Our Team
Little Mountain Preschool was founded in 2013 by three passionate preschool teachers who shared a common philosophy on education and child development. Their vision was to create a nurturing space where children are free to explore their individuality through creative play, build confidence, and develop independence. Today, our incredible team carries this vision forward, fostering a warm and inspiring environment where every child can thrive.
Meghan Krempetz, Director
Meghan is passionate about her work with young children and is thrilled to be teaching at Little Mountain Preschool. She brings to her work compassion, reflectiveness, collaboration, curiosity and an abundance of energy and playfulness. Meghan believes that the foundation of early childhood education is the cultivation of caring and respectful relationships and she is dedicated to supporting each child’s individual temperament, abilities and interests. Meghan taught at College of Marin’s Child Study Program, Little Mountain Preschool and Ross Valley Nursery School.
Meghan grew up in San Anselmo and attended school at Brookside and graduated from Drake High School. During the years after receiving her BA in sociology at UCSC, she worked and volunteered in the public health education field with Peace Corps Niger in West Africa and as a reproductive health educator for a globally respected women’s healthcare organization. Volunteering continues to be an integral part of her life.
Meghan lives in Fairfax with her daughter Chase and their dog Ozzy. She spends her down-time hiking, reading, creating and spending time with her two children, Owen and Chase, her extended family, and friends.
Torri Chappell, Teacher
Torri comes to Little Mountain Preschool after more than 30 years of teaching in elementary schools. Her life-long interest in working with and supporting children inspired her to delve deeper into understanding the developmental psychology and neuroscience behind relationships and learning. Torri became a certified instructor with Hand in Hand Parenting as well as the Neufeld Institute of Developmental Science, which not only helped her as a parent and teacher, but also gave her the tools to provide support to parents as they raised their young children. Torri is inspired by the curiosity, authenticity and possibility of young children and believes in the power of a caring, supportive environment to allow them to fully grow and thrive.
Torri was born in Okinawa, Japan and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. After receiving her BA in International Studies at Emory, she spent 2 years as a Fulbright Scholar teaching English in Vienna, Austria. Upon her return, she got her MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management. The world of international business couldn’t compete with her passion for children so she got her Multiple Subject Credential and has surrounded herself with children ever since.
Torri raised her two children in San Anselmo and is the doting grandma of three grandchildren. Her children went to the San Anselmo Co-op when Edith Reynolds was director and Torri served as the Curriculum Coordinator and soaked up Edith’s wisdom and love. She speaks German and Swedish, enjoys Origami, playing games, cooking, learning Spanish and ukulele and discovering new hiking trails in the Bay Area.
Carolyn Seely, Teacher
Carolyn comes to Little Mountain Preschool with 18 years of elementary school teaching experience, 10 of those in Kindergarten. She is a deeply reflective educator who believes that young children learn best through play and secure relationships with adults and peers. Carolyn is eager to share her love of nature and science. She is passionate about working with young children and cultivating curiosity about the world around them. She is currently enrolled in WildCare’s Nature Guide Program to deepen her understanding of our local ecosystems and looks forward to playing in the dirt with preschoolers.
Carolyn grew up in San Rafael and went to San Rafael High School. After receiving her BA in Cultural Anthropology at UCSC, she earned a bilingual teaching credential and taught in Spanish-English dual immersion schools in Napa and San Rafael. In her free time she volunteers at a medicinal herbal cooperative, creates herbal remedies and enjoys the outdoors with her family and dog, Una.
Fabiola Caiazzo, Teacher
Fabiola was born and raised in Naples, Italy. She moved to the United States in 2019 as an aupair taking care of two young children who inspired her to pursue a career into early childhood education. She graduated from College of Marin in 2024 and plan to extend her education journey. She currently lives in Kentfield with her boyfriend, Max.
Fabiola is thrilled to join the LMP community and share her culture, knowledge and experience with preschoolers. She believes that young children learn essential skills through play, which allows them to develop social interaction, problem solving, and create a safe, supportive, and caring environment. She loves cooking, traveling, swimming, camping, and spending time with friends. Whenever she can, she goes back to Italy to visit her big family which is the most important gift in her life.
Owen Foltz, Teacher
Owen is just beginning his journey in Early Childhood Education, currently taking courses at the College of Marin. He is a natural teacher, with a curious, playful, and gentle approach to guiding young minds. Owen believes in fostering a respectful and engaging learning environment where children feel safe and encouraged to explore and grow.
In addition to his passion for teaching, Owen is a talented musician. He plays a variety of instruments, including the guitar, trumpet, dulcimer, piano, and more. His love for music extends beyond performance – he is also an avid reader with a deep appreciation for all kinds of books.
Owen resides in San Anselmo, where he enjoys spending his free time playing and composing music, reading, hiking, and spending quality moments with his family and friends. He brings his creativity, enthusiasm, and love for learning to the classroom, creating an inspiring and nurturing space for children to thrive.
Marie Hamilton, Teacher
Marie comes to Little Mountain with over a decade of teaching experience in elementary and middle school. She has had the opportunity to work with children from pre-k - high school and is so thrilled to return to working with preschoolers. Marie is especially interested in social emotional learning and helping students successfully navigate their day at school. She is excited to explore, learn, read and create with all the students at Little Mountain Preschool.
Marie grew up in east bay and attended Sonoma State University. After college she spent a year in the Jesuit Volunteer Corp in Atlanta, GA where she worked for Aid to Children of Imprisoned Mothers. Most recently she taught at a middle school in San Francisco. Marie lives in San Anselmo, and enjoys spending time with family and friends, and going on all kinds of little adventures with her two kids, husband and dogs.
Anke Bening, Teacher
Anke is originally from Germany and moved to the US in 2016. In Germany, Anke started a career as an attorney but she decided to go back to University and get her masters degree in education with emphasis on language and math. She started out teaching as an elementary school teacher in Germany, where she was very fortunate to gather a lot of experience working with special needs kids, especially autism.
Since 2016, Anke has worked as a nanny and joined the Little Mountain Preschool team in 2021. Anke believes in playful learning; she loves to sing, laugh, create new games to engage children and teach the students and teachers a little German every day. Anke's son lives in Europe and she and her husband live in Kentfield where they enjoy hosting visits with family and friends from overseas. Her hobbies include traveling, swimming, scuba diving, hiking and reading.
Donna Brydon, Teacher
Preschool is a truly magical time, and Donna is passionate about working with young children. She is committed to the belief that children learn best in a safe, nurturing, and creative environment with cognizance and emphasis of the "whole child"-intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical, while encouraging positive self-esteem. Donna was born in San Francisco of Italian immigrant parents and cherishes her heritage. She loves visiting relatives in Lucca, Italy. She enjoys waling, gardening, baking, Jazzercise, and spending tie with family s and friends.
Donna received her BA from San Francisco State University and her Early Childhood Teaching Credential is from Sonoma State University. She taught at Ross Valley Nursery School for many years and at Manor School in Fairfax for over twenty years as a Resource Specialist Assistant and Academic Intervention/ Title 1 Reading Teacher. Currently, she privately tutors student's in early literacy/ reading. Donna lives in San Anselmo and is the proud mother of two daughters and four wonderful grandchildren.
Edith Fesckes-Reynolds, Teacher
Edith’s commitment to early childhood education began with the arrival of her two youngest siblings—one when she was 17 and another at 18—an experience she describes as pure bliss. After earning a B.A. in Music (Piano/Cello), she pursued her elementary school credential at Cal Poly and later enrolled in a Master’s program in Human Development (Early Years) at Pacific Oaks College.
Her career has included roles in teacher training programs at Mission College and College of Marin and 18 years as the director of San Anselmo Co-op, followed by a wonderful year at Cottage Montessori. Today, she brings her passion and experience to Little Mountain Preschool.
Born in Hungary, Edith immigrated to the U.S. at age 10, moving from Budapest to Sausalito—a journey for which she and her family remain deeply grateful.
