Our Location
Located within the Seward Park Cooperative, MLV has four classrooms, an art studio, a library, and a multipurpose room for enrichment classes and indoor ‘big body’ play. Along with an outdoor playground accessible directly from our classrooms, we have access to Seward Park Coop playgrounds, gardens, grassy fields, ball courts, and direct access to one of New York’s largest and oldest public parks (Seward Park), which has just recently received a multimillion dollar grant to renovate as part of the Parks Without Borders initiative
Our Environment
Our physical space is designed to allow interactions between all classrooms and community space. Our students can view what’s going on outside of their classroom and our parents can observe classroom work and activities. During open play our students can often move freely between the rooms fostering mixed age play where our little ones can gain a higher level of understanding from their older peers and our older students can learn empathy and understanding of the younger students, furthering real life social interactions. We incorporate natural materials into our classrooms as much as possible, allowing the children the opportunity to work with items from nature every day and ‘real life’ items within the classroom replace plastic ‘made for kids’ materials.
MLV Staff
Each and every one of our teachers are passionate about Early Childhood Education, dedicated to the philosophy of My Little Village, and committed to growing themselves as teachers, as individuals, and as members of this beautiful community. We meet multiple times each week to reflect on our practice, to improve our understanding of our work, to collaborate on important topics, and to support each other in our efforts. Several times a year we gather for staff development, host family workshops, and attend a variety of community socials to further the important bond between school and home.
Several of our teachers have been with the MLV community since day one. The majority of our staff have been teaching and learning with My Little Village for several years. Our newest hires are as gifted and talented in the classroom as the rest, and we pride ourselves on our varying talents outside of Early Childhood Education and our ability to collaborate and inspire each other.
Amy Kraus, Director/Founder
Hello My Little Village! My name is Amy Kraus and I am very proud to claim responsibility for the creation of this special little school. It started with a thought and an idealism of what the perfect preschool could look and feel like, and grew rapidly into a community collaboration supporting Early Childhood Education and the children and families of our glorious East Village Neighborhood. I absolutely love this school and everyone in it.
After living in the East Village for over 15 years, my family and I made the move to Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, where we currently live. My sons, Miles and Jakob, were amongst the first students to attend MLV and I feel so fortunate that my daughter, Ava, has also been taught by some of the same teachers as her two older brothers nearly 15 years later.
“If your mind is still open enough to question what you are seeing, you tend to look at the world with great care, and out of that watchfulness comes the possibility of seeing something that no one else has seen before. You have to be willing to admit that you don’t have all of the answers. If you think you do, you will never have anything important to say.” - Paul Auster, True Tales of American Life
Sam Speer, Education Director
Hello! My name is Sam. I’m a former teacher and current administrator at MLV, with an ME in Childhood Science. Working with the staff, I most enjoy leading professional development, brainstorming curriculum, and documenting the school’s culture through our newsletter. With the kids, I most enjoy field trips, science projects, and story-telling. On my free time, I like to cook, make art, and play Nintendo. I’m so happy to be working at a school where creativity and humor thrive. I look forward to making our time together inspiring and full of laughter!
“We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and by the depth of our answers.” - Carl Sagan
Jacques Laurenceau, Teacher
Freeda Lou McMahan, Teacher
Jeff Winner, Founder
What's up MLV? Maybe you know this, but I'm Amy's (big) brother. The concept for My Little Village naively began at Tompkins Sq Park. The conversation went something like, "This is what you should be doing, I'll help." I used to live down the street from MLV in a 5 flight walk-up on 2nd Ave, but now I live in sunny, spacious Atlanta, GA. I'm super proud of what our little school has become, especially when I think of all the children Amy and our teachers have helped raise. Our community is better for it. In my other life, I make films and videos.
"Whoever, you are, in the evening, step out of your room where you know everything." - Rilke
Evelyn Flores, Teacher
Hi, my name is Evelyn. I have been part of the MLV family for so many years. I was gone for two years, and am thrilled to be back. Working with little ones has brought so much joy to my life. My husband, John and I are over the moon to have little ones of our own attending My Little Village! On my spare time I love to cook, travel and spend time with friends and family.
“And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy, and your eyes sparkling.”- Shanti
Lindsay Parks, Teacher
Sasha Stjärne, Teacher
Mandy Rogers, Admissions Director
Hi, I’m Mandy! Once upon a long time ago, I helped paint the walls of the original MLV and had the great privilege of teaching there for many years where I was surrounded by the love of so many amazing families and the MLV family, which has so many of it’s original core still here years later. What a testament to Amy and her crew—the soul of MLV! I took many years out to be a full time mom to my favorite human being, Izzy. But now I am so happy to be back and be a part of the next exciting chapter for this incredible school.
“Once upon a time I was the perfect parent. Then I had kids. The end.” - unknown
Jenny Monzon, Teacher
Hello MLV families, my name is Jenny. I am one of the after-school teachers here at MLV. I have worked with children for most of my adult life and very much enjoy spending time with the little people of our world. I have two children of my own: Zachy is an alum and Lymarie cannot seem to stay away (she has even taught as my official assistant teacher). I am an outdoorsy person and will spend as much time in the elements as possible with your children (I promise to put extra layers on them in the winter). Outside of school I enjoy going on all sorts of adventures with my family. I enjoy reading and baking and doing crafty things.
“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” - Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Estrada
David Flores, Teacher
Sascha Gallegos, Teacher
Chris Aguilar, Teacher
Hi! My name's Chris Aguilar. I've been teaching in MLV since its beginning and it continues to be the most rewarding experience. I've been blessed with the time and opportunity to watch this little seed of a school evolve into the vibrant community it is today. It has always been my goal to cultivate the children's sense of wonder and keep them as wide eyed as possible. I believe early childhood teaching is truly a calling and I always say "I didn't choose my career, my career chose me." Besides teaching, I love basketball, playing and making music and thoroughly enjoying being a father to my little boy, Joaquin (whom I've had the privilege of watching grow within this school). It really is my home away from home.
"Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there. " - Rumi
Judy Bodor, Teacher
I have been working with kids for decades and my experiences are quite eclectic. I am a mum, and I have nannied, taught martial arts, ran kid-friendly neighborhood businesses, and now I am over the moon to be back at MLV. When not hanging with my boys I love painting, photography and exploring NYC.
”Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood." - Fred Rogers
Satya Sol, Teacher
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” - TS Eliot
