Meet Diana and Monica
Diana Peon
Owner, Early Childhood Educator
I was born and raised in Colombia. I earned an associate degree in Early Childhood Education from Pellissippi State Community College and continue to study for my bachelor’s degree. I have more than 17 years of teaching experience working with preschoolers in formal and informal settings as assistant teacher, head teacher, Spanish teacher, and Positive Behavior Interventionist Support. I believe it is important for children to have natural exposure to language through meaningful activities and interactions. Through this way of being in the world, children not only acquire a second language, but also raise their cultural awareness and sensitivity.
Much of my work has been influenced by my love for art. I graduated from Arturo Tejada Cano in Colombia, and I have achieved success in helping children develop their own creativity and fine motor skills by teaching arts and crafts. Language is one of my truest passions, and I believe that a fun and creative learning environment is key in creating a successful language learning experience. Working in the bilingual early childhood education field has been one of the most fascinating and meaningful experiences of my life.
My Family
I am married with two children. My husband is the vice president of operations for a fast food chain and his parents are from Cuba. Our son Andrew loves music and he plays the saxophone. Our daughter Diana loves to play tennis and she plays the clarinet. We love to teach our children about our culture. Due to our passion with our culture and language we speak Spanish in our home on a daily basis. Cooking is one of our favorite hobbies, and we make recipes from different countries. Hiking and traveling are our other passions.
Education
· Degree in Early Childhood Education – Pellissippi State Community College
National Accreditation from NAFCC
I am a mentor for other educators my program is the Demonstration Site of East Tennessee by TN CCR&R
· Training and certification by DHS and CCR&R. These are requirements for a licensed early childhood educator in Tennessee.
· Certified in First Aid and CPR AED
· I continue to study for my bachelor’s degree and stay current with all DHS and CCRR requirements to provide a high-quality education.
· Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design (Arturo Tejada Cano - Colombia)
Work and Volunteer Experience
· Concord Christian Preschool - Spanish teacher
· Morning Stars - assistant teacher
· Sam E. Hill - Positive Behavior Intervention Support and Interpreter (Knox County Schools)
· Volunteer at Cedar Bluff preschool (Knox County Schools)
· Volunteer at Head Start (2400 Piedmont St, Knoxville, TN 37921)
· Volunteer Sam E. Hill (Knox County Schools)
· Outstanding Service-Learning Recognition from Pellissippi State Community College
Monica Solorzano
Early Childhood Educator
I am originally from Caracas, Venezuela, and I am married with two amazing children who support me in every way possible. I have a bachelor’s degree in social studies and 14 years in experience of teaching. Working with children is my greatest life passion, and I love what I do here at Hola Knoxville Bilingual Academy. Out of all the places I have worked at, never have I found one as enriching as Hola KBA. This school is enriching students everyday with important fundamentals for life, including learning a second language. I could never ask for anything more!
State Licensing
We are licensed by the State of Tennessee, Department of Human Services and Education. Our licensing guidelines include strict safety measures including specific teacher/child ratio and the number children allowed in the classroom and on the playground, background checks for staff and adults living in the house, on-going training, and the confidentiality of your child’s records. We have scheduled visits with a licensed official along with unannounced visits yearly.
Demonstration Site
Hola KBA is The Demonstration Site of the East of Tennessee-by- Tennessee Child Care Resource and Referral (TN CCR&R.)
TN CCR&R selected Hola Knoxville Bilingual Academy for being a high-quality, licensed, accredited facility to serve as a model training program for teaching best practices on child care, programs administration, organizing learning environments, and high-quality standards.
National Accreditation (NAFCC)
Hola KBA is National Accredited by the National Association for Family Child Care. NAFCC recognizes Hola KBA program that has met high quality child care standards. These standards were developed specifically for family child care providers and cover Relationships, The Environment, Development Learning Activities, Safety and Health, and Professional and Business Practices. These standards are higher and more specific than state child care licensing rules.