You’re just as likely to find Jackie Diaz, AMC 5 Director, inside a classroom as you are in the director’s office at our Forest Hills, Queens location.
And that’s exactly how she likes it.
“I don’t just want to be a director sitting behind a desk.”
For Jackie, being a director means being present, getting to know the children, building relationships with families, supporting her teachers, and being part of the everyday life of her center.
It’s the hugs when she walks into a classroom. The children eager to show her what they’re working on. The conversations with families. The opportunity to support her team.
Those everyday connections are a big part of what Jackie loves about her work.
And they’re exactly why we wanted you to meet her.
For our second Heart of AMC feature, we’re introducing Jackie Diaz, Director of AMC 5, and sharing a little more about the amazing person helping make her school feel like a second home.
A Love for Children That Became a Career
Jackie has spent many years working in early childhood education.
Her reason for choosing the field comes back to something simple: her love for children and the opportunity to make a difference during such an important time in their lives.
One of the things she loves most is watching children grow into themselves.
“I love watching children learn, grow and develop their own little personalities.”
In early childhood, those changes can happen right in front of you.
Children discover new interests. They become more independent. Their confidence grows. And little by little, their individual personalities begin to shine through.
Getting to witness, and be part of, that growth is what continues to make this work so meaningful to Jackie.
Leadership Means Being Present
What Jackie loves about being a director is that her role allows her to connect with everyone who makes up the AMC 5 community.
The children.
The families.
And the staff.
“I get to be involved with everyone, our children, families and staff.”
She enjoys building relationships with families and supporting her teachers so that, together, they can create the best possible environment for the children.
But for Jackie, supporting a school means actually being in the school.
She doesn’t want to spend her days removed from what’s happening in the classrooms.
“I don’t just want to be a director sitting behind a desk. I enjoy being present throughout the center and being part of what happens every day.”
That presence is an important part of Jackie’s approach to leadership.
She wants her teachers to know she’s there to support them. She wants families to know her. And she wants the children to know her too.
A Place Where Every Child Belongs
Ask Jackie how she wants children and families to feel when they walk through the doors of AMC 5, and four words come immediately to mind:
Welcomed. Safe. Loved. Comfortable.
More than anything, she wants AMC 5 to feel like a place where children and their families know they belong.
“I want our center to feel like a second home where parents know their children are being cared for and where every child feels they belong.”
That feeling of comfort is especially meaningful during the early years.
For a young child, school can become one of the first communities they experience outside their own family. It’s where they begin forming friendships, building relationships with teachers, exploring their independence, and discovering what they’re capable of doing.
Jackie wants children to be able to do all of that while knowing there are people around them who care about them.
And she wants parents to feel that care too.
The Little Moments That Make Her Day
Some of Jackie’s favorite moments at AMC 5 aren’t planned.
They happen when she walks into a classroom.
A child sees her and gets excited.
Someone runs over to say hello.
Another child wants a hug.
And inevitably, someone has something very important they need to show her.
“I love when they get excited to see me, come over to say hello and give me a hug or to show me what they are doing.”
For Jackie, those interactions can change an entire day.
“Those little moments can make my entire day.”
They’re also a reminder of why being a present director matters so much to her.
The children don’t simply know Jackie as the person whose name is on the director’s office.
They know her.
And she gets the privilege of knowing them too.
Proud of the Team Behind AMC 5
When Jackie talks about what makes her proud at AMC 5, she quickly turns the attention toward her team.
She’s proud of how hard they work.
But even more importantly, she’s proud of how much love they give the children in their care.
And like anyone who works in early childhood education knows, not every day is an easy one.
There are busy mornings. Unexpected challenges. Difficult moments. Days when teachers and coworkers need to lean on one another.
Jackie appreciates the way her team works through those moments together.
“Like any team, we may have challenging days, but we work together and always come back to what matters most—the children.”
She’s equally proud of the relationships AMC 5 has built with its families and the sense of community that has grown from those relationships.
Because creating a strong early childhood center isn’t the work of one person.
It’s something children, families, teachers, and school leaders build together.
Outside of AMC, Jackie Loves to Dance
There’s more to the people behind AMC than what happens during the school day—and The Heart of AMC gives us a chance to share some of that too.
So here’s something families might not know about Jackie:
She loves salsa dancing.
Music and dancing are two things that bring her joy outside of work, and salsa is a particular favorite.
We have a feeling some AMC 5 families may be asking to see those dance moves now.
A Favorite Book: I Wish You More
Jackie’s favorite children’s book is I Wish You More.
The story is filled with wishes for a child’s life—for joy, friendship, adventure, courage, laughter, and all the possibilities ahead of them.
It’s a sweet choice for someone who has dedicated so much of her own life to helping young children learn and grow.
And while Jackie didn’t give us a specific reason for choosing it, we’re not going to put words in her mouth.
We’ll simply say it’s a beautiful book to have on a favorite-books list.
What Children Have Taught Jackie
Adults spend a lot of time thinking about what we’re going to teach children.
But spend enough time around young children and something else becomes clear:
They’re teaching us too.
When we asked Jackie what working with children has taught her, her answer was short—but it said a lot.
Patience.
Compassion.
And…
“Sometimes the smallest moments can have a big impact.”
It’s a thought that runs through so much of what Jackie shared with us.
A hug from a child.
Taking a moment to see what they’re working on.
Being there when a teacher needs support.
Making a parent feel comfortable.
Helping a child feel like they belong.
Individually, those moments may seem small.
But when they happen consistently, day after day, they become part of what a child remembers about school and what a family feels when they walk through the door.
The Heart of AMC: Jackie Diaz at AMC 5
At AMC 5 in Forest Hills, Jackie isn’t interested in being a director who only leads from her office.
She wants to be where her school is happening.
In the classrooms.
With the children.
Alongside her teachers.
Connecting with families.
And sometimes receiving a few very important hugs along the way.
Her philosophy is rooted in presence, patience, compassion, and the belief that every child should feel safe, loved, comfortable, and like they belong.
Those values are a big part of the community Jackie and her team continue to build at AMC 5.
And they’re exactly the kinds of stories we created The Heart of AMC to share.
Because behind every classroom are people who bring their own experiences, personalities, talents, and love for children to work each day.
This week, we’re happy to introduce you to one of them:
Jackie Diaz, Director of AMC 5.
Visit AMC 5 in Forest Hills, Queens
All My Children Day Care & Nursery School — AMC 5
108-22 69th Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Serving children from infancy through 3K.
Families interested in AMC 5 can learn more about our Forest Hills location, programs, and enrollment opportunities on the All My Children website.