PURCELL PRESCHOOL AND DAYCARE
OUR STAFF
Our staff are educated professionals focused on the individual development of each child that enters our programs. At Purcell Preschool, each child has the opportunity to discover, create and grow in a caring, safe, nurturing and academic environment.
Teachers and assistants at Purcell Preschool integrate different learning styles into the daily curriculum. We appreciate that each child has unique strengths, interests and needs. Teachers actively engage children to discover their interests, and encourage them to fully explore their creativity to develop self-confidence, independence, and satisfying peer relationships. Meet our staff!
Cheryl Anderson
Manager/ECE-IT
Cheryl has over 26 years in the child care field. She has worked and managed in both daycare and preschool facilities and she also ran a successful home daycare for 13 years. She holds her ECE certificate along with her Infant-Toddler (IT) diploma.
She has resided in Kimberley for 23 years and is married with two children. Cheryl enjoys traveling, spending time with family at Wasa Lake and spoiling her two dogs.
Cheryl loves working with children and how they consistently show us how beautiful the simplest things in life can be. She is excited to be a part of creating an amazing program and facility for the community.
Baylie Migneault
Back-Up Manager/ECE-IT
Baylie was born and raised in Kimberley, BC. She completed her ECE certificate in 2018 through the Pacific Rim Early Childhood Institute and expects to complete her diploma in 2021. Since graduating in 2014 she has worked with children in Kimberley, Cranbrook, Calgary, and Victoria as an ECE, a nanny, and a babysitter.
Baylie believes in play as a wonderful engagement opportunity for early learning. Through play, each child actively initiates development. Her focus is to observe and follow each child’s initiative to create positive and constructive learning opportunities.
Outside of her work with children, Baylie uses play as an opportunity for her own development. She lives an active lifestyle as an avid gym-goer and participates in a variety of sports . Travel recently became a part of her thirst for learning with Baylie spending the winter of 2020 exploring SE Asia, where she visited Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Marcie Fellger
ECEA
Marcie is an Early Childhood Education Assistant (ECEA) who has had the opportunity to learn and grow with several age groups. She prides herself on integrating her training in early childhood education with the skills, experience and knowledge she has gained interacting with children, families and fellow educators over the past five years.
Working with children is a passion for Marcie. It brings her immense joy and it shows in her attitude and effort. She strives each day to ensure the children in her care feel the same way and does her best to instill a love of learning and enthusiasm for each day of childcare.
For Marcie, it comes down to this: “No significant learning occurs without significant relationship.” – Dr. James P Comer
Anna Wilson
ECE-SN
Anna has over 30 years of experience as an early childhood professional. Her love of the mountains and outdoors has helped her develop strong roots in the local Kimberley/Cranbrook area.
Throughout her career, Anna has enjoyed her time as a preschool instructor, Special Needs (SN) educator, behaviour interventionist with children with ASD and has successfully run her own business. During this time she has gained an extensive knowledge of children’s development and shares the skills needed to augment the learning for children of all abilities.
Anna brings a warm smile and a caring personality to a program where learning is woven into the fabric of play.
Megen Yaciw
ECE
Megen has been teaching children as an Early Childhood Educator for four years but has been a part of many different children’s programs for the last 12 years. Megen values play-based learning, believing it to be the “work” of the child. She is also very passionate about developing children’s imagination and creativity through open-ended toys, loose parts, and process art.
Megen is goofy at heart and you will often find her singing and reading silly songs with the children. Megen has lived in Kimberley for 15 years and loves exploring all the Kootenays have to offer with her husband Chris, and sons, Colten and Isaac.
Jodi Eskelin
ECEA/FNSP
Jodi grew up in Nova Scotia but has now called BC her home for 20 years. She has a Degree in Nutrition and a Degree in Child and Youth Care, with over 20 years experience working with children and youth of all ages (inside and outside the classroom).
She is a certified Forest and Nature School Practitioner (FNSP) through the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. She is the lead educator in Purcell’s Forest Preschool program.
Jodi is passionate about play-based learning and is committed to encouraging children and youth to connect with nature. Jodi enjoys spending time with her family mountain biking, skiing, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, camping and wandering in the wilderness.
Bev Anderson
ECEA
Bev is an Early Childhood Educator Assistant (ECEA) in Purcell’s Forest Preschool program. She finds much happiness supporting a rich learning exchange between parents, children and educators. Her vast life-based knowledge includes nutrition, sewing, the outdoors, and cooking. Bev truly believes that the children in her care have a beautiful story to tell and should be heard. Bev’s goal is to see each child discover their strengths and opportunities and embrace the building blocks to attain them. Each day she returns to her home with a cup full of happiness!
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world” (Desmond Tutu)
Lisa Bates
ECEA
Lisa has been working with kids from preschool to Grade 12 for 10 years. She moved from the mountains of the Crowsnest Pass three years ago for Kimberley’s beauty and to be closer to family. She has two kids of her own aged 11 and 13. Lisa enjoys traveling, time with friends and family and all the outdoors has to offer. She loves working with kids of all ages and cherishes every smile, hug and story she gets to listen to. She is a great helper and loves watching the kids grow.
Lisa is excited to bring her personal pizazz to a team of great colleagues and a community of wonderful children and families.
Madi Amy
ECEA
Madi has been working with children since 2015 as a ski coach, babysitter and in the classroom. Madi is passionate about working with kids and loves to see them grow and thrive in a supportive environment. She is currently studying to obtain her ECE certificate. Growing up in the East Kootenay, she is an avid skier, sports fanatic, and spends most of her free time exploring outdoors.
Zak Campbell
RA
Zak was born and raised in Kimberley and has been working at the Purcell Preschool since September 2021. He received his degree in Graphic Design from West Liberty University in West Virginia. Zak has recently been accepted into the University of Ottawa’s Bachelor of Education program and hopes what he has learned working at Purcell will help him in his future career as a teacher.
Liz Dowling
ECE (currently on leave)
Liz is a certified Early Childhood Educator (ECE) and is passionate about creating and nurturing environments where children can discover a love for learning in play-based experiences that will foster confidence, creativity, and resilience.
She enjoys art, music, outdoor adventure experiences and connecting with individuals and groups.
