Our Leonardo Location
Hours: 7:30am-5:30pm 45 Appleton Avenue, Leonardo
Our Leonardo location is conveniently located seconds off of Highway 36 and minutes from the Seastreak Ferry. We opened our doors in this location in the winter of 2014 for children from 6 weeks through six years old. With five spacious classrooms, our students are placed according to chronological age and transition with their developmental and social-emotional needs in mind.
Our program embraces the principals of developmentally appropriate practice by setting appropriate expectations, scaffolding new skills and creating meaningful play-based experiences. Children are empowered to make choices throughout their day that foster intrinsic motivation. Each level of our program looks to the skills and competencies that children will need to be successful learners in and beyond kindergarten.
What makes us different from other programs? Minding Miracles is a family-run company that recognizes the importance of relationships. The relationships between our staff, parents, management and students are critical to the success of our center and the emotional, social & cognitive growth of each of our students.
Our Leonardo Staff
Elizabeth DeMarco
Elizabeth DeMarco
Elizabeth DeMarco
Elizabeth has been director of Minding Miracles since 1998 and director of the Leonardo center since 2014. She has her BA degree in Early Childhood Education and Masters Degree in Special Education.
Andrea Colton
Elizabeth DeMarco
Elizabeth DeMarco
Andrea serves as our center manager in our Leonardo location. She has been a part Minding Miracles staff since August of 2016. Initially, as a paraprofessional and then as a head teacher before taking on the role as manager. She has over 15 years of experience in the early childhood classroom. Andrea is the mother of two pre-teen young men.
Jessica Redmond
Elizabeth DeMarco
Jessica Redmond
Jessica has been the head teacher of our Pre-Kindergarten Class since 2016. She has a Masters Degree in Multicultural Education and seven years of experience teaching in the elementary school setting. Jessica is the mother of one girl and twin boys. In the fall of 2022, Jessica accepted a position as Minding Miracles' Consulting Head Teacher in which she ensures program quality and continuity in our programs.
Laura Siminski
Christina Covert
Jessica Redmond
Laura joined our staff in 2020 as a paraprofessional in our pre-k, four-year-old program. With more than 15 years experience as a paraprofessional in Middletown elementary schools, Laura has a wide range of experience with children of different ages and developmental levels. She is currently serving as lead teacher in our Pre-K classroom and is pursuing certification as a Child Development Associate (CDA).
Christina Covert
Christina Covert
Christina Covert
Christina became a member of Minding Miracles staff in the fall of 2020. She is currently the lead-teacher in our toddler classroom, serving children from 12-24 months. Christina is currently pursuing certification as a Child Development Associate (CDA).
Cathy Maldonado
Christina Covert
Christina Covert
Cathy has been a member of the Minding Miracles team since 2013. She is a caretaker in infant and toddler classrooms. Cathy is the mother of four and grandmother of six.
Justine Kaplan
Justine Kaplan
Justine Kaplan
Miss Justine joined our team in the Fall of 2022. She is the mother of two teenage children and works in both our infant and toddler classrooms part-time.
Denise Nehila
Justine Kaplan
Justine Kaplan
Denise joined the Minding Miracles staff in the Summer of 2024. After a lifetime of professional positions and motherhood, she has made a career change to support our little learners in the Blue Room.
Miranda Boylan
Justine Kaplan
Karen Malone-Diamond
Miranda began her journey in the childcare field in 2022. She joined our team in the Summer of 2024 as support staff in the toddler program.
Karen Malone-Diamond
Karen Malone-Diamond
Karen Malone-Diamond
Karen has been a caretaker in Minding Miracles' infant/toddler classrooms since the winter of 2018. She is the mother of four and grandmother of three.
Kathy McCormack
Karen Malone-Diamond
Jessica Molinara
Kathy has a BA degree in Early Childhood Education and has over 25 years experience as a teacher in preschool classrooms. She has been assisting as an afternoon caretaker at Minding Miracles since the fall of 2015. Kathy is the mother of two and has three grandchildren.
Jessica Molinara
Karen Malone-Diamond
Jessica Molinara
Jessica has been support staff in our infant program since the Winter of 2024. She Volunteers on the local first aid squad & is a former EMT. With previous work experience in retail positions, childcare is a new & natural career path for Jessica.
Danielle Scalzo
Danielle Scalzo
Danielle Scalzo
Danielle began her career in early childhood education in 2012. She has worked with children from infancy through 9-years-old. Danielle currently teaches our two-year-old classroom and is pursuing her Associates Degree.
Kaylen Anderson
Danielle Scalzo
Danielle Scalzo
Kaylen became a member of our staff in in September of 2021. She has her associates degree and is currently working toward her Bachelors Degree in early childhood education. Kaylen has been working with young children since the age of 16 in various capacities.
Carley Kennedy
Danielle Scalzo
Melissa Connolly
Carley joined the Minding Miracles staff as a floater in May of 2022 and quickly found a home in our infant program. Carley has several years of experience with young children in both formal and informal settings.
Melissa Connolly
Melissa Connolly
Melissa Connolly
Melissa is pursuing her life-long dream of working in a childcare center by supporting our students and teaching staff in our pre-k classroom.
Kayla Anderson
Melissa Connolly
Victoria Pomara
Kayla is pursuing her Associates Degree in early childhood education while employed at Minding Miracles. She is currently the head teacher in our three-year-old classroom.
Victoria Pomara
Melissa Connolly
Victoria Pomara
Victoria has been a part of Minding Miracles staff since the Summer of 2022. She works part-time as a floater as she pursues her BA degree in education.
Our staff...
Our staff undergo criminal history checks before employment and systematically thereafter. Each staff member is required to achieve and maintain CPR & First Aid certifications. They each have been specially selected based on their level of experience, commitment to the field of early childhood education, overall affect in the presence of children and ability to relate to children in a respectful and upbeat manner.