Left: Mike and Step One Co-Founder, Sue Britson, at Step One in the 1980s

Right: Mike and his family today

Philanthropy at Step One

Donor Profile: Jenn Doan & Mike Ouye

We spoke with Mike Ouye, a proud Step One alum and parent, about how the values and experiences that shaped his early years continue to inspire his family’s connection — and generosity — toward Step One today. For Mike, giving back is both a way to honor the past and invest in the next generation of joyful, curious learners.

What are some of your earliest memories from your time at Step One?
I remember spending hours outside in the big yard. I loved working with clay and sculpture — it was such a hands-on, creative place.

Do you remember a favorite teacher, classroom activity, or spot on campus?
I’ll always remember Sue — she made such an impression on me. And the big yard was everyone’s favorite spot; it felt like endless space to explore and imagine.

How would you describe what Step One meant to you as a child?
Step One was a great place to grow up. It’s where I first learned what it meant to go to school — to transition from being a baby to being a kid — and to start understanding the world.

What inspired you to send your children to Step One?
My mom always had such positive memories of Step One, so it was something I grew up hearing about. When it came time for my own children, I realized how much I identified with the school’s values and philosophy. Seeing it firsthand on a tour brought everything back — memories of the yard, the hill, and that feeling of belonging.

What feels familiar about Step One today, and what feels new?
The spirit feels the same — warm, creative, and inclusive — but the campus itself has been beautifully updated and modernized.

What’s your favorite Step One tradition or event, past or present?
The Pride Parade. It’s so joyful and speaks perfectly to the school’s values of inclusivity and belonging. It brings such happiness to the whole community.

What inspired you to give back to Step One?
For me and my family, Step One is so special. We give so that more families can have access to the kind of nurturing, inclusive community that Step One creates for its students.

When you think about what Step One gave your family, what feels most meaningful to pay forward?

Step One has given our family a model of what education can be: nurturing, inclusive, and full of heart. Supporting the school helps ensure that this legacy continues — that Step One has the financial foundation it needs to thrive and provide that same experience for generations to come.

What kind of legacy do you hope Step One continues to build?
I hope my grandchildren — and many more children — will have the same joyful, nurturing experience I did.

What would you say to other alumni families and friends who are thinking about giving back?
Remember that feeling of being on campus — the special community of kids, parents, and teachers? Giving back helps ensure others can experience that same magic, and it keeps you connected to something that has been such a meaningful part of your life.

Beginning of the Year Reflections: Big Feelings, New Faces, and Emerging Interests

by Angie Forrest, Program Director

The start of the school year always arrives with big emotions for our youngest, first time two-year-olds and for our more seasoned second-year preschoolers alike. These first months bring complicated feelings: separation from caregivers, adjusting to new routines, building trusting relationships with teachers, and learning to be part of a group filled with new personalities. Attachment, attunement, co-regulation, and self-regulation are deeply interconnected during this time, as emotional roots take hold while social connections stretch and grow. 

For teachers, this is both the most exhausting and the most rewarding season. They are pouring energy into bonding with children, honoring all emotions, and setting the tone with love, limits, and respect, all while creating a profound sense of belonging for children and families. We are so grateful for the dedication they bring each day, and for the trust you place in them. 

A common thread across all classrooms is the emphasis on nurturing a positive self-identity. Projects like Who Brought You to School? I Like Myself, family self-portraits, and family collages invite children to reflect on who they are and where they come from. Alongside this essential social-emotional work, new emergent interests are blossoming in every room, and teachers are carefully nurturing them. 

Room 1: Bay Area Rapid Toddlers
The 2s in Room 1 are united by their fascination with all things that move, trains, planes, and every variety of automobile! Vehicles tap into the twos’ sensorimotor stage: racing rolling wheels, loud engine noises, and cause-and-effect discoveries through never ending pushing and pulling. Families have also “jumped on the bandwagon” by sharing family adventures that included varied travel transportation.  Whether it’s the Tilden Train, BART, or an international bullet train, shared vehicle play is fueling rich conversations and collaborative adventures. 

Room 2: Playful Journeys: From Trains to Babies
Open the door to Room 2 and you’ll be immersed in an amazingly determined, curious and energetic group of all three-year-olds. Their wide-ranging interests of trains, babies, camping, and picnics have sparked a multitude of imaginative play scenarios. Right now, the shared fascination with babies has taken center stage, likely inspired by the arrival of several new siblings in Room 2 families. Children lovingly created a Guess Who game with their own baby photos and even welcomed a visiting 1-year-old sibling for a Q&A during circle time! 

Room 3: Sensory Explorers and Self-Identity
In Room 3, sensory play has become a comforting and regulating anchor. Painting is the favorite medium—often with hands, arms, or whole bodies as brushes and canvas. A watercolor project that began with black-and-white self-portraits evolved into three-piece face puzzles, giving children a playful way to recognize themselves and each other while building positive self-image. The ongoing narrative of “caring for baby dolls” is also deepening, as children nurture dolls with the same empathy and tenderness they observe in caregivers. 

Room 4: Gorilla Investigators
Room 4 is engrossed in a gorilla study, sparked by a few children’s shared curiosity about great apes. Introducing changemaker Dian Fossey inspired questions like, “Do gorillas go to gorilla school?”, “How do gorillas smell flowers?”, and “Why are gorillas so similar to us?” The inquiry has grown to include clay gorilla sculptures, classroom jungle transformations, and a special grandparent visitor who hiked among gorillas in Rwanda. Children are also noticing how gorillas show emotions through body language as well as recognizing each gorilla by their individual “nose print”.   

Room 5: Mixed Media Magic
In Room 5, children are exploring mixed-media art inspired by artists Amy Sillman, Wangechi Mutu, and Elizabeth Murray. They are experimenting with layering materials and combining techniques in imaginative ways. A visiting parent artist expanded the adventure with unconventional tools—like toothbrushes, combs, and palette knives—to encourage new textures and marks. Outdoors, children brought their easels to the hillside, working with bold primary colors and fresh perspectives. Teachers are also capturing children’s reflections through dictation, deepening the experience and highlighting the meaning they find in their creations. 

PM Program Rooms 1,4,5: Late Day Adventures                                                               

As fall settles in, our Late P.M. community is finding its rhythm and building new connections. Children warmly welcome one another from different morning rooms, forming new friendships, and filling the 3:00-5:00 time with imaginative play, laughter, and dancing.  Outdoor play includes plenty of water, adventuring up the hill, exploring plants sown by past classes, and digging in the rich dirt. While inside, afternoons begin with stories and a variety of creative offerings like painting, building, and open-ended projects that spark imagination and collaboration.

Alumni Spotlight: Rachel (Armstrong) Best

What are some of your earliest memories from your time at Step One? Favorite teacher, classroom activity or spot on campus?
One of my strongest memories is of Teacher Charlie in Room 5. He was always so playful with all the kids. I especially remember how he’d kick a bright red ball high into the sky when I was really into soccer. I’d look up and be amazed at how high it went against the blue sky.

Teacher Ika was also such a fun presence, an amazing dancer! I used to tell people, proudly, that she danced at Ashkenaz.

I remember the song Al the Alligator that Jane Timberlake sang, such a fun part of our days. And my mom was “the bird lady”! She took care of the school’s finches, which made the place feel even more like home.

What inspired you to send your daughter to Step One?
I started at Step One School 33 years ago, and now my daughter, Kamiyah, is in Room 4—with Teacher Ika!  There was no better place for her to begin her education. Step One is truly one-of-a-kind: it’s diverse, welcoming, and gives kids space to be themselves. I love that it offers this sense of organized freedom because that’s exactly what Kamiyah needed.

What values or qualities do you think Step One instills that continue to matter today?
Step One has always been deeply accepting of all people. That’s true from when I attended back in 1994, and it’s still true today. 

What does the Step One community mean to you and your family now?                              

It means everything. Step One is a community where everyone is truly welcome, where all children are heard. There’s a warm, unique vibe here—no major drama, just people coming together and getting along. It’s the Step One way.

What do you hope your daughter will take away from her time at Step One?
Kamiyah has grown into such a confident person with a beautiful, judgment-free outlook on others, and that’s thanks to her teachers.
Step One is also where she made her first best friend, and I honestly believe they’ll be friends forever.

What would you say to other alumni who are considering Step One for their own children?
If you’re an alum, you already know this is the place for the best early childhood education. There’s no place like it.

Do you still have any art projects or photos from your time at Step One?
Yes! We still have paintings and family photos from those early years. One memory that really sticks with me is playing with oobleck, the texture, the color, how you could clump it into a ball and then watch it slowly ooze out of my hands. I could’ve played with that stuff forever.

If you could describe Step One in three words, what would they be?
Love, respect, and creativity.

Rachel’s daughter, Kamiyah, and mom (grandma) at Step One

March 2024 Step One Connect

CLICK HERE to download March 2024 Step One Connect

Announcing Step One School's New Executive Director

Dear Step One Community,

The Board of Trustees is thrilled to announce that Susana Casher will be the next Executive Director of Step One School! Susana will begin the new role in August at the start of our 2022-23 school year, upon Sue Britson’s retirement. 

Susana is well known to Step One, as she has held the position of Program Director at the school for the past nine years. As Program Director, Susana has been responsible for supervision of all classroom programs, teachers, and children, including oversight of parent communication, observation and assessment of children, and support of curriculum development and implementation. Susana holds a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley and an Ed.M. from Harvard University. Prior to Step One, she worked as a Play Therapist for children in the Head Start program at Habitot Children’s Museum in Berkeley, developing parent education programs, as well as with Life is Good Playmakers, supporting preschool teachers in implementing therapeutic play in their classrooms.

We selected Susana for this role after an extensive national search, which yielded more than 20 candidates. Throughout this process, Susana continually impressed us with her deep knowledge of the school and the Step One community, her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, her capable management style and her enthusiastic vision for the future of Step One.  

While we can’t wait to begin working with Susana in her new role, we also want to acknowledge the incredible legacy and achievements of our retiring Founding Director, Sue Britson. We look forward to celebrating Sue’s retirement with you all in the months to come. Please read on below for notes from Sue and Susana. 

A note from Sue:

“I am beyond thrilled to congratulate our wonderful Susana as Step One’s next Executive Director. Her amazing support of teachers, children, and families is in evidence here every day. My partnership with Susana over the last nine years has been incredibly rewarding and filled with the love, learning, and talents that are so important to Step One’s leadership. I look forward to the coming months of transition as I ‘pass the torch’ to Susana as Step One’s next visionary leader. I know you will join me in welcoming her with so much Step One love and support!”

A note from Susana:

“I am honored to be moving into the role of Executive Director at Step One, and excited for what is in store for our wonderful school. Working in partnership with Sue over the last nine years has been an incredible gift and I look forward to continuing her commitment to Step One’s core values and dedication to children, families, and teachers. I am eternally grateful to our school community of board members, staff, parents, and caregivers for embracing me and my family for all of these years.”

We will begin the leadership transition in the coming months, leading up to Sue’s retirement at the end of the school year. Some initiatives already underway include, developing and releasing our next Strategic Plan and hiring a new Program Director.

Many members of the Step One community participated in this recruitment process, and we would like to give our special thanks to the parents, teachers, and community members who served on the Succession Planning and Interview committees. In particular, we wish to thank Board member and Succession Planning committee chair, Maureen Nandini Mitra, whose countless hours of work and organizational prowess kept the process on track, and also consultants Wendy Brawer and Sofia Chancey of InTune Collective, who provided valuable guidance and oversight of our recruiting efforts. 

We will stay in touch with periodic updates during the transition, and as always, we thank you for your commitment to our school.

Friends Forever,

Jenny Herbert Creek

Board Chair

"How Marvelous": An Interview with Zeena Cameron

Zeena Cameron has been teaching at Step One since 1986 and is one of the beloved founding teachers who shaped our school. She describes her teaching history and philosophy, why she loves working with kids, and more. 

How did you start at Step One?

I was doing in-home childcare. One of the kids I cared for started at Step One and Sue visited me to discuss the transition. Later, Sue contacted me about an opening at Step One, but my youngest wasn’t kindergarten-age yet. It turned out that Sue had spots for us both! My daughter graduated Step One after one year: now it’s my turn to graduate after 33 years, the same year as my grandson. Time has come full circle.

After 33 years, how have you kept enjoying teaching and kept your passion alive?

Part of it is the professional development we get at Step One that introduces me to new and exciting practices around the world. The kids keep me passionate, too! Every year you have new kids that are all so special in their own way. They teach you to teach them. I love sitting down before conferences because I can focus on one child. As I write about the child, see the child in photos from the year, I say “How marvelous.” I see the wonderfulness of each one.

Do you have any advice for future Step One teachers? 

Make sure you're doing the basics. Teach the kids to wash their hands, to go the bathroom independently. Kids’ worlds grow from there. I started with Montessouri so practical life skills are important to me. 

What is your teaching philosophy?

I try not to use the word “can’t.” “Can’t” is too limiting a thought. If the kids are going to say ‘can’t,’ I ask them to use ‘yet’ with it: “I can’t do it yet, but I can learn if I try!” 

What’s your favorite thing about working with kids?

Watching the spark when they thought they couldn’t do something and then it clicks. Seeing them be kind to each other. Also, literacy and language inspire me, and helping kids express what they want to say. 

What does Step One mean to you?

This is a special place. It has given birth to many wonderful futures for adults and children alike. It's always been a family-like community where teachers look out for each other. Plus, I can go anywhere in Berkeley and see people I know and hug and talk with them. Teenagers will be hanging out with their friends and come and hug me. How special is that?

What are you looking forward to in retirement?

This is a happy and sad event for me. For a long time I couldn't talk about it because I would start crying. But hard as it is to leave, I’m looking forward to quilting, traveling, reading leisurely, horseback riding, meditating, yoga classes...it’s a long list!

Are you excited about becoming Step One’s first librarian?

I love books and I can’t wait to have the time and energy to focus on our collection, and to support our teachers who love good books but might not have time to search them out.

An Appreciation of Zeena from Amalie Hazelton

Amalie Hazelton and Zeena Cameron taught together for many years in Room 2.

I love Zeena so much. She was one of my first mentors at Step One and took me in from the very beginning. Zeena would give you the shirt off her back and became a part of so many different families. Zeena never stopped learning. Any class the school wanted someone to go to, she was first to volunteer. She has so much knowledge as a teacher, a lot of energy, and a big personality: we laughed so much together. Books were always huge for her; I’m excited for her to be the school librarian. She was always on the library's wanted list because half the library was in our classroom!

Zeena was totally devoted to teaching and went the extra mile to make things special. We had a sand-table that was a therapeutic kind of space with all these little figurines and animals, where kids could make little worlds. A lot of emotional development happened there. That was Zeena's special space: she loved to find little perfect things to help children express themselves. 

An Appreciation of Zeena from Anthony Taylor

Anthony Taylor and Zeena Cameron taught for many years together in Room 2.

Room Two strives to make parents feel like we're a family. Zeena did that particularly well. With parents and grandparents, she learned names right away and was always making connections. She had a particular knack for sensing children’s needs. Children are like cups of water: some kids’ cups are overflowing, some are empty, some are half-full. Zeena could was there for the kids who needed more in their cups. There’s such a kindness about her. If my hand fell off, she would give me hers. She was there for anyone who needed help, and she gave all she had. 

In Room 2, we had lots of fun and laughed a lot. Zeena would get so excited with the children about what they were learning. That’s not an easy thing to do as a teacher: the world is new to them, and every year you have you have to let them explore, not rush to give them the answer. Zeena could really wonder with the children, stay curious and keep learning fresh and new.

An Appreciation of Zeena from Rakhee Sharma

Rakhee and Anay

Rakhee Sharma is a Step One Board member and parent of alum student Anay.

My son Anay, who is 15, was in Room 2 for two years with Zeena. Zeena is such an impactful educator, a force of love, lightness, and laughter - with a wonderful sense of humor! Her being and ethos are all about curiosity and generosity: putting herself in her students’ shoes. That was inspiring to me as a parent. So was her incredible way of imparting life skills in a way that appeals to young children. She sparked so much creativity and love of school in my son. He actually came back to Step One this summer, to work with Zeena in the classroom. Zeena has a special magic, and our family will always hold her in our hearts.

Plus some words from Rakhee’s son Anay:

Zeena was more than a teacher for me. I never had the opportunity to have my grandma live near me but Zeena always made me feel like she did. When I visit Zeena I get drawn back into the magic world of Step One. I volunteered at Step One this summer and it felt like I never wanted to go. Zeena has poured so much of her love and soul into Step One that she will never really leave! She remembers the name of every student that has been in her classroom. Even though I am now 15 years old and 6 feet 2, Zeena can hug me and I feel like I am still part of Room 2!

The photo above shows Anay in Room 2, holding the #1 sign.

Photo Gallery: 33 Years with Zeena Cameron

We are pleased to share some photos (and a video made by Anthony Taylor) that represent Zeena's years at Step One. We know these images represent only the smallest portion of the wonderful times Zeena shared with children and families. Please send in your photos of Zeena and your family to laurenlevin@steponeschool.org and we will be sure to share them with her!