Jenny Miller she/her

Jenny has always been happy in the company of small children and learns at least as much from them as they do from her. She worked her way through college at the nursery school on campus, getting a B.A. in architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. She later earned a teaching credential from the Northern California Montessori Teacher Training Center in Mountain View, CA. Jenny joined Garden Day as the art teacher in 1996 and has been there ever since, currently as classroom teacher and director. She loves getting to know the children, and being a part of a vibrant and caring community of young families.

Jenny is the parent of three grown children, and the guardian of one big-hearted Australian Shepherd and one laid back tabby cat.

 

Theresa Malki she/her

Theresa feels passionate about the importance of play in the lives of young children. She enjoys a deep sense of meaning in developing positive and trusting relationships with children in her care, and joy in watching them discover and learn. Favorite activities with children include gross motor activities, animal and science exploration, messy art, and cooking. Theresa has a B.A. in art practices from UC Berkeley, and early children education from Merritt College and Pacific Oaks College.Theresa feels passionate about the importance of play in the lives of young children. She enjoys a deep sense of meaning in developing positive and trusting relationships with children in her care, and joy in watching them discover and learn. Favorite activities with children include gross motor activities, animal and science exploration, messy art, and cooking. Theresa has a B.A. in art practices from UC Berkeley, and early children education from Merritt College and Pacific Oaks College.

In her spare time, Theresa studies and reads Italian, enjoys the arts, stays fit at the YMCA, grows organic food in her garden, writes, and loves raising her chickens. She has two adult children. She loves working at Garden Day!

Jaq Dalziel they/them

Jaq started teaching dance classes at Garden Day in 2014 and fell back in love with teaching in a preschool setting. Over the last 12 years, they have worked within many different sectors of childhood care and education, such as a dance, piano and acting teacher, choreographer, preschool teacher’s aide, after-school program instructor, family assistant, camp counselor and private nanny.

Jaq holds a BFA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in dance and an AA in Human Services from University of Alaska, Anchorage. They also hold an MFA in Dance with an emphasis on gender studies from Mills College. In order to teach daily in the classroom, they went back to school to attain their Early Childhood Education credentials from Merritt College.

Jaq believes that working with children is an opportunity to provide a place of trust and safety for them to try new things and learn in fun and unique ways. They’re honored to be a part of so many small human’s growth and development and, of course, continuing to teach and create dance with them!

Quin Miller he/him

Quin spent his first five years at Garden Day, first as the office baby, then as a student. Since graduating from Berkeley High he has worked with children as a babysitter and a teacher’s assistant, and now works occasionally as a substitute teacher at Garden Day. In his free time he likes to explore the natural beauty of the Bay Area’s parks, trails, and beaches.