Our Preschool Staff

Sue has been teaching for over 30 years.  Sue has her AA degree in Early Childhood Education. Throughout her time teaching, her passion for Early Childhood has grown stronger-“There is just something truly special about the early years”. She is excited to be teaching at Kirk in the Hills Preschool and with the curious and energetic 3-year-olds.  Creating a nurturing, play-based environment where children feel safe, supported, and inspired to learn and grow is very important to Sue.

Kaelyn Matsos is one of the Monday -Friday three year old teachers joining the Kirk Preschool Team.  She has an AA degree in Children and Family Studies from eastern Michigan University.  Before joining the Kirk in the Hills Program, she taught 2.5 year olds for two years and Pre-Kindergarten for one year.  Kaelyn was also an Early Childhood gymnastics instructor for 3 years.  Kaelyn is passionate about early learning and helping children foster a positive social environment for students to learn the essential skills to grow that thrive.  In her spare time, Kaelyn loves to do yoga, try new restaurants, and spend time with her family and friends.  Kaelyn is thrilled to be a part of the Kirk in the Hills Preschool Program and is looking forward to supporting children and their families.

Michelle Walker is thrilled to be joining the Kirk in the Hills Preschool team in the 2025-26 school year. After being a stay-at-home parent to her 3 children for several years, Michelle developed a passion for teaching and decided to go back to school.  Michelle holds a AA degree in Early Childhood Education form Oakland Community College and is working on her BA in Early Childhood at Rochester Christian University.  She comes to us with over 4 years of experience teaching preschool for West Bloomfield School District. Michelle feels that the preschool experience is imperative to lifelong success. Michelle loves creating a learning environment that naturally builds off a child’s own interests to increase engagement and growth. She strongly believes that when children feel supported within the classroom, they are free to express their unique abilities, take risks, and have fun! She enjoys building authentic relationships with both children and families which support her in making a child’s school year a success.

Mrs. Espinoza-Rodriguez holds a BA in English Literature and a CDA (Child Development Associate) Degrees.  She is very excited to join our Kirk Preschool Team.  She has been working with young children for over thirteen years.  Not only has she been a preschool teacher, but she has also taught Spanish for K-5th graders.  Angelica is very creative and believes that creating strong bonds with students and their families will always make for a great school year!

Mrs. Modich is back at Kirk in the Hills Preschool after retiring in 2022.  She realized that her love of children and working at the Kirk Preschool was like a family and something she very much wanted to be a part of. Pat has been teaching in early Childhood for at least 25 years and has experienced teaching Parent/Toddler classes, three year olds, four year olds, and JK. Mrs. Modich enjoys working with children and their families ensuring that each child is treated as an individual, making sure they are loved, nurtured, and celebrated.

Sandy Jewell has a B.A. with an Elementary Teaching Certificate with an Early Childhood Endorsement from Wayne State University and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Saginaw Valley State University.  She comes to us with 20+ years of Early Childhood teaching experience before becoming an Early Childhood Specialist and Supervisor in 2014.  Even though Sandy enjoys her time in the classroom with our youngest learners, she is passionate about supporting, mentoring, and growing a positive high-quality preschool community.  She is thrilled to be on our Kirk in the Hills Preschool team!

Katie is excited to teach the  5 day 4 year-old class starting in the Fall of 2022 after teaching our Parent/Tot and 2 1/2 year old programs for the past several years.  She comes to us with a Bachelor degree in Early Childhood Education from Rochester College and over twelve years experience working in child care settings as a toddler and preschool teacher.  Her former supervisors and colleagues describe her as warm, caring, open and “a natural” with young children.  She enjoys building relationships with both parents and children and feels her skills and experience make her well suited to her position at the Kirk Preschool.  She is the proud mother of 2 young children which makes her especially in tune with this age group!

Terri Hanpeter has a BS in Elementary Education and Special Education and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education, both from the University of Michigan.   She taught many years in a pre-primary special ed environment and continued to volunteer at all levels of education once her son arrived in 1998.  She spent many years teaching Sunday School at Kirk in the Hills before becoming a substitute teacher for the Kirk’s preschool program.  She is now a teacher in both the 2 1/2-year-old class and the 3 day 3-year-old class.  She is thrilled to be a part of the Kirk Preschool staff and loves working with the staff, kids and parents alike.  Terri feels that teaching in such a loving, supportive, Christian-based learning environment is truly a blessing!

Meghan Lorang received her B.S. in Family Community Services (Child Development) from Michigan State University. She also received a degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Michigan University. Meghan has many years of teaching experience in preschool and early elementary classrooms. In addition to her degrees, Meghan also has earned her Montessori certification in Pre-primary education (3-6 year olds).  Meghan taught in the 2 1/2-year-old class starting in the Fall of 2016 before becoming a 3 day 3-year-old teacher starting the Fall of 2020. Meghan has known from a young age that she wanted to work with children. She loves the children’s energy and watching them grow, and also enjoys reading and singing with them.