Get to Know Our Staff

I was born and raised in Plano, TX. I began my Montessori journey from infancy while attending my family's private Montessori schools. Growing up with my family in early child education inspired a passion for teaching young minds. I began teaching in Montessori classrooms as soon as I was old enough to work. In 2002 I moved to Austin, where I met my husband, Jeff Kelly. After becoming a mother in 2005 I began caring for children in my home. Little did I know that my small In-home daycare would quickly grow into the Prep N' Play Academy that it is today. I enjoy spending my free time with my husband and 3 children, as well as attending theater and sporting events. I have a busy home with 2 dogs and 2 cats. I am currently Montessori certified in Early Childhood and Infant & Toddler. With my directors license I continue to ensure that all of our  students and families receive the best learning experience. My goal is to spark a love of learning in each child attending Prep N' Play. 

Mrs. Sydney's passion for teaching started at an early age when her younger siblings were born. Guiding them and watching them grow has been one of the sweetest parts of her life. She took two years of child development courses in high school, volunteered at two local day cares during her senior year, and through that gained her certification in early childhood education. She has always admired how malleable and intelligent young minds are, and while in high school started her first job at a Montessori School where she learned the natural, peaceful, and student-led learning experience of a Montessori environment and she fell in love. She recently obtained her NAMC Montessori certification and is excited to apply all that she has learned with our preschool class. She met her husband during her senior year of high school & they now live in Burnet with their four fur babies.

Mrs. Bala was born and raised in India where she met her husband. After a couple years of being married they moved to Leander. Being home with her 2 beautiful children helped grow her love for teaching so she began my Montessori Certification. She has since completed her course and looks forward to guiding the class and helping them grow. In her free time Mrs. Bala enjoys family time.

Mrs. Sri brings 6 years of experience in early childhood education and joins us with her NAMC Montessori certificate! She has a true love for teaching and believes children are sweet, curious, and full of wonder. She is looking forward to helping our little learners grow, build confidence, and develop the skills they need to feel prepared and excited for kindergarten! Outside of the classroom, Ms. Sri loves spending time with her family, going on road trips, and shopping for fun. She is also a proud mom to two daughters, one away at college and one in high school!

Mrs. Vanity brings 11 years of Montessori experience 7 of those years being right here at Prep N' Play. She has a special love for working with toddlers because she gets to watch them learn new things, discover the world around them, and grow right before her eyes! She takes pride in guiding a naturally calm, caring, and nurturing classroom. Outside of the classroom, she loves spending time with her high school sweetheart and their three amazing boys. Her family is a big baseball family! She also enjoys music, smoothies, calligraphy, and astrology. Her favorite color is pale blue and a butter yellow.

Ms. Maddison has been in childcare for 4 years. She absolutely loves watching children learn, grow and discover the world around them. One of her favorite parts of teaching is seeing each a child's personality shine. Her passion grew after teaching riding lessons at a horse barn. It showed her how rewarding it is to guide, encourage and celebrate children's growth. She is so excited to be apart of your child's learning journey and cant wait to create a fun and nurturing classroom together.

 Mrs. Ashlee brings 14 years of experience in early childhood education and has a true passion for helping little learners grow. She loves teaching her students new things, celebrating their accomplishments, and watching them succeed. Known for her calm and sweet nature, Mrs. Ashlee creates a warm and loving environment where every child feels supported. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to the movies, trying new foods, and discovering new farmers markets. 

Mrs. Daniela comes to us with a degree in Psychology and 6 years caring for little ones! As an infant teacher, she loves creating a warm, nurturing environment where little ones feel safe, loved, and encouraged to grow. Watching each baby reach new milestones, discover the world around them, and blossom into their own little personalities is one of the most rewarding parts of her job. In her free time, I enjoy making special memories with my family and spending time with her wonderful husband, sweet little boy and their dog. She feels so lucky to be part of your little one’s early learning journey!

 Mrs. Brooke comes to us with 3 years of experience working with sweet infants. She loves creating a safe, loving, and fun environment for her little learners. Her goal is to make sure every child feelss cared for and enjoys their time at school, while giving parents peace of mind knowing their little ones are in good hands. In the future, Mrs. Brooke hopes to become a Children’s Ministry Director!  A few fun facts she is newly married, loves to read and she has a 4 year old Chiweenie that she absolutely adores!  

Joan has been apart of the Prep n' Play team for 1 year now. She enjoys coming to help guide all the children. They are so loving and bring her joy. Joan loves traveling with her husband and visiting her 2 grown boys who are off at college aswell and looking for new sweet treats.

 Ms. Jalynn is currently pursing her English degree with the dream of one day writing a children’s book. In her free time she enjoys reading and creating art, and she loves bringing that creativity into the classroom for the past 4 years. Her favorite part of working with children is watching them grow in confidence and independence as they learn new skills.