Teachers
Rainbow Room
Reyeoul Lakeshore
Ashley Stenson
Myrna Canon
I have worked for over 28 years as a preschool teacher at Hilltop Children’s Center. I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in elementary education in the Philippines, and taught in my native land for seven years as a kindergarten teacher. I twice received the Master Teacher Award from the Child Care Director’s Association of Greater Seattle, and have had a number of my documentation panels used as illustrations in the book Spreading the News. My work is also prominently featured in the video Children at the Center: Reflective Teachers at Work. My dedication to children and my own professional and spiritual development is outweighed only by a commitment to have fun!
Over the years, I have attended several early childhood continuing education courses to enhance my teaching skills. On the 25th anniversary of my teaching career, I was honored with the creation of a scholarship fund by a group of parents of Hilltop alumni. The scholarship provides temporary emergency funds for Hilltop families experiencing difficulties in paying for childcare.
I have been married 36 years to my beloved husband and we are blessed with one son.
During my 28 years at Hilltop, I have seen an enormous amount of growth and change, not only in myself, but also in the Hilltop community. I have been continually inspired by the new ideas that were steps in our journey at Hilltop throughout the 90’s: High Scope Curriculum, the Project Approach and the blend of Emergent Curriculum and Reggio Emilia we practice now. Throughout the evolution of these new philosophical approaches to curriculum, I have maintained a respect for the uniqueness of each child and have honored cultural diversity. I feel I have achieved knowledge and professionalism in the field of early childhood education that makes the hard work all worth it.
I share my passion for gardening as a metaphor for the passion I feel for the teaching profession. A garden, like children, needs consistent love, respect, care, and nurturing, in order to flourish. I find that the hobbies I pursue, especially ballroom dancing, complement my love of teaching as it helps me “go with the flow.” During the weekends, I enjoy hanging out with my family, dancing, and participating in Filipino cultural events.
My favorite children’s books are: The Little Cloud, Tell Me Something Before I Go to Sleep and The Pumpkin Blanket. The favorite books that I read daily are the Holy Bible and Keep Life Simple Therapy.
Here are a few quotes that I would like to share:
“Celebrate the ordinary. Your heart knows the comfort and beauty in common things. Let it tell your head.”
“A joy that is shared is a joy made double.”
“Learn to value spiritual things over material things. They last longer, cost less and bring more.”
“Create a ten-second wildflower meadow in your mind whenever you need it. Your imagination can be a great peacemaker in times of chaos.”
Raindrop Room
Nick Terrones
Brad Belvo
Besides an educator, I’m also a bicyclist, gardener, Quaker, artist, and cook.
In 2001 I graduated with an MA in Art Education. Since then I’ve taught in a variety of capacities working with students K-12. Four years ago I decided to explore ECE. In that time I discovered a love for this age group, with a particular affinity for 2s and 3s. The exploration of their independence, development of language and communication skills, and keen interest in discovering their world has provoked my continued attention. I’ve worked primarily as a toddler teacher in that time. And I am excited to bring my knowledge and experience to Hilltop.
I grew up playing in the hills and hollers of Missouri (pronounced mi-zoo r-ee, NOT mi-zoo r-uh ). However, my roots have burrowed into Seattle over the past 7 years where I’ve come to enjoy the rain and cloudy days.
I came to Hilltop because I recognized an opportunity to continue developing and growing in the field of ECE. I’m glad to continue my work in a forum that emphasizes emergent curriculum, practices anti-bias approaches, and adheres to a child-centered methodology. I’m also interested in expanding my understanding of Reggio philosophy. I look forward to meeting the many faces and personalities that make up this community.
Emily Viehauser
I’ve been a teacher at Hilltop since September of 2005. I came to Hilltop to learn about and practice in-depth project work and the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning. During my time here, I’m proud to say that I’ve had some of my work published in some early childhood literature.
Primarily I come from the Midwest although I’ve spent much of my adult life on the west coast. When I’m not at Hilltop, I’m usually spending time with my family and friends. My husband, Jeremy, and I have two girls: Raiden is 10 and Jaisa is 8. They keep me rather busy but in our free time together we like going to the beach, hiking in the woods, camping, paying attention to the moon, being silly, and snuggling up to watch movies. In my other free time with my friends, I like to drink beer, see live music, ponder life, and pretend that I’m funny.
I’ve been working with young children and their families for about 14 years now. During that time, I’ve worked in many different child care atmospheres in a variety of positions. I’ve been an assistant teacher, a co-teacher, a lead teacher, a supervisor, helped two brand new preschool programs get up and running and now am a member of a three person teaching team. I’ve also experienced working in single age classrooms, multi-age classrooms, and cooperative preschools.
My education throughout the years has been continuous. In addition to having my CDA, I have attended a great number of classes, conferences, and workshops pertaining to all areas of child development to help me stay focused and refreshed. I have hopes to work on a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education now that my husband is finished with his Masters program.
My focus while helping to create an engaging and responsive environment for children is to foster a love for learning. I believe that self-confident independent thinking children will learn because they are enthusiastic about life and interested in the world around them. Working with children is rewarding in so many ways. Even after all this time, they still continue to amaze me.“I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.” –by Naomi Shihab Nye
Mountain Room
Sandra Floyd
Riana Hensel
Megan Arnim
Hi, there! My name is Megan Arnim, and I’ve worked with 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children at Hillop since 1998.
I love: children, children’s literature, children’s artwork, women’s voices singing, Tango music, the Oregon Country Fair, my family, Washington State, thinking deeply, baking desserts, and the way the evening light turns everything golden against a dark sky.
I could easily live without: dentist appointments, green peppers, bank statements, earwigs, and disrespectful behavior.
Sunlight Room
Krys Carney
Christina Burgess
Michele Beare
Ohio farm girl turned urban teacher.
Michele spends most of her time navigating the turmoil that comes with raising two teenagers. She attended Ohio University where she earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and has been a teacher at Hilltop since 2006. She previously taught kindergarten in Seattle Public Schools for many years. At Hilltop she brings her Appalachian roots to the Sunlight room by sharing songs and stories and her strange regional dialect.
When not teaching Michele runs, gardens and spends time with her high school sweetheart. Michele greatly appreciates when people remember to spell her name with only one “L”.
River Room
Kristin Roston
Jill
Jill left her childhood home with an extensive knowledge of desert animals and heatstroke along with a love of thunderstorms, road trips and avocados. Once she saw both Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen in concert in the same month and therefore has only the nicest things to say about Italy.
Jill has a B.S. in Elementary Education and Special Education and began working in the field of early childhood education while living in Boston in 2002. She joined the Hilltop teaching staff in 2006 and enjoys sharing with children the art of building with kapla blocks.
Jill aspires to one day own a boat and a dog (maybe not in that order).
Sam Speer
Beach Room
Meredith Fourre
Big Kids
Steve Sherman
Joel Metschke
Food Service
Jeremy Eacker
Jack of All Trades. Renaissance Man.
Originally from Ohio, Jeremy relocated to Seattle in February 2009 and joined the Hilltop staff as kitchen manager, bringing his experience in macro-biotic and vegetarian diets on to the scene. Aside from making delicious snacks for the children of Hilltop Jeremy is also an artist, musician,
and milliner. He loves Seattle “much more than Ohio” and enjoys chocolate, watching Dr. Who and spending time with his girlfriend (Sunlight teacher Michele).