Sanyoo Bharadwaj
Director / 5-Day Class & Early Explorers 2 Teacher
Sanyoo Bharadwaj brought us unique vision and experience when she began teaching at APPS in 2004. She became Assistant Director in 2006 and then Director in 2009. Sanyoo has a BA from India and has her Early Childhood Education Certificate through UC Santa Cruz. She was a passionate parent participant and board member at Eastside Parent Participating Nursery School for three years. Her years at EPPNS gave her an enduring love for nurturing the growth and development of young children. After her daughter’s graduation from EPPNS, she stayed on as a teacher. Sanyoo has taught as a substitute teacher at Mulberry School, in their elementary and preschools program, while her daughter was enrolled there. She was also a Parent participant and an adult educator in her daughter’s middle school program at Discovery Charter School (Phoenix campus). During the pursuit of her vocation as an early childhood educator, Sanyoo has consistently worked in helping these Programs advocate for the creation of a community to support the “whole child”. ‘A child’s work is play’, is her mantra. She has been married to Rajesh, her husband, for thirty nine years. She is the proud mother of Nupur, a UCSC graduate. Sanyoo will continue to enrich her APPS experience by teaching the 5 Day, Early Explorers, and Enrichment classes.
Cathy Kawakami
Positive Discipline Coach and Parent Education
Cathy brings with her the family history and connection that epitomizes APPS. She is a former APPS student who attended with her mother in the early days of the school. Her mother Betsy went on to become an APPS teacher and director for 29 years before retiring in 2004. Cathy has also been a participating parent, board member and former President during the years that her two daughters, Kristen and Lindsey, attended the school. She continues to participate as a parent educator now that her daughters attend college.
In addition to having taught the 1 and 3 Day class for several years, you will see Cathy in the 2, 3, and 5 day classrooms working as a Positive Discipline Coach (PDC). She works with the classroom volunteers modeling positive interactions with the children and provides parent/caregiver education during the after class meetings. “I love working with children, but helping parents learn positive parenting techniques is my true passion. I am excited to have the opportunity to work with both parents/caregivers and their children at APPS”.
Cathy is an alumnus of San Jose State University and keeps busy running her own parent education business, Middle Ground Parenting. She is a Certified Positive Discipline Lead Trainer and also has training in early childhood education. She works with schools that implement Positive Discipline, teaches parent education classes, and leads training with organizations in the US and abroad. She and her husband Stan and their daughters live in San Jose.
Hamsa El Arian
Hamsa El Arian3-Day & 2-Day Teacher
Hamsa will be entering her third year at APPS. She was born in Lebanon and pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Finance before working in the banking sector for 5 years. She moved to the US after getting married and continued her banking career until the birth of her daughter. With her daughter, Hamsa began actively participating in a parent involvement preschool for the first time– a practice she later continued with her son.
As Hamsa’s engagement with early childhood education continued, she felt the urge to enhance her knowledge and skills in this area. She began taking early childhood education courses where she found valuable insights into child development and essential tools to support her own children’s growth and learning.
Hamsa states, “Through this journey, I began to realize the significance of early childhood education in shaping the future society. The courses inspired me to consider a career shift towards this field. I believe that contributing to the development of young minds can have a profound impact on our society’s growth and well-being. I’m excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and the potential to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children!”