Teachers

1’s Teachers

Linda Pfieffer
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Linda began working at Our Lady of Presentation Early Childhood Center beginning in August 2011. She has a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Early Childhood. She’s worked in public, private and early childhood schools throughout her adult life. She believes that teaching is a job that you get paid for to have fun with children. Linda loves to travel and enjoys all sorts of nature. She has three children: John, Anna and Joel, one granddaughter, Lilly and her husband Charlie.

Kelly Goetz
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This will be Ms. Kelly’s first year at Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center and her sixth year working in the education field overall. Kelly has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, and she is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Education Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She looks forward to watching her students learn and grow throughout the coming year!

Laura Pierce
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This is Laura’s fifth school year teaching at Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center. She received her B.S. in Social Psychology from Park University, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Counseling through Webster University. Laura’s counseling work involves studying how environmental influences contribute to the cognitive and emotional development of individuals, both young and old. These experiences provide her with a unique insight on how best to plan and care for children during their school day. Laura loves being married to her childhood sweetheart and raising their four children ranging in ages from 5 to 19.

2’s Teachers

Brooke Kakuske
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Brooke began at Our Lady of the Presentation in 2011. Previously she worked as a 2-year-old teacher for 6 years at The Children’s Village. Brooke graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Family Development. She lives in Lee’s Summit with her husband and 2-year-old son, Jack. They are expecting their 2^nd child in December. She enjoys spending her free time with family and being outside.

Ashley Henry
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This will be Ashley’s second year here at the ECC. She worked as a Teacher Assistant in the 1’s before becoming a full time teacher in the 2’s this last spring. She is currently working towards her Bachelors Degree in Education. She lives in Lee’s Summit with her husband, Corey, and has one son, Michael, who will be in pre-k this fall.

Danielle Gentry
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Danielle has been with OLP ECC 2007. She began as a teacher’s assistant for the 3’s and 4’s and the Pre-K program, and served as a co-teacher in the Toddler room before moving to becoming a full-time teacher in the 2’s room. Danielle holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) for early childhood. Teaching children has always been a part of Danielle’s life, and being a part of how a child can mature or advance in just one year has always brought her great joy.

Transition 3′s

Eileen Neeley
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Eileen joined Our Lady of the Presentation in August 2010, and looks forward to her second year of teaching our transition 3′s room at OLPECC. Eileen graduated from the University of Central Missouri in May 2010 with a Bachelors of Science in Education, double majoring in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. Before coming to OLP Eileen spent seven years working with animals, her other passion in life, at a veterinarian clinic in Independence. She enjoys reading novels, watching movies, and walking her Welch Corgi, and playing with her feisty long haired cat.

3/4’s Teachers

Kim Carollo
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Bio coming soon

Tonya Carollo
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Tonya joined Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center in September 2006. She believes that “open communication is a big part of success in schools.” Tonya and her husband, John, live in Lee’s Summit with their two boys, Tony and Nicholas, who attend Our Lady of the Presentation Grade School. As a family, they hunt, fish, ride 4-wheelers and camp and Tonya truly feels her family is her greatest blessing.

DeAnne Mrachek
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DeAnne Mrachek joined Our Lady of the Presentation ECC in August 2010. Deanne and her husband are blessed with three children and are loving parents to two daughters and a son. She is a graduate of University of Northern Iowa with an Early Childhood/Elementary Education Degree. After college, DeAnne taught for 5 years in a combined 1^st and 2^nd grade classroom at a parochial school in Iowa. When she moved to Missouri, she was fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom for several years. She began teaching again when her youngest child started preschool. DeAnne taught in a 3’s/4’s classroom for 3 years before joining the team at OLPECC.

Angela Gabriel
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Angela has been working at Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center since September 2007 and enjoys working where her children go to school. Angela was a stay-at-home mom before coming to Presentation. She attended college at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri. She loves living in Lee’s Summit with her husband, Rick, and their three boys, Andrew, Tyler and Spencer.

Carlene Leardi
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Teaching at OLPECC since August 2007, Carlene “enjoys watching children grow with new experiences.” Carlene earned her degree in elementary education in 2000 from Avila University and went on to teach 4th grade. After staying at home with her children for a few years, Carlene decided to return to teaching when her daughter started preschool. She and her husband , Mike have two children Abby and Michael, who both attend OLP.

Transition 4′s

Scheryl Stubbs
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Scheryl has been with Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center since August 2007 and her goal is “to encourage social growth, strengthen fine, gross motor and verbal skills and to support the children’s growing independence.” She graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a Bachelors degree in elementary education, emphasis in early childhood. Scheryl has taught children in various settings from public and private schools to day cares with a range of ages. She lives in Lee’s Summit with her husband and son.

Pre-K Teachers

Kay Bennett
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Since May of 2005, Kay has brought her diverse professional background to the children and staff of Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center. Her more than 19 years as a professional vocalist and a piano/vocal/dance instructor has led her to serve as the children’s choir director at Our Lady of the Presentation Church. She was also in retail management and owned an art gallery in New Mexico for seven years. Growing up on a farm near Lenox, Iowa, Kay went on to get her degree in child development in 1984 from Northwest Missouri State University. Kay lives in Lee’s Summit with her husband, Matthew, and their daughter Elizabeth. Kay is also an “extra” mom to Zachary, Lance and Jordan, all proud members of the police force and fire department.

Angela Jordan
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Angela’s international background has served Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center since September 2008. As an educator, her goals are “to care for and nourish my students with the fundamental skills, experiences and tools they need to achieve their dreams.” Angela began her international work after studying psychology for two years at the University of Kansas. She took her studies abroad to Florence, Italy where she attended Centro Linguistico Italiano, to master the language, and the University of Florence, to study the history of Europe and the arts. While in Florence, Angela co-founded EdFirst and Peace Works, two non-profit, community organizations designed to promote peace, decrease violence and increase educational awareness through after-school programs. She returned to the US and continued her work with children at the elementary level while working toward her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Central Missouri. She has two children , daughter Carmella and son Landon.

Colleen Wilson
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Teaching at Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center since July 2007, Colleen brings her 13 years of being in the professional childcare business to her classroom. She has a High/Scope Curriculum background, which is very similar to The Creative Curriculum® “hands on” philosophy used at Presentation. Colleen comes from a large extended family and has one daughter, Caleigh, who is almost 11.

Jennifer Belanger
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Jennifer has been teaching children in the Lee’s Summit school district and at Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center for more than nine years. She is currently working toward her Masters in teaching. Having moved all over the country with her military father, Jennifer is happy to have settled in Lee’s Summit since 2001. Jennifer is a mom of three – Brendan, Madison and Nick.

Ceci Harris
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Ceci has been involved in early childhood education since 2004, and since 2007 teaching Pre-K at Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center. Ceci has earned her Child Development Associate (CDA). She is proud to be an educator at this school “because of the commitment of the staff to provide loving and quality care for the children.” With her husband and their son, Ceci enjoys taking walks, playing games and reading together.

Kay McCormick
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Kay’s distinguished career in education is one of the assets she brings to Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center since August of 2006. Kay earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Missouri and a Masters in Education from Central Missouri State University. She taught 31 years in the Blue Springs School District with 20 years in elementary physical education and 11 years teaching middle school foreign language. Married to her husband, Perry, they have two daughters, Wendy and Terrilyn, three grandsons and two granddaughters.

Carmen Atwater
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Carmen’s teaching in Pre-K for over 20 years – since 2003 at Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center – is a great example of her dedication to children. Her career spans more than 28 years where she has served as a director of two pre-school programs and taught at St. Francis Xavier for 15 years. Carmen and her husband have one adult son.

Teacher Assistants

Ruth Hicks
Ruth has worked with children in various ways for more than 30 years and considers the children of Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center as her own grandchildren. Ruth grew up in Lee’s Summit and retired from the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District in nutrition services in 2006. She has been married to her husband, Donald, since 1970. They have two children and three grandchildren.

Denise Roach
Denise has been a staff member at Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center since 1992. She has worked in a variety of positions over the years and was a classroom lead teacher at every age level except 1’s. She currently helps out wherever she is needed. Denise grew up in Lee’s Summit and earned her degree in Elementary/Early Childhood Education from Central Missouri State University.

Susie Scott
Susie cares about all the children that she comes into contact with at Our Lady of the Presentation Early Childhood Center and wants to do the best she can for them. After retiring from 30 years of service at AT&T, Susie wanted to return to a part-time position in a field she loved – children. She earned her Child Development Certification and feels that it has helped her “grow and develop into a more responsive, empathetic and compassionate childcare worker.” Susie comes from a large, close-knit family and is very involved in the lives of her twelve nieces and nephews and four great-nephews. Susie has worked with the children at OLP ECC since August 2006.

Margaret Winkeler
Margaret will be working with the Pre-K students as a Teacher’s Aide. Presentation has been a part of Margaret’s life since she was 5. She went to elementary school here, got married, and has had all her children baptized in the parish. Margaret is the proud mom of Mary Ellen, Amelia and John. Prior to having children, Margaret taught Kindergarten and 3rd grade at OLP Elementary School. She was fortunate enough to be able to stay home with her children and is now looking forward to making the transition back into the classroom.

Liz Langley
Elizabeth Langley has been working with children for over 25 years. She has been with OLP ECC since the beginning in 1988. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from Central Missouri State in 1982. Since working at OLP ECC Elizabeth has had many responsibilities some of which include teaching Pre-K, resource room and library attendant. Ms. Liz enjoys doing arts and crafts with the children as well as introducing them to new and exciting science experiments.