About

Administration

​Darcy Campbell, ExecutiveDirector
[email protected]
Darcy has been directing at Cow Hollow School since 2002. Darcy has over 30 years of experience working with teachers, families and children in the Bay Area. She has more than 25 years of Site Administration experience and has taught and learned from children three months to twelve years old. She teaches early childhood and elementary education courses at San Francisco State University and conducts early childhood training and consultations with families, schools, and educational organizations throughout the Bay Area. She is a strong advocate for children and specializes in reflective, responsive, collaborative teaching and parenting practices. Darcy is the founder of The COLLABORATORY, a parent and teacher workshop series and the co-founder of REAL PARENTING, a workshop and coaching practice for parents. Darcy holds a graduate degree in early childhood development.

Trevor Valentino, Chief Operating Officer
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Trevor started teaching at Cow Hollow School since 2007 and moved into an administrative role in 2017. Trevor received his B.A. in African American Studies and English at the University of California, Berkeley. He later received an M.A. in early child education from San Francisco State University where he wrote about his collaborative experience with teachers in Kenya.  He comes from a strong constructivist perspective which endorses an emergent curriculum, child-centered approach to education. He is interested in inclusive early childhood programs and the effects such programs have on children’s social consciousness development. Trevor is also the Summer Program Coordinator which he has helped run for the last several years.

Leslie Norris, Office Administrator and Director of Admissions
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Leslie joined the Cow Hollow School community in 2004 as a parent. As a parent,  Leslie served on the Parent Association and Cow Hollow School Board as Director of Community Enrichment and Visibility. Leslie began working as the school as Admissions Director and Office Administrator in 2009. She particularly enjoys working with parents through the admissions process and helping them integrate into the Cow Hollow School community. Leslie received her Masters in Early Childhood Education and California Teaching credential from Mills College.

Melissa Rivers,  Curriculum Coordinator ([email protected])

Melissa has been teaching at Cow Hollow School since 2008. She has been an early childhood educator for over 17 years. Melissa has worked with children ranging in ages from 6 months to 6 years old as well as with intern teachers and alongside parents in the classroom. She received her BA in Child Development from Sacramento State University and her MA in Education with a focus on Early Childhood Education from San Francisco State University. Melissa has experience conducting workshops for educators and parents with organizations including CAEYC and The Innovative Teacher Project. Melissa is a dedicated advocate for forming strong partnerships with parents and families of young children. In 2022, she moved out of the classroom and became the Curriculum Coordinator for the school. She works closely with all the teachers and supports them in developing and implementing high quality inquiry based curriculum that integrates our school values and guiding principles.

Teachers

Christina Chin ([email protected])

Christina joined Cow Hollow School in July 2021. Christina is a San Francisco native. She received her Bachelors from San Francisco State University in Child and Adolescent Development with a minor in Asian American Studies.  After many years of teaching, Christina decided to go back to school and recently earned her Masters in Early Childhood Education from the University of Colorado, Denver through a two year online program.  As an early childhood educator, Christina sees the importance of supporting the children in developing their social-emotional skills and confidence to know they are capable and competent. She really enjoys listening to the children and asking them questions to provoke their thoughts to see where their ideas lead to support them in loving to learn.  She looks forward to another exciting year. 

Lucy Cline ([email protected])

Sam Estrada ([email protected])

Sam joined Cow Hollow in October 2020. She graduated from San Francisco State University in 2019 with a Bachelor’s in Child and Adolescent Development. In the midst of her studies two recurring questions would pop up: “Why do I want to work with children? What draws me to this field?” It was these key questions that required her to reflect on her time in the field, studies, and deep within. Sam’s answers rarely varied. They were always embedded with love and understanding– the two driving forces that push her to work with youth . Sam is interested in children’s self-development, self-awareness, and self-identity.  In every situation, lesson, or moment that she finds herself engaged with children, she strives to support them through love and understanding, the two pillars that guide her work with youth. Sam is currently pursuing a degree in Psychology and next year hopes to obtain a MA in School Counseling. She has worked with children of all ages through employment and various volunteer programs, such as the San Francisco Education Fund’s mentor program and Mission Graduates.

Cassie Fennel ([email protected]) 

Cassie joined Cow Hollow School in 2022. She began working with children when she was a teenager and her passion for working with the early childhood age group has only grown! Cassie has always been interested in how the mind of a young child works and how to enhance their curiosity of the world. Cassie’s education has focused on early childhood education with an emphasis on social and behavioral psychology. She graduated from CSU Long Beach with a BA in Human Development and a minor in Child and Family Studies. While in college she worked at a Reggio Emilia inspired school where she was able to practice her naturalistic and learner-centered teaching style. Cassie has also worked as a Registered Behavioral Technician supporting children with behavioral challenges to reach their goals. In the ABA field she taught children to use effective coping skills and mindfulness to benefit their everyday life. She believes the best teaching approach comes from love, understanding, and patience.

Jessica Gallagher ([email protected])

Jess joined Cow Hollow School in 2023. After growing up in Sacramento, CA, Jess headed off to Cal Poly SLO where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development and minors in Psychology and Ethnic Studies. After working at the Children’s Center on Cal Poly’s campus for five years, she moved to Denver where she received her Master’s Degree in Learning, Developmental and Family Sciences, with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. After spending two years in Colorado, she just recently made the move to San Francisco. Jess is so excited about joining the Cow Hollow community with a group of like-minded learners dedicated to upholding a strong image of children as competent and capable global citizens. One of Jess’ favorite things about early childhood is discovering more about the world alongside children and finding inevitable joy in each day. In her free time, Jess loves running, trying new foods, and cheering on the San Francisco Giants.

Cindy Grynkiewicz ([email protected])

Cindy began teaching at Cow Hollow School in May 2021 and moved from Dallas to the Bay Area in Spring 2021. Cindy is an auntie to three little ones in Dallas. She earned her B.S. in Elementary Education with a concentration in Middle School Mathematics from the University of Delaware. Cindy has worked with children from ages 1-13 for eight years. Cindy looks forward to continuing to deepen her relationships within the CHS community. Cindy is particularly excited to build children’s confidence through love, guidance, and play!

Anne Marie Haro ([email protected])

Anne-Marie  joined Cow Hollow School in 2022. She discovered her passion for equal opportunity in Education during her time as a literacy mentor for elementary students at the University of California, Berkeley. This inspired her to work in various fields of education in the pursuit of aiding students of all needs in a classroom setting. In 2019, she completed her minor in Child Development where she realized how impactful a quality education through the developing years is. She got the opportunity to work with experts in the field who referred her to the Haste Development Center where she observed teachers in Infant, Toddler and Preschool classes shortly before finding employment there. She finds working with youth inspiring and uplifting. She believes that every child deserves a quality education where they are treated with respect and given opportunities to think for themselves as they navigate the vast world around them. Children are capable of so much and it truly is so powerful to see what they can achieve when given the chance. In her free time Anne-Marie loves film photography, making watercolor art and exploring the beautiful nature that the Bay Area has to offer.

Emily Kish ([email protected])

Emily joined Cow Hollow School in 2022. She earned a BA in Early Childhood Studies with a concentration in Education from Sonoma State University. Emily’s career in the field of early education brought her from Sonoma to the city of San Francisco. Her intention is to work alongside the children, connect to their relationship with natural materials while integrating concepts of mindfulness in  teaching. Emily  looks forward to making connections with the children, their interests, and families.

Katie joined Cow Hollow School in 2023. She moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota to San Francisco in June 2022. She has a  B.S. in Child Psychology and Masters in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. Her career in early childhood education began in her undergraduate work where she worked  with infants and toddlers at a local childcare center and family homeless shelter. Katie also has experience working with children and families in elementary schools and in child protection services. After exploring social work for a few years, her heart brought her back to early childhood education. She is passionate about and inspired by working alongside young learners. In her free time, she enjoys being outside, doing yoga, and spending time with  friends.

Cheyenne Lopez([email protected])

Cheyenne originally joined the Cow Hollow team in 2017 for 4 years and is excited to be back in 2023! She received her BA and MA from San Francisco State University in Child and Adolescent Development and Early Childhood Education. She has worked in the preschool setting for 7 years along with volunteer work with children outside the classroom. Cheyenne and her husband and two cats they adore! In her free time she loves spending time with family and friends while enjoying delicious food and the beauty of San Francisco!

Sienna Nobleza ([email protected])

Sienna began teaching at Cow Hollow School in October 2020. She earned her BA in Child and Adolescent Development and her MA in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, both from San Francisco State University. She has been an early childhood educator for the past 7 years working with children from four months to five years old.  Sienna is eager to build strong relationships with children and their families, connect and dish with colleagues, and is motivated to grow in her passion for this field.  She is an advocate for social-emotional learning, honors the curiosity of young children, and strives to promote inclusivity wherever and whenever she can.  Sienna enjoys witnessing children making their own discoveries and is grateful to be a guide to them in their ever changing environment.  When she is not at CHS, Sienna enjoys sharing meals with friends and recently got certified as a personal trainer and nutritional coach!

Simone began working at Cow Hollow School in 2021. Simone is honored to be a member of the Cow Hollow community. She comes from a family of educators and spent her childhood “playing school.” This childhood obsession quickly turned into a lifelong passion when she came to the Bay Area to study Political Science at San Francisco State University. There she worked on various research projects in conjunction with the Early Childhood Education Department and Head Start Program that motivated Simone to become an educator and advocate for young children. She strives to create a warm and inspiring environment where all children are empowered to create their own learning, form lasting friendships, and have an impact on their world. Simone has continued her education at City College of San Francisco and enjoys attending various professional development workshops and conferences where she learns about topics ranging from arts and activism to supporting children’s play. She now has a Site Supervisor Permit from the California Department of Teacher Credentialing and plans to receive her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Educational Leadership at Mills College.