Sheila Pereira

Head of School

“Learning is a timeless gift and should be fostered at all levels.”

Sheila Pereira has been a part of the Stratford School family for 21 years and has over 28 years of experience in the field of education. Before taking on her current role as the Head of School of Stratford School’s Palo Alto campus, Sheila was the Director of Lower School at Stratford School’s Santa Clara Pomeroy campus. Sheila also taught multiple grade levels, was a teacher mentor, and served as a vice principal. She has extensive knowledge of curriculum and instructional leadership.

According to Sheila, opportunities to create teachable moments are everywhere. The environment at Stratford School encourages children to think and make decisions for themselves and to learn to fail gracefully.

As an educator, Sheila believes that she has an obligation to nurture the gift of learning, and she feels that Stratford School has provided her with the tools and canvas to inspire and guide students to discover their passion. Through the warm family culture, strong academics, and emphasis on character building, Sheila has seen Stratford students grow and develop into well-rounded young adults.

Erica Coye

Director of Lower School; First-Fifth Grades

“The strength of our classrooms is in the collaboration of learners, not the knowledge of one expert.”

Erica Coye has been a part of the Stratford School family since 2013. She brings over fifteen years of elementary education experience to her role as Director of Lower School at Stratford School’s Palo Alto campus. Before assuming her current role, Erica was an Assistant Director, taught second grade, and served as a campus mentor teacher.

Erica believes teaching is a lifelong process. She learns new strategies and teaching philosophies every day, and enjoys the collaborative environment at Stratford School.

Erica values learning from the community, colleagues, Stratford parents, and especially, her students.

Kate Kiely

Director of Early Childhood Education and Kindergarten

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Kate has been with Stratford Schools since 2018. She previously taught Kindergarten and 2nd grade before transitioning into Campus Leadership. What Kate loves about Stratford most is how our faculty, staff, and students work together to create a positive and caring school community. Kate believes that our school community should be a safe, caring community where children are free to express themselves and grow. She strives to serve our students by continually looking for real-life challenges we are facing in our larger community and engaging students by contributing their ideas to solutions to empower our students to become leaders.

Freda Chow

Director of Admissions

Freda brings over 15 years of professional experience in entrepreneurship, general management, and finance in the US and China.  Her career started as a software engineer and financial analyst in the US and became the co-founder of a game development studio when she relocated to China with her husband.  Her passion for the Education community started when she shifted her focus to her kids’ education after moving back to the Bay Area.  As an actively involved parent of two now high schoolers equipped her with the knowledge and understanding of the importance of a well-rounded education that goes beyond textbooks and how it can empower children to reach their full potential.

Freda is very excited to be a part of the Stratford Palo Alto community and looks forward to providing a personalized and supportive experience for each applicant and their family.

Aries Wang

Director of Admissions

Ms. Wang holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese Language and Literature from Shanghai Fudan University. Two years after obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree, she received her Master of Science in Teachers of English Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the University of Rochester. Ms. Wang was a founding faculty member at BASIS Silicon Valley Lower Campus and has played a pivotal role in the development of the Mandarin program on campus, teaching students in TK through Grade 4.

Ms. Wang is great at creating an interactive and innovative adventure through a curriculum that motivates students to engage in interdisciplinary projects and activities. She believes that through every subject that her students learn and every project that they participate in, they will grow to become lifelong learners who always view the world with curiosity, humbleness, and an open mind. Ms. Wang prides herself in being the “bridge” of connection and communication when teaching her students Mandarin. She knows that like any other skill, language learning can be very tedious and difficult. Learning Mandarin is not just associated with the language itself, it is about learning a new culture and mindset. Ms. Wang is aware that ongoing motivation for her students is needed to help them continue in their studies, and once they embark on their Mandarin learning journey, students will become critical thinkers because they will view the world from multicultural perspectives. Aside from language teaching, Ms. Wang has also assisted international students in their transition to U.S. middle and high schools.

When Ms. Wang is not teaching Mandarin, she spends her free time singing and practicing traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony. Over the past 25 years, she has been closely associated with choir and vocal performance. She has taken private voice lessons with her coach for years and she really enjoys how she is able to perfect her pitch and sound. The weekly ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha at Hakone Garden in Saratoga is one of Ms. Wang’s favorite spots to channel inner peace and stay focused on finding the Zen inside her heart and mind.