Our Team
Sarah Tavernetti
Co-Founder & Executive Director
A Las Vegas native, Sarah Tavernetti knew she wanted to work with kids when she was just a child herself. After receiving her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she taught 2nd grade at a Title 1 school for 3 years where she witnessed the district-imposed curriculum, assessments, and policies causing harm to her students' overall wellbeing and development. Feeling out of place in this educational environment, Sarah resigned from the school district and traveled to the jungles of Panama with hopes of figuring out how she could work with children in a way that aligned with her heart and mind. While part of her days were dedicated to teaching English in the local schools, the other half was spent climbing, dancing, playing, swimming, and exploring the wonders of the jungle with the children in the rural town of San Miguel. Through this, she witnessed the natural curiosity children have and the eagerness they exhibit when they’re able to let that curiosity lead the way.
Inspired by this, Sarah returned to Las Vegas where she was rehired at her previous elementary school; again teaching second grade but with the intention to create a change within her classroom. Sarah implemented ways of learning that were more aligned with her educational philosophy and that provided her students with the freedom and trust they deserved as they not only connected with their learning but also with themselves. Throughout the next 3 years, Sarah watched with a full heart as her students thrived with this newly rediscovered independence, trust, and empowerment but then noticed that the transition into third grade proved to be a struggle as testing was more prominent and the academic expectations more unforgiving.
Due to this, Sarah resigned from the school district for her second and final time with the determination to create an educational setting where the development of each child's confidence, creativity, integrity, autonomy, strengths, and heart was prioritized over curriculum, grade-level expectations, and standardized assessments. After partnering up with friend and fellow passionate educator, Yamila, Bloom Academy is the result. Sarah’s own “feel goods” include traveling internationally and throughout the states, a warm cup of coffee in the morning, reading books (sometimes too many at once!), teaching theatre, exploring the outdoors, and listening to live music.
You may get ahold of Sarah by emailing her at bloomacademylv@gmail.com
Yamila De Leon
Co-Founder & Executive director of engagement
Yamila De Leon holds an Associates with a focus in Early Childhood Development from the College of Southern Nevada. She also taught in a local Montessori School for 3 years where she was educated in their methodologies. Though she was raised in Las Vegas, she was also influenced by her cultural roots from Mexico, leading her to be shaped by two unique cultures and ideologies. Her mix of cultural identities sparked a lifelong interest in various cultures and led her to the decision to backpack Asia for 9 months in 2016.
During that time, she obtained her T.E.F.L. certification in Chiang Mai, Thailand to Teach English as a Foreign Language. As Spanish is her native tongue, she too learned English at an early age and understood the challenges of learning English as a young child. With this in mind, she felt driven to teach children who struggled in the same way, not only in Thailand but all around Asia. As her journey continued she acquired her Yoga Teacher Training Certification at Nepal Yoga Academy in Bagmati, Nepal and went on a 7-day trek near Mt Everest. After that amazing experience, she felt inspired and motivated to go back to teaching and carried on doing so for another 3 years in Hanoi, Vietnam where she was hired as the lead teacher in 2 different Montessori Schools and also taught in after-school English programs.
Her passion for helping others, facing new discoveries and constant curiosity across cultures clearly emerges in her teaching styles. From all of her experiences, she has developed a passionate belief that knowledge is best cultivated by hands-on experiences and free play. Coming back to the United States she was eager to create an environment that was nurturing and supportive and which allowed kids to explore their own creative minds while also feeling safe to be who they want to be. At the same time, another eager educator awaited with the same dream- Sarah. It was an easy decision for Yamila and Sarah to decide to “bloom” together and become business partners to create a space they both knew Las Vegas needed. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor's in Developmental Psychology and in her free time enjoys enriching hobbies such as travelling, volunteering, meditation, learning all languages including sign language, participating in sports, art, and cooking.
You may get ahold of Yamila by emailing her at yamila.bloomacademylv@gmail.com
Meet Our Board of Directors!
Thelma Davis: President
Thelma engaged in a career in public education spanning 40 years and recently retired from the Clark County School District after serving the community for 29 years. She began her career as an elementary classroom teacher in California and moved to Las Vegas in 1988 where she taught 4th-6th grades, facilitated professional development as a curriculum coordinator, and finalized her career as an elementary school Principal. Throughout her tenure as a student and an educator, she studied music, visual art and supported arts education in her school through arts integration. Thelma’s passion for learning is grounded in constructivist philosophy guided by the teachings of Jean Piaget, who questioned the nature of formal education with this quotation, “Are we forming children who are only capable of learning what is already known? Or should we try to develop creative, innovative minds, capable of discovery from the pre-school age on throughout life?” The current dependence on an educational system focused on learning what is already known will not be enough to meet the global challenges facing this and successive generations.
Bloom Academy’s Mission Statement summarizes the core principles of self-directed education with its focus on nurturing the natural curiosity of every child. When asked, “Why Bloom?”, Thelma recalls this quote from Jean Piaget. “Play is the work of children”. Bloom offers a unique, dynamic, and supportive environment for children of all ages to engage in their work through self-directed play and creative exploration, and ultimately constructing an understanding of their world and what it means to be a self-actualized member of a community.
Patrice Lemoine: Secretary
A lifelong resident of Connecticut, Patrice obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Albertus Magnus College with a minor in computer science. She began her career supporting C-level executives and boards of directors in the banking and mortgage industries. She later transitioned to a behavioral healthcare organization serving as Board Administrator and Director of Administrative Services. Patrice currently reports to the Chief Legal Officer and the President of a well-known liberal arts college in Hartford, Conn. In addition to her professional career, Patrice has a lengthy track record volunteering in her community. This includes the women’s Junior League of Greater New Haven where she worked on fundraising in support of the Elm City Kids project, a program for young children with parents in need of addiction services. She was a volunteer for Saint Rita’s School in Hamden and Bridges Healthcare Services in Milford, Conn. where she was a mentor to pre-teens. She was also active on numerous fundraising committees for Bridges. For over twenty years, she continues to serve as an officer of a property owners’ association, Recording Secretary for Hamden’s Fire Commission, Board of Ethics, and formerly its Library Board, and most recently, the Secretary of the Board of Bloom Academy in Las Vegas. The mother of a wonderful son. Patrice currently resides in Cheshire with her two precious rescue cats.
Joe DeFrank: Treasurer
Born and raised in Connecticut, Joe moved to Reno, NV for college as well as adventure. In addition to exploring Lake Tahoe every chance he had, whether it be on his snowboard or with his dog on hikes, Joe also obtained his Bachelors in Accounting and Masters in Finance from the University of Nevada, Reno. Now residing in Denver, Colorado, Joe acknowledges how proud he is of his tight-knit, family-oriented roots, while embracing the independence that comes with living on the other side of the country than the rest of his family. Joe is a self-described lifelong learner who enjoys reading every day and implements mindful practice for mastering skills such as stock trading and financial analysis. On the other end of the spectrum, Joe also enjoys backcountry snowboarding that involves snowshoeing to the top of the mountain as opposed to taking the lifts at the resorts. "I needed to go off and explore when I was younger, I learned by trial and error. I truly do not know if I would be where I am today and more importantly be as happy and mentally clear as I am today if I did not do things my own way earlier on and make the mistakes that I did. Some of these 'mistakes' were my greatest learning moments.”