Mr. Terry is the owner of Little Bears since 2000. My wife and I bought Little Bears because we wanted a better childcare experience for our children. We have 3 children, a teenager and two adults. As a family we like to travel and vacation together. I also enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking, and woodworking. I take pride in providing a "home away from home" for the children. We provide a space where children can be loved, safe, and educated all at the same time. We always say "There is no finish line for quality education". I love seeing the children and families every morning and seeing them smile, learn, and play. It also thrills me to see that some of our children grown into adults. Some have even brought their children to the center or have come to work for me.
Ms. Jilleen has been at Little Bears since August 2013, and I have been the director since August 2020. My husband and I have lived in Marshall since 1997, and we have an adult child. I enjoy walks and doing various puzzles and crafts during my free time. As the director I have enjoyed coming up with ways to better our program like observing/helping our teachers in their classrooms, marketing our program, and showing our center to new families. I like seeing all the different classrooms and ages. I love seeing all the different personalities the children have. Seeing them smile at me, give me a hug, or tell me something about their day is wonderful and warms my heart.
Ms. Jackie is a teacher in the Teddies (infants)/ and has been at Little Bears since May 2009. My kids are my everything. I have two sons, and a daughter. As a family we enjoy going to carnivals, festivals, and farmers markets. We enjoy spending time in the Dells enjoying all it has to offer. Recently I tried out my "green thumb", and found I like it. Gardening/planting flowers is my newfound passion. I also love taking pictures of my kids. In the classroom, when we are not rocking and snuggling our babies, we do a lot of modeling appropriate behavior and verbalize everything to build vocabulary. We teach some basic sign language to help your little one communicate. I enjoy making keepsake hand and footprint art and watching the kids learn and grow. Over the years I have had so many parents tell me they wish they could do what I do, they wish they could stay, play, and snuggle their babies all day. With that being said and having children of my own I completely understand! My favorite thing about working with children, especially the babies, is the snuggling and rocking! It's also a great feeling watching them learn and grow knowing that I contributed to their success. I've also met so many wonderful families who trust me with their children, which is also very rewarding.
Ms. Kayti works in the Teddy Bears (infants). She has been at Little Bears since August 2022. She has four younger siblings, and lives in Waterloo. In my free time I enjoy baking, being outdoors, and spending time with my family. In the infant room, I like to play with the babies, and watch them grow and change. My favorite thing about working with children is seeing that change, as they meet developmental milestones, and see their individual personalities come into play.
Ms. Justine works in both the Teddy Bears (infants) and the Cubs (1 year olds) She has been at Little Bears since May of 2018. In my spare time I enjoy reading books, spending time with family and friends, binge watching my favorite T.V shows on Netflix. I love snuggling and playing with the babies. My favorite thing about working with children is seeing them grow, learn, smile and laugh. Also knowing that I've made an impact on children and families.
Ms. Lori is the teacher in the Cub (1 year olds) room and has been at Little Bears since March 2022. Ms. Lori has also taken over school kid room doing before and after school, and non-school days. I am married and have two sons. I grew up in North Carolina, and now live in Watertown. We love the Brewers! We also enjoy going to sporting events like baseball, hockey, and soccer. I love to do art with the kids and explore sensory materials. It is great to watch the children learn and explore and get excited about learning.
Ms. Brie is the assistant teacher in the Cub (1 year old) and has been with Little Bears since May 2022. I enjoy being outdoors doing things like fishing, hiking, or stargazing. I also like knitting and painting. This is my first experience as a childcare provider, but it is what I want to do for my career. I am excited to get started and learn everything. My favorite thing about working with watching them grow into the person they will be.
Ms. Anissa is the teacher in the Koalas (2 year olds) and has been at Little Bears since June 2019. I am recently married. I love spending time with family and friends, especially my nieces and nephews. I also love fishing, playing pool, shopping, traveling, and country music. In my classroom I love to find different art projects and sensory activities. We also like to explore the outdoors My favorite thing about working with children is watching them learn new things and teaching them new things.
Ms. Nikki is the lead teacher in the Panda room (3 year olds) opposite of Ms. Kim. She is also the assistant director, and will be assisting Jilleen and Terry with office/managerial duties. She has been at Little Bears since September 2022. She has worked in the childcare field for many years. She is married to her husband for four years. They have four boys, Skyler, Caleb, Rory, and Samuel. She enjoys reading, movies, video games, and family time. I enjoy getting messy. Children learn through play, so I try to incorporate that into every activity. I believe in process verses product, so it's how they got there, on what it looks like. I love watching a child learn. I love being able to help them complete their goals, and knowing that I have been successful in helping them learn and grow.
Ms. Kim is a teacher in the Pandas (3 year olds) working opposite of Ms. Nikki, and has been at Little Bears since February 2022. She enjoys reading, cooking, and taking walks with my dog. I also make cards and enjoy being creative. Literacy is a focus in my classroom. I enjoy using puppets to make story time, and other times fun. I put a focus on preparing hands on activities and incorportating movement into the classroom. I love witnessing the excitement children have to learn and helping to fuel that curiosity. There is so much joy in helping a child gain an understanding of the world around them. I thrive on making learning fun by using engaging books, using puppets often, and always encouraging children to have a sense of wonder.
Ms. Kate is the assistant teacher in the Panda room (3 year olds) working with Ms. Nikki and Ms. Kim. She has been at Little Bears since October 2022. I live in Sun Prairie with my cat, Blue. I have three older siblings and have a total of 9 nieces and nephews. I enjoy reading and coloring in my spare time. I help create a hands on environment where children feel comfortable and safe to learn, grow, and be creative. I like to watch them grow and see how their own individual personalities develop.
