The Co-Op Preschool believes a child's first school experience is an important one. Our staff believes that children come first. Our program is a play-based curriculum, creating an environment in which all children develop the academic, social, and emotional skills they need to be successful in school and beyond. Our extremely talented teachers implement the educational program of the school, with the guidance of the school director and the parent board.
Michelle Bauman
Director
director@thecooppreschool.com
Michelle has been the Director of The Co-Op Preschool since 2016. She has her Associate of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education and has been teaching since 1998. She held the position of Associate Director for the Triton College Toddler Program, and prior to that taught children ages 15 months-3 years old for ten years at Triton College. Before coming to the Co-Op, Michelle had taken some time off to raise her three daughters, the youngest of whom attended The Co-Op Preschool.
"My favorite part of teaching is seeing the growth in each child from the first day of school to the last."
Sarah Stevenson
Teacher - Little Learners & Young Explorers
sstevenson@thecooppreschool.com
Sarah has been teaching the Little Learners & Young Explorers class at The Co-Op Preschool for several years now. Sarah graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Elementary Education. She also received a masters degree in Elementary Reading Education and has her ESL endorsement. Sarah is married and has two daughters, and in her free time loves to read.
"I absolutely love teaching! I love seeing children excited to learn. My goal is to always make learning fun."
Jolie Walker
Teacher - Pre-K
jwalker@thecooppreschool.com
Jolie is back for her second year teaching our Pre-K students at the Co-Op. Prior to teaching at the Co-Op, she was a parent at the Co-Op for 5 years and also spent 2 years on the Co-Op Parent Board. Jolie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Illinois State University. Prior to becoming a stay at home mom, she taught Kindergarten for 10 years. Jolie lives in Lombard with her husband and their two daughters.
“My favorite thing about teaching is building a community in the classroom, that becomes such a loving and fun place to learn and grow. A class becomes a family away from home, and each student brings their own personality and strengths to the group.”
Katie Eklund
Aide - Little Learners
Katie is happy to be back at the Co-Op after being here as a parent for both of her two children. She has a Bachelors of Fine Arts and Art History from the University of WI - Milwaukee. She has spent time working in the corporate finance and management field. Katie lives with her husband, two daughters (8 & 10) and their bearded dragon, Spike, and hamster, Chubby Chew Chew Fluffy Butt.
Amanda Peacock
Aide - Young Explorers
apeacock@thecooppreschool.com
We are excited to have Amanda returning to the Young Explorers classroom at the Co-Op this year. She has experience teaching in the preschool setting most recently as a Pre-K teacher in Villa Park. Along with her preschool experience, Amanda also ran a child care service from her home for several years. She has a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from Elmhurst College. She lives in Villa Park with her husband, Joe, 9-yr old twins, a 5-yr old daughter and a yellow lab named Layla
"My favorite part about being a teacher is watching the growth of a child throughout the year."
Robyn Pike
Aide - Pre-K
rpike@thecooppreschool.com
This is Robyn's third year as a teacher at the Co-Op, but she is likely a familiar face as she was a Co-Op parent to her two children before she began working in the Pre-K classroom. Robyn earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Elmhurst College and has worked in both the non-profit sector and for her family's business. Robyn lives in Lombard with her husband and three children.
"My favorite thing about teaching is watching how much children love to learn new things and how proud they are of their accomplishments."
Julie Rehnstrom
Aide - Tiny Tots
jrehnstrom@thecooppreschool.com
This is Julie's fourth year teaching at the Co-Op Preschool. Previously, she was an assistant preschool teacher at The Growing Place for five years. Julie lives in Lombard with her husband and two sons.
"Of the many things I enjoy about teaching children, I love seeing their reactions when they conquer a new skill, watching them bond with their peers or watching their personalities grow throughout the year."
Carol Schraub
Teacher - Parent/Tot
Aide - Tiny Tots
cschraub@thecooppreschool.com
Carol is a familiar face at the Co-Op as she helped in our Tiny Tots classroom and subbed in many of our other classes over the past 5 years. Prior to her time at the Co-Op, Carol graduated from Triton College and worked in the medical field for 30 years. Carol has 4 wonderful grandchildren all in the Lombard area. And a secret some may not know is that she is Ms. Sarah's Mom!
"My favorite part of teaching is watching the growth of the children throughout the school year."