Half Day Preschool Program for Ages 2 - 5
All of our staff meet or exceed state regulations for early childhood care and education providers. In addition, all staff expand and enhance their professional skills through continuing education on a yearly basis. Experienced, caring and dedicated professionals, our teachers have been selected specifically to reflect our goal of providing the very best early childhood care and education experience for every child in our program.
Doris Holden, Director
Miss Doris joined the Growing Place team as our Director in the 2020-21 school year. She has been working with children and families for over 25 years as an elementary school teacher, preschool teacher and a center director. Miss Doris has a Bachelor of Arts Degree and is so excited to be a part of our school! She loves spending time with her son, daugher-in-law and her two grandchildren.
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Diane Horvath, 2 Year Old Teaching Assistant
Miss Diane first experienced our school as a grandparent and now has joined our team as an assistant teacher. She has been teaching and working with children for over 21 years. Miss Diane says that being a preschool teacher makes her smile because she loves seeing the children get excited when they make something. She lives in Lombard with her husband Dan and she loves spending time with her 4 children and 12 grandchildren.
Erin Blain, 2 Year Old Lead Teacher
Miss Erin has degrees in both Speech Pathology and Early Childhood Special Education. In addition to teaching, Miss Erin has also been a developmental therapist for Early Intervention. She loves to teach the children how to use their imagination and show creativity while exploring the classroom. Miss Erin lives in Villa Park with her husband, their 4 children, 3 cats and dog.
Connie Horwitz, 2 Year Old Assistant Teacher
Miss Connie first came to our school as a parent when her two sons were in preschool here. She returned to our school a few years ago and joined our teaching staff. Miss Connie says that being a preschool teacher makes her smile because she loves when the children tell her about their life and family. She lives in Lombard with her sons Brendan and Aidan and their dog Zeke.
Debbie Celio
Financial Manager; 3 Year Old Lead Teacher
Miss Debbie has been with The Growing Place Preschool for 13 years and her love of our preschool began when her children attended here. Miss Debbie has a Bachelor's of Science degree and says that being a preschool teacher makes her smile when the kids share funny stories about their families. She lives in Villa Park with her husband Tony and her children, Tyler and Dani. They have 3 dogs too!
Sue Roucka, 3 Year Old Assistant Teacher
Miss Sue joined The Growing Place Preschool many years ago and has a Bachelor of Arts degree. She says that being a preschool teacher makes her smile when the kids come into the classroom at the beginning of each day. Miss Sue lives in Villa Park with her husband Mark and her children Jacob, Grace and Josh. The family is completed by their 3 dogs Payton, Cameron and Mitchell.
Suzy Weisshaar, Pre K Lead Teacher
Pat Graczyk, 3 Year Old Assistant Teacher
Mrs. Graczyk started teaching at The Growing Place Preschool over 40 years ago when her daughter was a student. She has a Bachelor of Science degree and has been teaching for over 50 years. Mrs. Graczyk says that she loves being a preschool teacher because she enjoys interacting with the children. She lives in Carol Stream with her husband Alan and she loves spending time with her daughter Julianne, her son-in-law Matt and her grandsons Peter and Mitchell.
Miss Suzy joined The Growing Place as a teacher in our Pre-K program. She has a Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa and has been teaching preschool for 13 years. Miss Suzy says being a preschool teacher makes her smile when she sees a child master a new skill. She lives in Lombard with her husband Bill and their corgi, Dexter. She loves spending time with her three children Sarah, Alex and Jake.
Jill Gerstner, Pre K Assistant Teacher
Miss Jill joined The Growing Place this past Fall. Her love of preschool began when her son attended the program. She grew up in Lombard and has a Bachelor's Degree from UIC. Miss Jill taught kindergarten in Chicago Public Schools for 6 years. She lives in Villa Park with her husband Ryne, their 2 sons, Rudy and Dalyn. The family is complete with their Labradoodle and cat. Miss Jill loves spending time with her family and making learning fun for the preschool class.
Lisa Bodnar, Pre K Assistant Teacher
Miss Lisa was thrilled to join The Growing Place staff. She has a special appreciation for The Growing Place as all 3 of her children attended the preschool and thrived in the program. Miss Lisa obtained her Master's Degree in Education with a focus in school counseling and clinical mental health at DePaul University. Prior to joining The Growing Place, she spent 8 years at the high school level as a school counselor and Director of Student Services. She has also spent time working as a clinical therapist. Miss Lisa lives in Villa Park with her husband Jim, 3 kids Maddie, Aidan, and Jackie, and their Bernese Mountain Dog, Molly.
