Starfish Preschool

The story of the Starfish is a favorite of mine...One day as an old man was walking the beach he saw a young boy throwing starfishes back into the ocean. The old man asked the boy, “Why are you doing that?” and the young boy replied, “Because if I don’t they will die.” The old man explained to the boy that there are so many starfishes along the beach that he could not possibly make a difference. After hearing that, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it back into the ocean. As it sank, he said to the old man, “It made a difference for that one.”

I aspire to be that kind of teacher, the kind of teacher that makes a difference in a child’s life. I value each child’s unique talents and abilities. Children need to know that they are each special and when they come into my classroom, I want them to feel safe, secure and have a sense of belonging.


Meet the teacher:

My name is Mrs. Whelan. I have held an Arizona Teaching Certificate for the past 10 years. During that time I was employed by the Dysart Unified School District, in which I taught kindergarten and first grade. Over the past few years, I have home pre-schooled my children along with hosting school day events for families and their children. In addition, I was a facilitator for a public program called Parents as Partners. I developed lesson plans and facilitated learning centers for parents and children (0-5 years of age) that focused on all four areas of development: social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language.

Certifications:
• Current Arizona Teaching Certificate: Specialization in math and Structured English Immersions endorsement
• Fingerprint Clearance Card
• Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education