Meet our team

Jess Applin

Hi! We’re so glad you’re here!
I’m Jess, a mama of two and the owner of Growing Littles. I have a doctorate in Developmental Psychology and a passion for teaching. The idea for Growing Littles grew out of a desire to find baby and toddler classes for my own daughter and to build my parenting village. I knew I couldn’t be the only parent wishing for a space where I could engage my child in fun activities and connect with other parents in my community. I decided to marry my expertise in infant and child development with my passion for teaching and supporting others by creating child development based classes for littles and their caregivers. In addition to my work at Growing Littles, I am also a psychology professor and teach classes at SMCC and UNE.

Reyleigh

Events Coordinator

Reyleigh is our go-to for all things event. Before coordinating events with Growing Littles that include our Halloween event and our Egg-celent Egg Hunt, she coordinated a number of successful large-scale events for the Scarborough Rotary Club. She also has experience coordinating events from her previous job with The Johnson-Wright Allstate Agency in Portsmouth, NH. Not to mention the epic birthday parties for her own kids! When she’s not in organization mode (which is not often), she is crafting, spending time outdoors, boating, or reading. She lives in Scarborough with her two kids (Oliver who is two and a half and Nora who is one), her husband, Will, and their dog, Briar. 

Miss Ellie

Instructor: Music Class

“Miss Ellie” founded the Little Music Maker business in 2004 with the mission of helping parents bond with their children through music and movement. She has 27 years teaching experience, 45 years performing experience, and is a mom of two. She performs in multiple musical groups locally and has recorded her own records.

Kara

Instructor: Toddler French

Bonjour! I’m Kara, mommy of two and the French instructor at Growing Littles. After earning a Masters in Teaching and in French, I taught French at the middle and high school levels before having my daughter. Now, as I navigate motherhood, I’m lucky to be able to teach again to a younger audience! Toddlers are imaginative, observant, and fiercely confident which is the perfect combination to begin discovering a new language. I look forward to meeting you and your little one at Growing Littles, and either introducing French or continuing your love of this language!

Katherine

Instructor: Baby and Me Yoga

Katherine is a mama and dedicated yoga instructor who has been practicing for nearly a decade and teaching for 6+ years. She has over 1,000 hours of training with certifications in Vinyasa, Hatha, kids yoga, and most recently pre and postnatal yoga. Her approach is rooted in both the yoga traditions and modern science and believes a conscious movement practice can significantly enhance our quality of life and improve our tolerance for stress. She loves to be active and outside and happily resides in Scarborough with her husband, daughter, and tripod pup, Candy. 

Gracie

Instructor: Toddler and Me Yoga;
Little Artists

Gracie is a kids yoga instructor and mom based out of Sabattus, ME. She has a background in gymnastics and art. She studied painting and drawing at Concordia University in Montreal and worked as a gymnastics instructor for 4 years in Burlington, VT. She completed her 100 hours Kids Yoga training with Sedona Sol Yoga. When she isn’t teaching she loves getting outdoors with her family, biking, painting, doing yoga, and dancing with her son.