Building Community

Meet the Board

Christine Schneider

Director

Christine graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies, earned her Early Childhood Education Administration Certificate through UCLA’s extension program, and currently also works in construction management. The Schneider family joined RPNS in the fall of 2015 and had all three of their children go from toddlers through Pre-K at the school. Christine joined the board shortly after joining RPNS and held almost every position throughout the family’s time at the school. Christine was awarded the Janet Cocconi Award in 2019 for her commitment to the school. Her and her husband Nick, whom also served on the board, were proudly awarded the Betty Strombom award in 2023. She lives close to RPNS with her husband and three kids (Kendall- age 11, Andrew- age 9 and Layla- age 7).

Courtney Burrill

President

Hello RPNS! Welcome to the 2025-26 school year! My name is Courtney Burrill and I will be serving as President of the Board this year. My family has been at RPNS since 2021 when my eldest child (Beauden) started 3s with Teacher Kathy and my middle child (Blake) started in 2s with Teacher Andi. Those two are now in elementary school at Roy Cloud and my youngest, Tommy, will be in 2s with Teacher Andi and Teacher Natalie this year. This will be my 3rd year serving on the Board at RPNS and my 4th year at the school. As President, my focus is to continue building a strong sense of community! The RPNS community is un-matched from the amazing and dedicated staff, family-friendly events, and parent nights out. We are a group of hard-working dedicated parents and I want everyone to feel celebrated for that. We raise the best kids and care deeply in the growth of our school and community. I am so proud to be a member of this school and to serve on the Board this year as President.

Becky Wenzlau

Vice President 1

I’m Becky Wenzlau, mom to Russell (Pre-K) and Wendell (Twos). This will be our family’s fourth year at RPNS and my second year on the board. I am passionate about building community and excited to be in a position to give back more. As VP1, I’ll be planning our welcome picnic on Sept 28, coordinating school photos this spring, and helping with committee assignments. We are SO excited to be back in school. Wendell and Russell started asking daily in mid-July when they could go back to RPNS. This is exactly why we come to this school – because it’s fostered a deep love of learning, safety, and friendship for them. I love how confidently my son grabs the hand of a friend and skips through the gates, and the bonds I’ve made with the caring community of parents. I would be a different and far less mindful parent without RPNS. This year, I’m looking forward to getting to know more families and our new teachers, diving deeper into our community, and continuing to have fun playing with my kids!

Nicola Juri

Vice President 2

My name is Nicola Juri and I am so excited to join the board as VP2 this year. In this role I get to plan the Graduation/End of Year celebration, which is a favorite RPNS event of mine. I love a good theme party. My son, Liam, is in Threes and has been at RPNS since Toddlers. I knew on my first visit this was the perfect environment for us both to grow in. I have loved how many friends we have made since being here. This community is unmatched!. When I am not playing mom or VP I work as a PA at Stanford and teach at the PA program there. We welcomed a new baby Nora about 6 months ago and I am already excited for her to start her RPNS journey. As a family we love to travel to visit my family in Ireland, spend time exploring the Bay Area, and watching sports. I look forward to getting to know you all this year!

Leighann Thompson

Vice President 3

Membership

Hello RPNS families! My name is Leighann Thompson and I am VP 3, Membership. We had an eventful summer and are very pleased to be getting back into a routine with back to school! I am thrilled to return as the Membership Coordinator helping to bring families to our wonderful school! If you have any questions about your enrollment at RPNS, or have any friends or family that are interested in joining our community please get in touch with me! This year Elliott is excited to join the twos class! His sisters Hannah (alumni now in 3rd grade) and Everly (alumni now in 1st grade) both attend Clifford School where I serve as PTO President. Thank you for all that you do to make RPNS the best community!

Maria Nelson

Secretary

Hello RPNS families. My name is Maria, and I'm serving as the board secretary this year. My husband, Allan, and I have two children. Emily is enrolled in the pre-K class, and this will be her second year at RPNS. We recently welcomed a baby boy named Liam, and while we're still adjusting to being a family of four, Emily is absolutely loving her role as a big sister! This is my first year on the RPNS board, and I'm really looking forward to the upcoming school year. Allan and I both grew up in the Bay Area and enjoy all the fun activities it has to offer, like hiking, trips to Point Reyes, visits to the zoo, and cozy family movie nights. RPNS is truly a wonderful school; Emily loves getting up in the morning to play with her friends. I can't wait for another fun year ahead!