MIPC Preschool Staff '07 - '08
Molly van der Burch, Director
Molly van der Burch has taught for twenty-eight years in the early childhood field. She graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, CA with a BA in French and continued on to graduate school at UC Berkeley where she received her California Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education. She has a Washington State Elementary Teaching Certificate and over 100 additional hours of credits in curriculum development, early reading and math skills, and behavior strategies. Molly’s special interests are early literacy, integrating art and science, and children’s literature. She has taught preschool, kindergarten, first, and second grade. Molly was hired in January 2001, to carry out a vision of beginning a Christian preschool at Mercer Island Presbyterian Church. Starting from the ground up, it has been an exciting process and she is looking forward to her seventh year as Director and teacher at the PEBBLE @ MIPC!
Cathy Anderson is a graduate of Newport High School and Washington State University. She earned her BA in communications, with an emphasis on business. While at WSU, she enjoyed earning extra credits in early childhood development and journalism. Cathy has taught in the Bellevue Community College cooperative preschool program with 3-year-olds, and at Teddy Bear Camp in the summers, held at Mercer Island's Sunnybeam School. Cathy is thrilled to be on board at MIPC and looks forward to her sixth year with us!
Stephanie Boyer was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California and moved to Mercer Island to work in High School ministries at MIPC. Stephanie graduated from the University of California, Long Beach with a BA in Liberal Studies—Elementary Education. Stephanie’s interests include bike rides, scrap booking, working with MI high school students, baking, and music. “Miss Steph” has taught threes, Pre-K, and our Kindercise program here at the PEBBLE. Stephanie has a passion for children and is eagerly awaiting the start of a new school year.
Peggy Crow is a graduate of Mercer Island High School and received her BA in Recreational Therapy at Western Washington University in Bellingham. Peggy participated in the BCC Infant Lab and Coop Preschool for 9 years, and tutored at BCC's ESL program for 2 years. Peggy was a Para-Educator for the MI School District for 9 years, assisting in all elementary grade levels and has been at the PEBBLE @ MIPC for six years. Peggy’s musical interests and the contributions of Peggy’s artist mother, “Grandma Peggy”, greatly add to our Kindergarten Enrichment program!
Susan Gallagher is a native of Silver Spring, Maryland. She has a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology from Carleton College and a Master’s in Elementary Education from Boston University. Before having her own children, Susan taught fourth and fifth graders in Massachusetts, Missouri and California. More recently, she has worked in an early childhood center, substituted in several preschools and tutored elementary school students. Susan is very excited about her new job as Molly’s assistant in the Pebble office!
Kellie Haber received her BA at Central Washington University with a major in Elementary Education and a minor Early Childhood Education. She has her Masters from Lesley University, focusing on the Creative Arts in learning. Kellie taught all day Kindergarten in Snoqualmie at Mountain View School from 2000-2002 and then moved to half day Kindergarten at Island Park Elementary on Mercer Island from 2002-2004. Kellie joined our staff in 2005. She lives in Fall City with her husband Jeb and sons Owen and Max. Kellie loves all aspects of teaching and is so happy to have found a job that allows her to continue to work with kindergartners and gives her plenty of time with her family.
Heidi Lewan is a graduate of Eastside Catholic High School in Bellevue, WA and Concordia University in Irvine, CA. Heidi earned her BA in both Early Childhood Education and Liberal Studies, with a Child Development emphasis in 1996, and completed a fifth year of study to earn her Elementary Teaching Credential. In addition to a four year Early Childhood degree, Heidi has also taken classes in Preschool Administration. She completed her student teaching in Pre-K, kindergarten, and fourth grade, and directed and taught at Little Lambs Christian Preschool for three years. Heidi has been at the PEBBLE PRESCHOOL since it opened in 2001 and teaches threes and Pre-K.
Julie Amodio moved here from Texas where she had been teaching preschool for three years at St Luke’s Day School in Houston. Julie describes herself as “a Southern gal, born and raised in Louisiana.” Julie has a B.S. degree in Biology from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas. She has worked as an after-school care provider, tutor, summer camp counselor, and dance instructor in addition to her preschool teaching. Julie has trained extensively in professional development workshops offered by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). Julie is newly married and will start her third year with us, teaching threes and Pre-K. Julie says, “Working with children is the best job in the world. They fill my heart with such joy, and I am anxious each day to see what it is that they will teach me next!”
Jinny Sewall graduated from Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA and taught several years in the Fox Chapel District in Pittsburgh, PA. While raising three daughters in PA, MI, and MN, Jinny became a church, school, and community volunteer. After moving to WA, she was hired as a paraprofessional at Lakeridge and Island Park Elementary Schools with a focus on helping small groups of young children read and write. Jinny was a full-time teacher at West Mercer Elementary School for ten years and taught eight years of first grade and two of fifth grade before retiring in June 2002. She looks forward to teaching four year olds again in the preschool this year.
Tanya Stribling grew up on Whidbey Island and went to Skagit Valley Community College. She started her teaching career in a Montessori preschool and taught three and four year olds at Emmanuel Day School before coming to the PEBBLE PRESCHOOL. In addition to teaching, Tanya and her husband are busy raising three children. Tanya is looking forward to starting her sixth year at the PEBBLE!
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