Our Teachers and Apprentices

Our assistant teachers are trained in The SS4LOVE's educational philosophies in an intensive and ongoing training program that is hands-on and ever evolving. Our teachers learn through interacting with our students while being fully supported and guided by their training teacher in the classroom. Our teachers are all dedicated to the school and its families development and well-being. I'm proud of all my apprentices; their hard work, their love for the kiddos, and their capability in the classroom to incorporate their passions and the children's passions into the curriculum every day. 

Alecia writes:

Once I found The Sovereignty School For Love, I knew I found a place I could implement my philosophy of education, which aligns with Codys, and truly flourish and watch this communities children grow, explore, and create together! It has been such a gift! Not only has it been wonderful working with the kids, but getting to know the families and creators behind these tiny humans has been inspiring! I look forward to the long lasting bonds and friendships that are formed through The SS4L, between teachers, students, families, and friends! 

Alecia Protentis

Alecia was The Sovereignty School For Love's first apprentice and became a co-captain helping run the schools. She taught at The SS4LOVE for three years and truly came into her own as a leader in the classroom. She thrives when incorporating local herbal remedies and her gardening knowledge into the curriculum. Alecia has an intuitive sense of nurturing and an unending energy for play. She constantly impressed me with her inventive curriculum and boundless love for each student and their families. Alecia has moved on to pursue more of her dreams!!

Rugged, unconventional, multi-colored, twirling, hysterical, witty, and radiant are words yet insufficient to describe Cody and the SS4Love community. When I first met Cody, I could see that she navigated the world with confident love. I remember two burning questions arose as I walked inside my apartment to meet her for the first time, “Where did she come from?!” and “Is she dancing?!.” Over the course of that year I had the special opportunity to develop friendships with her and become a part of the community. It became clear to me very quickly that Cody doesn’t just make community, rather, with her heart and intellect, she weaves, plays, imagines, and paints community. 

    At the SS4Love, my mentors, Cody and Alecia, challenged me to ask myself and reflect on, “What does it really mean to be a teacher?, “What does it mean to be alive? To be human? To be a caretaker of the youth and the earth?”. Each day, as I tried to apply the compassion and curiosity that characterize the SS4Love method and curriculum, I became empowered to see each interaction with the students as an opportunity to uncover something new about one another, as well as to expand on our interests and abilities. To see the children moment-to-moment, grow physically, emotionally, and intellectually—seriously, sometimes Alecia and I would say, “I think Jay grew a couple inches since yesterday!” or “Wow, today Viv was so much more mindful of her friends’ bodies and emotions!”—naturally transformed my heart and inspired me to go deeper into my role as teacher and my responsibility to the school community in general.  

    With great sensitivity, Cody and Alecia, helped me to see my strengths and weaknesses, and presented ways in which I could nurture them. Cody and Alecia saw that I had room to grow in the areas of communication and family outreach, so they encouraged me to be bold in developing relationships with our families. This was a turning point for me, because the more I worked on this challenge, the more I could ascertain how much the parents were so grateful for my time and energy. This realization then served as motivation and inspiration for me in the classroom throughout the school year and beyond. 

    If there is anything that has been most ingrained in me from my apprenticeship at the SS4L it would be that, whatever you do becomes infused with your intentions. Thus, if you are thinking of connecting with the SS4Love, be prepared for every atom of your life to be infused and transformed with LOVE…big time!

Melissa Mello

Melissa was an assistant teacher and apprentice, she was in our teacher-in-training program for over a year and was assistant teaching just a long. She attended to each child with patience and loving focus. She brings a love for movement and yoga into the classroom, as well as an appetite for exploring nature. Melissa calls our school a "transformation portal," she is now following her intuition teaching yoga and building her life.