The Sproutlings Team
Sproutlings is owned by the Shaheed family, long-time residents of New Providence. Mo Shaheed and his daughter, Mira, and son, Jon, oversee the daily operations.
Mo has an educational background and worked with school-age children prior to opening Sproutlings. Mira worked in the area for nearly 20 years as a preschool teacher. Jon was a high school teacher when he served in the Peace Corps in West Africa.
The Sproutlings Story
Mira’s experience serving young children and their families evolved into her vision for Sproutlings. She understands the variety of needs that families with young children have, and she recognizes the growing need for more childcare options in the New Providence area. Mira has completed several teacher education programs for teachers of young children, including a High Scope lead teaching and a CDA (Child Development Associate) Credential for Infants and Toddlers. She frequently attends conferences at Kean University on early childhood education topics.
Our Teachers and Staff
Jon Shaheed
VP of Operations
Jonathan was raised in New Providence and graduated from New Providence High School. He holds a BA in Biology from Bucknell University and a Master's in Health Administration from Columbia University. Jonathan taught biology, chemistry, and physics while serving in the Peace Corps in West Africa. Before joining Sproutlings, he worked as a Forecast Analyst for several years and later in Care Transitions at a New York hospital system. Jon enjoys playing soccer in his spare time and recently coached the NPHS Boys Freshman Soccer team to an undefeated season. He lives in town with his wife, Sydney, his son, Kieran, his daughter, Layla, and their dog, Kodak.
Madeline Espinal
Director
Maddie has over 15 years of experience in education, working with children of all ages, from toddlers to school-aged kids. At Sproutlings, she has spent the past three years teaching Pre-K 4 and is now transitioning into her role as Director. Before joining Sproutlings, Maddie lived in Pennsylvania, where she worked as a youth services librarian and a lead preschool teacher. Maddie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Penn State University – Harrisburg. She currently lives in Bridgewater with her husband, Marco, their two daughters, Daisy and Lily, and their cat, Jack.
Donna McHugh
Lead Teacher — Peapods
Donna has worked as lead teacher of infants for over 10 years. Prior to that, she worked as an assistant teacher and then lead teacher with both toddlers and preschoolers. Donna’s experience with caring for infants and working with families of our youngest clients prepares her well for this position. Donna enjoys spending time with her three children, Joseph, Courtney and Bridget, and four grandchildren.
Laurel Joseph
Lead Teacher — Peapods
Laurel was born in Dominica and moved to New Jersey at age 11; she currently resides in Lyndhurst, NJ. She is attending Bergen Community College, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Early Childhood Education. Deeply passionate about working with children of all ages, Laurel brings a wealth of positive energy and creativity to the classroom, and she loves watching the little ones grow and achieve their milestones. Laurel joined Sproutlings in August 2024 as an assistant teacher and has been serving as the lead teacher in the Peapods classroom since January 2026.
Emily Shattle
Lead Teacher – Peapods II
Emily is from Middlesex, NJ and graduated from Middlesex High School in 2015. She attended Raritan Valley Community College and American Academy McAllister Institute. Emily has been around children her entire life, from having a daycare in her childhood home, to babysitting, working summer camps, as well as spending two years in a preschool classroom at a local daycare. During her free time, she spends her weekends at the shore with her friends.
Bridget Nobile
Lead Teacher — Seedlings
Bridget has been working with young children for over fifteen years. She grew up in New Providence, graduated from New Providence High School and obtained her degree in Communications from Farleigh Dickenson University in 2006. She recently completed Creative Curriculum training and is in the process of finishing her CDA. Bridget’s enthusiasm and creativity make her a perfect match for the young toddler classroom.
Emmy Wilson
Lead Teacher — Little Sprouts
Emmy grew up in Mountainside, NJ and graduated from Governor Livingston High School in 2020. She attended Raritan Valley Community College and is in the process of obtaining her infant/toddler CDA. Emmy has experience in childcare, including babysitting and working in the nursery at church. She worked as an assistant teacher in the Seedlings room at Sproutlings prior to taking on the lead teacher position in the Little Sprouts room. Emmy enjoys spending her free time with family, friends and her dog, Sofi.
Barbara Diogo
Lead Teacher — Beanstalks
Barb received her Bachelor’s in Math with a Special Education minor from Drew University. She joins Sproutlings with many years of childcare experience both as a nanny and in the classroom. Barb joined Sproutlings in June 2024 and worked as an assistant in the Peapods classroom and is now the lead teacher in Beanstalks.
Alex Amory
Lead Teacher — Beanstalks II
Alex was born and raised in Rahway, NJ. In addition to a background in clinical healthcare from Union County Vo-Tech High School, she has experience in childcare. After working as an assistant in several different classrooms at Sproutlings, Alex is thrilled to be the lead teacher of the Beanstalks classroom. When she is not at Sproutlings, Alex enjoys baking, sewing and playing with her two cats, Sage and Pepper.
Lea Council
Lead Teacher — Saplings
Lea graduated from Bishop George Ahr High School and completed four years of study at The Lincoln University. She is currently continuing her education at Kean University, where she is pursuing a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Psychology. Lea has over six years of experience working in education with children ages 2–4. Before joining Sproutlings, she worked as an Advertising Executive for The Positive Community Magazine, a local media publication. Lea is passionate about creating a warm, nurturing, and engaging environment where children feel supported, confident, and excited to learn. She loves traveling, and spending quality time with her friends and family. Lea happily lives in Plainfield with her dog, Bonnie!
Pam Boemio
Lead Teacher — Pre-K 3
Pam Boemio has over 13 years of experience in childcare. She received a degree in Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. While raising her two children, Pam started working for a childcare center in South Jersey. Pam joined Sproutlings as an assistant teacher in our Pre-K 3 program and is now one of our lead teachers.
Jayden Cora
Lead Teacher — Pre-K 3
With her extremely bright and bubbly personality, Jayden has been working with children for almost 10 years. She studied Music Education at Kean University and received a Bachelor's of Music Degree in 2024. But, she always had a soft spot in her heart for little children. So she worked hard to obtain her substitute certificate and officially start her career in early childhood education. Jayden is now one of the lead teachers of the PreK-3 program here at Sproutlings and cannot be more grateful. While Jayden is away from the classroom she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, obsessing over Disney, and spreading light wherever she walks.
Gianna Strzalkowski
Lead Teacher — Pre-K 3
Gianna grew up in Scotch Plains, NJ, and graduated from Montclair State University with a degree in Family Services. She has experience being a paraprofessional, mental health technician, infant teacher, and autism behavior technician. Gianna loves being a Lead Pre K 3 teacher at Sproutlings because it gives her the opportunity to create memorable learning moments through music, art, and play in her classroom. You can often find Gianna singing songs to her students, reading books with silly voices, and blowing bubbles on the playground. When not at Sproutlings, Gianna loves going to concerts, playing pickleball, or hanging out with her family. Gianna is so excited to be part of the Sproutlings team and collaborate with the amazing teachers and students!
Jennifer Shattle
Lead Teacher — Pre-K 4
Kelly Whittaker
Lead Teacher — Pre-K 4
Kelly grew up in New Providence and graduated from New Providence High School in 1995. She joined Sproutlings as the Pre-K 4 assistant and was the lead kindergarten aftercare teacher. Kelly is now a Lead Pre-K 4 teacher. She enjoys spending time with her three kids, Haakon, Kathleen, and Liam, and going to the beach.
Alice Smith
Lead Teacher — Pre-K 4
Alice grew up in New Providence and attended New Providence High School. She graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. In 2022, Alice joined Sproutlings and worked as an assistant teacher in a variety of rooms. She is thrilled to now be the lead teacher of the Saplings room. In her spare time, Alice enjoys spending time with her family and friends, baking, and reading.
Jenna Melkowits
Lead Teacher — After Care Program | Summer Camp Coordinator
Jenna has been working in childcare for over thirteen years. She grew up in New Providence, graduated from New Providence High School and attended Caldwell University. Jenna is the aftercare program coordinator and helps run the Sproutlings Summer Camp program. In her spare time, Jenna enjoys reading, baking, being at the beach, playing with her dog, Trixie, and spending time with her friends and family.