Who We Are

Emmanuelle Benefield

Personalized learning is our specialty! My mission has always been to instill a love of learning that will last a lifetime. After graduating from college in Toulouse, I taught different levels, ranging from preschool to high school. Since 1995, I have been teaching French as a second language to a variety of age groups in France, Wales and California. My favorite setting is a mixed-age group where the educative potential of all children is optimized. It reflects what some families experience: a wonderfully dynamic group in which the younger children look up to the older ones, and in turn the bigger kids enjoy helping and supporting their younger friends as they learn new skills. These opportunities occur naturally in a home environment and are fostered in our preschool. This setting, combined with a high-standard French education, creates the best possible preschool experience your children will ever have.

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Brian Benefield

Brian earned a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from Sonoma State University and studied French at City College of San Francisco. Brian joined Emmanuelle at Ma Petite École in 2010, after studying early childhood education. He finds interacting with children at this crucial developmental period immensely rewarding.

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Caroline Ackroyd

Caroline is a native of France, having been raised in Nîmes. After coming to the United States, Caroline earned her Bachelor's degree in Foreign Languages at the Université d' Avignon. She went on to receive her Master's in Communications at Northeast Louisiana University. Caroline has studied early childhood education (ECE) and is a terrific asset to our team. She substitutes at MPÉ when the need arises.