Lindsey Widger

founder

Lindsey Widger is a passionate early educator who comes from a strong teaching and leadership background that spans a variety of educational settings and philosophies including play-based education, the Reggio Emilia Approach, exceptional needs education, and The Montessori Method. As a highly motivated personality and a passionate believer in a play-based, emergent curriculum, Lindsey never stops challenging herself to improve as an educator and is constantly involved in a large variety of professional development workshops. She has had the privilege of sharing her perspective on play at the Follow Your Lead Virtual Summit 2024, Kristen’s Cabinet of Curiosity and Creativity, and Honoring Childhood: The Podcast, as well as showcasing Olive Branch to a worldwide audience at the Play Around the Globe Virtual Festival. She often travels to pursue her love of play and has participated in The Hundred Languages of Children, hosted by NAREA and the Washington Collective in Seattle, and regularly attends conferences that span a wide breadth of philosophies related to play, such as The Power of Learning Stories hosted by EDvance San Francisco and The Play Conference in Northern California. 

When Lindsey is not teaching, participating in conferences, or collaborating with the OBCS staff, Lindsey is a mother to her young son, Avery (and her silly bulldog, Baloo) and a spouse to her loving partner, Sean. When not rigorously advocating for young children’s right to play, Lindsey enjoys drawing and spending time outdoors with her family camping or hiking.

Lauren Eisenmann

founder, enrichment director

Lauren Eisenmann believes deeply in the power of education. Her passion for education began at the young age of 5 when she met her Kindergarten teacher. Inspired by her teachers, she went on to become an Early Childhood Educator, earning her B.A. in Child Development. During her first few years of classroom instruction, she began to uncover her unique ability and passion for leadership within the field. Lauren pursued an M.S. in Educational Leadership and fine-tuned her school leadership toolkit through certifications on Inclusive Leadership, Managing to Change the World, and Workplace Equity. Concurrently, Lauren began developing her own approach towards education. Merging the ideas of Maria Montessori, Lev Vygostky, Bev Bos, Loris Malaguzzi, Alison Gopnik and many others, Lauren began to define her own philosophy. 

Today, Lauren knows that fostering children’s curiosity and innate aptitude for learning is key. Growing a love of learning and a base for learning transcends any specific fact or unit that can be taught. Lauren knows that teaching children to read, write, count, etc., is not about “checking the box,” but moreso about giving children the requisite skills to access life opportunities and all the world has to offer. Lauren seeks to foster environments and instructional approaches that steward each child’s relationship with the world, themselves, their place in their community, and their futures. 

Outside of the classroom, Lauren rigorously advocates for underserved communities, commits an abundance of time to her children and family, and loves to be outside. Her goal in life is to leave the world a better place than when she entered it. She looks forward to continuing to learn, grow, and make an impact!

Bonnie Lundin

preschool director

Bonnie is an accomplished and experienced Early Childhood professional. Throughout her career, she has spent time at five different preschools fine-tuning her personal pedagogy, which aligns quite magically with that of OBCS. Bonnie holds both a Master Teacher Permit and Site Supervisor Permit from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, two associate’s degrees in Early Childhood Education and Psychology, and is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She is driven and inspired by the real-life examples she sees of her Early Childhood and Psychology studies as they appear in her classrooms.

Bonnie’s approach to her work with children is one of observation and scaffolded support, honoring independence and social connection. Uniquely, when asked which aspect of her teaching she takes the most pride in, Bonnie will describe the moments in which she can skillfully stand back and watch! With Bonnie’s careful and intentional approach, children in her care are often able to develop reliable confidence in their ability to master skillsets and develop strong peer relationships. Bonnie’s goal in teaching is to help children to trust themselves and believe in their abilities.

Beyond the classroom, Bonnie is an artistic soul who enjoys the simple pleasures in life. Her creative outlets center around visual art such as drawing, painting, and ceramics. When not creating, she loves eating great food, spending time with her partner, friends, and family, and going to the beach or camping!

Marlena Merida

preschool teacher

As a preschool teacher and a mother of two, Marlena believes strongly that children are competent and capable young learners. After more than five years of experience in the Early Childhood field, she found her home here at Olive Branch and brings a measured and thoughtful approach to our collaborative teaching team.

Marlena is uniquely skilled at connecting with children on an individualized and genuine basis. She takes particular pride in these connections, and explains that the values that drive her pedagogy are grounded in making sure that children are comfortable in their own skin. With this in mind, Marlena not only connects deeply with the children she cares for but also prioritizes allowing children to express their personal interests and helping to foster bonds between young peers.

Outside of her work with preschoolers, Marlena is active and nurturing! She loves yoga, cycling, and Pilates, and can otherwise be found cooking something yummy in the kitchen or spending quality time with her children.

John Gentry

preschool teacher

John is a patient and compassionate Early Childhood professional. In his approach, he takes personal inspiration from a variety of approaches including play based learning, emergent curriculum, Anji-Play, the Reggio Emilia approach, and more, summarizing his pedagogy as, “always child focused; always child-led.” He finds the most value in his work with children in the social-emotional learning that is foundational to an empathetic and compassionate human being. He builds strong relationships with each child at Olive Branch that rest on a foundation of mutual trust and respect.

Uniquely, John’s pedagogy grows and adapts with his participation in regular professional development opportunities. As a flexible and adaptive professional, John has participated in a number of workshops and seminars with Early Childhood leaders such as Jesse Coffino of Anji-Play, Samuel Broaden of Honoring Childhood, and Prerna Richards of Together We Grow.

Beyond the classroom, John finds fulfillment and inspiration in art and storytelling like film and television, live music, working with clay, and spending time with his partner, Bonnie, who he describes as both a mentor and muse in his Early Childhood work.

Brook Medeiros

preschool teacher

[Biography coming soon!]