Teachers

ERICA SHIRLEY CHUBBIC, DIRECTOR and TEACHER

Erica Shirley Chubbic has been working with young kids for practically her entire life - an avid babysitter and volunteer in kids’ programs throughout her teens, it was only natural that she pursue an undergraduate degree in Child Development. She was drawn to the undeniable premise that learning through play is not only the most successful way to help children understand concepts, but is also the best way to support a child's lifelong love of learning and a curious heart. Upon graduation from SJSU, Erica spent time teaching in a variety of play-based schools, looking for the very best fit.

As Erica began a family and looked for an outstanding play-based program for her own kids, she stumbled upon Discovery Parent Child Preschool and discovered the magic of parent participation schools. She was hooked! It had everything that she knew was best for young children: the power of the program was obvious. As her children grew into elementary school, Erica continued with parent participation elementary school for them, and returned to the classroom at a local parent-child nursery school. When the chance presented itself to join the Discovery team in 2011, she was thrilled!

Erica began her tenure as director in 2021. She will continue to lead the parent-child 2s class on Tuesday and Thursday, and facilitate the 4 day class on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Erica is looking forward to continuing the traditions of rich, creative play-based learning, research based skill-building for parents and families, and nurturing our great community of friends, advocates, graduates and young learners.

Erica brings her passion for getting kids in nature and sowing the seeds for learning about our world, building a sense of environmental stewardship, and discovering the pleasure that comes from rising to a physical challenge. In 2019 she designed and led Discovery Outdoors, a summer camp that happens entirely outside and focuses on hiking, plant and water experiences, and interacting with nature on a regular basis. We hosted the camp on our school campus during the pandemic and  hope to resume that summer camp experience in county parks during the summer of 2023..

In her free time, Erica can be found hiking, reading, cooking, riding her bike or planning a travel adventure with her husband and adult children. She is a reliable borrower of good books and she is always happy to share chocolate.

SUMMER MARSHALL, TEACHER

Summer Marshall is an educator who values wonder above all—as a catalyst for learning, a state of awe, and an inspiration for exploration.

Her roles in education have taken her through birthday party performances, public programs at a science museum, a fifth-grade math classroom, and, her favorite, the world of co-op preschools. While she values parts of every job, she knew she'd found something special when she discovered the glory of community and fun when her children matriculated through a co-op! She appreciates the ways it gave her a feeling of support during the unique joys and challenges of early childhood, and her children loved that they were able to play, climb, dig, and really own their learning. So she made it a new career!

Summer deeply values:

• the power of play as a necessity for young children

• respectful, gentle approaches to discipline and conflict resolution

• joyously embracing children as valued individuals;

• inclusivity for every culture, race, religion, ability, size, and gender expression

• asking questions, staying curious, and cultivating wonder

In her years at co-op preschools, she's cultivated child-led science inquiry, advocated for children with lagging developmental skills, educated parents about neuroscience and discipline, and lived within dozens of children's imaginary worlds. Her early childhood education idols include Bev Bos, Ross Greene, and Teacher Tom.

She lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains with her family, where she enjoys reading, relaxing on the deck with her husband, forest bathing, playing fetch with her dog, and telling horribly excellent jokes to her skeptical children. Her favorite dinosaur is the pteranodon, her favorite color is rainbow glitter, and she firmly believes that preschoolers are the BEST.

She can't wait to learn from your family and hopes you and your children have a glorious year playing in the MWF class!