I have lived in Lake Stevens for the past 23 years with my husband Dean and our four children. I am a Washington State Certified teacher for grades K-8, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, and an endorsement in Early Childhood Education from Western Washington University. I opened Lake Stevens Little School Preschool in 1996, from which all four of my own children have graduated. The preschool and staff have continued to grow and thrive, serving approximately 50 families in Lake Stevens and surrounding communities each year.

 

I enjoy the preschool families and the friendships that have continued beyond preschool. While my children have attended private school for most of their elementary and secondary education, each has had a couple of years in homeschool. As my family has continued to mature however, there are new and exciting challenges ahead.

 

I treasured the time that I spent with my children in preschool and now look forward to being involved with them as they continue on with their education, pursuing areas in which they are each uniquely gifted. They accomplished so many things in the years that they homeschooled, and learned to be independent thinkers and doers. Homeschool exposed them to new and interesting subjects and areas of interest that they never had the chance to delve into in traditional school. All four excelled and then returned to their private school even ahead of their peers. While we accomplished the goals that we had set for those homeschool years, it was a lot of work for one mom to keep up on and to do it well.

 

Having experienced the blessings and challenges of homeschool first hand, I know the things that would make my life as a homeschool mom much easier! I became inspired to create the perfect alternative for parents who want something different for their children than public school, costly private school, or labor-intensive homeschool. My experience has shown me that kids can accomplish amazing things when they are excited about what they are doing, which is largely a result of them pursuing their own natural gifts and interests. The Academy Model allows kids to do just that, and I can’t wait to watch kids blossom before our eyes!