All of our Sonshine Preschool Staff is very loving, experienced, and trained to meet the needs of the young children who attend our school.  Our staff has a lot of experience with children, and most of our staff has been here for many years.  Sonshine Preschool is a social development program, with various opportunities for educational enrichment activities.  “Play” is a valued medium for early learning. Your child will be provided with a high quality learning environment with variety of “centers” in which your children can experiment, explore and play in daily. We specialize in FUN!  We invite you all to come and let your children learn and enjoy being little at Sonshine Preschool!

Cathy Wysopal
Director
cathy@sonshineprek.com

Cathy has enjoyed working at Sonshine Preschool since 1992!  She has been the Director since 2000, and has continued teaching each year as well.  Cathy grew up in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village and received her degree in Elementary Education from Western Illinois University in 1980. Sonshine Preschool is a “home away from home” for her. Cathy enjoys getting to know all of the children and families who attend our program.  Her philosophy for children is “to let kids be kids!”  You can expect to see her involved having a lot of fun with the children, and laughing with them too!  She started working here when the youngest of her three children was 4 years old!   They are all in their 20’s now. The rest is “history’.

Claire Skuse
Assistant Director/Extended Care

Claire has been a part of Sonshine Preschool since 1993!  She has worn many hats over the years, and most recently that of an Assistant Director. Claire grew up in Buffalo, New York and received her degree in Economics from SUNY College at Buffalo in 1979.  Everyone is always impressed by her attention to detail and abundant energy level.  Our school runs very smoothly thanks to all that she does here!  Claire’s three children are alumni of Sonshine. Her youngest was three years old when she started working here and she’s in college now. Time really does fly by!

Stacey Baca
5 Day 4 Year Old Teacher

Stacey found her way to Sonshine Preschool in 2001!  Stacey has worked with EVERY age group here, but really has a gift for the 4 year olds. Both of her children are Sonshine Alumni!  Both currently attend elementary school and keep her busy with after school activities all over town. Her degree is in Youth Ministry and Retreat and Camping Ministry which she received in 1991, from Spring Arbor University.  Stacey left her hometown of  Jackson, Michigan to work at a Christian Camp as the Program Director.  The children here really enjoy being in “Mrs. Baca’s” class, she is also known as the one with the”spikey hair”!  Stacey is a talented singer as well, and shares her talent with us all.

JoAn Lucas
5 Day 4 Year Old Teacher’s Aide

JoAn has been here longer than anyone!  And we really like to celebrate that!  She began her service to Sonshine in 1984!  If we need to know something about Sonshine’s history, she is the one to ask.  She is enjoying meeting some of her former student’s children who now are old enough to attend Sonshine!  Talk about COOL!  This is her second family.  Her sons are now grown, but yes the youngest one is an Alum!  She has had a variety of positions here, but is enjoying her currentrole a lot.  JoAn is enrolled in Pima Community College’s CDA program.

Kathy Corbin
3 Day 4 Year Old Teacher/2 Day Teacher’s Aide/Extended Care

Kathy was born and raised in Tucson!  She has been part of the Sonshine family since 1996!  She has worked in a wide array of positions here, and really enjoys her teaching position.  Her three boys are all in their 20’s, and she also happens to be a” very young” Grandmother as well.  She was a “super Mom”, and is now taking that role to the next level as a “super Grandma”!  We are lucky to have her on our staff, she is so loving and giving, and never runs out of energy!   Kathy is currently enrolled in Pima Community College’s CDA Program.

Krystal Maes
3 Day 4 Year Old Teacher’s Aide/Extended Care

Krystal started working for Sonshine Preschool in 2005 while completing her degree at the U of A.  She received her degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences in 2006.  Krystal grew up in Phoenix, AZ and married her high school sweetheart.  Her love of animals comes in handy here, especially when the playground becomes a home to baby bunnies, she knows just what to do!  She is just so sweet and loving to all of our “Sonshine Kids”.  The children really adore her, and so do we!

Joanne Castillo
Assistant Director/5 Day 3 Year Old Teacher

Joanne has been busy enjoying Sonshine Preschool since 1998!  She began teaching in 2000 and has been Assistant Director since 2004. Joanne is from San Antonio, Texas.  She received a Psychology degree from Texas Tech in 1982.  Joanne always makes it a point to get to know families on a personal level.  She enjoys a variety of movement activities with the children, so don’t be surprised if you see her dancing!  Like many of our staff she started working her way up the ranks when the youngest of her two daughters was three years old, and attending Sonshine!  Now both girls are in high school!  They really do grow up too fast!

Janelle Bradley
5 Day 4 Year Old Teacher’s Aide/Extended Care

Janelle joined the Sonshine Preschool team in 2005.  Like many of us, her two boys are alumni of Sonshine, and have moved on to elementary school. She has an Associate’s Degree in Arts & Science from Everett Community College in Washington. She grew up right here in Tucson!  Along with her working with children at Sonshine she is a Creative Memories Consultant!  It is very handy to have a “scrap booking” expert here on staff!  This is one of those really busy Moms who are good at many things. Janelle is currently enrolled in Pima Community College’s CDA Program

Julie Moten
3 Day/2 Day 3 Year Old Teacher/Extended Care

Julie joined the Sonshine staff in 1998, and has been teaching the 3 Year Olds ever since then!  It is hard to believe that her two daughters both attended Sonshine and not all that long ago!  Her oldest daughter is also now an employee, as well as a U of A student!  Julie grew up in Tucson, and received her degree from the U of A in 1986 in Psychology with a minor in Child Development.  She was a director at Head Start right out of college so she knows all the ends and outs of what is involved in a preschool. Our three year olds LOVE “Mrs. Moten”!  She allows the children to grow and development at their own pace, and is so supportive to their families!

Jessica Morse
3 Day 3 Year Old Teacher’s Aide/Extended Care

Jessica has been at Sonshine since 2006, but has been working with children at her church and at another preschool since 2001.  Her younger siblings all attended Sonshine Preschool.  We figure that almost makes her an Alumni herself!  She has grown-up in Tucson and is currently attending Pima Community College, and plans to transfer into the U of A to major in English.  Jessica has been a breath of fresh air to Sonshine!  She really makes us smile, and the children too!  She knows how to get the job done!

Prairie Romero
5 Day Young 3’s Teacher

Prairie has been a big part of Sonshine Preschool since 2001!  She has worked with all of our age groups but has a gift with the little ones!  Her day doesn’t end when she leaves work as her 3 little boys keep her very busy!  The smile on her face, and her spirit amaze us all.  We have been so lucky to have someone so hardworking to be part of our “Sonshine Team”.  Prairie grew up in Montana, and moved here in 2001.   She is also enrolled in Pima Community College’s CDA Program.  She plans to attain a degree in Early Childhood Education someday!

Gloria Harrington
5 Day Young 3’s Teacher’s Aide

Gloria has shared herself with our Sonshine children since 2001!  She is also from Buffalo, New York, and she and her husband were foster parents for over 30 years!  Her whole life has been about children, and she is not about to stop now!  The moment you meet “Mrs. Harrington” you feel she is something special!  Gloria is always up beat and really knows how to LOVE your children! We are thrilled to have her expertise regarding children shared with all of us here! She is continuing to pursue her CDA at Pima Community College.

Mary Peterson
5 Day Young 3’s Teacher’s Aide

Mary has been having fun at Sonshine Preschool since 2004.  She is the Mom of three, with her youngest in high school.  Some of us first met Mary while attending her “Boot Camp” exercise class. She was ready for a change and decided to join our team.  She really loves our little ones and laughs a lot with them. You will find her running around the playground with the children, and making sure all of them get their daily dose of exercise!  If you hear laughter coming out of the Young 3’s room it is probably her, the children really know how to make her laugh!  Mary is enrolled in Pima Community College’s CDA Program.