Meet the Preschool Staff
Rob Reade is the preschool teacher. This will be his sixteenth year teaching preschoolers (eleventh in the Samuel Morey preschool) and thirtieth year as an educator. During that time he has worked with children of all ages - from infants to young adults. In addition to working with preschool children as a classroom and special needs teacher, Rob has been employed as a kindergarten literacy specialist, primary level literacy specialist, assessment and learning facilitator (master teacher), Reading Recovery teacher, enrichment teacher, and special educator. He has also had the opportunity, through his work as a consultant and teacher trainer, to support the learning of many educators and parents in areas such as oral language and early literacy. Rob loves working with preschoolers because he believes that at these early ages we can have a significant positive impact on children’s future development and also because it is so much fun! Rob and his wife Ingrid have lived in northeastern Vermont for the past twenty-seven years, first in Groton and now in Peacham. Ingrid, who was also a long time preschool teacher, is now the early education coordinator at the Caledonia Central Supervisory Union. When Rob and Ingrid aren’t working, they like to get outdoors to hike, fish, snowshoe, ski, or walk on the roads near their home. Rob also enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to music, taking photographs, and getting together with friends and family.
Jane
Finlay is the preschool special educator. This is also Jane’s eleventh year
with us, and she works with the Westshire preschool children as well. Jane’s
interest in early education began when she worked in a community center
preschool in Indianapolis during her holiday break in 1971. She then worked in her college preschool, and
after graduating she volunteered for six months in an Adventure playground, a
daycare and a preschool in Glasgow, Scotland. After attending Bank Street
College of education, Jane worked in New York City for six years. Of her first
twelve years as a teacher, she spent ten of them teaching infants, toddlers,
preschoolers, and kindergartners. After moving to Vermont, Jane began to work
as a special educator. Following five years on the pre-kindergarten level, she
worked as a kindergarten through eighth grade special education teacher.
Joining the Rivendell Early Childhood Program has given Jane the opportunity to
get back to being with preschoolers. Jane lives at home with her husband
Charlie. Her daughter Hannah and her husband have a six month old baby
boy. They live nearby in Putney VT. Jane and her husband feel very grateful that
their grandchild and family are so nearby! In her free time Jane has often been
in the Christmas Revels and she leads a teenage girls’ Morris and sword dancing
team (traditional English dances). Jane contra dances whenever possible, loves
swimming, hiking, cross-country skiing, enjoys good food and good company.
Rebecca “Becka” Perry also returns to the preschool as a classroom paraprofessional. Becka, who is originally from Connecticut, moved to the Upper Valley in 2002. She currently lives in Orford with her husband Sean and their five children – Seanna (in college in Connecticutt), Dametres (in college), Maia (in eleventh grade), Isabel (in seventh grade), Caleb (in second grade), and Buddy their dog. Becka has an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She has previously worked with us in the preschool as a student teacher and as a special needs paraprofessional. In addition to her job in the preschool, Becka will continue to work at the Peyton Place Restaurant in Orford. When initially asked about what she likes to do in her spare time, Becka responded by saying, “What’s that?” Becka (if she ever does have some spare time) enjoys cooking, baking, traveling, scrapbooking, reading, playing sports, and being outside with her kids.
