Shona Sanosi Director/Owner

I am the director and co-owner of the Blue House Nursery and married to Ben and I am mum to twins, Ella and Alfie. I am originally from the UK and hold the NNEB qualification. I have worked with children for the past 20 years, predominantly as a professional nanny, travelling the world and caring for children from birth upwards. I have lived in Singapore on and off since 1997 and in 2003 I opened my consulting business, ‘figi-uk’. Through ‘figi-uk’ I help parents to establish good routines for their babies and children and I advise on many issues. I decided to open the Blue House Nursery when I found that there was nowhere in Singapore that offered the kind of learning experience that I wanted for my children. The school doors opened in February 2008. It is a real pleasure to share our Reggio Inspired school with the families in Singapore.

Ben Sanosi Owner/Administrator

I am the co-owner of the Blue House with my wife Shona. Initially I joined the school in the early stages to help in the office and yet I am still here, many years later, working in the office and in charge of all administrative duties. In addition to this role I am running my own publishing and conference management business.

Barbara Portakiewicz (Ms Barb) Assistant Director / Pedagogista

Hi my name is Barb and I am the assistant director and pedagogista here at the Blue House. I come from Melbourne Australia and enjoy travelling, spending time on the beach and photography. After completing my Bachelor's Degree, I travelled to Japan, where I worked as an English language teacher. It was here that I unearthed my passion for working with young children and become a qualified kindergarten teacher. Following my teaching in Australia, I accepted a position at an international kindergarten in Hong Kong, where I discovered the Reggio Emilia method. This remarkable early childhood approach has inpired me to pursue a journey of inquiry and discovery and in turn lead me to The Blue House Nursery. I feel priviledged to be working in such a unique school and within the 'Reggio family' here at The Blue House Nursery.

Elizabeth Angeles-Tomas (Miss Liz) Co-teacher

I have been a co-teacher at the Blue House Nursery since September 2009. I am a Filipina and live in Singapore with my husband. I am on my fifth year of teaching young children and hold my Master in Arts in Early Childhood Education. My reflections in my early years in teaching have urged me to go back to school and I have just recently finished my action research that focused on collaborative documentation. Working in the Blue House Nursery made me appreciate children even more as I continue to learn with them. Aside from teaching, I am also interested in exploring parks and beaches; this is why opportunities for me to go backpacking to different places in the Philippines are most awaited. Now that I am in Singapore, I look forward to extend my exploration to other countries in Asia to discover more about our rich culture and diverse people.

Rochelle Boadle (Miss Rochelle) Co-teacher

Hi everyone,

I moved to Singapore from Melbourne, Australia and I am so excited to be here, especially to escape the winters in Melbourne. I started working as a co-teacher at the Blue House Nursery in October 2011.

I have an Advance Diploma in Children's Services and have been working in the early childhood profession for the past 10 years. In addition to working as a Room Leader, I spent 3 years managing an Early Learning Centre in Australia that drew upon the Reggio Emilia philosophy amongst many others.

I spent one year working as a trainer/assessor for Lady Gowrie, an early childhood hub in Melbourne, teaching and assessing students who were studying for their Diploma or Certificate 3 in Children's Services. I am excited to join the Blue House Nursery and continue on my Reggio journey. My personal philosophy is that I want children to be intrinsically motivated to learn, to be inspired by the world around them and above all to have a childhood rich in meaningful experiences.

I was married in September 2011 and looking forward to exploring Asia with my husband and for all the wonderful adventures ahead of us.

I look forward to getting to know you all.

Ana Cavaco (Ms Ana) Co-teacher

Hi everybody. I’m Ana Cavaco and I am originally from Portugal. I started to work with children when I was a theater student at university in Portugal back in 2002. Working in a theater company for children meant spending most part of my day observing, listening and communicating with them. I became so fascinated by children’s responses to theater, by their amazing creativity and curiosity, that gradually I stepped out of stage and started to develop my work with children in pre-school settings, using theater (and the various arts included in it) as an inspiration to self expression, to question, explore, to discover and enjoy learning together.

I’m a curious person, with an open spirit and always ready to laugh. These traces of my personality led me to live and work in different countries, including USA, India and Czech Republic. I finished my theater degree in 2005 but I have continued to study – yoga, dance, puppetry, arts /crafts and more recently music. Working with children demands and inspires me to keep developing and challenging myself.  In December 2010 I completed my Early Years study with the Open University UK. Working in a setting that shares the same values and philosophy I believe in as a teacher, is very important to me. Becoming part of The Blue House Family in January 2011 and fully developing the Reggio Emilia Approach to teaching is a dream come true. I’m very happy and look forward to meeting you all.

Nazira Ramzan (Ms Naz) Co-teacher

Hi there, I’m Naz. I have worked at the Blue House Nursery since October 2009.  I have been working with children aged between 18months-6 years old for the past nine years. I recently graduated from Wheelock College (Boston, Massachusetts), with a Bachelors Degree of Science (Early Childhood Education (focus in Literacy). My specialization areas are in drama, play and creative movement. My passion for teaching evolves from the interest and development of children and creating environments that anticipate children to be involved in. During my free time, I love to dance, travel and spend time with my family. My beliefs also include home-school partnership, which is a key role for children’s development.

Lisa Fenton (Miss Lisa) Co-teacher

Hello, my name is Lisa and I am from Oregon, U.S.A. I have been a licensed teacher for 15 years and recently completed my Master's of Education (M.Ed) with a focus on Early Childhood Education.

My professional career has included teaching at a Waldorf-inspired school and in early childhood special education, supporting families and schools who served children with autism, and facilitating home visits for families with children ages, birth to 2 years old. I am a certified Infant Massage Instructor and have a background in leading creative writing and process painting workshops for children, youth and adults.

I am a self taught artist, passionately enjoy dancing and the movement arts, relish photography and I love to write. Surfing is one of my favourite activities. I enjoy travel, adventure, and exploring new countries, languages, food and cultures.

Supporting children's creativity, self expression and sense of inner wholeness is my teaching and personal mission. Fostering children's self-esteem, personal empowerment and emotional self-regulation is key to helping guide their life-long emotional strength, stability, adaptability and coping skills in our busy, ever changing world. I feel honoured to join The Blue House Nursery teaching team and teo get to know your children and family.

Lara Tabifranca (Miss Lara) Co-teacher

My name is Lara Tabifranca and I have been working at the Blue House Nursery since May 2011. Originally I am from Manila, Philippines. I have been working as an Early Childhood Educator for five years and I am currently a candidate for a Master’s Degree in Education Teaching with a focus on Early Childhood Education. My passion for children and quality early childhood education has led me to this wonderful country of Singapore and I have since discovered the Reggio Emilia Approach to teaching which the Blue House Nursery is renowned for. Working with children every single day is truly a blessing and whilst at the Blue House Nursery I am enjoying the chance to build long and rewarding relationships with everyone in the community.

Faraleeza Abdul Malek (Miss Fara) Co-teacher in training

My name is Faraleeza and I come from Singapore. I have been in the Early Childhood field since 2009. I currently hold my DPT certificate and I expect to complete the Bachelors (HONS) in Early Childhood Studies by 2013.

I started working in the Blue House Nursery in June 2010, as a co-teacher in training. It has always been an interest for me to get to know more about the Reggio Emilia Approach to teaching. It is a great privilege to be a part of this teaching team as I can learn more from them all.  I have always loved to work with children and they inspire me. Besides facilitating the children, it is great to be alongside them and learn together from our explorations.  I am looking forward for more learning opportunities as I work and grow at the Blue House Nursery.

“The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences. We must widen the range of topics and goals, the types of situations we offer and their degree of structure, the kinds and combinations of resources and materials, and the possible interactions with things, peers, and adults.” (Lorris Malaguzzi)

Salmah Umar (Miss Salmah) Co-teacher

Hi, my name is Salmah and I'm from Singapore. I joined the Blue House Nursery in September 2011. I have been teaching for more than ten years and have a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood. I am passionate about my work as I believe learning is a continuing process.

Children's artwork is something that inspires me as I find them to be truly unique and fascinating. From the scrawny lines that children draw to the irregular shapes they construct with materials, it tells beautiful stories. As Loris Malaguzzi said, “Expressive arts are about the learning process rather than the final product. Our task about creativity is to help children to climb their mountain as high as possible.”

I am a cat lover, enjoy scuba diving and hope to skydive again. As part of the Blue House teaching team I know I will continue to gain many insightful experiences of the Reggio Emilia Approach from the staff as well as the wonderful children.

Patricia Velez Ongsuco (Miss Patricia) Teaching Assistant

Hello, my name is Patricia. I am the teaching assistant for the Owls class and started working at the Blue House Nursery in September 2010. I am originally from the Philippines and have been living in Singapore for the past two years. I graduated from the University of St. La Salle in the Philippines with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts major in Psychology. As part of my future plans I wish to combine my work and study to obtain a Diploma in Early Childhood Education or Preschool Teaching here in Singapore. Working with children has become my passion and way of life after 10 years in this profession. Based on my personal experience as a mum of two and as a teacher, I’ve always believed in helping preschool children discover and learn life skills that are essential in facing the challenges in the big school and eventually, in the” big world.

Kim Faure (Ms Kim) Teaching Assistant

My name is Kim and I'm Mum to two children ages nine and five. I am originally from the UK but have spent many years living in Australia. I have over twelve years experience working with children and I hold a qualification in Dental Nursing.

I have volunteered as a Teaching Assistant for the last two years in special needs preschool here in Singapore and in Hong Kong.

I am currently studying the Certificate III Education Support online from Australia. In my spare time I love to keep fit by swimming, cycling, running and competing in triathlons.

I am reallly excited about joining the Blue House Nursery and meeting all the wonderful children that come through the doors.

Zarifah Salwa A L (Miss Za) Office Manager

A warm greeting from me, Za, as I bring my Human Resource and Administration experiences to the Blue House Nursery as an Office Manager. I have been working here since August 2011.

 I managed to craft a niche for my professional growth over the past 20 years through working in organizations such as the Singapore American School, Singapore Sports School, Odyssey Global Preschool and other international schools in Qatar and Egypt.   I am excited to share best practices from these places with The Blue House Nursery.

I have varied interests in education and I have continued my studies at the Linguistics Council and Thames Business School, knowing that the courses I attended on Learning Difficulties, Child Psychology and Administration Management will add value to my school workplace.
Ever seeking for challenges, I am excited to contribute my best to the school and be part of The Blue House Nursery team!

“Give the best to the children, and we would have given the best to our future." (Unknown)