Amy was hired as Director of Ward Preschool in the fall of 2011. She has an elementary education degree from Eastern Michigan University, with an Early Childhood endorsement.

She has served Ward children’s ministry in volunteer and paid positions, including Evening Childcare coordinator, MOPS coordinator, MOPPET worker, WOW Tuesday small group leader, VBS Superintendent, Kids Kamp director, Director of Sunday morning in WardKids Preschool+K (2 years – Kdg).

When your child attends Ward Preschool, something that you will notice is that Mrs. Werthman will stand and greet “her” preschoolers on a daily basis. Her goal is to call every child by name as they enter and exit our halls. That’s all 235+ children, wow! It’s just one of the many things that you will notice makes Ward Preschool different and leave you feeling that you are indeed part of our great family. Mrs. Werthman truly believes that every staff member in our building from pastors, teachers, assistants and custodial staff really do have the ability to make an impact on our families for years to come.

Amy and Bill have 4 grown children who are all Ward Preschool alumni. In her time away from Ward Preschool, Amy loves to read & scrapbook, exercise & soak up the sun outside, but her favorite pastime is being grammy to her four “perfect & beautiful” grandchildren.

Nicole started at Ward Preschool as a parent of two preschoolers.  She began teaching the Two Fun class when her younger son Carter was in the class in 2016.  Nicole loves watching the continuous growth of the students throughout the school year.  She really believes this class is “Two Much Fun!”

When she isn’t at Ward, Nicole enjoys spending time with her husband, Kevin, and her two boys: Aidan and Carter. She is also an active volunteer at her sons’ school. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and crafting.

Angie has worked at Ward Preschool since the fall of 2011. She brings energy and enthusiasm to our youngest learners and loves to have fun while learning!

She graduated with a degree in Elementary Education from Wayne State University in 1992. In addition to her work at Ward Preschool, she has many years of volunteer experience with preschoolers as a Sunday School teacher, Christmas program director and even a soccer coach.  Investing in children has been her lifelong passion.

She is the proud mother of four wonderful adult children-Duncan (Kristin), Connor and Gracie and also the proud grandmother of Aiden! Her family enjoys swimming, camping and traveling together in the summers.  She has been happily married to her amazing and supportive husband Scott for over 30 years.

Amy has been investing in children for as long as she can remember. Babysitting not only helped with spending money in high school, but it also inspired her to seek a career in education. After getting a degree in English and Secondary Education from Hillsdale College in 1995, Amy taught English for 19 years. She also holds degree in Educational Leadership from Madonna University. In addition, she has many years of volunteer experience with preschoolers as a Sunday School teacher. Amy joined the Friendly Frogs classroom in 2019 and enjoys the curious and imaginative nature of her playful preschoolers.

Amy and her husband met at Ward Church as teenagers and have been married since 1996. Along with their young adult children, they enjoy traveling and playing pickleball and golf.

Michele Gunderson has been a member of Ward church for over 30 years and has many years of volunteer experience with children. She has been a preschool Sunday school teacher, a youth group leader, a VBS teacher and superintendent, and has volunteered in our special needs ministry.

She graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in elementary education in 1990. She stayed home with her three daughters and homeschooled them for 15 years. After her youngest left for college, she started teaching preschool and was so excited to join the Ward Preschool team!

Michele and her husband, Joel, have been married for over 30 years and have three adult daughters- Kiersten, Gretchen, and Grace and one son-in-law, Jonah. She loves spending time with her family, reading, walking, and traveling.

Jennifer started at Ward Preschool in the Fall of 2011 and has always worked in the three-year-old program. She also taught Kindergarten aged children at her church’s Sunday school for several years and was a substitute teacher for the Plymouth-Canton preschool programs. Through these years of working with children Jennifer feels blessed and thankful to be a part of Ward Preschool for so many years.

Jennifer met her husband Chris in college, and they have two adult children – Allison and Nick. She loves spending time with family and friends. Her family enjoys traveling and going to University of Michigan football games together.

Kari began teaching at Ward Preschool in 2007.  She is currently a Lead Teacher in the half day four-year-old program.

Kari has B.A. in Criminal Justice from Saginaw Valley State University and an A.A.S. in Child Care Development and a Child Development Associate (CDA) from Schoolcraft College. Kari sits on the Early Childhood/Special Education Advisory Board at Schoolcraft College.  Previously Kari taught for 10 years in the Adult and Continuing Education Program for Livonia Public Schools.

Kari has been happily married to her husband, Jeff since 1997.  They have two children Emily and Matthew, both of whom attended the threes and fours program at Ward Preschool.

Kristin has taught at Ward Preschool since 2006. She has her degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University. She married her husband Travis in 2008, and has a son, Landon and a daughter, Avery who both attended Ward Preschool.

She started the Two Fun Program in 2009, while teaching the half day fours. With the need increasing for a full day program, she worked to develop and implement a curriculum for our Extended Day Program and started the first ever extended day class in the fall of 2010. She has been teaching extended day fours ever since then and LOVES it!

After having her son in 2012, it renewed her interest in teaching younger children and she developed and started the Toddler Fun Program in the fall of 2014, with her son attending the program with her.

No matter the age, Kristin believes that learning should be FUN and she strives to build a positive relationship with every child (and parent) in her class.

Katie has been a proud member of the Ward Preschool family since the fall of 2018. With over 20 years of experience in education, she has taught in many settings, including preschool, charter schools, daycare, middle school, and special education classrooms. She earned her degree in Special Education from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Katie has wanted to be a teacher for as long as she can remember—starting with playing “school” in her basement with stuffed animals lined up as students and her brother along for the ride. Today, her classroom is filled with patience, encouragement, and plenty of cheering for those “aha!” moments. Seeing a child’s eyes light up when something finally clicks is her favorite part of the day.

After relocating to Michigan in 2016, Katie made her home with her husband, Benjamin, and their blended family of three daughters. She feels incredibly thankful to be part of the Ward Preschool family and loves creating a classroom where children feel safe, celebrated, and excited to learn—one smile, sticker, and high-five at a time.

Debbie began teaching in 2016 with Ward Preschool as a Fours teacher and our STEM Friday program.  She has an Elementary Education Degree from Western Michigan University (Go Broncos!) and a Master’s in Reading from U of M-Dearborn.

Over the course of 10 years of teaching experience in the Elementary classroom, she really enjoys the early childhood preschool age.  She believes learning is a lifelong journey and strives to create a risk-free environment where children can feel anything is possible!  Learning through play allows children to flourish socially, emotionally, creatively, and academically while developing a sense of autonomy.

When Debbie is not teaching at Ward, she is volunteering through the PTA at her children’s schools and at their church.   Debbie and her husband have two children, ages 12 and 14.  She enjoys spending time with family, attending her kids sporting events, and Orange Theory.

In 2018, Carrie began at Ward Preschool as a teacher in our four-year-old program. She has an elementary education degree from Eastern Michigan University. She also has a MEd from DePaul University and an ESL endorsement. She spent nine years teaching first and second grade in the Chicago suburbs.

Carrie took a short break from teaching to stay at home with her two girls, Leena and Madelyn. After her move to Michigan in 2016, she began to explore the idea of returning to the classroom and jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the Ward Preschool team. She is a Northville resident and enjoys reading, cooking, attending her girls’ many activities, and taking walks with her mini Goldendoodle, Libby.

Kristin began at Ward Preschool as a parent to a preschooler in 2013. Two years later, she worked in our toddler and Two Fun programs eventually transitioning into an extended day fours teacher. She feels privileged to be a part of the school that gave her two sons their foundation in education. Kristin has a Child Development Associate as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design from Eastern Michigan University.

Her teaching philosophy is rooted in a developmentally appropriate approach that honors how young children grow, learn, and explore the world at their own pace. Striving to create a loving classroom where children feel safe, valued, and encouraged to discover their God given gifts.

When not at school, you could most likely find her out walking her dog, Oakley, or at the ice rink with her husband and teenage sons.

Cathy began her journey at Ward as a parent of two preschoolers. Then she came to Ward Preschool as a substitute teacher and worked in childcare for WOW Tuesday and MOPS here at Ward Church. Overall, Cathy has been on staff at Ward since 2007. After years of helping us part time, Cathy became a permanent member of our team as an assistant in our half day fours program in 2016.

Cathy loves working with preschoolers and enjoys seeing them grow and develop throughout the year. Cathy and Brian have two children, Shane and Paige.

Angela has been an assistant teacher for Ward Preschool since 2015, having worked in half day fours, extended day fours, and young fives classrooms. She has a Bachelor of Arts with a focus in English and Psychology from the University of Michigan, Dearborn.

Angela has been a Ward Church member since 2013 and enjoys serving in many volunteer capacities. She especially loves teaching our preschoolers on Sunday mornings and spending a week each summer as a NextGen camp counselor.

Angela has one son, Rowan, who is a Ward Preschool alumnus. She firmly believes in the value of Christian education, having been a product of it herself. She hopes each of her students graduate Ward Preschool, not only prepared for Kindergarten, but most of all knowing how much God loves them.

Sheryl first began working at Ward Preschool in 1985 as a teacher assistant. In 1987 she became a stay-at-home mom and after her youngest child left for college in 2016, she returned to Ward Preschool as a substitute teacher.  She now works as a teacher assistant in the Two Fun program.  Sheryl has an Associates of Science degree in Business from Madonna University and has taken classes in Child Development, Nursing, and Emergency Management. Some of her experience working with children include, teaching piano, teaching at TLC preschool, working as the nursery coordinator at Ward Church (a long time ago), teaching Sunday school and VBS. She has also volunteered for many school and sport activities in her community and has served as a Team Mom for the Plymouth Canton Steeler Football League.

Sheryl has four children from her first husband (Jeff Phillips) who passed away in 2007 from cancer. She has since remarried, (Ron) and now has a step-son, Andy.  Her three oldest children, Heidi, Jeff and Brett, are married, have graduated from college and are Ward Preschool alumni. Andy also graduated from college and is not married. Ben, the youngest, is presently in college where he also plays lacrosse. Sheryl enjoys sports, hiking, kayaking and playing the piano.  She now has one dog (Charlie) and has had a variety of pets in the past.

Jill began at Ward Preschool as a parent of Preschoolers. She then started Assistant Teaching at Ward Preschool in 2016. Jill has completed classes in Early Childhood Education from Washtenaw Community College.  She has served Ward children’s ministry in volunteer positions including Sunday morning preschool, and VBS volunteer. She feels blessed to be a part of the Ward Preschool family after experiencing how amazing the preschool was for her own three children.

Jill and her husband Bodo have three children: Sophia and Quinn in college, and Parker in high school.

Carrie has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She “retired” from a 10-year career in marketing research, to become a full-time mom. During those years at home, she served actively in the Northville community and Ward, her church home since 2008.

Over the years, Carrie has been involved in many ministries at Ward Church including children’s ministry, VBS, and Kids Kamp. She began her journey at the preschool when her daughter attended the 4-year-old program. She then started as a substitute teacher, and in 2019 began serving as an assistant teacher and lunchtime helper.

Carrie and her husband Dan have been married for over 20 years and have two young adult children. She feels blessed to be a part of both the Northville and Ward communities.

Amanda Lynn brings six years of volunteer experience teaching Sunday school at Ward Church and providing childcare for weekly Bible studies and special events. She graduated in 2015 from Central Michigan University and holds a secondary Ed degree specializing in English and Communication.

Amanda is married to her husband, Dan. Together, they have two young children, Abigail and Calvin.

Liza began working at Ward Preschool as a lunchtime and teacher assistant in the fall of 2014.  Liza attended Eastern Michigan University studying elementary education.

Liza treasures the many lovely relationships she has been blessed with through her affiliation with the Ward families and staff.  Through the past years the students taught me many things.  Most importantly, I’ve been privileged to see firsthand what it means to have the faith of a child.

When she isn’t teaching Mrs. Sliwka enjoys spending time with her husband, Kenny and their two daughters Gracie and Sabrina.

Joy started at Ward Preschool as a substitute in the fall of 2019 and soon became a lunch and rest time helper in a four year old class.

She has been working in the WardKids Nursery since 2017 for MOPS and Tuesday Study Groups for Women. She loves to see how much the kids learn and grow during each year.

Joy and her husband Paul have three energetic kids, Parker, Liam and Trinity. They stay busy with Cub Scouts, sports, family and their church

Amanda began working at Ward Preschool as the Young Fives lunch and rest time helper in 2015. In 2017 she began working as an assistant teacher in the Young Fives classroom.

Amanda has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan.

She has been involved at Ward as MOPS coordinator, VBS teacher and superintendent, Ward nursery, and Sunday School teacher.

Amanda and Andy have three children Chloe, Mia, and Nick, all of whom attended Ward Preschool. In her spare time Amanda enjoys spending time with her family, scrapbooking with friends, and reading.

Randa Kakish started her journey at Ward Preschool in 2020 as a parent, and then she joined the team as a lunchtime helper in the fall of 2022. By the fall of 2025, she’d become an assistant teacher. Randa’s background includes a degree in Secretary and Administrative Assistant from the Young Women Christian Association. Before getting married in 2006, she worked in a bank. After her marriage, she chose to leave her job and focus on her family with her three children. Randa is a sports enthusiast, loves music, and she truly enjoys working with kids.

Juliann began at Ward Preschool as a parent of two Preschoolers. She then volunteered on our Preschool Council before starting as a substitute teacher in 2011 and was then hired on permanently as an assistant in our Young Fives program. Several years later she transitioned into the position as Director Assistant. Juliann believes that this roll, is what she has been called to do. Ward Preschool is near and dear to her heart, and she feels honored to connect with families and students that journey through our school.

Juliann has a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management from Eastern Michigan University. Prior to staying home full time with her children she worked in the Hotel Industry as a Sales and Catering Manager. She has been involved at Ward in many volunteer positions including Preschool Council, MOPS, VBS teacher and superintendent.

Juliann and Bryan are college sweethearts and have two college aged boys: Carter and Cayden. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, attending her boys’ many activities, walking and playing with her two dogs Kiki and Totoro, and dreaming of Disney vacations and international travel.

Stacey Hoover started at Ward Preschool in January 2021. She is excited about being able to interact with parents and students at the Front Desk.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Eastern Michigan University in 2003. She worked in several customer service & administrative roles, and she brings this interpersonal experience to the table.

Stacey & her husband Steve celebrated their 25^th wedding anniversary in October of 2020. They have a teenage son, Julian.  She navigated through a Cancer diagnosis/treatment in 2020, all the while making it fun with her ever-changing hair styles.

Stacey is a longtime member of NorthRidge Church in Plymouth and sings on the Worship Team.

Peggie started at Ward Preschool in 2017. She is excited about being able to interact with parents and students at the Front Desk.

A longtime member of Ward Church, she has been involved with Women’s Ministry, Young Marrieds, VBS, WardKids Preschool, MOPS Mentor Mom, MOPPETS caregiver, and is a deacon.

She is a graduate of Marygrove College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Secondary Education. Forty-five years ago, Bob and Peggie met over a washing machine at Sears. They have two children, Nathan (Stacey) and Amanda (Andy), and four grandchildren; three attended Ward Preschool. Peggie enjoys playing with stamps and ink as a Stampin’ Up Independent Demonstrator. 

Jill began at Ward Preschool as a parent of Preschoolers. She then started Assistant Teaching at Ward Preschool in 2016. Jill has completed classes in Early Childhood Education from Washtenaw Community College.  She has served Ward children’s ministry in volunteer positions including Sunday morning preschool, and VBS volunteer. She feels blessed to be a part of the Ward Preschool family after experiencing how amazing the preschool was for her own three children.

Jill and her husband Bodo have three children at home: Sophia in high school, Quinn in middle school, and Parker in elementary school.

Jessica became an Assistant Teacher at Ward Preschool in the Fall of 2023. She graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor and Master’s degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders. She was a Speech Language Pathologist in the school setting for 5 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom in 2016.

Jessica married her high school sweetheart, Matt, in 2011 and they have two children Mackenzie and Connor. They have lived in five different states before moving back to Michigan in 2021. At that time, their son Connor attended the fours program at Ward Preschool.

Jessica enjoys volunteering at her children’s school, being outdoors with her family, camping, skiing, and attending Lions football games.