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
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. 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!