OUR LEAD TEACHERS...

Miss Teri

Lead Teacher/Director/Owner - Liberty Lake

I received my Bachelors of Science in Child Development/Family Relations with an emphasis in Child Life from the University of Idaho in 1992. I have been teaching for twenty five years and started the original preschool in my home in 2004 teaching 3 year olds. With increased interest and demand, I expanded into teaching a Pre-K class. Three years later I was able to expand further, providing early education to children in Liberty Lake and the surrounding communities which has enabled me to give families an opportunity to have the preschool experiences they desire for their children. Fall 2020 school year will be our 14^th year at our Liberty Lake Children’s Academy location – we have been a great success due to the wonderful parents in the community and my incredible teaching staff!  

I have 3 children of my own, Valerie 25, Asia 22 and Drake 20. They are the pure joys in my life that give the sunshine to my every morning - rain or shine. I am also lucky to be married to a wonderful man, Greg, who supports me in so many ways – I couldn’t have done this adventure without him. I look forward to being part of your child’s earliest education experience.  Welcome to Liberty Lake Children’s Academy.

Miss Chloe 

Lead PreK Teacher 

Hi, everyone! My name is Chloe and I am so excited to be on the teaching team at LLCA. I grew up on the west side of Washington, but moved to the Spokane area to attend EWU after high school. I received my bachelor’s degree in Children’s Studies with a focus in Community Programming for Children and Families. My husband is an elementary school teacher, and we just recently moved to Liberty Lake to be closer to family. We have two beloved kitties and will be welcoming our first child later this year! 

I have always held a strong passion for working with children and their families. Throughout my experiences, I have always found myself focusing on the social emotional well-being of children, while fostering the love of learning along the way! I recently began working in the community with children and families providing mindfulness services and yoga groups. I hope to be able to bring this aspect of learning into the classroom at LLCA! I can’t wait to meet you and your family, and hope to provide an open space for your child to learn and grow! 

Miss Conny 

Lead Preschool Teacher - River District

I was born and raised in Austria, where I graduated from the Federal Educational Institute for Kindergarten Pedagogy, specializing in Early Childhood Education, Child Psychology and Didactics, with an emphasis on 3- to 7-year-olds. I have nearly 20 years of experience in working with children of all different ages and cultures and taught at a local Montessori pre-school for seven years.

I have a wonderful son named Sam, who enjoys helping me decorate my classroom. He is very creative and likes to build pieces for our dramatic life area. He is now in high school, but started out here at Liberty Lake Children’s Academy. He loves this preschool as much as I do. In our free time we enjoy the outdoors; we like to hike, pick huckleberries, bike, kayak and ski, and once a year we fly home to visit our family in Europe. 

I am excited to work with your children, get to know them better, and help them reach their full potential. It never ceases to amaze me how much information our little ones can soak up and how quickly and playfully they learn in a positive and stimulating environment! 

Miss Jenna 

Lead Teacher  - Liberty Lake

Hello everyone, my name is Jenna Major and this will be my 4^th year working at Liberty Lake Children’s Academy. I was raised in Spokane but went all the way across the country to North Carolina to attend college. I received my bachelors in Special Education from the University of North Carolina where I also played a little soccer. I met my better half there and we moved back to Spokane to be with family and raise our son and our big fluffy rescue mutt.

I knew from a young age that I wanted to work with children and I have spent most of my adult life working with children in many different environments. I love being in a classroom and seeing the look on a child’s face when he or she learns something new!

When I am not in the classroom, I spend most of my time with my family. We love skiing in the winter and all things track and field all year round. We are huge college basketball fans, however, we are a house divided. I may have gone to the UNC school system and married into a family of alumni from there, but I bleed Gonzaga blue. So, March Madness can get a little crazy at our house. Our family also has a crazy fun little hobby. We love LEGOs and have built a LEGO city in our basement that we are always changing and growing.   

I look forward to meeting all of you and having your child in my classroom.  Let’s have fun learning!

Miss Kelley 

Lead PreK Teacher - Liberty Lake
Assistant Preschool Teacher - River District

Hello, friends! My name is Kelley Schmedtje, and I love the excitement of young learners. I have a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from EWU. Prior to LLCA I worked in Reading Intervention at Central Valley School District, but I have discovered that preschool is definitely where my heart is! I have two beautiful daughters who make me smile every day. They grew up right here in Liberty Lake with my husband and I. In my spare time I love to read, hike and make cards. I love getting to know each child individually in order to inspire a true love of learning, and they teach me a great deal in the process. Nothing makes me happier than seeing those sweet smiles! I can’t wait to meet you and your children. We will share some amazing learning adventures together!