About Us

Welcome to Saint Raphael Preschool's Virtual Tour

Click Here To View Saint Raphael Preschool's COVID Agreement/Guidance and Resources

School Details

-By the state of California, Saint Raphael Preschool is licensed for children ages 3 years through Kindergarten.

-Program: 4.5 hours daily (Two classrooms: Angels & Saints).

-Offers: 3 (M, W, F), 4, or 5-day attendance.

-Children must be fully potty-trained before starting preschool.

-180 school days plus a Summer Program.

-Extended Care is offered for an additional fee (8:00 am-5:30 pm).

-United with Saint Raphael K-8 Elementary School and Church.

Click Here: Preschool 2022-2023 Calendar

Schedules

-Angels Class (3-4-year-olds) and Saints Class (4-5-year-olds).

-Schedule: 8:30 am-1:00 pm Monday-Friday (3, 4, or 5 days/week). 

Extended Care

-Before-school care is available from 8:00 am-8:30 am.
-After-school care is available from 1:00 pm-5:30 pm.

Class Size

-Angels - 22 children with 2 teachers and 1 teacher aide.
 Ratio - 7/8:1

-Saints - 16 children with 2 teachers.
 Ratio - 8:1

Marin Quality Counts

Saint Raphael Preschool is a proud member of the Marin Quality Counts Program. Marin Quality Counts is a program through the Marin County Office of Education. Our teachers are high-quality teachers that are receiving extra training in order to improve their teaching skills. Your child's brain develops the most within the first five years of their life which is why the Marin Quality Counts Program aims to provide the best quality early care and education for your child within these years. To learn more about our teaching program visit the Marin Quality Counts website: http://marinschools.org/ece

Saint Raphael Preschool

Curriculum

Both classes offer developmentally appropriate activities focusing on Religion, social-emotional development, language and literacy, English-language development, mathematics, visual and performing arts, physical development, health, history-social sciences, music and movement, and science! We are also proud members of the Marin Quality Counts Program. At Saint Raphael's Preschool, we provide a healthy and safe environment for your child. We also provide numerous activities for active, engaging, hands-on learning.

Our "Angels" class focuses on the transition to a group experience for our 3-year-old children paying special attention to their social/emotional development and adjustment into a school setting. We offer the children a variety of experiences in art, science, math, dramatic play, music and movement, books/stories/literacy, large/small motor development, and endless social interactions with teachers and their peers.

Our "Saints" class (Pre-Kindergarten) continues on with what has already begun in our Angels class and focuses on offering our 4-year-old children opportunities to develop their readiness for Kindergarten. We sing, explore, draw, create, and learn the letter sounds while covering various themes throughout our year as the children grow in the many skills that will support their success in Kindergarten.

Our Teachers and Staff

Click on a photo to learn more about us!

Edith Yates, Director of St. Raphael Preschool, lives in Greenbrae with her husband and has two grown sons who graduated from St. Raphael School. Her oldest son graduated from UC Berkeley with his Master's degrees in Business and Public Health while her younger son graduated from Santa Clara University and is now working at a tech company as a Computer Engineer.  

Edith has been involved in Early Childhood Education for over 30 years and has taught in family child cares, in preschools for the infant-toddler ages, and in Pre-K programs since 1993. Edith joined Saint Raphael Preschool as the Head Teacher in 2004 when our preschool opened. With Edith’s knowledge and experience, she helped start our program by developing the daily curriculum and organizing a safe, educational, and nurturing environment. 

Edith received her Child Development Associate Teacher Permit in 2002, her Early Childhood Certificate in 2004, and both her Associate Degree in Science/Early Childhood Education and her Child Development Site Supervisor Permit in 2006. To enrich her own knowledge of early childhood education Edith attends many conferences, workshops, and seminars throughout the year. She also has been a Mentor Teacher selected by the Marin CARES Program to help mentor and advise newer ECE teachers on providing quality care for young children. Staying active with her peers through professional meetings and workshops has allowed Edith to build a strong network and be seen as an expert in her field. Edith’s background is Spanish and she has a strong calling to serve the multicultural families at Saint Raphael Preschool as they enter a primarily English language educational system. With Edith’s cheerful, vibrant, funny, loving, and determined personality, every child receives the proper foundations for his or her education. Edith’s philosophy of teaching has been to treat every child with respect, tolerance, discipline, kindness, and love.

Edith’s love for her community and children continues. She has been a St. Raphael parishioner for over 30 years and in the past has volunteered with the Parish Children’s Liturgy.

In Edith’s spare time, she enjoys being with her huge extended family; whether she is having them all over for dinner or going to the movies with them, as long as she is with her family she is happy! Edith also loves to travel in the summer to her home country of Mexico. 

Saint Raphael Preschool

Edith Yates

Director of St. Raphael Preschool

Schnabie is a mother of two boys, Jeremiah, a senior at College of Marin, and O'marion a senior at San Rafael High School. Schnabie is from a small town in Alabama but has lived in San Rafael since 2009. She loves to run, walk, and stay fit in her free time but her favorite thing to do is spend time with her beautiful family!

Schnabie’s passion is working with young children! She has helped instill positive morals and educate growing minds since she began working with children in 2009. She finds so much joy in finding the positive qualities in every child she works with and helping those qualities to blossom and grow.

Schnabie has worked at a number of San Rafael City Schools including San Pedro, Glenwood, and Bahia Vista Elementary Schools. In Summer's past, she has also supported the ‘Summer Bridge’ Program working as an Instructional Assistant. The ‘Summer Bridge’ Program successfully supports rising Pre-K students to ensure they are Kindergarten ready. In the past, Schnabie worked at Redeemer Preschool for 4 years as the lead teacher for the 2-year-old classroom and she also directed the Sunday School Program for children (ages 2-7 years) at her church.

Schnabie is continuing her education as an early childhood educator and majoring in Child Development. She is looking forward to working with and getting to know the Saint Raphael community!

Saint Raphael Preschool

Schnabie Beard

Angels Teacher

Melissa Pakka is a graduate of California State University, Chico where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with her Area of Concentration in Child Development.

After graduating from the Chico State Credential Program with her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Melissa jumped right into elementary teaching and started her career teaching 5th grade in Santa Rosa, California. After completing her first year of teaching grade school, Melissa taught that following summer in a preschool and absolutely fell in love with the age group! After working just one summer with preschoolers Melissa had found her true passion...Early Childhood Education!

Melissa has now been teaching in various preschools in Marin County for over 18 years and holds an Early Childhood Education Directors Permit from the State of California as well as an Elementary Teaching Credential. In fact, Melissa even worked here at Saint Raphael Preschool from 2007-2015 in the classroom with Mrs. Yates and is so thrilled to be back teaching at such a loving, fun, faith-based preschool! For Melissa, being a part of a child's first school experience is beyond special to her and she cherishes every minute of it.

Melissa lives in Novato and in her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors in nature with her chihuahua Izzy, going to concerts, exercising, and loving her 4 nephews!!

Miss Pakka smiling

Melissa Pakka

Saints Teacher

Hazel was born in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico, and came to the United States when she was 14 years old. It was not easy for her to adapt to a new country, culture, and language but with effort and love, she accomplished just that! Hazel became a teacher so she could help children under the same circumstances, and encourage children to never give up on themselves and never stop following their dreams. Hazel believes that children learn through play as play helps to nurture imagination and give children a sense of adventure.

Hazel has over 11 years of experience working with children. She started working as a teacher's assistant and her passion for working with children inspired her to continue with her education. Hazel graduated from Chabot College in Hayward (Alameda County) with her AA in Child Development in 2022. Hazel believes it is important to continue learning and developing her skills, so she has also taken extra classes to achieve multiple certificates in Guidance and Behavior Management, Curriculum, and Challenging Behaviors. 

In the past, Hazel has been an after-school teacher where she worked with children (ages 6-12 years old) by helping students with assignments and leading a variety of activities and games. Hazel also worked at Elmhurst Learning Center for 3 years as the Lead Teacher for the 2-3-year-old classroom and then was also the Lead Teacher for the TK classroom. Most recently, Hazel worked at Corte Madera Montessori Preschool, and in addition to all of that, she even taught adult English classes in Mexico.

Hazel is married, has a daughter named Danitza, and lives in Mill Valley. She loves shopping, exercising, and learning things about fashion and makeup. Hazel also loves to travel and explore new places.

Saint Raphael Preschool


Hazel Llamas

Angels Teacher

Teena grew up in the Philippines and moved to the United States over twenty years ago. Today, she lives in San Rafael with her husband and she has four children. 

Teena discovered her passion for teaching after homeschooling her two older children for three years. Teena holds an Early Childhood Education Associate Teacher Permit from the State of California as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Communication from the University of the Philippines. Teena has been a preschool teacher for over ten years now and has also worked in school-aged after-care programs in the past. 

Teena believes that children learn a lot through play, exploration, and meaningful interactions with adults and peers. Preschoolers have so much to learn before they move on to Kindergarten and she is thrilled to be a teacher in the Saints class to support this learning. Most of all, Teena is happy to have found a place where she can combine her love for teaching and her faith and love for God and be able to share that with all families!

Saint Raphael Preschool

Teena Madison

Saints Teacher

Claudia Callejas loves working with children! She has been working with children now for 27 years, with 15 of those years working for the city of San Rafael. Claudia has worked at Venetia Valley Elementary School with school-age children, at Parkside Children's Center with both preschool and school-age children, and she was also the head teacher in the three-year-old program at Pickleweed Preschool where she was able to use both of her languages, English and Spanish.

Claudia then took some time off to be at home with her son once he was born. After a few years, she then began volunteering at Glenwood Elementary where her son attended. She volunteered at Glenwood Elementary every day for 5 years! Ms. Callejas provided teacher and classroom support varying from assessing children, to yard duty, to taking care of any other responsibilities that needed to be done. As you can see Claudia really enjoys working with children!

Ms. Callejas has a Bachelor of Science in Family and Human Development. She also has countless Early Childhood Education units from Diablo Valley College where she received her AA degree as well as a degree from the Contra Costa Regional Occupation Program in Family/Life Education. Claudia has also earned a Contra Costa County Office of Education Certificate of Proficiency in Careers with Children. She grew up in Danville, California, and has lived in San Rafael for 22 years. Claudia has always known since a very young age that teaching was her passion. Her goal as a teacher is to help children reach their milestones. 

Claudia enjoys reading, hiking, relaxing at the beach, and spending time with her 12-year-old son and family. 

Claudia Callejas

Floater Teacher

Prior to teaching at Saint Raphael Preschool, Kathy taught for 12 years at Good Shepherd Preschool in Novato. Before joining St. Raphael’s Kathy taught for 13 years at various other preschools, one in San Rafael and the others down in the Peninsula. She grew up in Pacifica and received her BA in Child Development from San Francisco State University as well as her Early Childhood Education Site-Supervisor Permit issued by the State of California.

Kathy loves working with children! They are so much fun to work with and keep her feeling young and energized. Children are all so unique and add their own special qualities to the classroom environment. Saint Raphael Preschool was the one preschool in San Rafael that had the exact qualities and philosophy that Kathy was looking for, for herself as a teacher. Everyone in the Saint Raphael community is kind and nurturing to all children, parents, and other staff members.

Kathy and her husband have been married for 30 years, although they have known each other for over 37 years. He is her high school sweetheart and they live in Novato and have two sons, Ryan, and Jack.

Kathy Damato

Substitute Teacher/Office Asst.
Saint Raphael Preschool is also happy to have:
Teacher Aides and Dominican University students providing extra support in the classrooms.