Our Activity Coordinators
Michele
Michele Menard is an interdisciplinary artist and educator with twenty five years of education and experience in drama, mask & puppetry, creative writing, musical performance, visual arts, and directing. She holds a BFA in drama and poetry from Rhode Island College and an associate teaching/music degree from City College of SF. Michele has been an art teacher for many years in programs throughout the Bay Area. Besides working as an Activity Coordinator for PJW, she is a Resident Artist for the Richmond District Neighborhood Center, teaching puppetry and drama to elementary students. She directs the students in end-of-semester performances. Her mixed media paintings and book illustrations have been showcased locally and internationally.
Her strengths as an artist have supported her where she is able to use her love of drama, literacy, puppetry, self-expression and imagination to support emerging minds. She believes her role is to help facilitate play where the window of opportunities of learning are opened while following the lead of the child's interest.
She often uses literacy-engaging events like story time and finger plays to encourage a child's budding curiosity at PJW's "circle time" -- often her favorite group-concentration activities. She also loves outdoor play where she will often be found eating imaginary ice cream cones or feeding the pretend animals from the zoo. Michele has found that dramatic play is an essential component of healthy brain development and pure fun. The wonderment of life is still very much alive for her and that is what connect her so well with the children she works with along with her patience and sense of humor.
Michele Menard is an interdisciplinary artist and educator with twenty five years of education and experience in drama, mask & puppetry, creative writing, musical performance, visual arts, and directing. She holds a BFA in drama and poetry from Rhode Island College and an associate teaching/music degree from City College of SF. Michele has been an art teacher for many years in programs throughout the Bay Area. Besides working as an Activity Coordinator for PJW, she is a Resident Artist for the Richmond District Neighborhood Center, teaching puppetry and drama to elementary students. She directs the students in end-of-semester performances. Her mixed media paintings and book illustrations have been showcased locally and internationally.
Her strengths as an artist have supported her where she is able to use her love of drama, literacy, puppetry, self-expression and imagination to support emerging minds. She believes her role is to help facilitate play where the window of opportunities of learning are opened while following the lead of the child's interest.
She often uses literacy-engaging events like story time and finger plays to encourage a child's budding curiosity at PJW's "circle time" -- often her favorite group-concentration activities. She also loves outdoor play where she will often be found eating imaginary ice cream cones or feeding the pretend animals from the zoo. Michele has found that dramatic play is an essential component of healthy brain development and pure fun. The wonderment of life is still very much alive for her and that is what connect her so well with the children she works with along with her patience and sense of humor.