Emily Skeels

Director and PM4K Teacher

Emily.Skeels@edgerton.k12.wi.us

This will be Emily’s 20th year teaching in Edgerton. She taught kindergarten and first grade at the elementary school for many years and came to Central Lutheran as a 4K teacher in 2020. She has a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UW-Whitewater and a Master’s Degree in professional development from UW-LaCrosse. She also has a yoga teacher certification from Breathe for Change. 

Emily is a huge advocate for developmentally appropriate practices and learning through play. She loves nature and animals, incorporating both into the 4K curriculum each year. Her goal is making a child’s first school experience so enjoyable that they are disappointed when it’s not a school day!

Her family includes Ben, her spouse of 21 years, and their children Henry (16), Charlotte (14), and Hannah (14). They live in the country outside Cooksville with LOTS of pets, including dogs, cats, mini donkeys, rabbits, chickens, guineas, and whatever else her kids can talk her into getting. 

In her free time, Emily enjoys doing everything outdoors with her family: working in the garden and on landscaping projects, swimming in the pond, and going for walks and bike rides. She also loves doing yoga and is an avid reader. 

Christa DeVoll

Assistant Director, 3K Teacher, PM 4K Assistant Teacher

CentralLutheranPreschool15@gmail.com

For Christa, becoming a preschool teacher seemed to happen by fate. She began as a parent sub, and when a position opened to be a co-teacher in the preschool classroom, she jumped at the opportunity. She is happy to be back in the classroom for her 13th teaching year.

Over the years, Christa’s teaching philosophy has grown. Her classroom approach is influenced by Reggio Emilia and she feels strongly that young children are capable and competent. The confidence and self esteem that comes from completing tasks without the help of a grown up lights a fire inside a child and is a joy for Christa to watch.  

A lifetime resident of Edgerton, Christa’s family includes her husband of 23 years, Mark, and their children, Charles (21) and Natalie (16). Both children attended Central Lutheran Preschool & 4K. Charles is a United States Marine currently stationed in southeast Georgia and Natalie is a junior at Edgerton Senior High. Their family also includes their labrador girls, Louie and Stevie.

As a family, they enjoy time with friends and family, baseball, dance, swimming, concerts, cruising in the Jeep, and traveling to the ocean and old cities of the United States. During her freetime, Christa enjoys gardening, walking the dogs, making changes around the house and yard, and, most of all, spending time with others.

Michele Ninmer

3K and 4K Assistant Teacher

This will be Michele’s second year as a 4K assistant after subbing in the preschool and 4k classrooms the previous year. Michele is looking forward to spending more time in the preschool this year as an assistant also..seeing the confidence and joy in exploring develop from 3-4 is so much fun to be a part of.Michele has a degree in social welfare from UW Madison and has spent the last 23 years raising her three children and doing at-home daycare for many other families.  

Michele’s family consists of her husband Derek, her daughters, Leyla (23, recently moved to Colorado after graduating from UWSP and will start teaching Kindergarten in Montrose Co by the mountains she loves ), Paige (21 will be a senior at UW Eau Claire studying abroad in Costa Rica for the fall), and Gracey (18, will be a Sophomore at Northwestern University). In her freetime, Michele loves enjoying art, music, and nature. Michele enjoys gardening at the family farm, spending time with her girls, and just being outside as much as possible.

Michele has spent the last 23 years encouraging children in her care to be kind, curious, helpful, observers of nature and the world around them, and learn constantly through play and interactions in their environment and with others. Michele spent many years taking her kids and kiddos in her care to the library, parks, museums, and other playgroups and storytimes. She helped in starting the playgroup currently still going on as a cooperative with the school district that is held at the United Methodist Church and was on the preschool board when her daughter Gracey attended preschool and 4K.  

3K Assistant Teacher

Emilie joined the CLC 4K staff in 2021 as an assistant teacher and helped us last year as a substitute. This year, she will be assisting Christa with preschool and helping out with office tasks. While her Bachelor's degree is in English Literature, she spent several years studying to be an early elementary school teacher and has 20+ years of experience with children. She believes strongly in the power of learning through play and that messy children are happy, creative children! 

She and her husband, Mike, have lived in Edgerton for 17 years with their two children, Grant (17) and Hazel (8). She also has a house full of cats and the World's Almost Perfect-est Pitbull, Maggie. 

Doreen Johnson

4K Assistant Teacher

This will be Doreen’s second year in 4K, but this year she will be an assistant! She has been with the Edgerton school district for 17 years. Her roles included teaching in kindergarten, first grade, second grade but for the past 10 years, she has been a reading teacher, which is her passion! She retired at the end of the 2023 school year after 27 total years in education (10 were in IL), but then she heard about this awesome opportunity to work part-time at Central Lutheran with 4- and 5-year-olds. She’s very excited to be a part of this program as she feels very strongly that independence and play should be at the forefront of early childhood education. This year she will only work two days a week and is excited to be working under the expertise of Mrs. Skeels but also filling in where she is needed. 

Doreen’s family includes her husband, Lee (who was surprised she came out of retirement so quickly), and her 3 children: Brad (41), Ryan (37), and Bridget (36). She is also Mimi to 4 grandchildren, whom she adores! She is a lover of animals and has 2 dogs, 4 cats and 20 fish! Doreen is the second oldest of eight and has 16 nieces and nephews. 

She is looking forward to this year and can’t wait to get started!