Meet the Staff

Mrs. Kathryn


 kldean@callutheran.edu

Kathi graduated from CSU, Northridge with a BA in Child Development. She has a Master’s in Teaching, and has worked in the Early Childhood Education field for over 20 years in a variety of positions. She worked for GPCDC/Patagonia for 15 years as a teacher and Preschool Director.  She has worked as an Early Interventionist and is an Adjunct Instructor for the Child Development Department at Moorpark College.  She loves guiding new teachers in the ECE field.  She enjoys reading, camping, swimming and spending time with her family.  Mrs. Kathi believes in providing families with positive experiences and environments that will enrich children’s lives as well as give them the support they need during early childhood.
Mrs. Heidi R.


 hrockwoo@callutheran.edu

Heidi has been studying and working in the Early Childhood Education Field for 7 years, and considers it a great privilege to be a part of our Preschool Team. She has been married to her husband for for 30 years, and has 2 grown children; a daughter, and a son who attends CLU. In her free time she loves to read and to knit.
Mrs. Faten


 fjarjou@callutheran.edu

Faten has been teaching at the Fredrickson Family Early Childhood Center since 2000. She is married and has two children, Matthew and Mary. She has a BA in English Literature and has many courses in Early Childhood education. She enjoys the outdoors and particularly likes to work in the garden, here at school and at home.
Mrs. Trish


 pshannon@callutheran.edu

Trish was born in Canada and immigrated with her two sons to California in 2008 to join her husband, John Shannon.  Trish has worked in a variety of capacities in the Early Childhood Education field for over 30 years in Canada, Zambia and here in the US.  She feels blessed to call the 3’s program her new ‘home’ at the Fredrickson Family Early Childhood Center.
Mrs. Heidi G.


 hgiller@callutheran.edu

Heidi earned her A.S. degree in Child Development from Moorpark College in 2016. She has served as an Early Care Assistant Teacher for the Conejo Valley Neighborhood for Learning. Heidi has been married for over twenty five years and has two adult sons.  She is passionate about Early Childhood Education and is dedicated to ensuring that each and every member of our FFECC "family" feels heard, supported, and loved. Heidi enjoys spending time outdoors and firmly believes that children learn best when immersed in an environment of nature.
Mrs. Yvanna


 yherrera@callutheran.edu

Yvanna loves children! She has worked in the early childhood education field for 13 years. Yvanna has been married to her husband Leonel since 2009. They enjoy spending time with their wonderful son and two lovely daughters. She enjoys reading, attending concerts, gardening and doing crafts with her kids. Yvanna is so excited to be part of the CLU family.
Mrs. Curstin


 caupperle@callutheran.edu

Curstin received her Associates Degree from Pierce College and completed the Early Childhood Education program at Moorpark College.  Her fun and energetic personality have complimented her passion for teaching preschool for ten years.  Curstin has lived in Thousand Oaks for twenty years with her husband Tim, where they raised their three sons. As a parent, Curstin shares the passion parents have for their children and loves working with our families and their children in a nurturing environment. She enjoys listening to music and cheering for the Dodgers!

Mrs. Gema


 ghayek@callutheran.edu

Ms. Gema is proud of her career as mom to her three grown children, and recently became a Grandma!  She has a diverse professional history of positions in the early childhood field, including running her own at home child care business.  She also lived out of state for some time and recently returned to her native state of California.  Gema is a first generation college student, studied Psychology at Pepperdine University, and achieved her Child Development certificate from Palm Beach College, Florida.  Gema believes sharing her gifts with others is an important part of teaching and one of her greatest gifts is being bi-cultural, which she shares with our school through incorporating Spanish into the curriculum.  Gema has been married for almost ten years to George, with whom she loves to go on cruises, take walks, watch movies, and travel the world.  She loves to dance, read, listen to podcasts, design, spend time with family and collect miniature clocks & owls.

Mrs. Sophea


 sreacheahaiby@callutheran.edu

Miss Sophea (pronounced with a /p/ not an /f/) has been working with young children her entire life and is currently in school obtaining her Bachelor’s degree. She earned her Associated degree in Early Childhood Education at Moorpark College in 2018. Her interpersonal strengths are empathy, patience, kindness, hardworking, positive outlook, and she is a quick learner. She enjoys encouraging children to develop their perceptual, cognitive, motor, and social skills to reach their potential. She is very creative, enjoys sewing, cooking, and growing flowers and vegetables.
Mrs. Penni


 penniburns@callutheran.edu

Penni is excited to join the Fredrickson team! Most recently, Penni has been managing the afternoon program at a local Montessori school in Westlake Village. She recently obtained her Associates in Early Childhood Education at the University of Arizona and has a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from CSUN. She intends to continue her education, looking forward to obtaining a teaching credential and potentially a Master's in Education. Penni has a passion for children and it shows with her positive vibe and joy for each child. Penni is a local to the area (30+ years), having grown up in Oak Park and currently residing in Thousand Oaks. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, yoga, going to the theater, hanging out with her two pups, Luke & Leia.

Substitute Teachers

Mrs. Jennifer


 jmleone@callutheran.edu

Jennifer received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from CSU, Northridge.  She also earned her Master of Education in Cross Cultural Teaching from National University and has worked with children of all ages for the last 18 years. Mrs. Jen loves teaching the little ones!  She started as a substitute teacher here at the center in July 2019. This gives her the opportunity to enjoy her passion of teaching and love of raising her family. She has been married to her husband Larry for 16 years and has two amazing children Bella and Giancarlo.  In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering throughout the community with her daughter. Mrs. Jen feels blessed to work with your little ones on daily basis!

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