Teacher Laurie
RAINBOW CLASS | 4- TO 5-YEAR-OLDS
Laurie leads our Rainbow class for 4- to 5-year-olds. She has been an educator for over 20 years, first working in the public schools in the Portland area. She has been leading the Rainbow Class at RCNP since 2013.
Laurie’s appreciation for the value of cooperative preschools began with her experiences at her children’s preschool. Laurie has great respect for the way the cooperative model fosters community and collaboration. The play-based learning philosophy allows children to develop at their own pace and have a deeper understanding of the world. Laurie is committed to building a creative, interactive, inquisitive environment for learning and play.
Laurie lives in NE Portland where she and her husband raised their two children. She finds joy in biking and walking around Portland, and her play includes gardening, knitting and getting lost in art projects.
Teacher Brooke
RAINBOW CLASS | 4- TO 5-YEAR-OLDS
Brooke is the Educational Assistant in the Rainbow class. She has a BS in Human Development, and has experience teaching children of all ages and levels of need. Before joining the Rainbow class, she was a flight attendant, a water ski instructor, and a wildland firefighter. Brooke lives in NE Portland with her husband, three daughters, two dogs and her cat —Benson. She equally loves taking long walks, and snuggling up with a warm cup of tea and a good book.
Teacher Emma
STAR CLASS | 3- TO 4-YEAR-OLDS
For Emma, creativity and fun are at the heart of learning. She practices a child-centered curriculum where children and their ideas are valued and where all are invited to learn and grow through play. She sees early childhood education as a crucial time to develop social and emotional skills, grounded in opportunities to explore and question, be active, laugh, and grow as a classroom community of learners.
Emma lives in NE Portland with her husband, son and daughter. She loves traveling, exploring the beauty of the Northwest, and also enjoys gardening, canning and the great Portland food scene!
Teacher Emma leads our Star Class for 3- to 4-year-olds. Emma grew up in the U.K. and studied elementary education at Canterbury Christ Church University. She taught in primary schools in England, working with kids aged 4-11, and has been teaching preschool in the U.S. since 2013.
Emma is passionate about working with children of all ages and feels privileged to have the opportunity to guide children in their first experiences of education. She highly values the cooperative model and especially enjoys working alongside families as part of a close community.
Teacher Sandy
STAR CLASS | 3- TO 4-YEAR-OLDS
Sandy is the Educational Assistant in the Star class. She has been playing with and learning from children for over 30 years. Her experience includes co-op preschools, a kindergarten classroom, a Head Start program and more.
Sandy lives in SE Portland with her husband and goofy dog. She has two adult daughters who live in San Diego and Portland. Sandy believes that we are all life-long learners, and she is currently learning how to knit, play pickleball, and stay up on a stand-up paddleboard.
