Dedicated professionals committed to nurturing your child’s growth and happiness.
Meet the Heart of Nelson Daycare: Educators and Staff
Our Passion, Your Child’s Potential
At Cornerstone Daycare, we are proud to have a team of highly qualified educators and staff who are passionate about early childhood education. Each member of our team is committed to creating a warm, inclusive, and engaging environment where your child can thrive. From fostering creativity to building social skills, our educators go above and beyond to nurture every child’s unique potential.
Passionate, Experienced, and Caring Professionals
Our teams bring experience, passion, and dedication to every child’s development. Our professionals strive to create a warm, inclusive, and stimulating environment where each child feels valued, supported, and inspired to learn and grow.
Taina Gaitan
Director
In 2018 my family and I moved to Nelson from Panama, my home country. In Panama, I was a Kindergarten teacher at a K-12 International Bilingual Academy. I also directed the talent shows and musicals at the Academy as well as running a non-profit Cultural Centre, where I had the pleasure of working with children of all ages teaching singing, art, dance, and music. I have a Master’s Degree in teaching and have always loved helping children, I am also a mother, I have two boys and two girls, all now in their late teens and early twenties.
I have been with Cornerstone ever since my first year in Canada. Caring for the youth is my calling in life and it brings me joy every day, they are our hope for the future.
Surya Gonella
Supervisor of the Daycare
My name is Surya Sameera. I live in Nelson with my husband and two beautiful children. I am from Hyderabad, India. I moved to Nelson from India in 2016 and fell in love with this place ever since. It is heartwarming to be among the supportive and welcoming people. I am an Early Childhood Educator and also have a master’s Degree in Biochemistry. My work was always with children. Teaching biology to the high school kids and science in the elementary school was my first job. I have been working as a childcare worker for the past three years at Cornerstone and I enjoy my time being with children.
I am glad to be working with children being an important part of their early years of life. I feel privileged to take the responsibility in inspiring and supporting the children for physical, emotional and social development alongside their families and my colleagues.
August Whitefield
After School Supervisor
Hi, my name is August Whitefield, and I’m the supervisor of Cornerstone After School Care. I’m an Early
Childhood Educator currently furthering my education in child and youth care. My passion for working
with kids started early, thanks to growing up with three younger brothers who helped shape my
nurturing and playful nature.
I love staying active and creative. I go to CrossFit regularly and have recently started contemporary dance. These interests inspire the activities I bring to the program, as I enjoy creating fun, engaging games that allow kids to express their true, childlike selves.
Skyler Urriola
Kindergarten Supervisor
Hi there! I’m so grateful to be the supervisor of our kindergarten afterschool program. As an Early Childhood Care and Education professional, I have been living in Nelson for 6 years. When I’m not at work, I’m all about doing things that bring me joy and keep me energized. You’ll often find me dancing to my favorite songs, diving into a great book, hitting the gym to stay active, or getting creative with fun crafts.
I also love building strong relationships with families because we’re all a team in helping your child grow. Open communication is at the heart of what I do, so whether you’d like to share a milestone, ask a question, give feedback, or just have a friendly chat, I’m always here for you!
Anitta George
Daycare Educator
Hello my name is Anitta George. I have been with Cornerstone Children's Center for the past four years, and during this time, I have developed a strong passion for working with children. Originally from India, I moved to Nelson with my husband, and I am grateful to be part of such a vibrant community. I am continuously inspired by the curiosity and eagerness of children to learn about the world around them. Every day, they teach me something new and encourage me to approach life with a positive mindset.
I strive to build strong, professional relationships with my colleagues, parents, and the children to create a safe and healthy environment at our daycare. During my leisure time I like reading books, watching movies, listening to music,going for walks, cooking and gardening.
Colleen Holmes
Daycare Educator
Hello, my name is Colleen Holmes. I owned a daycare in Surrey for 12 years and in May of 2020 I closed it and my partner and I moved to Crescent Valley. His parents live in Nelson so we thought it was a good idea to help them out and spend some quality time with them. We have 2 cats and a puppy. I have been a ECE Teacher for 25 years and have always wanted to do this for a living but I waited till I was older to pursue it. I started working at Cornerstone Childcare in October of 2020. I was so impressed with the teachers and the children. I enjoy coming to work everyday!
Simran Kaur
Daycare Educator
My heartfelt greetings to the reader :)
I proudly introduce myself as an experienced Early Childhood Educator owning the Bachelor’s degree of Physiotherapy from India. I was born in Punjab, India and currently I’m living in the mesmerizing Kootenays since the year 2021. While working as a Physiotherapist towards the physical, emotional, mental and holistic wellbeing of the children in the healthcare system made me realize how much I cherish working with children; therefore, I decided to combine my expertise of Physiotherapy with the Early Childhood Education. With accomplishing this goal here I present myself in front of you to assure you that your children are in safe hands where I not only look after your children but also make sure that children’s entire wellbeing is fulfilled through 5 dimensions of health i.e. physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social. It is my utmost priority to consider and respect the parent’s perspectives, thoughts, and ideas to make a better learning environment for the children. Fun facts: I take delight in dancing, arts & craft, cooking and socializing with great souls of this world like you :) I look forward to flourishing under the guidance of the staff of Cornerstone Children’s Centre.