Meet Miss Jeanine

One of Jeanine's favorite quotes is from the book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.  One of the lines reads, "Be Aware of Wonder".  She strongly believes that children, especially of preschool age, are extremely aware of the world around them, and are constantly filled with wonder by the things they see, touch, hear, and smell.  As a teacher, she hopes to help kids find that wonder through play, socialization, inquiry, experimentation, and exciting guided learning activities. Miss Jeanine has both a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from the University of Oregon.  She taught all grade levels in several schools in Lane County while studying at the University and as a substitute teacher before opening and running the Eugene location of The Strawberry Patch Preschool from 2010-2016. On top of both her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees, Jeanine also holds an English For Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) degree.  Language, multicultural education, and diversity are key aspects of her training and she strives to help students appreciate and find interest in the differences in those around them.  Through pictures, literature choices, conversation, and daily activities students will be exposed to different cultures, traditions, hobbies, foods, and environments!   After teaching in classrooms with large groups of students, Jeanine hopes to emphasize the importance of small-group, community-based learning experiences with young children at The Strawberry Patch.  Several of Jeanine's hobbies include: Oil Painting, Argentine Tango, Theater, Gardening, and Baking, and being the mama to two fluffy dogs named Cato and Zoë!  She hopes to blend her own passions with those of her students to create meaningful, fun, and inquiry-based learning for everyone each day.

Meet Teacher Josh

I am excited to be a part of The Strawberry Patch! The preschoolers bring me joy every day. I feel that a happy and peaceful life springs from a happy and peaceful mind. This kind of mind doesn’t come at random, but is an outcome of a sustained effort to generate its causes. With that in mind, I’m eager to share lightheartedness and gentle nature with the kids through play, conversation, quiet activities, and just being of service.

My lifelong interests span music (an early course of study), science & science literacy, and philosophy. These days, I maintain those interests but I’ve shifted a lot of my time to a practice of meditation and contemplation. I hope I can inspire the kids to adopt a similarly broad and open set of interests.