Preschool Teachers & Staff

preschool staff

meet our amazing preschool staff

While our certified staff members each bring a unique set of skills and interests to the table, the one thing they all have in common is their passion for early education and their dedication to making sure each child is learning and developing within the four pillars of the YMCA: caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. 

ms. tyra douglas

DIRECTOR OF CHILDCARE + CAMPS

Over the past decade I’ve been working with children in various settings, from leading cooking classes, assistant teaching, to now being the Director of Childcare + Camps here at the Ridgewood YMCA. Having the opportunity to work with children is rewarding in many ways. It is such a joy to see the children learning and growing. I am constantly amazed to witness the children develop through our programs. My interests outside of work include indoor cycling, photography, and spending time in nature with the people I love.

My Favorite
Color: Yellow
Subject: Art
Flower: Peony
Movie: Tangled
Food: Sushi
Candy: Gummy Worms

Ms. Caroline

HEAD TEACHER

I’m a dedicated preschool teacher with over 8 years of experience supporting young children during their most important years of growth and development. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Psychology, along with certifications in Special Education and Early Childhood Education. I’m passionate about creating a nurturing, inclusive classroom where every child feels seen, supported, and encouraged to learn. Helping children develop a love for learning—and celebrating their unique strengths along the way—is what inspires me every day.

My Favorite
Color: Blue
Subject: Language arts
Flower: Sunflower
Movie: Frozen
Food: Pizza
Candy: Twizzlers

Ms. KATIE

LEAD TEACHER

I’m excited to get to know your little ones. I have been working with children since high school and have eight years of experience in early childhood settings. I’m currently in my final semester at Montclair State University, where I am completing a double major in Education Foundations and Psychology. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, exploring new cities, and trying new places to eat. I’m looking forward to building strong relationships with the children and families as well as creating a fun, supportive, and engaging learning environment for everyone!

My Favorite
Color: Blue
Subject: Art + Music
Flower: Roses
Movie: Cheetah Girls 2
Food: Hispanic Food/Chipotle
Candy: Nerd Gummy Clusters

Ms. Samara

ASSISTANT TEACHER

I have been working with children for the past seven years through babysitting, volunteering, and now as an assistant teacher here at the Ridgewood Y Preschool. I hold a Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice and am currently working toward my Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy reading, cooking, spending time with friends and family, and watching football. I’m happy to be part of the Ridgewood Y Preschool community!

My Favorite
Color: Blue
Subject: Science
Flower: Sunflower
Movie: Lion King
Food: Sushi
Candy: Sour Patch Kids

Ms. Shawna

ASSISTANT TEACHER

My experience working with children began early, starting with babysitting at the age of 11. By 16, I transitioned into professional roles as an assistant aftercare teacher and camp counselor. While I spent four years working in a hair salon, I recently decided to return to childcare. Working in this field has always been a significant passion of mine! In my free time I enjoy engaging in arts and crafts, doing hair, and spending quality time with my family, friends, and my puppy.

My Favorite
Color: Pink
Subject: History + Art
Flower: Sunflower
Movie: Finding Nemo
Food: Sushi
Candy: Pretzel M&Ms

ms. cara apsley

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT CHILDCARE + CAMPS

Welcome to the Ridgewood Y Preschool!  I began working with the YMCA at age 17, my first job! Through the years I have worked in many capacities at the Y and as a childcare director full time the past 6 years. Now, as the Senior Director of Childcare + Camp, overseeing our amazing preschool! My goal is to create a community where children gain confidence and a sense of belonging while building character through our core values: respect, caring, honesty, and responsibility.

My Favorite
Color: Green
Subject: Geography
Flower: Peony
Movie: Moana
Food: Tomatoes

Ready to Join us?

REGISTER

Early bird special!

Register with a $100 deposit before June 1 to receive a
10% DISCOUNT ON TUITION FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR!
Download the registration form and email [email protected] to complete payment.
DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM

Expand to view class descriptions

BODY SCULPT
Shape and define lean muscles through targeted exercises that blend dumbells, resistance bands, and bodyweight movements. This energizing workout focuses on sculpting and toning, helping you build strength and flexibility. Every session is designed to leave you feeling strong, balanced, and revitalized, creating lean, graceful muscle definition from head to toe.

CIRCUITS
Boost strength, endurance, and agility with this high-energy, full-body circuit workout! Rotate through timed stations featuring strength reps, cardio bursts, and functional movements to keep your heart rate up and muscles engaged. With minimal rest between exercises, you’ll build power and push your limits.

CORE + MORE
Build strength and sculpt your upper body with targeted exercises designed to tone your core, chest, shoulders, back, biceps, and triceps. From various core exercises to weighted upper body exercises, this class delivers a dynamic workout that builds muscle, boosts posture, and leaves you feeling powerful.

HIIT SQUAD
Experience High-Intensity Interval Training taken to the next level. These dynamic classes combine functional and athletic movements using the TRX, treadmill, bikes, kettlebells, and more. Get ready for an intense, full-body workout that builds strength, endurance, and agility.

METCON
Challenge yourself with CrossFit-style circuits that combine strength, conditioning, and plyometric exercises. These workouts engage all three metabolic systems to enhance muscular power, strength, and endurance. Each month, you’ll repeat the same workout, allowing you to track your progress and compete against your own time and reps! Each class ends with mobility work and stretching.

RETRO STEP + STRENGTH
Step back in time with this high-energy class set to hits of the 80s and 90s! The first half of class gets your heart pumping with fun, easy to follow step aerobics, followed by strength training for a full-body workout. Come for the throwback beats and stay for the sweat!

SMALL GROUP FUNCTIONAL TRAINING
Improve your strength, stability, and mobility through functional movements designed to enhance everyday performance. A small class size ensures you receive 1-on-1 guidance to ensure proper form and maximum results. Push your limits, prevent injury, and build a stronger, more capable body in this challenging yet supportive environment.

STRENGTH TRAINING
Get ready to build strength from head to toe in this full-body workout using barbells and dumbbells. Move to the beat of energizing music as you challenge your muscles, break a sweat, and push your limits. This class is designed to keep you motivated while improving strength, endurance, and overall fitness.

SWEAT + STRETCH
Get the best of both worlds in this cardio-forward, full-body workout! Spend 30 minutes moving through energizing, heart-pumping exercises designed to build strength and endurance using total-body movements. Then, transition into 15 minutes of guided full-body stretching to restore mobility, release tension, and leave you feeling balanced, strong, and recharged.

TOTAL BODY CONDITIONING
This high-energy class provides an invigorating full-body challenge, with intensity tailored by the instructor. You’ll engage in dynamic high-rep strength exercises using a variety of equipment—dumbells, stability balls, steps, disks, and resistance bands—to build muscle, enhance balance, and boost endurance. No two sessions are the same, keeping your workouts fresh, engaging, and effective.

WEEKEND RE-BOOT
Kickstart your weekend with this all-levels bootcamp-style class that blends strength and cardio for a full-body reset. Using a mix of dumbbells, resistance bands, and bodyweight moves, you’ll sweat, recharge, and leave feeling strong and energized.

WOMEN’S BARBELL CLUB
Develop the strength and technique you need to approach the bar with confidence! Led by experienced female lifters, this class will focus on basic power and Olympic lifts as well as accessory exercises to build strength and power.
Woman-identifying and gender expansive individuals welcome.

HEAVY BAG
A high-intensity workout centered on striking a heavy bag, this class blends dynamic boxing moves to boost upper body strength, sharpen technique, and supercharge endurance. With punch combinations, body movements, and proper form guided by an instructor, it delivers a full-body challenge perfect for beginners and seasoned boxers alike, all while torching calories and channeling the spirit of a boxer in training.

KICKBOXING
An upbeat, full-body workout set to music, combining powerful punches and kicks with dynamic conditioning. Build strength, boost energy, and leave feeling empowered.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS FOR SELF DEFENSE
Mixed Martial Arts for Self-Defense incorporates techniques from boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, grappling, and karate with the goal of producing skillful, accomplished, and well-rounded students proficient in the art of self-defense.
All new students must be at least 18 years old, sign a liability waiver, and purchase a white karate gi online (with a white belt) prior to beginning any class.

TAI CHI
Experience the calming power of Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art that nurtures body, mind, and spirit. This “meditation in motion” focuses on gentle, flowing movements that relieve stress, promote relaxation, and enhance balance and coordination. Suitable for all levels, Tai Chi encourages mindfulness and inner peace while building strength, flexibility, and mental clarity, offering profound health benefits for overall well-being.

TAI CHI FOR ARTHRITIS
Tai Chi for Arthritis is an ideal, low-impact exercise for those looking to support joint health and improve strength, flexibility, and balance. Designed with controlled, slow movements and focused breathing, this class is especially beneficial for those with arthritis or other joint concerns. Tai Chi can aid in chronic pain management, enhance mobility, and promote relaxation, providing both physical and mental well-being.

CYCLE
Prepare for a high-energy workout in our cycling studio! This fast-paced ride lets you climb steep hills, sprint on straightaways, and power through challenging intervals—all set to motivating, heart-pumping music. Transform your fitness and push your limits in every session!

DYNAMIC YOGA
Dynamic yoga focuses on flowing movements and breathwork. It is a more vigorous style of yoga than traditional Hatha yoga, and it can be a great way to improve your cardiovascular health, strength, and flexibility.

GENTLE YOGA
This form of Hatha yoga practice involves breath, body, and mind, with poses not as strenuous as in a traditional yoga class.

GENTLE FLOW + RESTORE
A gentle, calming yoga practice that begins with slow, easy movements to warm the body, followed by longer-held restorative and yin-inspired poses to release tension, improve joint mobility, and calm the mind. Suitable for all levels.

HATHA YOGA
Hatha yoga is a traditional style of yoga that focuses on aligning the body, breath, and mind through deliberate movement and controlled breathing. This practice incorporates a series of postures, or asanas, held for extended moments to build strength, flexibility, and balance while promoting relaxation and mindfulness. Experience the transformative power of moving meditation.

HATHA FOR HEALTHY BONES
This practice combines traditional Hatha yoga postures with an emphasis on weight-bearing postures to promote bone density, improve balance, and increase flexibility. Suitable for all levels, this class is ideal for those looking to support long-term bone health while enjoying a balanced, focused, and restorative yoga experience.

IYENGAR YOGA
Iyengar yoga offers a structured and precise approach to building strength, flexibility, and inner calm. The class begins with foundational postures—standing, sitting, and lying down—and gradually introduces inversions, deeper backbends, and breathing techniques as the practice develops. Emphasizing proper alignment and posture, the Iyengar method utilizes props like blocks, straps, and bolsters to support practitioners of all levels, ensuring each pose is accessible and safely executed. This methodical approach encourages focused awareness, helping students cultivate both physical discipline and mental clarity, resulting in a balanced, mindful, and transformative experience.

MEDITATION + RESTORATIVE YOGA
This is our gentlest yoga class. Designed for those who wish to find healing, recovery physically and emotionally, and to learn to release chronic tension and stress. 

YOGA
This class will guide you through foundational poses, gentle stretches, and mindful breathing techniques to cultivate flexibility, strength, and balance. Whether you are new to yoga or have an established practice, each sequence is structured to allow you to move with intention, adapting to your own pace and ability.

YOGALATES
Yogalates combines the balance, stamina, strength, flexibility, and awareness of yoga with Pilates techniques to improve posture, core strength, and stability.

BALLS + BANDS
Balls + Bands is a dynamic 45-minute class designed to sculpt, strengthen, and stretch your entire body. Using resistance bands and stability balls, this class enhances core stability, improves flexibility, and tones muscles with controlled, low-impact movements. Expect a mix of balance challenges, deep muscle engagement, and fluid sequences that leave you feeling strong, centered, and energized.

MAT PILATES
Mat Pilates is a core-centered exercise method designed to build strength, flexibility, and body awareness through a series of controlled movements. This form of Pilates focuses on engaging deep stabilizing muscles, especially in the core, while also incorporating the arms, legs, and back for a full-body workout. Rooted in the original exercises created by Joseph Pilates, it is performed on a mat without specialized equipment, making it accessible yet highly effective for developing stability, improving posture, and enhancing balance and coordination.

PILATES POWER CLUB
Pilates Power Club is a dynamic mat Pilates class blending classic pilates principles with modern strengthening movements. This full-body workout emphasizes deep core strength, layering traditional mat work with contemporary flows, light dumbbells, and lots of energy. Expect intentional sequencing, strong transitions, and options that challenge stability and strength and improve posture, while staying true to Pilates form. Set to music that will make the time fly, you’ll leave feeling longer, stronger, and deeply connected to your body.

PILATES REMIX
Pilates Remix is a fresh take on traditional mat Pilates, blending classic, bodyweight-focused, high-repetition training with the strategic use of props such as bands, balls, rings, and dumbbells. In this 60-minute class, you’ll build deep core strength, improve control and alignment, and move with intention from start to finish.

YOGALATES
Yogalates combines the balance, stamina, strength, flexibility, and awareness of yoga with Pilates techniques to improve posture, core strength, and stability.

BARRE
Barre combines the grace and precision of classical dance with strength-building moves inspired by yoga and Pilates. In addition to the barre, the class incorporates resistance bands, gliding discs, and exercise balls to add variety, challenge, and support for each movement. This dynamic mix of equipment helps enhance flexibility, balance, and core strength, creating a full-body workout that tones muscles and improves posture.

SOULBODY BARRE
Experience the power of Soul Body’s signature method and flow that is smart, functional, and more athletic, yet mindful in its approach. Shape, tone, and strengthen the body in this results-driven program brings that “boutique barre experience” to group fitness.

STRETCH
Improve flexibility, relieve tension, and leave feeling both relaxed and revitalized. Through a series of gentle yet effective stretching exercises, you’ll increase your range of motion, enhance circulation, and release stress held in the body. Perfect for all fitness levels, this class offers a blend of relaxing stretches and invigorating movements that help you reset and recharge. Join us to restore balance, boost flexibility, and leave feeling refreshed from head to toe.

LABLAST® FITNESS
LaBlast® Fitness is a fun, partner-free dance workout created by world-renowned dancer Louis van Amstel, known for his work on Dancing with the Stars. Suitable for all levels, LaBlast® guides you through a variety of ballroom dance styles set to popular music from pop and rock to hip-hop and country. With options for adding plyometric moves, weights, or keeping it low-impact, LaBlast® lets you choose your intensity while toning your body, improving rhythm, and enjoying a fantastic workout. As Louis says, “If you can clap it, you can dance it!”

ZUMBA®
Zumba® is a high-energy, dance-fitness party designed for everybody and every body! This class combines low and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning workout set to Latin and World rhythms, making exercise feel like a celebration. You’ll enjoy a total-body workout that includes cardio, muscle conditioning, balance, and flexibility—leaving you energized, uplifted, and ready for more!

AQUA EX
Aqua exercise combines shallow and deep-water movements to provide a full-body workout with minimal impact on the joints. Using the natural resistance of water alongside specialized equipment like foam dumbbells and pool noodles, each session targets core stability, muscle strength, and coordination. Ideal for all fitness levels, Aqua exercise offers a challenging yet gentle way to build strength, boost stamina, and increase mobility in a supportive, low-impact environment.

AQUA ZUMBA®
Enjoy Zumba® on land? Try your favorite dance workout in the water for a great low-impact workout!

WEATHER NOTICE
MON FEBRUARY 23

Due to the expected inclement weather,
the Ridgewood Y will be closed
Monday, February 23.

Please check back here for updates.

Lap + Family Swim Schedule

We apologize for any inconvenience, and thank you for your cooperation!

2026 HOLIDAY HOURS

FACILITY HOURS
WED DEC 24 | 8:00AM-12:00PM
THU DEC 25 | CLOSED – MERRY CHRISTMAS!
FRI DEC 26 | 8:00AM-9:00PM
WED DEC 31 | 8:00AM-3:00PM
THU JAN 1 2026 | 8:00AM-3:00PM

STAY AND PLAY
THU DEC 25 | CLOSED
FRI DEC 26 | CLOSED
THU JAN 1 | CLOSED

SWIM LESSONS
TUE DEC 23 – THU JAN 1 | NO LESSONS
SUN DEC 28 – TUE DEC 30 | SWIM INTENSIVE WORKSHOP

CLICK BELOW TO VIEW MEMBER SCHEDULES

Group Fitness
Lap + Family Swim
Gymnasium

Happy Holidays from our Y Family to Yours!