnastics and different forms of dance as a child, teen, and adult, including ballet, jazz, and hip hop. She has always enjoyed singing and has been in many musical theater productions, spent 10 years traveling in a punk rock band, and sang in the Peninsula Opera. She plays the trumpet, drums, bass guitar, and ukulele. In Deanna’s free time, she enjoys taking her two dogs to the dog park, socializing with her leopard Gecko named Dandy-Lion, and learning “grown up” songs on her ukulele. When Deanna was asked what she loves about teaching for JAMaROO Kids and working with children, she said, “Music and Movement is Life! I love the freedom and creativity it gives me. The humor and imagination of young children! Everyone at JAMaROO is so supportive and kind, and it’s a total bonus that I can walk to some of my classes.” Deanna’s Favorite Things: Painting, carving and watching science fiction comedy with her husband Fun Deanna Facts: Deanna has a succulent garden and an impressive collection of rocks, shells, and bones Favorite Animal: Octopus/Squid Favorite Color: Green Favorite Food: Beef Broccoli

Isabella (Izzi) Goldman joined JAMaROO Kids in 2024. Izzi has a background in studying music therapy at Loyola University New Orleans. Her experience working with children prior to joining JAMaROO Kids spans over 10 years and includes working as an after-care teacher, camp counselor, kindergarten aid, as well as managing and teaching at a children’s circus, dance, and theater studio. Izzi has sung her entire life, participating in her first musical at age 5. She has been classically trained as a vocalist since the age of 9. One of her most notable singing experiences was when she got the opportunity to sing with Kristen Chenoweth, the original Galinda on Broadway. Izzi is native to the Bay Area, being born in San Francisco and growing up in her teen years in Napa. In her free time, you can find her playing around with makeup, singing karaoke, making crafts and trying new recipes to cook. When Izzi was asked what she loves about teaching for JAMaROO Kids and working with children, she said, “Getting to watch a child’s confidence grow through music that you are teaching feels like magic. The sense of accomplishment and joy is contagious and fills my heart with happiness.” Fun Facts: Izzi loves the muppets and lives by the belief system that everyone is a combination of two muppets. For example, if Izzi was a muppet, she would be a mix of Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear! Favorite Animal: Elephant Favorite Color: Sparkles Favorite Food: Any Form of Potato!

Melissa Torres joined JAMaROO Kids in the Spring of 2024 as our onsite Operations Manager and teacher at our San Francisco JAMaROO Kids Club, where you can find her working Monday through Friday. Melissa attended UC Santa Cruz, where she studied Anthropology, and the City College of San Francisco, where she studied Child Development and earned her 12 E.C.E units, fulfilling the state licensing requirement for preschool teachers. Melissa joined JAMaROO Kids with 7 years of experience in the field of Early Childhood Education. Before joining Team JAMaROO, she worked as a preschool teacher in the East Bay, where she enjoyed finding creative ways to inspire curiosity in the children. She believes that the arts are a joyful and fundamental part of a child’s development and continues to incorporate her love of art and music into all of her work. Melissa is a self-taught ukulele player and singer and also loves to dance. In her free time, she enjoys listening to audiobooks, hiking and backpacking, practicing yoga, and snuggling with her 4-year-old cat named Caspian. Some of her favorite things include traveling, painting, completing crossword puzzles, knitting, and thrift shopping. When Melissa was asked what she loves about working for JAMaROO Kids and working with children, she responded with, “I love seeing the way that art and music can bring joy to adults and children alike. I appreciate having a sense of community and kindness in the place where I work.” Fun Facts: Melissa moved to San Francisco 9 years ago from New York where she grew up. She has a younger brother who lives in Dallas. Favorite Animal: Cat Favorite Colors: Green and Pink Favorite Food: Sushi