Born and raised in Barbados, Lori Poggione has called Visalia home since 1999. She is proud to be part of the Sycamore Valley Academy community, where she enjoys helping young learners build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

A graduate of Mount Whitney High School, College of the Sequoias, and Fresno Pacific University, Lori also completed graduate studies in teaching. Before joining Sycamore Valley Academy, she spent 13 years teaching and caring for children ages 2½ to 5 in a Montessori preschool and earned her Pre-Primary Montessori Certificate from Montessori World in Cambria.

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Lori is passionate about early childhood education and loves teaching kindergarten because of her students' curiosity, enthusiasm, and joy for learning. She believes one of her most important roles as an educator is to nurture young children's natural curiosity while helping them develop confidence, independence, and a love of learning.

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Outside of school, Lori enjoys spending time with her son, Michael, and her family, including her mother, Joy, who has also been a valued member of the Sycamore Valley Academy community since the school's founding.