Laurie directs the Early Learning Center programs here at St. Paul and has been teaching our Pre-Kindergarten class since 2015. She has been teaching in the Early Childhood classroom setting for 10 years now. Laurie holds a Bachelor’s in Business from Washington State University and received her teaching credentials from Central Washington State University with endorsements in Elementary Education and English as a Second Language. She also holds a Child Development Associate Credential. Laurie has two grown daughters. When she has free time, she loves spending time with family and friends, walking, hiking, gardening, and cooking. Laurie is currently working on her Masters in Literacy from Eastern Washington University.
My vision for this program is to provide children with a safe, nurturing, positive and collaborative community that prepares children and families for success in kindergarten. Children will have play opportunities and research-based center learning experiences to build a strong foundation for early literacy and provide developmentally appropriate instruction for young learners, including cross-curricular activities, and a focus on social-emotional development, and preparation for kindergarten and beyond.
I am also a cradle Catholic and I love teaching in a Catholic setting where I can share my faith with students and take the children to Mass. When I was hired in my current position 6 years ago, I took over a play-based program and was told to do what it takes to develop a Pre-Kindergarten program that would become licensed with DCYF. After accepting that responsibility, I quickly developed a full-day program licensed for 20 students.
My background includes 10 years of teaching, having my own classroom, and working with children from 3 to 5 years of age. Play-based lessons were led along with skill-building activities in language arts, math, social studies, art, and science disciplines. Before becoming a full-time Pre-K Teacher, I was a stay at home mom while raising my two active daughters. During this time, I taught faith formation for several years at St. Stephen the Martyr parish in Renton. I was also a substitute teacher and a math tutor working with children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Being a mother has allowed me to be a constant learner, helped me live my faith and has strengthened my teaching skills. I have grown in patience, as well as being flexible and organized. This has translated into me being great in classroom management and working with many different types of personalities.