Teaching  Team

Kathy has experienced a wide spectrum of working with young children, from school age to infants and toddlers, from teaching to directing to creating her own educational endeavours. She graduated with a Master's Degree from SFSU in Early Childhood Education. Her undergraduate work concentrated on elementary education with a minor in child development, where she received her teaching credentials. Before helping to open and direct Old Firehouse School Mill Valley, Kathy spent four years teaching at GeoKids in Menlo Park, a parent cooperative school serving infants through preschool. It was during her time at GeoKids that she was able to attend the Reggio Emilia Study Tour. After the birth of her first son, Sebastien, Kathy started the Materials Playgroup and has been working with children and families in her home ever since. Kathy is an enthusiastic speaker and has presented at many conferences, such as the CAEYC, GSA (General Services Administration) Childcare Conference, Reggio Roundtables, and countless parent trainings and seminars at GeoKids, Old Firehouse School and Mother's Clubs throughout the Bay Area. Kathy joined Cow Hollow School as a parent in the fall of 2009 when her oldest son, Sebastien, started in the Nest classroom. With her youngest son, Cedric, she helped bring BabyTalk, a parent and infant toddler class focusing on respectful and responsive caregiving, to fruition in the summer of 2011. Kathy started Mount Sutro School in 2012 and has continued her education through the deeper study of the work of developmental psychologist Dr. Gordon Neufeld, who has led her to build a parent consulting and coaching practice. In the Summer of 2020, Kathy returned to San Francisco after spending 3 years living abroad in Spain with her family. In the fall of 2023, Kathy began teaching at The Little School, broadening her classroom experiences. Kathy loves to travel and, most days is trying to keep up with her 17 and 14-year-old sons. 

Petra has been in the field of Early Childhood Education for almost 20 years and holds a BA in Child and Adolescent Development and an MA in Early Childhood Education. In that time, she has worked with infants through 5-year-olds, with a focus on the toddler and preschool years. Petra holds a strong belief in children's competence and capacity for learning. She cares deeply about the relationships formed between children, teachers, and families in the early childhood classroom; co-constructing experiences in the classroom means that shared experiences are meaningful in their own way to that unique community of learners. The social and emotional learning of young children is one of her favorite aspects of early childhood, and Petra is so grateful to get to partner with children on their journey to understand themselves, their emotions, and those around them. Petra is also the parent to an energetic 2nd grader and 18 month old, a role that provides constant opportunities for self-reflection and growth. When she's not playing imaginary basketball with her oldest son, they can be found exploring Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach or building elaborate racetracks around the living room.