Nancy Whittemore

Nancy is our full-time supervising teacher. She has been with the Preschool for ten years. Previously she has worked at another co-operative preschool, a home daycare and a daycare centre. She is a registered ECE, has training in working with children with learning disabilities. and maintains current training in First Aid and CPR. She is currently attending University part time studying Social Science. Nancy has been an active member in ChildCan and Camp Trillium, helping with fundraising and raising awareness of childhood cancer.

Nancy enjoys the family atmosphere of the co-operative preschool. Parents and children share learning experiences and all grow together. It is a positive setting for children to gain some independence from home and to develop social skills with other children. One of the most rewarding parts of being a preschool teacher is to help the children learn problem solving skills in a social environment. Active and impulsive children learn to recognize the needs of others in the group and more reserved children learn to speak up for themselves. Watching the children gain positive self esteem and confidence outside the safety of home helps to prepare them for future social environments.

Parents will feel assured by the positive, gentle teaching skills Nancy brings into the classroom every day, and will appreciate the open communication Nancy shares about your child’s preschool experience.

Pat Yaeger

The assistant teacher at the preschool is Pat Yaeger. She has been with us for almost 10 years.

Pat received her Early Childhood Education diploma at Fanshawe College in London. The majority of her 30 years of teaching has been in co-operative preschools. Pat enjoys the balance of developing a good relationship with both the parents and their child in this setting. She feels it is very important to build a trust with the parents and the child because for many, it is their first time away from each other. Pat gets a lot of satisfaction seeing the children develop their self esteem and confidence over the school year.

Pat is a registered member of the College for Early Childhood Education and has current training in First Aid and CPR. She participates in on-going professional development to ensure Waterloo Co-Op Preschool continues to offer a quality program.

Pat and her husband Dave have 2 young adult sons. Her hobbies include reading, Scrabble and gardening.