TEACHERS (1-3 year olds)
Melissa G.
Hello, my name is Melissa Gauthier. I have been working in the childcare field since 2001. I graduated with my Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education the same year. I received my Montessori certificate for birth-2 years in 2022.
I began my career working with children aged 3-5. After working with this age group for several years, I decided to try working with infants and children under the age of 2. I quickly realized, this was the age I loved the most! I enjoy being a part of their early learning when they are developing so much is such a short time. I believe through exploration and hands-on experiences children learn best and that is how children in my classroom learn.
I am originally from New Hampshire and moved to North Carolina in 2013 when my daughter was 2 so we could be closer to my husband’s family. In my spare time, I enjoy baking, spending time with my husband and daughter, gardening, tending to many animals and traveling as a family.
Petra
Petra
My name is Petra Tompkins. I have been working here at Discovery since August 2015 teaching two year olds. I was born in Czech Republic and finished a five year Business school in 1997. I worked as a Secretary for Social Services in Czech for almost three years when I decided to pursue my dreams of studying English. I left in 2001 for England where I spent almost two years learning English and also worked for the Sue Ryder Care Charity organization. After my return from England, I decided to leave for America in 2003 as an Au-Pair and that’s when my passion for children began . I obtained my Early Childhood Credentials in 2007 at AB Tech Community College and many other classes followed including Playground Safety Training, English Class, First Aid and CPR classes, etc. Most recently, I completed my training with the North American Montessori Center in 2022 and received by Montessori Certificate for ages 0-3.
I have a Lead Teacher Status in the state of NC and have been working with children ages 0-5 since 2006. I am married with two beautiful children, Dillon and Delilah. My passions are children, travel ,reading, hiking, singing and music. This country is my new home now – I became an American Citizen in 2011.
Camree
Hello, my name is Camree and I have been working with children since 2016. I started working with children in high school. I enjoyed working and interacting with them and making fun art projects! I joined the Discovery team in February of 2018. My years of working at Discovery have been nothing but amazing! I’m a floater, mostly in the toddler rooms and I love teaching the 1-2 year olds!