3s Teacher | Julie Greene
My name is Julie Greene and I am absolutely thrilled to be the 3s teacher at the Co-op. My husband David and I and our two girls, Sadie and Eliza live in Bay Village. My previous teaching experience includes teaching Second Grade at Gurney Elementary in Chagrin Falls, and Second Grade and Kindergarten in South Euclid/Lyndhurst School District. I received my Master’s Degree in Education from John Carroll University and my Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism (Public Relations) and Theatre from Bowling Green State University.
I am no stranger to the Co-op, and our family adores it. My daughter Eliza was in the 3s class with Ms. Jones and the 4s Class with Mrs. Albright. During that time, I enjoyed my time in the classrooms as a parent helper and also as a substitute teacher. I am beyond excited to be able to love the Co-op in a new way… as a teacher. I am also extremely excited to be partnering with Mrs. Dipert, Mrs. House, and you, the parents, to work together as a team to love, teach, and support your kiddos together!
The reason our family chose the Co-op for our daughter’s first experience with school is because the theories and methods of a true Cooperative Preschool were directly aligned with the methodologies that I used in my classrooms as a teacher: Learning through a play-based environment to be kind, respectful, smart and productive members of a community.
4s Teacher | Laura House
My name is Laura House and I am so excited to join the Co-op as a teacher in the 4s classroom! My daughter Maeve was in the 3s classroom and we loved the sense of community, focus on character development, and emphasis on learning through play. I feel very lucky to be working with Mrs. Greene and Mrs. Dipert and teaching kids before the next big step to Kindergarten!
I grew up in St. Louis, MO and obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Master’s degree in Literacy from the University of Missouri – Columbia. I taught grades 3 and 4 after graduating from Mizzou before moving to Chicago for the next 9 years, where I taught 2nd grade and Kindergarten in a nearby suburb. In 2018, I moved to Bay Village with my husband Adam, and have been staying home with my two girls, Maeve (4) and Nora (1), since then.
Though I have loved teaching every grade, I have to say that Kindergarten was where I felt the most at home – the early years in school are such a special time and I’m thrilled to be able to take my experience in Kindergarten and work in a pre-K environment! I have seen firsthand how much my daughter has learned such important early skills through the Cooperative Preschool approach and I am so happy to be a part of it as a teacher and a parent!
Administrator and Teacher Assistant | Kristen Dipert
My name is Kristen Dipert, and I am so excited to be the Administrator and teaching assistant at The Co-op! I received Bachelor’s Degrees from Miami University in both Secondary Language Arts Education and English Literature and spent ten years teaching high school English Language Arts. After my second son was born, I took some time off to be at home with my boys, and it was during that time that my oldest son was ready for preschool and we discovered The Co-op! As a parent, I loved the sense of community that comes with being a member of The Co-op. And as an educator, I loved that my child was able to have such a positive experience and develop a true love for learning and school during these formative years.
As your Administrator, I am the liaison between the school board, teachers, and the church, helping to foster communication and collaboration. I also ensure that our school is compliant with licensing rules through ODJFS and oversee registration and enrollment. As a teacher assistant, I provide instructional and classroom management support for our teachers. I am so grateful to be a part of The Co-op, and it is my goal through both of these roles to help your child develop a love for school and learning that they can carry with them throughout the rest of their life.
Teacher Assistant | Bri Connors
My name is Bri Connors, and I am thrilled to start working at the Co-op this year. My husband Chris and our four children moved back to Cleveland after years away with his job in the NAVY. We settled on Bay Village because we love the sense of community, the schools are terrific and living near the lake is a true perk!
After graduating from Ohio University, I went on to receive my master’s and reading endorsement in early childhood education at Ursuline University. As a NAVY family we moved all around the country. I taught preschool in New York City and early elementary grades in Virginia Beach, VA. As our family grew, I took some time off of teaching to focus on raising our children while my husband served in the NAVY. I volunteered as much as I could while they were in school because my passion has always been to teach young children. I am also trained and certified in Orton Gillingham (a structured, multisensory plan that is individualized to teach reading and vocabulary skills) and have tutored since we moved back home in 2016. Working with young children and being in the preschool classroom brings me such joy, which is why I’m looking forward to joining the Co-op this year!
ASL & Physical Education Teacher | Laurel Sweet King
My name is Laurel Sweet King and this will be my second year with The Co-op. Last year I taught American Sign Language and was a Teacher’s Assistant to the Co-op kids. This year, I am pumped to continue teaching ASL and add Physical Education to the list of activities I will be implementing. We have so much fun, and I’m really looking forward to being a part of your child’s growth from head to fingers and toes!
For over fifteen years I have worked for a fantastic non-profit called YOUTH CHALLENGE. The mission of YC is to bring together young people with physical disabilities and teen volunteers who inspire each other through adapted sports, recreation and social growth activities. My interest in adapted sports started while acquiring my bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation with a minor in Psychology from Kent State University. I also have a concentration in Deaf Culture and American Sign Language from Columbus State.
After I graduated from college, I moved away to Yuma, Arizona where I met my husband, Bobby. Once we had our daughter, Norah, I knew I wanted to move back to Cleveland. Since my husband was from California, being close to the lake was a huge selling point to keep him here in Ohio. We have been extremely happy living here in Bay Village for the past seven years.