Woodland Hill
Preschool
est. 1958: the Keweenaw's longest-serving
play-based preschool
Our Teachers
Mrs. Jarvis
Director
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Mrs.Jarvis has a degree in elementary education from Northern Michigan University. (Fun fact: she had a full ride for gymnastics!) She taught for 6 years in lower Michigan, encompassing levels from first through eighth grade. She and her husband moved from lower Michigan to Hancock in 1998. They wanted to raise their family in a small community with snowy winters.
After Mrs. Jarvis' second child was born, she stayed home to raise her family. In 2006, she returned as a substitute teacher, and she began teaching at Woodland Hill Preschool in 2013.
Mrs. Jarvis has four grown children, and two grandchildren whom she loves to see and care for regularly.
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"I have loved every minute of being a preschool teacher! Children at this age are so curious and eager to learn and explore. Everyday with them is an adventure!
I believe in teaching children responsibility and encouraging cooperation by giving children choices and helping them find words to express their feelings.
Children in my class will experience a loving, caring environment in which they will feel comfortable to learn and play freely."
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“The greatest gifts you can give children are the roots of responsibility and wings of independence.” -Denis Waitley
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Mrs. Odegard
Director
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Mrs. Odegard has a degree in Elementary Education from St. Olaf College. She has over 14 years of experience teaching in early childhood education. She taught in preschool through fifth grade while living in Colorado and has lived in Houghton since 2004. She joined Woodland Hill Preschool in 2009 as a teacher, and had regularly volunteered at the preschool as a parent prior to teaching while her oldest son attended the preschool.
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"Teaching preschool children is an amazing experience. Children of this age are quick to laugh, full of ideas, eager to learn, willing to help, and able to see the good in everything. Being around them is such a joy because they live fully in every moment.
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"Children soak up knowledge at this age, and the skills they learn at preschool will serve them for a lifetime. One of my biggest pleasures is watching preschool children interact because they learn so much from each other. They will spontaneously problem solve, use creative thinking, and are eager to use skills they have just mastered in new situations. Their emotional growth at this age is equally fascinating as they learn to look outward into the world, and into the feelings and situations of others. It is important to their development to allow them the freedom to become confident, free thinkers.
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"I am excited to be a part of my students' lives, and am dedicated to teaching them during these important developmental years."
Mrs. Storer
Assistant Teacher
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Mrs. Storer earned a degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University and has ten years of work experience with older adults. Working as a Teachers’ Assistant at Woodland Hill Preschool represents her long-standing interest in education, as she pursued college courses in art education and children’s literature. Growing up in a Navy family, Mrs. Storer spent her childhood coast to coast, in England, and Belgium. She is very proud to have raised her own family (all Woodland Hill Preschool alums!) here in the Copper Country, where they could easily explore nature and participate in so many varied activities. In her spare time, Mrs. Storer enjoys birdwatching with her husband, cooking with her family, caring for her pets, gardening, and hiking with friends.
“Woodland Hill Preschool is where my children, my husband, and I made lifelong friendships, each in our respective roles as students and parent volunteers. There is a long legacy of caring and a passion for teaching here, which I believe establishes a foundation for academic curiosity, optimism, and compassion.
I am excited to get to know each student and support their interests through the preschool’s wonderful, play-based curriculum. As an OT looking at the span of life’s occupations, play is central to a child’s development as it is how we explore and make sense of the world. As the Preschool’s motto suggests, let’s ‘play, learn, and grow’ together!”
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