Teacher Millie ~ Director

As director, I have more than 15 years experience working with children in the Headstart program, as a day care owner/provider, a school volunteer and as a mother of three.  I am a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, an independent group of early childhood specialists and educators who evaluate child care programs for excellence in the areas of health and safety, teacher/parent interactions, learning programs and children's activities.


Teacher Carlotta

Hello sunny community! My name is Teacher Carlotta.  I am very enthusiastic to work at Sunny Hills Preschool! My goal is to embolden students to achieve beyond their wildest dreams!

First, let me tell you about myself. I am recent transplant from New York City where I received my master's degree in Childhood Education. While attending school I received the Sidney E. Frank Foundation scholarship for academic excellence. In New York, I taught across a wide range of environments, including a constructivist progressive school, a volunteer youth program for children with incarcerated mothers, and an English language learner classroom in one of the most ethnically diverse areas of the country. I have my bachelor's from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Art Studio, which informs my teaching style with hands-on lessons that are visually stimulating.

I live in North Portland with my boyfriend and two cats: Linus from Staten Island and Toby from the Lower East Side. I love to cook, make movies, oil paint and get lost in a good book. Do you have any recommendations?
Teacher Claire

Hi, I’m Teacher Claire!  This is my first year working at Sunny Hills, although I have been working with youth and children for much of my life. I started babysitting when I was still a kid myself and have since worked as a volunteer teacher in a variety of subjects (including art, English language, and environmental science) in both a classroom setting as well as the outdoors. I recently graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, with a B.A. in political science and international relations.

I am so excited to be a part of the Sunny Hills community and help these young kids explore their creativity, intellect, and individuality!
 
Teacher Kim

This is my first year at Sunny Hills. I have a B.S. from PSU in Exercise Science. I have taught and children's sports teams, PE, and swimming lessons for many years in addition to Coaching, PE, and swimming lessons. I have also volunteered in my kid's classroom. I'm very happy to be here at Sunny Hills.

Teacher Lauren

Hello my name is Teacher Lauren!  I am very excited to start a new year with the children at Sunny Hills Preschool, and I enjoy contributing to the positive and nurturing learning environment in the classroom. I have experience working with children of all ages through my position as an after school mentor program coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters. I have also taught preschool for 3 years now, and I love working with children of this age. I believe that the teacher should strive to create a classroom that encourages a community of respect among the students, while allowing each child to explore his/her individuality. I love to watch children develop, explore, and learn, and I am so happy that I chose a profession that allows me to contribute to this process.

Teacher Mary

I have a B.S. in Psychology from PSU and an MAT from George Fox University. I have a current teaching license with authorizations in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. I have been fortunate to teach preschool-5th grade at OES, PCC Sylvania, and Portland Public Schools. I have also taught art for the last 6 years. This is my 3rd year teaching Pre-K at Sunny Hills and I love it!


Teacher Theresa

My name is Theresa Wechsler. I have been married to my husband, Jim, for 15 years, and we have a lovely 7-1/2 year old daughter named MeiLan. We adopted her from China as an infant.

I officially came on board as a teacher for Sunny Hills Preschool last Spring, but my heart has been here for many years. When MeiLan was a baby, we met Millie at Custer Park, where both our daughters were enjoying the swings. Millie told me she was the new owner of Sunny Hills Preschool, which was walking distance from our house. As a matter of fact, it is so close that we used to walk down there and pick dandelions while Millie would look out the window and wave at us.

Even though the school is close to our home, we looked at several preschools before deciding on Sunny Hills for our daughter. We looked at parent cooperatives as well as Montessori. But we liked that Sunny Hills provided just enough of a schedule without being too overly structured. It seemed to have a good mix of play and activities in a very friendly and nurturing environment. MeiLan attended two years before graduating and going to public school. Sunny Hills did a great job of preparing her for kindergarten, and she continues to be successful as she begins 2nd grade. We know that the skills she learned in preschool have helped her to thrive academically as well as socially. She has many friends and a lot of confidence.

Although I have a BA in Communications from the University of Oregon, my desire to work with children grew tremendously after becoming a mom. So, I volunteered in MeiLan’s grade school classrooms for two years, then decided to come back to Sunny Hills. I want to see other young children blossom the way our daughter did, and develop a love of learning that will last them a lifetime.

If you would like to visit our program, please call 503-245-0973 to schedule a time to observe our school in "full swing".