Teachers

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Claire Petersen

Ms. Claire joined Holy Shepherd Community Preschool in the Spring of 2023 after serving as the director at St. Mark’s Nursery School for 9 years. She has a BA in Communications and 30+ units of early childhood education course work. Ms. Claire has an extensive background in both business and in early childhood education—skill sets she uses each and every day as a preschool director! A longtime Orinda resident, she has also held a variety of volunteer positions in the community, from organizing the Wagner Ranch Round Up to serving as the Orinda Park Pool swim team director for multiple years. When Ms. Claire is not at work she is hopefully enjoying spending time with her family. Ms. Claire loves the outdoors—hiking, spending time at the beach, camping or just walking to town!

Executive Director
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Ms. Amanda

FMs. Amanda is our Program Lead for the 4’s class and has worked in Early Childhood Education for over 15 years. Prior to joining us at Holy Shepherd, she taught and served as Ms. Claire’s Assistant Director at St. Mark’s Nursery School.  Ms. Amanda was born and raised in California and lives in Concord with her husband and three children. She discovered her love of teaching while volunteering in her son's preschool class at Diablo Valley College, where she then went on to study Early Childhood Education. Ms. Amanda’s dedication to ECE is rooted in helping children develop the tools they need to be successful in their relationships with peers and in developing a life-long love of learning. She is passionate about making the world a kinder place and believes that teaching young children kindness and caring for their community is the first step. 

Program Lead
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 Director in Training

Ms. Amy

Ms. Amy moved to the Bay Area in 2022 and took the position of Director and Lead Teacher at what was then called Holy Shepherd Christian Preschool.  She has a BA in Liberal Studies and a Masters of Teaching, and has been working in Education for over 15 years.  Ms. Amy decided on this career path from a very early age.  In high school she worked as a Sunday School teacher and always knew she wanted a career working with children. She has experience with infants and students all the way through the upper elementary grades. Outside of work, you will find Ms. Amy spending time with her husband and two young boys. They have been enjoying getting to know the Bay Area. They love to be out of doors, playing sports, hiking, camping, and going to the beach!

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Office Manager

Ms. Amber

Ms. Amber has a background in publishing and counseling, she enjoys both paperwork and people!  She has helped organize the preschool for the past three years and is a big proponent of HSCP’s emphasis on conflict resolution and kindness. In her free time, Ms. Amber likes to read fiction in the shade and play strategic board games with her children.