Meet the Owner

Michelle Lee

Owner & Director

My name is Michelle Lee, and I am the owner and director of Playhouse Preschool since 2003. I was born and raised in Sacramento and have lived in the Elmhurst Neighborhood my entire life. I graduated from University of California, Davis with a degree in Human Development. I went on to obtain my teaching credential from Chapman University. I have over 19 years of experience working with children in a preschool setting. I am also a certified foster parent and am becoming a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) as I am passionate about helping our underprivileged children. I have been a part of Playhouse Preschool since the 70’s, I worked at Playhouse as a college student, and my son attended Playhouse as a preschooler. I feel lucky to now be the owner and director of the preschool that so many neighborhood children have attended since 1953. In my spare time you can find me volunteering to help neglected and abused animals. At Playhouse, we teach the children about empathy for all living creatures through our animal programs.

Meet the Directors

Hi, I’m Jess, the director of our Restlife site and a proud parent of two wonderful kids. My journey began at Sonoma State, where I was studying nursing. However, I had a change of heart and discovered my true passion: teaching young children. Over the past 10 years, I’ve worked my way up from an aide to my current role, and it’s been an incredibly fulfilling experience.

I love spending quality time traveling with my family. Some of our favorite destinations include the beach, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, zoos or animal sanctuaries, and of course, Disneyland. These trips bring us closer together and provide new opportunities for learning and adventure.

One of my proudest moments as a director was opening our school and achieving the incredible honor of winning “Best Preschool of Sacramento” in our very first year, especially since we had never been nominated before. Watching children’s curiosity and love for learning flourish is my daily inspiration, and I’m grateful to play a part in shaping their bright futures.