Kellie Garing ~ Preschool Director and Owls Teacher
Kellie is excited to return for her 9th year teaching at LCP. She started as a parent in the 3-Day class with her daughter in 2016 and immediately fell in love with the play-based learning environment. She lives in Rocklin with her husband Chris and their two kids, Jack and Kate.
Kellie is honored to return as Co-Director and looks forward to another year of working alongside Amy. Kellie has completed over 30 units in Early Childhood Education courses at Modesto JC, Chapman, and Sierra College. Kellie recently received her certificate in Early Childhood Program Administration and Management. She is particularly passionate about open-ended, messy art and creative, hands-on exploration. When she’s not teaching, Kellie loves to travel throughout California with her family.
Her favorite thing about LCP is the feeling of being a part of a supportive community. She loves that our preschool allows a teacher to get to know the whole family, not just the child.
Amy Anderson ~ Administrative Director
Amy is happy to support Loomis Community Preschool as the Administrative Director. This will be her 7th year in this role. Amy first attended LCP with her daughters, Natalie and Delaney (now in their 20s!), and then returned with her son, Henry, in 2015.
For her, LCP is the perfect combination of open-ended play, nurturing teachers, and welcoming community. She enjoyed hands-on volunteering in the classroom and serving on the parent board in various roles. Her favorite preschool activities are pretend play, collage, and taking story dictation with the kids.
Amy has a BA in Psychology from Whitman College and an MA in Education from Chapman. She has taught Kindergarten and 2nd grade, and is now in her 17th year of homeschooling. Amy enjoys reading, sewing, crafts, and spending time with her family.
She loves her continued involvement with LCP, especially assisting the teachers and parent board, introducing new families to the magic of LCP, and answering any and all questions!
Arwen Colwell ~ Eagles Teacher
Arwen is so excited to be the Eagles teacher this year. She lives in Sheridan on a 10-acre ranch with her husband, Michael and their two daughters, Elora (5) and Mikayla (3). They have lots of farm animals including chickens, ducks, goats and a horse. They also have a large garden and fruit orchards that keep them busy and provide yummy food for their family.
Arwen has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Horticulture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has taken Early Childhood Education courses at Santa Barbara City College. She taught preschool at a play-based school in Fair Oaks called Discovery Learning Center and also at the Samara Pacific School in Costa Rica, where she lived for five years. Arwen really enjoys incorporating the natural world and gardening into her teaching style, and she especially likes to encourage children to get dirty while making discoveries!
She is looking forward to a fun year at LCP with lots of learning, sharing and growing together!
Emma Stoelk ~ Ducklings Teacher
Emma is new to the Loomis Community Preschool staff and joins us as the Ducklings teacher. She earned her basic certificate in Early Childhood Education from Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California. She grew up in the Bay Area and moved to Lincoln in 2021.
Emma is excited about the play based curriculum at our school and especially enjoys process art and integrating loose parts and found objects into play.
In her spare time, Emma enjoys reading and embroidery.