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 (6) and a daughter, Avery (5 months) who both did and will attend 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 for the past eight years 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 started teaching at Ward Preschool in the fall of 2018. She comes to Ward with almost 19 years of teaching experience in different areas of education including preschool, charter school, daycare, middle school, and special needs classrooms. She has a degree in special education from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH. Katie has known ever since she was a little girl, playing school in her basement with her stuffed animals and her brother that she wanted to be a teacher. “When I see that smile on a child’s face, when they get a concept that they have been struggling with, that is when I know that I am in the right place.”
Katie recently relocated to Michigan in 2016 from Bowling Green, OH. She is happily married to her husband, Benjamin, and together they have three daughters (23) (14) and (11).
She is so happy and blessed to be a part of the Ward Preschool Family.
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. She then volunteered to run our Scholastic book program and started our annual book fair. Her love for children and the way they learn prompted her to begin working as an assistant teacher in one of our Two-Fun classes in the fall of 2016. In the fall of 2018 she also began as the teacher of our Toddler Fun class. She feels very privileged to be a part of the school that gave her two sons, Evan and Nathan, their foundation in education. Kristin has a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design from Eastern Michigan University.
When not at school, you could most likely find her at the rink with her family. Her husband, Willie, is a coach and her boys are both avid hockey players.
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. After years of helping us part time, Cathy became a permanent member of our team as an assistant in our half day fours program. Overall Cathy has been with Ward for 10 years.
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.
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.
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 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.
