Kids’ Time did a lot of hiring this year to prepare for a rebound in student attendance post COVID-19. Our fresh staff joins a tenured group who have made a career of working with kids. Here’s a quick “getting-to-know-you” of three amazing staff members.
Name: Britney Cedillo
School: Fairview
Do you have any nicknames? Bri or Brit
Who is your favorite author? Richelle Mead
What is your favorite book?Vampire AcademySeries
Do you have any siblings? 2 Sisters and 1 Brother
Are you a member of any clubs or teams? No
Please share your funniest story or memory with Kids’ Time. Aalana’s Special Eyebrow face
What motivates you each morning? To live the best life I can and to carry on.
What do you enjoy most about working with children? To see them learn new things, and seeing their fun personalities
Do you have any pets? If so, name and breed? Tessa, Great Dane
What is your favorite activity to do with family and friends? Board Games
Do you collect anything? If so, please describe. Shot Glasses and Antique postcards
If you could travel the world, where would you go and why? Sweden, because I have a friend that lives there and has shown me pictures
Name: Janine Burrow
School: Twin Ridge Site Director
Do you have any nicknames? Gabby (in high school my drama teacher called me this because in those days I was super quiet), it stuck, all my classmates and friends in marching band and my drama class used to call me this.
Who is your favorite author? Jane Austen or E.M. Forster (I am a goner for the old school classics and classic writers)
What is your favorite book?Letters To A Young Poet By Rainier Marie Rilke
Do you have any siblings? 2 sisters
Are you a member of any clubs or teams? hmmmmm…..not currently, I used to be a part of an online writing group that I loved doing.
Please share your funniest story or memory with Kids’ Time. Not sure if this is the funniest memory, but one of our kids tried to smuggle wood chips in their pocket and into the building. But then he got scared when he thought we would check his pockets. As soon as we got in the building he asked to go to the bathroom. He took his turn and then went to centers. Another student went in after and then came out and said the bathroom wouldn’t work. Turns out our friend to avoid getting busted, dumped the wood chips in the toilet to get rid of the evidence.
What motivates you each morning? That being there and being present means my kids know I’m going to be someone who cares about them and will give them a safe place when they are there.
How long have you worked at Kids’ Time? 25 years
What do you enjoy most about working with children? Getting to still do fun kids stuff through them vicariously! Helping them to become successful and good people! They motivate me to be a better person!
Do you have any pets? If so, name and breed? No pets at my house. If there is such a thing as granddogs or cats, then I have a dog nephew (LOL) “Avery”
What is your favorite activity to do with family and friends? Family Barbecues/Parties/Movie Nights
Do you collect anything? If so, please describe. Coffee Mugs (I love coffee), ones from places I’ve visited or travelled to, favorite fandoms, superheroes, shows or movies, etc.
If you could travel the world, where would you go and why? England, I’d like to see places/settings where some of my favorite books take place… Jane Austen, the Brontes, Shakespeare, etc. (you get the picture!)
Name: April Santiago
School: Central
Do you have any nicknames? No nicknames
Who is your favorite author?
What is your favorite book? Don’t really have a favorite book. My kids loved Harry Potter growing up though, so I have fond memories of reading those with my kids. I’m currently reading The Awakened Family: How to Raise Empowered, Resilient, and Conscious Children by Shefali Tsabary Ph. D and I’m loving it!
Do you have any siblings? I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. I’m the third child, but there’s a 15 year gap between my sister and me so it’s kind of like being a middle child and an oldest child.
Are you a member of any clubs or teams? Not a member of any clubs or teams
Please share your funniest story or memory with Kids’ Time. since I just started Kids’ Time in October, I don’t really have any funny stories yet. I can share a funny story that happened years ago with two little boys we were fostering at the time. They were ages 2 and 3 and were in their room “playing” and being suspiciously quiet so I went to check on them to find them and everything in the room, and I do mean everything, was covered in a white substance. They had gotten into the bag of powdered sugar and shook it in the air, “making it snow!” (LOL) The sight was a winter wonderland!
What motivates you each morning? My children and your children are what motivates me each morning! My children are my world and I want to create a memorable childhood for them and a loving home for them to fall back on once they leave the nest. My Kids’ Time kids motivate me because I want to be a person who makes a small difference in their lives; a source of light and love while they’re away from home.
How long have you worked at Kids’ Time? I’ve worked for Kids’ Time just since the end of October, but this is my third year working at my school helping with school lunches.
What do you enjoy most about working with children? What I enjoy most about working with children is just how pure hearted they are and how they find such joy in the simplest of things. It reminds me to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of life, to remember to laugh and enjoy life.
Do you have any pets? If so, name and breed? I have 3 fur babies: Bailey & Ace, our senior chihuahuas, who are 11 years old, and Winnie, our mini golden doodle, who is 1 year old. I absolutely love our pets! They provide unconditional love and endless laughs!
What is your favorite activity to do with family and friends? I’m a homebody, so I enjoy hanging out at home with my family playing UNO, having a bonfire and making s’mores, or just having a family movie night with homemade popcorn made on the stove…the best!
Do you collect anything? If so, please describe. No collectibles, just lots of children lol…my husband and I have 6 kids: 21 year old quadruplets, a 15 year old daughter, and a 12 year old son.
If you could travel the world, where would you go and why? Anywhere with sun, sand, and the ocean!
Want more Kids’ Time news and current events? Find the full Kids’ Time Newsletter here!