Rachel Haydon (Mrs. Haydon)

Date of hire: August 2021

My favorite children's book/story:

"I Love You Little One" by Nancy Tafuri. I love the simple message of love that the Mother gives to her “little one” and the illustrations of the animals in the book are beautiful. I still consider my teenage children “little ones” and I tell them I love them every chance I get — our phrase now is “love you” in person and over text ... they will always be my "little ones", even though they are not so little anymore.

Fun facts about me:

I’m Australian. We moved to the US 20+ years ago for an adventure (that was going to last for 2yrs), but we are still here! I enjoy the outdoors — hiking, watching my kids play water polo, walking by the ocean and traveling to new places and visiting my family in Australia and England.

What do you love the most about teaching/working with little ones?

Seeing the wonder in their eyes when they do something that they haven’t been able to do before. It’s rewarding watching them learn and seeing the joy they get from singing, gymnastics, putting a puzzle together and when they try a new craft activity. Also, I love seeing their faces light up when they come into the classroom in the morning.

From your perspective, what makes the Children's Center so special?

The friendly, loving, caring environment. Every morning I am greeted with a smile and asked how I am. The staff genuinely care about each other, the children and the families. It really shows and I can “feel the love”. I’ve only been here a short time, but it truly is a special place.