As kids know the important questions, my favorite color is blue, my favorite animal is the elephant, my favorite princess is Belle, and my favorite dinosaur is parasaurolophus.

I teach by combining my favorite parts of early educator philosophies into a hodge-podge (Reggio Emillia, Montessori, and Bev Boss, for my educator friends). I think children thrive when we feed their sense of wonder. If we start by learning who the kids are, and what makes them curious, we’re more likely to find success. I mark success by a wide range, as every part of my curriculum is built around each child’s needs. Some need to work on reading. Others colors. While others still will need to learn trust and safety first. I celebrate all these great achievements.

I pay very close attention to my students. Which means I have recognized when kids need glasses, need speech, need pushed more, are bored, or need extra love and support. I am in no way perfect, but I pride myself on knowing my kids. I work weekends and through the summer more often than not because I love helping my families. I even recently started a care page to help connect people to childcare providers. I work closely with other teachers and care providers as much as possible because they are my heroes and who I aspire to be like.

Some things I’m proud of! I decided to build this school myself. I didn’t know a lot of people, and have never had connections for aide, so I’ve done this on my own with the support of family and friends. I did it because I loved the kids I taught…so it was worth it. It means I’ve built a beautiful community of people that I adore. I couldn’t do this without this community! I also have spent a ridiculous amount of time in talks with the state advocating for kids. For example, during Covid I was the only school that was able to open for a while. I spent hours in conferences to make that happen. Although I am generally easy-going, I will always advocate for kids. I hope that my passion for this shows!

Starting this fall, we’re thrilled to welcome Teacher Rosy to our classroom!

When Rosy was in high school, she was my student aide…and even then, it was clear she had a gift for working with children. She’s always had a nurturing spirit, often helping care for the little ones in her own family. After high school, she went on to work with Umatilla/Morrow County Head Start, gaining hands-on experience in early childhood education.

Rosy is currently studying Early Childhood Education at Blue Mountain Community College and is working toward her Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. She recently earned her childcare certification and is dedicated to continuing her education and training.

Her favorite age group is infants and toddlers, and her long-term goal is to become a lead teacher in an infant classroom. In the meantime, she’s excited to gain experience with preschool-aged children—learning through both her college courses and daily classroom life.

Outside of school, Rosy enjoys spending time with her children and family. Her favorite color is pink, her favorite animal is a dog, and her favorite children’s story is The Three Little Pigs. In our preschool class, her favorite activities include play-dough time and teaching early math skills like numbers and colors.

Rosy believes that patience is one of the most important qualities when working with young children, and she brings a calm, caring presence to the classroom every day. I’m excited to work alongside her and support her as she continues to grow and thrive in this field!