Our Teachers

Our Teachers and Staff

Hilltop is staffed by fully qualified, enthusiastic and caring professionals all of whom have extensive training and background in the field of child development, possess CPR/ First Aid Certification, and are active participants in professional workshops in order to enhance their knowledge, growth and development as teachers guiding young children and their parents.

Lynette Anderson

Lynette has worked in childcare for over 30 years. She has a passion for helping families become stronger and more effective at communicating with each other. She finds delight and wonder in assisting children in discovering the world around them, as well as embracing the strength that comes from knowing about oneself. “There is nothing greater than having the privilege and honor of being a part of a person's first discoveries, a radish that’s been pulled from the ground, a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. This is the beginning of wonder and wisdom.”

She completed her basic and advanced training through UCLA Extension and is a Certified Parenting from the

Heart instructor. She has also had training in Brain Gym, Parent Effectiveness Training (PET), attended workshops and lectures in Reggio Emilia, Waldorf School pedagogy and is CPR/first aid certified. Learning and growing into becoming a better, happier person is a constant passion for her.

Outside of school, Lynette enjoys gardening, more recently into exotic plants, cooking and preserving foods

like ferments, canning, dehydrating and freeze-drying. She also enjoys working out at CrossFit, and Barefoot Movers and spending time with her family.

She has 3 daughters, Ariel, Rochelle and McKenna — all of which attended Hilltop! She has been with her

husband, Bob for 42 years and now resides in Fountain Valley along with their cat “The Dude”, a Great Pyrenees “George” and a Bernese Mountain dog “Marley”.

She has taught in the Seeds, Sprouts, Blooms, and Blossoms classes here at Hilltop Preschool. “I am excited

to be returning in the fall as the director of the school”.

 Jalene Weigand

After many years as a Preschool Teacher, 29+years to be precise, Jalene is so grateful to have found Hilltop Preschool, which is a community, based on love, respect, and vast knowledge of Child/Human Development. Jalene has a broad range of experience in the field of Early Childhood Development working with children from the ages of birth through 12 years. She studied ECE/Human Development and received an ECE Leadership Certificate from Cal State Fullerton. Along with ECE Education, she is also a certified Life Coach focusing on Peaceful Parenting and Communication. Jalene has also studied the RIE philosophy (Resources for Infant Educators developed by Magda Gerber) and holds a RIE Certificate and is CPR/first aid certified.

She lives in Anaheim with her husband, Alan. They are the proud pet parents of 2 dogs, 3 cats, 1 bunny, and 4 fish. Jalene and her husband are extreme animal advocates and rescue any lost pet they come across. Jalene is looking forward to getting to know each and every beautiful family in the Hilltop community.

Alexa Featherstone

Alexa is excited to enter into another year with our returning families and getting to know all of the new families entering into our community. This will be her 11th year at Hilltop and 9th year teaching. She's had the chance to experience teaching in all of Hilltop's classes. In addition, she taught our parenting class known as Deeper Dives. Her oldest son, Jayden, and second child, Jionni, are Hilltop Alumni. Her youngest, Jodee, will be in the Blooms class this year.

Alexa has taken Early Childhood Development courses at Saddleback College and is CPR/first aid certified. She has also taken Parenting from the Heart with Mrs. Lynette and plans to further all of that knowledge as the years go on. She's eager to start this year with the Blooms class and to co-create with her colleagues to unite the community on this path of Hilltop magic.

Elizabeth Daniels

This is Elizabeth’s eighth year in the Hilltop community and her fourth year as a teacher.

Having many years as a working parent at Hilltop and two courses of Parenting From the Heart under her belt has prepared Elizabeth to lovingly nurture the Hilltop philosophy in these young minds.

As a parent of a Hilltop Alum and a neurodivergent child, Elizabeth believes she can provide an understanding of many layers of child development. Supporting her own child has engendered a passion for a deeper understanding of how to support their growth. Through all of this, she has had the Hilltop teachers to thank as they were the catalyst for her and her family’s journey.

Elizabeth earned both her BA in Fine Arts and Certificate in Early Childhood Education from UCLA. She is CPR/first aid certified.

She lives in Huntington Beach with her husband, two children and three Guinea pigs. Elizabeth loves trips to the beach, hiking the National Parks, playing board games and exploring the children’s library for the next great story

Amy Gray

Amy has been a teacher and member of the Hilltop community for four years. During her time with Hilltop she has taught Seeds, Sprouts and Blooms.

Amy brings extensive experience with young children to Hilltop thru her previous work with children in the foster care system, where she specialized in working with children who have experienced varying degrees of mental, emotional, and physical trauma. Amy’s out of the box thinking and whole family approach makes her an asset for the Hilltop team. She received her Early Childhood Education certificate at Long Beach City College and is trained in CPR, first aid and hospice support.

Amy has four adult children and lives in Long Beach with her husband, two dogs and her twin daughters. Amy brings her adventurous, fun loving, and compassionate spirit to Hilltop. She loves to travel and explore different cultures. In her free time, she enjoys cooking new foods, throwing pottery, and is always looking for a new creative outlet. 

Ariel Anderson

Ariel comes to us as the first alumna to join our teaching staff. This is her fifth year teaching at Hilltop. She came to us after completing her masters program at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and her undergraduate work at the University of Minnesota. She has completed Parenting from the Heart courses, participated in numerous Hilltop training opportunities, and has experience as an au pair for a family in Norway.

She takes an active role in board and general meetings, participates regularly in teacher development courses and classes outside of the school, and constantly seeks to further her own personal and professional growth. She has completed her associate teaching certificate in Early Childhood Education at OCC and UCLAX.

This will be her fourth year with the Blossom class. Her love for discovery and her constant desire to grow as a learner makes her a wonderful match to our program