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| About us > Our Wonderful Teachers The work of Building Blocks School begins with a strong image of all children as competent, resourceful, intelligent, creative, imaginative, and full of curiosity about the world around them. With this image before us, we try to listen, pay attention, plan, and co-construct with children. We follow the interest of the children. When children are excited the learning emerges because that is what they are interested in. We then incorporate the lesson with whole language, literacy, math, science, social studies, and art. We document your child's interest and growth. We strive to create a learning community of children and adults where our image of children and the thinking of students is visible to children, teachers, parents and the public. |
| We have playful teachers here on staff. They are warm, positive, creative, affectionate, and gentle with your child. |
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| The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done, men who are creative, inventive and discoverers. -- Jean Piaget |
Copyright Building Blocks Preschool 2011
| Learning and development are interrelated from the child's first day of life. |
| We believe that learning happens in the context of warm supportive adult-child relationships. |
About Our Teachers
Founder/Executive Director – Suzanne Gabli
Over twelve years ago my husband and I were new parents looking for quality, safe, nurturing childcare for our precious
baby to be. We decided on a quaint old farmhouse that was warm and nurturing environment for our Son. Three years
later we were blessed with our Daughter and she also attended the childcare center. In 2004 my husband Joe and I
decided to invest in our children’s early childhood education and in the Highland community. We were presented with the
wonderful opportunity to purchase this charming farmhouse and business. This was going to be the place that we could
insure that the children who attended would have great nurturing teachers, a safe and exciting learning environment,
creating fond childhood memories and a since of community for the families we serve. In conjunction with a great surprise
that baby number three was on the way. Although this farmhouse had some rough edges and needed a lot of tender
loving care, we knew it was filled with heart. We chose to build on the natural and organic beliefs that children are
respected and where children are given the opportunity to experience joy in where great childhood memories are created.
For this is what originally attracted us here.
As a mother of three, I have watched my children experience various educational philosophies from private to public
schooling. I was inspired to create a new learning environment where children are respected as individuals and are
inspired to learn from the heart. I am an advocate for children of all ages. The Reggio Emilia approach to learning falls
within my strong belief that all children are filled with joy, competency, power and resourcefulness. I believe in the, 100
languages of a child and that young children need many mediums to express themselves and the world around them. I
believe that given challenges, support, kindness, and love their accomplishments are vast and outstanding. With
guidance, children together, work hard, play hard and care for each other and the community around them while exploring
new and varied topics and questions. I am so proud of our teaching staff, here at our school. They are amazing and
wonderful people who care deeply about children and making each day here engaging with wonderful learning
opportunities and fun. Today is the present, enjoy every minute of it.
Director - Emily Senese
Hello. I was born and raised in Jackson, MI and now reside in Milford with my five year old daughter, Megan. I am a
graduate of Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Family and Community Services and an
emphasis in Early Childhood Education. I have lead Building Blocks Preschool since October 2006 in a dual role as director
and teacher.
My past work experiences include a Lead Preschool teaching position at a NAEYC accredited child care program in Illinois
at one of the nations largest child care centers. I was involved in a Child Care Manager in Training program and pilot
programs for curriculum including the emergent curriculum approach. I returned back home to Michigan in 2004 and
worked at the Oakland County Child Care Council as a Resource and Referral Specialist and Community Liaison.
I truly love young children! They constantly inspire me to be more spontaneous, curious, playful, find the sense of humor
in situations, forgive easily, express love and smile! Daily, children remind me that life is too short to hold onto the trivial
problems of the moment.
I take pride in leading a quality staff of teachers who are committed to ensuring that all children are provided with a safe,
loving, and nurturing environment where they can grow and develop into unique and independent individuals. Studying
and implementing the Reggio Emilia approach has been an amazing journey for me. The core of the philosophy is such a
natural and organic learning process where children are viewed as capable and competent learners. I’m very fortunate
that my own daughter’s early childhood education was here at Building Blocks and that she is a creative thinker and that
her imagination was embraced by her teachers and viewed as part of the learning process.
Lead Traditional Preschool Teacher - Ms. Jen
Hello! My name is Jen Winkel and I am the Lead Preschool teacher here at Building Blocks Preschool. I graduated from
Central Michigan with a Bachelor's degree in Child Development. I worked as a Lead Pre-Kindergarten teacher at a
corporate owned child care center in Ann Arbor for two years. While working at this center, my classroom had 36 children
on a daily basis and the curriculum was handed down to us from corporate without much regard to if the children were
interested in the topics of study or not.
While growing up, I always enjoyed spending time with children. I spent many hours baby-sitting and at family parties you
could always find me playing with the younger children. When I went to college I knew I wanted to work with young children
but it wasn’t until my third year that I discovered the joy of the preschool age child. I had a class that was specifically based
on the preschool age and I had the opportunity to spend some quality time in a preschool classroom. I fell in love with this
age group and knew that this was something I wanted to make a career out of. Working with children is something that has
always some very natural to me and something
that I find a lot of joy in.
I love teaching at Building Blocks Preschool because of the small class size and our Reggio Emilia inspired program and
the freedom that comes with the Reggio way. I joined the Building Blocks family in the summer of 2008 as the Creative Arts
Summer Camp teacher. When the opportunity to join the Building Blocks team as a Preschool teacher happened, I was
excited to get back to my roots as a preschool teacher.
Co-Lead Full-Day Preschool Teacher - Ms. Jennifer
My name is Jennifer Young and I am the Co-Lead Full Day Preschool teacher here at Building Blocks Preschool. I am
married and live in Milford with two teenage boys and one pre-teenage daughter. Before I became a Preschool teacher I
was a Cub Scout Leader for seven years and frequently volunteered in my children’s classrooms. I have also been a
lunchroom attendant and substitute Para-Pro in several Huron Valley Elementary Schools. As my children grew older, I
decided to go back to school and earn my degree in the education field. In May 2009, I graduated with honors from
Oakland Community College, earning my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Development. I continue to be a life long
learner and enjoy attending many different kinds of early childhood workshops and trainings.
One of the reasons I am excited to be working here at Building Blocks is the everyday photo documentation of the children
engaging in activities. I feel that the Reggio Emilia approach of recording the children’s work in progress gives them a tool
to visually reflect on their experiences and allows their parents to share these experiences as well. I am very calm and
respectful while interacting with children and am always amazed to see the growth and development of each individual
learner in my classroom.
In my spare time I enjoy canoeing and being outdoors with my family. I also have a love of photography and am able to
fulfill that love in my classroom on a daily basis.
Co-Lead Full Day Preschool Teacher- Ms. Christine
My name is Christine Hubbell and I am a co-teacher for the full day preschool program here at Building Blocks Preschool. I
live on the south side of Milford with my husband, two children, and our dog. We enjoy all kinds of outdoor adventures
including camping, hiking, canoeing, running, bicycling, and swimming. During the winter we continue our outdoor fun with
skiing, ice skating, and sledding.
My path to the classroom began with my undergraduate studies at Central Michigan University and Eastern Michigan
University. I originally started with a major in Earth Science and a minor in Drama… I had hopes of being a high school
teacher at that time. Then, during my junior year of college, I visited an elementary classroom for observation hours and
fell in love!! I changed my direction and earned my elementary teaching certification with a major in Science. I worked at a
preschool in Novi during my last couple years of college as a lead preschool teacher and afternoon kindergarten
enrichment teacher.
From there, I student taught and got a job in the Walled Lake School District where I taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 8th grades.
A move to Minnesota forced my resignation from teaching. Upon our return to Michigan, I subbed in the Huron Valley
School District as well as Walled Lake. During this time, I was also a course evaluator for Marygrove College, grading
papers in their Teacher Professional Development program. I decided to go back to my roots and return to the preschool
classroom in 2009 when I was hired here at Building Blocks to pilot a new traditional preschool program.
I am so excited to be a part of this wonderful family of teachers, children, and parents. Early childhood education is full of
wonder, exploration, and new adventures. I look forward to sharing these moments with you!
Infant/Toddler Teacher – Ms. Wendy
Hello! I am a infant and toddler teacher here at Building Blocks Preschool. I have worked at this school for over 10 years.
I have worked as a Preschool Teacher and for the past 5 years I have been a Infant and Toddler Teacher. I have spent
most of my life around children in one form or another. I have to say, I love working with children! Most days I feel the
children teach me more than I could possibly teach them. They have so much to offer the world, and I am honored to be a
part of their discovery of this life.
My goal in life is to constantly keep expanding my horizons, and one of my favorite ways is spending time with children.
They are a continual source of joy to me I have been working with young children for over 18 years, and the wonder of
watching a child discover and learn still grows with each year that goes by. ONE of my favorite activities is observing
children as they explore new materials. I got a lot of practice with my own two children, who are now young adults.
I was born and raised in Michigan. I love the Indian River area. Being in tune with nature is very important. I am a
recycler and I see how things can be recreated and reused. Respecting our environment is very important to me. I also
love living in an environment where it is so easy to find fun activities to do outside. Each season is exciting and there is so
much to do in and around the Highland area. I have thousands of hours of work experience, hundreds of hours of training
and I have several college credits toward an Early Childhood degree. Eventually, I want to go back to school to work on my
degree, but for the time being, I am so excited for this wonderful experience of working with such great staff at an amazing
school. Children are vivacious and make life so exciting. Each day is a new experience and I am thrilled to have the
opportunity to spend my time here.
Toddler Teacher – Ms. Janet
I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. My husband and I moved to Highland in 1993. We have two sons, Quinn and Rowan.
Quinn was adopted from Korea in 1999 and then I became pregnant with Rowan six months later. In 1994, I started
working here when it was known as Mill Pond Child Care and I have spent the last sixteen years with the children who
attend what we all now call Building Blocks Preschool. Sixteen years ago I thought this would be an exciting and
challenging opportunity because I got a lot of pleasure being around kids. I have seen many changes and improvements
with our school. My philosophy of education includes exploration of our surroundings and respect of each other and the
environment. I believe that children are capable of great things if we learn to trust them and allow that exploration.
I have worked with children of all ages at the preschool level and I get the most joy working with the toddlers. I like getting
down on the floor to play with them. Trying to understand what they are saying can be very challenging, as well as helping
them deal with frustration. It’s all very rewarding helping them to grow to be more independent. It’s fun to watch their
expressions when trying new things and watch their imagination grow even when they are playing with something as simple
as a cardboard box or piece of play dough. It’s also nice to have a little child run up and give you a big smile and hug
everyday you come to work. The same teaching philosophies that I have practiced from the very beginning-- positive
language, giving choices, and following the leads of children-- are also still applicable today. Children are eager to learn
from someone who is kind and patient and accepting; children are also eager to teach, and have so much to offer!
Toddler Lead Teacher- Ms. Lana
I have been married for 14 years to my husband John. We live in Waterford with our two boys, Michael age 6 and J.T. age
4. I went to Eastern Michigan University and received a teaching degree in Elementary Education in 2001.
I have worked with children for 20 years. I worked at the YMCA in their childcare and school age program where I was as a
preschool, infant-toddler teacher and site director. I was responsible for implemented and developing curriculum, lesson
plans, newsletters, portfolios and developmental checklist for the program. I have experience and training in High Scope,
Creative Curriculum and Play to Learn.
My journey began many years ago when I went to overnight camp at Camp Tamarack. I was nine- years- old and always
loved camping, nature and water, so it would make sense that some of my happiest memories would be at summer camp;
going on nature walks, making camp fires, learning to swim, canoeing and horseback riding. I have been looking for
something that would come close to what I felt when I was a kid. When I got older my first job was at the JCC as a camp
counselor. Through these experiences at camp I found out I liked “playing with children” and exposing them to fun
experiences that they would always remember like art, music and nature. So when I went to Eastern I knew I wanted to
“work with children” and that if I was lucky, that would be something I could be good at. After student teaching I decided to
work full time at the YMCA in Farmington Hills. It was there I could make a difference with families and work in the
community. It was also a great place to raise my own family. I had many happy memories at the Y and I learned how to
become a better teacher, child advocate, and a parent. Now as my life changed so have my perspectives and goals. As
a teacher I wanted to help children have experiences that would encourage a love of learning through play, but as a parent
my aspirations and ideals changed because I wasn’t just a teacher anymore I was a “Mother”. This not only became my
most important job, it became a mission to give my children the best life I could possible provide. I have been searching for
a long time for a curriculum and philosophy that I could believe in.
The Reggio Emilia philosophy has the core principles that embrace my beliefs and brings back what childhood should
really be about. I have started a new journey at Building Blocks in 2011 and I’m learning how to Relax, Breathe, Focus and
Reflect on the natural world around us. My new goal is to learn how to incorporate these aspects into every part of my
teaching. Children are important and deserve the best opportunities and experiences we can give them. It is the little
things that are most important and are what we remember and hold on to. Thank you for letting me becomes a part of this
amazing place!
In my free time I enjoy reading, art, movies, music, scrapbooking, photography, camping, fishing, going to the lake and
traveling. I want to be an artist when I grow up. I love to do science and sensory play with children. We like to get messy!
Summer Camp Teacher – Ms. Andrea
My name is Andrea Pearce. I have an older brother Greg. I am a 2007 graduate of Milford High School and currently I am
attending Eastern Michigan University and majoring in Special Education and General Education, ideally K-2.
While attending MHS, I was able to participate in an internship program that allowed me to go to local elementary schools
an help out in the classrooms. I was able to help the children with class work and even had a reading club with some to
help them better their reading skills. I worked with Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade. This internship was a great
experience for me and allowed me to gain more knowledge from the teachers that I worked with. I participated in this
program my junior and senior year. While at EMU I work with a program called America Reads. This program was involved
with local schools that had children who needed help with their reading skills. I would work one on one with a child and
read with them. I am also involved in the Highland Township Fire Explorers.
In my spare time I love to hang out with family and friends. I am always up for seeing a movie of going to Starbucks. I also
like to go putt-putting even though it takes me a few tries to get the ball in. Reading is also something that I love to do. I
enjoy taking pictures and making collages or helping my family with scrap booking.
I have been with Building Blocks Preschool since February 2007 and have truly enjoyed it! This center is filled with
amazing teachers and I have been able to learn so much from each of them.
Founder/Executive Director – Suzanne Gabli
Over twelve years ago my husband and I were new parents looking for quality, safe, nurturing childcare for our precious
baby to be. We decided on a quaint old farmhouse that was warm and nurturing environment for our Son. Three years
later we were blessed with our Daughter and she also attended the childcare center. In 2004 my husband Joe and I
decided to invest in our children’s early childhood education and in the Highland community. We were presented with the
wonderful opportunity to purchase this charming farmhouse and business. This was going to be the place that we could
insure that the children who attended would have great nurturing teachers, a safe and exciting learning environment,
creating fond childhood memories and a since of community for the families we serve. In conjunction with a great surprise
that baby number three was on the way. Although this farmhouse had some rough edges and needed a lot of tender
loving care, we knew it was filled with heart. We chose to build on the natural and organic beliefs that children are
respected and where children are given the opportunity to experience joy in where great childhood memories are created.
For this is what originally attracted us here.
As a mother of three, I have watched my children experience various educational philosophies from private to public
schooling. I was inspired to create a new learning environment where children are respected as individuals and are
inspired to learn from the heart. I am an advocate for children of all ages. The Reggio Emilia approach to learning falls
within my strong belief that all children are filled with joy, competency, power and resourcefulness. I believe in the, 100
languages of a child and that young children need many mediums to express themselves and the world around them. I
believe that given challenges, support, kindness, and love their accomplishments are vast and outstanding. With
guidance, children together, work hard, play hard and care for each other and the community around them while exploring
new and varied topics and questions. I am so proud of our teaching staff, here at our school. They are amazing and
wonderful people who care deeply about children and making each day here engaging with wonderful learning
opportunities and fun. Today is the present, enjoy every minute of it.
Director - Emily Senese
Hello. I was born and raised in Jackson, MI and now reside in Milford with my five year old daughter, Megan. I am a
graduate of Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Family and Community Services and an
emphasis in Early Childhood Education. I have lead Building Blocks Preschool since October 2006 in a dual role as director
and teacher.
My past work experiences include a Lead Preschool teaching position at a NAEYC accredited child care program in Illinois
at one of the nations largest child care centers. I was involved in a Child Care Manager in Training program and pilot
programs for curriculum including the emergent curriculum approach. I returned back home to Michigan in 2004 and
worked at the Oakland County Child Care Council as a Resource and Referral Specialist and Community Liaison.
I truly love young children! They constantly inspire me to be more spontaneous, curious, playful, find the sense of humor
in situations, forgive easily, express love and smile! Daily, children remind me that life is too short to hold onto the trivial
problems of the moment.
I take pride in leading a quality staff of teachers who are committed to ensuring that all children are provided with a safe,
loving, and nurturing environment where they can grow and develop into unique and independent individuals. Studying
and implementing the Reggio Emilia approach has been an amazing journey for me. The core of the philosophy is such a
natural and organic learning process where children are viewed as capable and competent learners. I’m very fortunate
that my own daughter’s early childhood education was here at Building Blocks and that she is a creative thinker and that
her imagination was embraced by her teachers and viewed as part of the learning process.
Lead Traditional Preschool Teacher - Ms. Jen
Hello! My name is Jen Winkel and I am the Lead Preschool teacher here at Building Blocks Preschool. I graduated from
Central Michigan with a Bachelor's degree in Child Development. I worked as a Lead Pre-Kindergarten teacher at a
corporate owned child care center in Ann Arbor for two years. While working at this center, my classroom had 36 children
on a daily basis and the curriculum was handed down to us from corporate without much regard to if the children were
interested in the topics of study or not.
While growing up, I always enjoyed spending time with children. I spent many hours baby-sitting and at family parties you
could always find me playing with the younger children. When I went to college I knew I wanted to work with young children
but it wasn’t until my third year that I discovered the joy of the preschool age child. I had a class that was specifically based
on the preschool age and I had the opportunity to spend some quality time in a preschool classroom. I fell in love with this
age group and knew that this was something I wanted to make a career out of. Working with children is something that has
always some very natural to me and something
that I find a lot of joy in.
I love teaching at Building Blocks Preschool because of the small class size and our Reggio Emilia inspired program and
the freedom that comes with the Reggio way. I joined the Building Blocks family in the summer of 2008 as the Creative Arts
Summer Camp teacher. When the opportunity to join the Building Blocks team as a Preschool teacher happened, I was
excited to get back to my roots as a preschool teacher.
Co-Lead Full-Day Preschool Teacher - Ms. Jennifer
My name is Jennifer Young and I am the Co-Lead Full Day Preschool teacher here at Building Blocks Preschool. I am
married and live in Milford with two teenage boys and one pre-teenage daughter. Before I became a Preschool teacher I
was a Cub Scout Leader for seven years and frequently volunteered in my children’s classrooms. I have also been a
lunchroom attendant and substitute Para-Pro in several Huron Valley Elementary Schools. As my children grew older, I
decided to go back to school and earn my degree in the education field. In May 2009, I graduated with honors from
Oakland Community College, earning my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Development. I continue to be a life long
learner and enjoy attending many different kinds of early childhood workshops and trainings.
One of the reasons I am excited to be working here at Building Blocks is the everyday photo documentation of the children
engaging in activities. I feel that the Reggio Emilia approach of recording the children’s work in progress gives them a tool
to visually reflect on their experiences and allows their parents to share these experiences as well. I am very calm and
respectful while interacting with children and am always amazed to see the growth and development of each individual
learner in my classroom.
In my spare time I enjoy canoeing and being outdoors with my family. I also have a love of photography and am able to
fulfill that love in my classroom on a daily basis.
Co-Lead Full Day Preschool Teacher- Ms. Christine
My name is Christine Hubbell and I am a co-teacher for the full day preschool program here at Building Blocks Preschool. I
live on the south side of Milford with my husband, two children, and our dog. We enjoy all kinds of outdoor adventures
including camping, hiking, canoeing, running, bicycling, and swimming. During the winter we continue our outdoor fun with
skiing, ice skating, and sledding.
My path to the classroom began with my undergraduate studies at Central Michigan University and Eastern Michigan
University. I originally started with a major in Earth Science and a minor in Drama… I had hopes of being a high school
teacher at that time. Then, during my junior year of college, I visited an elementary classroom for observation hours and
fell in love!! I changed my direction and earned my elementary teaching certification with a major in Science. I worked at a
preschool in Novi during my last couple years of college as a lead preschool teacher and afternoon kindergarten
enrichment teacher.
From there, I student taught and got a job in the Walled Lake School District where I taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 8th grades.
A move to Minnesota forced my resignation from teaching. Upon our return to Michigan, I subbed in the Huron Valley
School District as well as Walled Lake. During this time, I was also a course evaluator for Marygrove College, grading
papers in their Teacher Professional Development program. I decided to go back to my roots and return to the preschool
classroom in 2009 when I was hired here at Building Blocks to pilot a new traditional preschool program.
I am so excited to be a part of this wonderful family of teachers, children, and parents. Early childhood education is full of
wonder, exploration, and new adventures. I look forward to sharing these moments with you!
Infant/Toddler Teacher – Ms. Wendy
Hello! I am a infant and toddler teacher here at Building Blocks Preschool. I have worked at this school for over 10 years.
I have worked as a Preschool Teacher and for the past 5 years I have been a Infant and Toddler Teacher. I have spent
most of my life around children in one form or another. I have to say, I love working with children! Most days I feel the
children teach me more than I could possibly teach them. They have so much to offer the world, and I am honored to be a
part of their discovery of this life.
My goal in life is to constantly keep expanding my horizons, and one of my favorite ways is spending time with children.
They are a continual source of joy to me I have been working with young children for over 18 years, and the wonder of
watching a child discover and learn still grows with each year that goes by. ONE of my favorite activities is observing
children as they explore new materials. I got a lot of practice with my own two children, who are now young adults.
I was born and raised in Michigan. I love the Indian River area. Being in tune with nature is very important. I am a
recycler and I see how things can be recreated and reused. Respecting our environment is very important to me. I also
love living in an environment where it is so easy to find fun activities to do outside. Each season is exciting and there is so
much to do in and around the Highland area. I have thousands of hours of work experience, hundreds of hours of training
and I have several college credits toward an Early Childhood degree. Eventually, I want to go back to school to work on my
degree, but for the time being, I am so excited for this wonderful experience of working with such great staff at an amazing
school. Children are vivacious and make life so exciting. Each day is a new experience and I am thrilled to have the
opportunity to spend my time here.
Toddler Teacher – Ms. Janet
I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. My husband and I moved to Highland in 1993. We have two sons, Quinn and Rowan.
Quinn was adopted from Korea in 1999 and then I became pregnant with Rowan six months later. In 1994, I started
working here when it was known as Mill Pond Child Care and I have spent the last sixteen years with the children who
attend what we all now call Building Blocks Preschool. Sixteen years ago I thought this would be an exciting and
challenging opportunity because I got a lot of pleasure being around kids. I have seen many changes and improvements
with our school. My philosophy of education includes exploration of our surroundings and respect of each other and the
environment. I believe that children are capable of great things if we learn to trust them and allow that exploration.
I have worked with children of all ages at the preschool level and I get the most joy working with the toddlers. I like getting
down on the floor to play with them. Trying to understand what they are saying can be very challenging, as well as helping
them deal with frustration. It’s all very rewarding helping them to grow to be more independent. It’s fun to watch their
expressions when trying new things and watch their imagination grow even when they are playing with something as simple
as a cardboard box or piece of play dough. It’s also nice to have a little child run up and give you a big smile and hug
everyday you come to work. The same teaching philosophies that I have practiced from the very beginning-- positive
language, giving choices, and following the leads of children-- are also still applicable today. Children are eager to learn
from someone who is kind and patient and accepting; children are also eager to teach, and have so much to offer!
Toddler Lead Teacher- Ms. Lana
I have been married for 14 years to my husband John. We live in Waterford with our two boys, Michael age 6 and J.T. age
4. I went to Eastern Michigan University and received a teaching degree in Elementary Education in 2001.
I have worked with children for 20 years. I worked at the YMCA in their childcare and school age program where I was as a
preschool, infant-toddler teacher and site director. I was responsible for implemented and developing curriculum, lesson
plans, newsletters, portfolios and developmental checklist for the program. I have experience and training in High Scope,
Creative Curriculum and Play to Learn.
My journey began many years ago when I went to overnight camp at Camp Tamarack. I was nine- years- old and always
loved camping, nature and water, so it would make sense that some of my happiest memories would be at summer camp;
going on nature walks, making camp fires, learning to swim, canoeing and horseback riding. I have been looking for
something that would come close to what I felt when I was a kid. When I got older my first job was at the JCC as a camp
counselor. Through these experiences at camp I found out I liked “playing with children” and exposing them to fun
experiences that they would always remember like art, music and nature. So when I went to Eastern I knew I wanted to
“work with children” and that if I was lucky, that would be something I could be good at. After student teaching I decided to
work full time at the YMCA in Farmington Hills. It was there I could make a difference with families and work in the
community. It was also a great place to raise my own family. I had many happy memories at the Y and I learned how to
become a better teacher, child advocate, and a parent. Now as my life changed so have my perspectives and goals. As
a teacher I wanted to help children have experiences that would encourage a love of learning through play, but as a parent
my aspirations and ideals changed because I wasn’t just a teacher anymore I was a “Mother”. This not only became my
most important job, it became a mission to give my children the best life I could possible provide. I have been searching for
a long time for a curriculum and philosophy that I could believe in.
The Reggio Emilia philosophy has the core principles that embrace my beliefs and brings back what childhood should
really be about. I have started a new journey at Building Blocks in 2011 and I’m learning how to Relax, Breathe, Focus and
Reflect on the natural world around us. My new goal is to learn how to incorporate these aspects into every part of my
teaching. Children are important and deserve the best opportunities and experiences we can give them. It is the little
things that are most important and are what we remember and hold on to. Thank you for letting me becomes a part of this
amazing place!
In my free time I enjoy reading, art, movies, music, scrapbooking, photography, camping, fishing, going to the lake and
traveling. I want to be an artist when I grow up. I love to do science and sensory play with children. We like to get messy!
Summer Camp Teacher – Ms. Andrea
My name is Andrea Pearce. I have an older brother Greg. I am a 2007 graduate of Milford High School and currently I am
attending Eastern Michigan University and majoring in Special Education and General Education, ideally K-2.
While attending MHS, I was able to participate in an internship program that allowed me to go to local elementary schools
an help out in the classrooms. I was able to help the children with class work and even had a reading club with some to
help them better their reading skills. I worked with Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade. This internship was a great
experience for me and allowed me to gain more knowledge from the teachers that I worked with. I participated in this
program my junior and senior year. While at EMU I work with a program called America Reads. This program was involved
with local schools that had children who needed help with their reading skills. I would work one on one with a child and
read with them. I am also involved in the Highland Township Fire Explorers.
In my spare time I love to hang out with family and friends. I am always up for seeing a movie of going to Starbucks. I also
like to go putt-putting even though it takes me a few tries to get the ball in. Reading is also something that I love to do. I
enjoy taking pictures and making collages or helping my family with scrap booking.
I have been with Building Blocks Preschool since February 2007 and have truly enjoyed it! This center is filled with
amazing teachers and I have been able to learn so much from each of them.
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| Building the Foundation for a Love of Learning |