ActivitiesGeneral InterestPreschoolOur Instructors

Meet Our Instructors

All Park Ridge Preschool staff members are certified in CPR, AED, and First Aid. Teachers must also maintain 15 hours of in-service in early childhood every year.

Preschool

Providing children a solid foundation for future school success.

Brooke Plofsky

Ms. Brooke is our Preschool Director and has been with the park district since 2016. She received a bachelor's degree in early childhood education from the University of Cincinnati and a master's degree in reading from National Louis University. Prior to parks and recreation, Brooke taught in the primary grades and then supervised college students at National Louis University’s College of Elementary Education. In addition to supervising daily operations, preschool staff, and day camps, Brooke is often seen teaching and helping out in the classrooms. She has four grown children and a dog, Maggie Moo. In her spare time Brooke likes to spend time with her family, read, watch movies, and go on walks with friends.

Michele Fata

Ms. Michele is our new Preschool Assistant Director and earned her associates degree in Early Childhood Education and Human Services as well as a certificate in business administration from Elgin Community College. She has worked for Batavia Park District for over 20 years teaching art, drop off classes, and enrichment programs. Michele also taught kindergarten enrichment in Batavia Public Schools and then moved on to teaching 2-year-old preschool with St. Charles and Elmhurst park districts. Michele lives in St. Charles with her four children and three dogs Kiwi, Loki, and Jar-Jar Binks. In her free time you can catch her vacationing at the most magical place in the world...Disney, going to concerts, or working out at the gym lifting weights or kickboxing.

Katie Aumiller

Ms. Katie teaches our MWF afternoon 4-year-old class as well as our parent-tot Wee Chefs cooking class. She has multiple years of experience teaching a variety of age groups, most recently at Bright Horizons. Ms. Katie studied Early Childhood Education and Leadership at Ashford University. When she’s not in the classroom she enjoys spending time with friends and family and exploring different neighborhoods in Chicago.

Deanna Barrett

Ms. Deanna is the lead teacher in our 2-year-old classroom. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in art. Last year, Deanna created and taught enrichment classes such as Busy Builders and Dino Diggers. Ms. Deanna has two boys in elementary school, where she is very involved in the PTA. She enjoys being active with her kids, reading, painting, and has a passion for health and fitness. Deanna loves children’s natural curiosity and strives to help them explore while learning and growing.

Jen Bernstein

Jen is starting her first year with us as an assistant in the Tu/Th 3-year-old morning class. She has a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Theater Arts from the University of Wisconsin. Jen has worked for 5 years teaching preschoolers gymnastics and tumbling at Vernon Hills Gymnastics. She lives in Deerfield with her husband and two middle school daughters. She enjoys pickleball and driving her kids around to their activities!

Kelly Brown

Ms. Kelly is an assistant teacher in the M-F morning 4-year-old room. She has a bachelor’s degree from Dominican University and a master’s degree from Roosevelt University in Human Resources. She enjoys being in the classroom and contributing to the learning and growth of the children throughout the school year. In her free time, she is busy keeping track of her kids’ sports schedules, working out, and spending time with family and friends. She lives in Park Ridge with her husband and three children.

Mary Ann Doulas

Ms. Mary Ann is a lead teacher in our 4-year-old M-F afternoon program. Mary Ann has worked with the Park District since 2001. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Chicago in Communications and Theater. Ms. Mary Ann also teaches our morning early childhood classes, Stepping Stones and Learn n’ Play. She believes that young children learn differently than their elementary-age counterparts, and hands-on exploration is best for preschool education. Her goal is to inspire and influence a love of learning through play, exploration, and discovery of the world.

Valerie Howe

Ms. Valerie is a Lead Teacher in our 4-year-old MWF morning program. Valerie has a bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Eastern Illinois University. This is Valerie’s second year with our preschool team. She previously taught preschool for several years at the Glenview Park District before becoming a stay at home mom to her three daughters. She loves making learning fun and sending the children home with memories they can't wait to share with their families.

Stephanie Greene

Ms. Stephanie is an assistant teacher in the 4-year-old MWF morning classroom. Prior to taking several years off to raise her two boys, she taught 3rd and 5th grade in Chicago. Both of her kids attended the Park Ridge Park District Preschool. She has a master of education degree in Elementary Education from DePaul University. Stephanie believes school should be a safe place where children discover that learning is fun!

Justyna Kennedy

Ms. Justyna works as a lead teacher in our Playtime Pals class daily, as well as an assistant teacher in our MWF afternoon 4-year-old classroom. Justyna also taught and created enrichment classes such as Safety Town, Curiosity Lab, and Crafty Kids. She has a bachelor of arts degree from the Academy of Management and Administration in Opole, Poland. Throughout her life she has dedicated her time to taking care of children and working with several neighborhood organizations. Justyna is dedicated to the social and emotional development of children and makes it her goal to ensure each child receives the best care and love that they all deserve. She is very creative and enjoys doing arts and crafts with the children. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing and watching sports. She also loves to travel.

Palanya Kvorka

Palanya has dedicated over seven years to the Park District program. She has worked the last four years in our preschool as an assistant. This school year, Palanya is working as an assistant teacher in our MWF and Tu/Th 3-year-old morning preschool classes. Prior to working in our preschool, she spent 3.5 years teaching in our Twos on the Move early childhood program. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in Special Education-Learning Behavioral Specialist (LBS) at Northeastern Illinois University, where she is deepening her expertise in supporting children with diverse learning needs. She loves being around children and helping them grow. She is also fluent in Thai and enjoys cooking Thai food for family and friends. She likes gardening, baking, and traveling with her family. She lives in Park Ridge with her husband, two kids, and two dogs.

Ann Marie McInerney

This is Ms. Ann Marie’s first year with our preschool working as an assistant teacher in our M-F morning 3-year-old classroom. She is a graduate of Maine South High School and Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Ann Marie has a master’s degree in educational technology from National Louis University and an endorsement in gifted education from Northeastern Illinois University. In the past, Ann Marie has worn several teaching “hats” including K-8 science, technology, and enrichment educator. Ann Marie and her husband live in Park Ridge with their 6 kids. Several of Ann Marie’s children have attended the Park Ridge Preschool Program, including 4-year-old Madelyn. She enjoys watching her kids’ sporting events, reading, spending time with friends, and working out.

Nicole Miller

Ms. Nicole is the lead teacher in our M-F morning 3-year-old program. She is a proud graduate from Maine South High school and has an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Triton College. When she is not working in the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, who both attended the Park Ridge Park District Preschool. She also enjoys baking and gardening during her spare time.

Mariann O'Brien

Ms. Mariann is a lead teacher in our MWF afternoon 3-year-old preschool program. She spends her time working in the preschool as well leading our morning early childhood class, Twos on the Move. Mariann has been with the Park District for over 20 years. She has touched many children’s lives with her giggles and funny story time voices. She has a particular interest in science and teaches our science enrichment class, Curiosity Lab. Mariann has a bachelor's degree from the Art Institute of Chicago.

Carla Paestch

Ms. Carla is a lead teacher for our MWF morning 3-year-old program. She attended DePaul University, where she studied early childhood education and psychology. Both of her children attended the Park Ridge Park District Preschool. Carla looks forward to making preschool a fun and exciting experience for our program's 3-year-olds!

Denise Parcell

Ms. Denise is a lead teacher for our M-F morning 4-year-old program as well as our 3- and 4-year-old multi-age classroom on Tu/Th afternoons. Denise graduated from Roosevelt University with a bachelor's degree in secondary education and endorsements in history and early childhood. Denise strives to create and maintain a safe and fun classroom where the kids are excited to come to school to learn and play. Her classroom is a place where children can express themselves, build friendships, and gain a of love of school, learning, and self-confidence.

Katie Polender

This is Ms. Katie’s first year with our preschool working as an assistant teacher in the two-year-old classroom. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology at University of Illinois at Chicago. She’s married, and has a daughter and son in elementary school. The kids’ after school activities tend to keep their family pretty busy, but they almost always find time for their family movie nights on Fridays. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, music, and has recently started to learn the craft of woodworking. Katie is passionate about learning through play and is excited to help the children grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally.

Michelle Romanek

Ms. Michelle is a lead teacher in our M-F morning 4-year-old program. She holds a teaching degree from National-Louis University and has taught kindergarten in the past. Michelle strives to provide a safe and nurturing structured classroom where children are encouraged to learn through curiosity, positive socialization, and fun exploration.

Beth Rossi

Ms. Beth is a lead teacher in our Tu/Th morning 4-year-old class. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Loyola University and a master’s degree in education from DePaul University. Ms. Beth taught first grade for 13 years and has a strong understanding of child development. Her goal is to provide a safe, positive, and nurturing environment that meets every child’s needs. She looks forward to making learning fun and exciting for her students! When she’s not in the classroom, she’s spending time with her husband and son. They love being outdoors, playing sports, and being active.

Sandra Rotter

Ms. Sandra works as an assistant teacher in both our M-F morning 4-year-old program and our Tu/Th 3-4-year-old afternoon multi-age class. She also works at our Little Explorers day camp over the summer as a Camp Site Coordinator, supervising 3-year-old campers and staff. She is a proud mother of three children. She loves nature, animals, being silly, and the power of laughter.

Patrizia Tabet

Ms. Patrizia works as a lead teacher in our Playtime Pals room in the mornings and as an assistant teacher in 3-year-old afternoon preschool on MWF. She has taught some of our enrichment classes such as Fitness Fun and Our World. Patrizia has a bachelor’s degree of Fine Arts in Fashion from the Illinois Institute of Art Chicago and AFFA certification in Fitness. She brings passionate energy and excitement into the classrooms. Patrizia loves working with all children and their families.

Renee Yang

Ms. Renee works as an assistant teacher in our Tu/Th 4-year-old morning class. She holds a bachelor of science in Nursing from Loyola University and has 12 years of nursing experience behind her. Ms. Renee lives in Park Ridge with her husband, three young boys, two dogs, a few fish, and a hedgehog! All of her boys attended Park Ridge Park District Preschool, and she hopes to pass on this wonderful experience to her students. Renee’s goal is to help kids feel safe and to love learning.

Pat Zouras

Ms. Pat is an assistant teacher in our M-F afternoon 4-year-old program. She attended Robert Morris College in Chicago. Pat also works as an assistant in our early childhood classes, Stepping Stones and Learn n’ Play. She believes that children are curious and learn through play and hands-on experiences.