First Pres Preschool & Pre-K Staff

Our staff consists of college graduates who are trained and experienced teachers in Early Childhood Education.  Our teachers have specialized instruction in various areas including Child Development, Reading, Music, Art, Special Education, Elementary, and Secondary Education.  All staff are required to attend fifteen hours of continuing education annually which includes early childhood seminars, in-house speakers, and early childhood conferences.  Staff members also log numerous hours every year observing other preschool classrooms, Kindergarten classrooms, and early education centers.  Every staff member is CPR and infant certified.

There are two teachers in every classroom except the Pre-K.  The Terrific Twos has a maximum of 14 students with two teachers.  The Pre-K has a student teacher ratio of twelve to one.  All other classrooms have a maximum of 20 students with two teachers.

Chandra Gravit, Director

This is Chandra’s eleventh year at First Pres Preschool.  She spent six years teaching in the three year old program and three years teaching in the four year old program.  For two years, she taught in the four year old program and was one of the co-directors of the preschool overseeing the four year old program.  In 2009 she moved into the role of full-time Director for the preschool.

Chandra received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Washington University in St. Louis.  After graduating, she spent ten years in the business world, first as a Technical Writer and then as the Documentation Department Manager for a large medical claims processing software firm in Naperville.

After the birth of her second child, Chandra decided to pursue her passion of teaching young children.  She returned to school in 1999 and earned her Early Childhood Education Teaching Certificate and Early Childhood Administration Certificate from the College of DuPage.

Chandra and her husband, Tim, have two boys who are both alumni of the preschool program.  Kurt is a junior at West Chicago High School who loves playing his acoustic & electric guitars, skateboarding, snowboarding, and drawing.  Kyle is an eighth grader at West Chicago Middle School.  He plays the saxophone for the school band, is an avid reader, and is currently a purple belt in Tae Kwon Do.  When Chandra’s not at the preschool, she enjoys hiking with her family and their two dogs, reading, playing the piano, and helping out at her boys’ schools or Church youth groups.

Heidi Gagnon, Three Year Old Teacher

Heidi Gagnon has been teaching three year olds at First Pres Preschool since 2003.  For the past three years she also taught in the Terrific Twos program, a program which she helped to launch.

Heidi earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois.  She worked for IBM in Chicago before taking time off to raise her family.

It was at the University of Illinois where she met her husband, Bob, who is a financial planner.  They have lived in Wheaton for twenty-five years and have four daughters.  Jacqueline works for First Trust Advisors in Wheaton and is married to Matt Sinclair.  Matt and Jacqueline gave Heidi her first grandchild, Charlotte Sinclair, two years ago.  Julie married Will Noble this summer and teaches Fourth Grade at Mount Sterling Elementary in Kentucky.  Megan works for Gartner in Fort Meyers, Florida.  Morgan attends eighth grade at Edison Middle School.  Morgan is an alumnus of First Pres Preschool.

In her free time, Heidi enjoys watching her new granddaughter, walking her chocolate lab, Toberlone, and her golden retriever, Bella, working in her yard, biking, traveling, entertaining, attending sporting events, helping at Church, and shopping at Costco.

Melanee Burns, Three Year Old Teacher

Melanee Burns has been teaching in our three year old program at First Pres Preschool for five  years.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Illinois University.

Melanee was a substitute teacher in Decatur, Illinois, before moving to the Wheaton area where she was a teacher’s aide in the Glen Ellyn School District and then a Three and Four Year Old Preschool Teacher for the Glen Ellyn Park District Preschool.  After taking time off to raise her family, Melanee returned to teaching preschool at First Pres after her youngest son started second grade.

Melanee and her husband, Brian, have three boys who are at completely different stages in life.  Daniel is a graduate from Hope College in Michigan. He is the fourth generation to be working in the family business, CW Burns Co. Inc., a commercial plumbing and piping business.  He recently became engaged and will be getting married in September of 2012.  Alex is a sophomore at DePaul University majoring in Environmental Studies with a double minor in Service Learning and Photography.  Connor is a sixth grader at Edison Middle School.  He enjoys lacrosse, fishing, and rollerblading.  Alex and Connor are both alumni of First Pres Preschool.

Melanee enjoys spending as much time as possible in Green Lake, Wisconsin, with her family where she loves to fish (ice fish in winter), ride her bike, and take long walks with her golden retrievers.

Kathy Kyrilis, Four Year Old Teacher

Kathy Kyrilis has been teaching in the four year old program at First Pres Preschool since 1998.  She received her Bachelor of Science in Special Education and Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University.  After graduation, she spent seven years teaching primary special education.

After taking time off to raise her family, Kathy returned to teaching.  She taught early childhood classes for the Wheaton Park District before coming on staff with the preschool.

Kathy and her husband, Paul, have three children.  Jenny, a speech pathologist, works for a local school district and resides in Wheaton.  Jenny gave Kathy her first grandchild, Charlie, who was born in July 2010.  Kate is a Nutrition Specialist who lives in Chicago.   Mike, her youngest, just graduated from the University of Iowa.  All three of her children attended First Pres Preschool.

Kathy enjoys walking, spending time with friends, and traveling with her husband.

Judi Nychay, Four Year Old Teacher

For thirteen years, Judi Nychay has taught in either a three or a four year old class or both.  She is currently teaching full time in the four year old program.

Judi graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Early Childhood Development.  Upon graduating, she worked as a 2nd grade teacher and a 4th grade teacher in the Pittsburgh area.   She also spent several years as an administrator for the University of Pittsburgh, School of Engineering, before moving to Wheaton.  She began teaching at First Pres Preschool in 1998.           

Judi has two sons who are both First Pres Preschool alumni.  Justin is a recent graduate of Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California.  He has degrees in sociology and anthropology with a minor in Spanish and is currently living in northern California.  Travis is a junior at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, where he is majoring in Infomatics.

Gardening is one of Judi's favorite hobbies. She also enjoys involvement in community service, reading, biking and hiking on the many beautiful trails in DuPage County and traveling to see family and friends.

Lisa Larson, Pre-K

Lisa Larson joined our staff last year as a teacher in our three year old program. This year she is teaching our new Pre-K class.

She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education with a double major in Psychology at North Park University in Chicago.  After teaching kindergarten for seven years in Prospect Heights, Illinois, she has had a wonderful opportunity to be home with her children.

Seven years ago Lisa and her husband Mark moved to Wheaton.  Lisa grew up in Wheaton and is excited to have her children attend some of the same schools she did.  Matt (14), Nic (11), and Natalie (8) keep them busy with homework, football games, dance, and gymnastics.  Nic and Natalie are proud graduates of First Presbyterian Preschool.

Lisa is actively involved with the children’s schools and church programs.  She and her mother created a children’s manners class called Courteous Kids Club.  She also enjoys reading and cooking in her kitchen.

Lisa Shine, Two Year Old Teacher

This is Lisa Shine’s fourth year teaching the Terrific Two’s program.  She helped develop the curriculum for this program when it was added to the preschool three years ago. 

Lisa received her Bachelor of Science degree from Michigan State University with a major in Family Community Services and an emphasis in Child Development.  She worked for the University of Illinois at Chicago in the field of developmental disabilities and the American Heart Association in non-profit management.

Lisa and her husband Tim moved to Wheaton 15 years ago, and Lisa stayed home to raise their three daughters, Emma (15), Julia (13), and Sarah (10).  All three daughters attended the 3’s and 4’s programs at First Pres.  Lisa has taught Sunday School and other Children’s Ministries at First Pres. for the last 10 years.  Because of her love for preschool age children, Lisa jumped at the chance to teach this age group!

When Lisa is not teaching, she serves on the PTA board at her daughter’s grade school, enjoys running and taking exercise classes, reading, and traveling.  She spends most of her evenings driving her daughters to all their activities.  (Her second profession is a taxi cab driver!)

Laura Seymour, Two Year Old Teacher

This is Laura’s first year teaching and she is looking forward to working directly with children after spending more than a decade working in administration for organizations that benefit children including Children’s Memorial Hospital, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, The San Diego Center for Children, the Illinois Association of Park Districts, and the American Red Cross.

Laura received her undergraduate degree from Illinois State University with a major in public relations.  She also acquired a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in non-profit management from the University of Illinois at Springfield.  To prepare her for this new teaching opportunity, Laura recently received an Assistant Teaching Certificate in Early Childhood Education from the College of DuPage.

Laura has been a stay-at-home mom since she moved to Wheaton 12 years ago.  She has also been active as a volunteer working with children at Whittier Elementary School and the LOGOs program at First Presbyterian.  She currently serves as the vice president of the PTA at Whittier.

Laura and her husband, Jay, have two boys.  Justin is starting middle school at Edison, and his passions are reading and playing sports – especially baseball and golf.  Jack is entering third grade at Whittier and he enjoys playing piano, performing in plays, and golf.  Both Justin and Jack developed their love of school as students at First Pres Preschool.  When Laura is not spending time involved with her children’s activities, she loves reading, photography, and taking care of their dog, Lily.