The Goddard School of Westminster

Bios

• Karine

  Welcome to our school! My name is Karine Rastatter and I’m the owner of The Goddard School of Westminster. I am excited to get to know each of you (especially your children!) and am honored to be entrusted to care for your family. As a mom of young children myself, I truly understand the importance of having a trusted space that is safe and loving for your children. My husband Josh and I have 4 children of our own (three girls and one boy) and we enjoy spending time together as a family on our small hobby farm. We raise chickens and grow many different plants, primarily pumpkins and sunflowers. We also love camping and exploring the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming. I’m thrilled to watch your children grow and develop a love for learning at our school! My favorite children’s books are The Day the Crayons Quit series.

• Marie

  Hi, my name is Marie Pedigo. I am the Director of our wonderful Goddard school in Westminster. I have over 25 years of experience working in the field of early childhood education. I have worked with children from ages infants to school age. I have been with The Goddard School since June of 2019! My husband, Gary, and I have three wonderful children, Angel, Geno, and Gary. In our spare time we love spending time watching hockey, camping, and spending family time together.

• Angel

  Hi there, I am Ms. Angel! I have been lucky enough to be a part of the Goddard family for 3 years now and have loved getting to grow alongside your children. I graduated from Colorado State University with a bachelors degree in Early Childhood Development and Prevention and Intervention. My time at CSU is what brought me to this wonderful school that I call home. A few fun facts about me: I was a competitive cheerleader for 18 years of my life, I am a huge hocky fan and root for the Colorado Avalanche, I am a mommy to two wonderful puppies, and have a wonderful family who is my whole world! My favorite children's book is Dr. Seuss' ABC Book. I am so excited to watch your children grow up and love getting to make an impact on their lives in their most important years!

• Emma

  Hello and welcome! I am Ms. Emma and I teach the Early Preschool class! I love working with two and three year olds. I went to school to be an art and special education teacher at the University of Northern Colorado. After three years and a pandemic, I switched to early childhood education and have loved it ever since! I can do a little bit of all the art forms including creative writing, tattooing, and bronze casting! After living in Colorado for 16 years, I am finally learning how to snowboard. I have a big chosen family and a cat named Cowboy. I am passionate about becoming a director or an ECE coach. I work with children because I hope to teach the power of kindness, empathy and joy! My favorite book to read to my class is The Book With No Pictures, but my favorite book from my childhood is Olivia. I am Olivia, Olivia is me.

• Abigail

  Hi Goddard families! I’m Ms. Abby, I’m from Connecticut and moved to Colorado about a year ago. I have worked with children of all ages from newborns to high schoolers. I was a director and choreographer at a local children’s theatre company and have directed and choreographed as well as performed in over 40 shows, so I love bringing music and movement into the classroom. I've previousy worked as a Lead Infant teacher at a Goddard school in CT, and I've also worked with children aged 1-5 with autism as a registered behavioral therapist. It is my passion to nurture children, help them grow and discover the world around them. I am so excited to continue my work with infants, and to build relationships with families at The Goddard School here in Westminster. My favorite children’s book is Goodnight Moon.

• Alison

  Hello! My name is Alison! I am so excited to be a part of the Goddard family working with the children and parents of this community. I teach the one and two year olds and my favorite part is watching the transformation of a child's eagerness for learning on a daily basis! I have been working with children and their families for about 27 years. I have one 27 year old son and a wonderful family that I love to spend time with. I enjoy time outdoors and reading. My favorite children's books are: The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Hungry Bear.

• Basia

  Hi, I'm Basia. I am a UNC graduate with my BA in Early Childhood Education. I’ve been teaching for several years with 2 of them in The Goddard Schools! I live with my cat and my favorite children’s book is I Want My Hat Back.

• Cassandra

  Hi! My name is Cassandra but I like to go by Cassie! I was born in Louisiana and raised in Colorado. I live with my mom, little brother, my mom's husband, and our dog (Koko). Prior to coming to Goddard I babysat my little brother and helped raised my nephew for a few years. My hobbies are singing and going for walks. What I love most about working with children is how I can watch them grow and learn! Every day when I come into work at The Goddard School it brings a smile to my face! I love all the kids in the school and love to hear their funny stories. I also love that I am making a difference in the kids lives by showing and giving them lots of love and care. I am the teacher for our two year old classroom and I look forward to spending time with your kids as they join my class over the years! Favorite children's book: Charlotte's Web.

• Christina

  My name is Christie! I am a single mom of 3 amazing souls! I have an infinite amount of love for little ones that I decided to work in this field. I have been here for a year and I absolutely love it! My favorite child’s book is Love You Forever.

• Heather

  Hello! My name is Ms. Heather. Currently I am an infant/toddler teacher in our Infant 2 classroom. I have an associates degree in criminal justice, and I am currently working on receiving my bachelors degree in psychology. I have been with The Goddard School for 5 years. I love watching babies grow and helping them with their development. I was born and raised in Colorado and was lucky enough to travel around the country while my husband served in the United States Coast Guard. I have 2 boys of my own, Ezekiel and Elias. I also have 2 cats, Lumen and Luna. In my spare time I love exploring the mountains, traveling, and crafting!

• Hope

  Hi! I am Ms. Hope! I discovered my love of teaching first as a bossy older sister and then working with little ones to explore art for the first time. I am in school studying to be an art teacher. My hobbies include art (obviously), being active outside, and reading! My favorite children’s book is The B Book by Dr. Suess. I am really happy to be a part of The Goddard Family and be a part of your children’s lives.

• Julieann

  My name is Julieann! I have lived in Colorado my whole life and love to travel. I have my Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and my Associates degree in Early Childhood Education. I have taught preschool for four years and have loved every second of it. The biggest passion of mine in teaching is seeing the foundational skills start taking form. The groundwork of learning starts early but it continues throughout a child’s life. To know that I was the one who taught them how to love the world around them, or to share or even how to make someone else’s day by being there for a hug or smile makes my job worthwhile. At the end of the day knowing I am impacting the world shows me that I am making a difference even on the hardest because of the small things I do as their teacher. My favorite children’s book is “Dragons Love Tacos” or the book series “Magic Treehouse”.

• Kayla

  Hi! My name is Mrs. Kayla and I'm an enthusiastic and dedicated teacher. I love creating an engaging learning environment encouraging the confidence that kids need for their independence. I was born and raised in Colorado and went to Colorado State University in Fort Collins. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology with a focus in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology focusing on Mind, Brain, and Behavior. I have more than 7 years of experience teaching children ages 6 weeks to 3 years old. I have worked in different school settings and am always excited to meet new children in my class. My favorite thing about this age group is watching the children light up when they become successful at a skill or task that they have been working on. When I'm not teaching, I love spending time with my family and friends. I like to travel and go camping. My husband David and I welcomed our first child, Theodore, in December, and are so excited to be growing a family.

• Mya

  Hi! I'm Mya, I recently moved back to Colorado from Oregon and am excited to be back in the classroom. I've previously worked in veterinary medicine and am continuing my studies in Zoology at Oregon State University. My favorite part of working in early childhood education is watching the kids grow into their big personalities and develop their language skills! My favorite children's books are Go Away, Big Green Monster! And Fancy Nancy.

• Sydnee

  Bio coming soon!

• Alondra

  Hello! I am a UNC graduate with a bachelor's in Human Services and a minor in Spanish and Psychology. I have a passion for working with children, specifically infants, since I was 15 years old and would babysit for friends and family. What I love about teaching is getting to see the milestones that they reach! My favorite children’s book would have to be “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

• Ashly

  Hello, I’m Ashly. I have been working in early childhood for 3 years! I am a mommy of a lovely 2-year-old boy! My favorite part of working as an ECT is being able to be a part of a community where there are countless opportunities for growth. My favorite childhood book is “Skippy Jon Jones Shapes Up!”

• Belen

  Hello my name is Belen and I have been working here at the Goddard school since 2023. I also work with 4-8 year olds at my church. I love how funny the kids are and how loving they are with me. My hobbies are reading and making artwork out of clay. My all time favorite childrens' book is Corduroy.

• Pilar

  My name is Pilar and I enjoy teaching for many reasons. My biggest one would be because I simply find a lot of joy and happiness when it comes to children. Just knowing that I am part of their education journey and just part of their start of their life. I enjoy coming to work and seeing the kids happy and excited to learn! I remember when I was little and would play teacher but now I get to do it in my adult life and I couldn’t be happier. Knowing that I am making a change in a kid's lives makes me really happy.

• Teghan

  My name is Teghan Simon! I am 23 years old and have been working with kids since I was 16! I love working with kids because each day there are a million little victories. Playing music and singing songs with every kid fills me with so much love.