The Blue Igloo Playgroup
Washington, DC
Sabria has been with the Blue Igloo Playgroup "since the day it opened its doors." Sabria was born in Ourgla, Algeria to a diplomatic family. She worked as a flight attendant where she met her wonderful pilot husband Moncef.
In 1998, Sabria and Moncef moved to Washington, DC where Sabria worked as a certified nurse's aid and a nanny. In 2000, she co-founded Blue Igloo, and one year later began her role as Director of the playgroup. Sabria's love of children, boundless energy, enthusiasm, warmth and humor, not to mention her expertise in developing programs for young children, are at the heart of the Blue Igloo experience.
In addition to her leadership at Blue Igloo, Sabria teaches French, designs and sews beautiful children's costumes, sings, and smiles all the time. She has a degree in childcare management. Sabria and her husband, Moncef, have two beautiful daughters, Shiraz and Shanez. Shanez will attend Blue Igloo.
Luis is originally from Lima, Peru and has made Washington, D.C. his home since 1995. He moved here to pursue a music career and has found great success both domestically and abroad. He is the lead singer and bassist for the band Nayas.
In 2003 he brought traditional Andean music to children in DC schools, and thus began his life with little chairs and playdough. Luis became an assistant teacher and later Aftercare Director at the Oneness School in Bethesda MD. A thousand spills and band-aids later, he happily found himself at Blue Igloo.
Working at Blue Igloo has introduced Luis to many firsts: first smiles, first dance moves, first steps. A professional musician, Luis incorporates guitar into the daily routine of Blue Igloo. He introduces music, movement and rhythm to our little ones in their earliest stages. Luis loves to see the children soaking up the music and bringing it home with them. The power of these first interactions with music and language is what inspires him each day!
Luis shares his life with his lovely wife, Elizabeth, a professional photographer and native of California. They welcomed their delightful daughter, Magdalena, into the world in December 2008. He revels in each day of his new journey as a father and loves to see her face smiling among the other Baby Blues!
Ezree Mualem is originally from Manhattan Beach, California. She has her BA from American University in Psychology with an interdisciplinary minor in Theatre and Education. Ezree has always loved working with children, having been a tutor and nanny for many years. She worked for two years at Horace Mann Elementary School in kindergarten and first grade classrooms, providing one-on-one assistance to children with special needs. Back home, Ezree has also worked at Pacific Elementary School, helping coordinate the afternoon program. Ezree's studies in psychology and child development were combined with her focus in the incorporation of the arts in education. At the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Ezree studied puppetry and alternative art forms while researching the role of arts as an educational tool. Ezree has also been very active in Children's Theatre, writing scripts and performing for children. She also has been involved with Imagination Quest for a year, a program designed to increase literacy in inner city schools through arts-based teaching, along with teaching theatre at Imagination Stage. Ezree is thrilled to be at Blue Igloo and around the children every day, enjoying art projects and story time together!