Director of the School Rocio Gannaway

Rocio Gannaway
I moved to the United States in 1993 from Peru, South America. I still remember the days when I did not speak any English at all, but I worked hard to adapt to my new environment.

My inner drive to do better kept me going. I went to Clatsop Community College where I earned an Associate Degree in Business Management and later transferred to Linfield College for my Bachelor of Arts in International Business. After earning my degrees, I worked for a few years for various international companies.

I have always been interested in teaching. I have taught Spanish to children of different ages and at different levels since 1995. My goal as an educator has been simple: provide children with an environment where learning is fun and give a good foundation for the life-long process of learning.

I have a 17-year-old daughter, Alexandra, who is already fluent in three languages; Spanish, French and English. She is currently learning Mandarin.

My dream came true in September of 2005 when Lagarllito’s Garden Bilingual Spanish School opened the door to group and private Saturday classes for 7-12 years old and adults. In October of 2005, Pre-K started giving me the opportunity to work with the wonderful children that are now attending the school.

People always ask me how did I come up with the name of the school. The story behind it is quite interesting. My husband thinks that I am like an alligator and a chick – both strong and very soft. “Lagarto” means alligator and “Pollito” means chick in Spanish. When you combine the two words together you end up with “Lagarllito.”

The name of Lagarllito’s Garden was created with two very different characters with the intention to write books and CDs.

Training:

  • Child Development Associate (CDA) awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition, on November 1, 2008. Having satisfactorily demonstrated competence in working with young children through an assessment by the CDA National Credentialing Program.
  • Certification of Accreditation for Family Child Care, awarded by The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), on January 15, 2010. For attaining the highest standards of quality for the family child care profession by successfully completing the accreditation process.

Recognition:

  • Awarded on April 24, 2009 by the Champions for Children for achievements in Professional Development and Higher Education and a commitment to Providing Quality services to children and families.

Norma Alves Milho
Mrs. Norma Alves Milho worked for the Regional Hospital in Peru for 32 years. She greatly enjoys working with kids and is a loving grandmother with a wonderful nurturing nature.

Mrs. Milho heads the Nursery, or “Pollitos” (The Little Chicks), Toddlers Program.