OUR STAFF
Mrs. Suzette Quail
Early Childhood Director
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Suzette Quail, Early Childhood Director and Preschool Teacher
I am blessed to oversee an outstanding preschool program and a team of early childhood educators who love children and are dedicated to academic excellence, Christian leadership, and who strive every day to be an inspiration to students and families of God’s grace, mercy and love.
My boys are graduates of Peace Lutheran and Lutheran High School North. Our positive experience in the preschool program and the loving, caring, gifted teachers are what made us stay for K-8. I am grateful that I was led to be the Early Childhood Director after serving Peace as an Office Administrator and preschool teacher.
I enjoy visiting the preschool classrooms each day! The laughter, the smiles, the hugs, and hellos warm my heart. I feel like a rock star when I walk in the room and the children shout “Mrs. Quail!” I love to watch the children learn, grow and develop into strong Christian boys and girls. The progression from the beginning of the year to the end of the year is amazing!
I welcome you to join our Peace family. Peace is home and where you are accepted and welcomed as you are. Here you and your children will feel loved and cared for.
Mrs. Victoria Chiakmakis
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Victoria Chiakmakis, Preschool Teacher
I am very grateful to become a part of the preschool team! My two daughters have attended the school since my oldest attended Panther Cubs and we have felt as though we were a part of the family ever since. We also belong to the church here and could not ask for a better community. I live in Washington Township with my husband, Theo, and our children, Kate and Ava. I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, shopping and cooking.
I have spent the last eight years at home with my children and I am looking forward to returning to the classroom. I graduated from Oakland University with a degree in Elementary Education. I have worked with students at the elementary, middle and high school levels. I firmly believe that children do not care about how much we know until they know how much we care about them. I am very excited to help students learn, play and grow, as well as build a lifelong relationship with Jesus at Peace!
Mrs. Josie Docherty
Preschool Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Josie Docherty, Preschool Teaching Assistant
Peace just feels like family. I have two sons that attend Peace, and I feel so blessed to be back after homeschooling for three years. I felt called to work in the school, not knowing what God had planned, I was a little nervous about working with the preschool. But it feels right, and everyone is just so welcoming. I’m both excited and thankful for this opportunity to help each child grow and teach them about Jesus and how much He loves them. I’m excited to help them build their foundation both academically and spiritually, Proverbs 22:6.
I live in Washington with my amazing husband of 26 years. We have two sons Nathan and Noah, and two cats, Jax and Alainjah. We love traveling and watching our eldest son play football. We own a real estate investment company that has proven to be both fun and challenging at times. We love God and entertaining our friends at our house. I’m so excited for what God has planned for this year, I’m sure it’ll be awesome!
Mrs. Dena Galovich
Preschool Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Dena Galovich, Preschool Teaching Assistant
I have spent the last 19 years as a stay-at-home mom, including the last nine years of those homeschooling our two children. I reside in Bruce Township and have been married for 21 years to a great chiropractor. My son is a sophomore in college attending and playing baseball at Rochester University. My daughter is currently a senior in high school. I believe in early childhood education as a foundation for children to grow to become lifelong learners and critical thinkers. It’s important to have a positive attitude and make every minute count. This can be accomplished through creative play, friendships, and faith. My interests are watching my kids play their sports, going for walks with my Swiss mountain pup, traveling, and living a holistic lifestyle. I am blessed to be a part of Peace Lutheran and excited to see what God’s plan is for this school year.
Mrs. Lisa Johnson
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Lisa Johnson, Preschool Teacher
I am so happy to be part of the Peace family. What a blessing it is to work with children as they grow emotionally, socially, and academically, all while learning about Jesus! I, along with my husband, son, and giant labradoodle, live in Shelby Township. My son completed 3-and 4-year-old preschool at Peace as well as the Young 5’s program. In my free time, I enjoy volunteering at my son’s school, traveling, concerts, attempting to garden, being a soccer mom, and, in the fall, college football - Go Green!
Prior to working at Peace, I was a stay-at-home mom. I have also worked in communications/public relations for nonprofit organizations and have degrees from Michigan State University and Oakland University.
Mrs. Melissa Jones
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Melissa Jones, Preschool Teacher
Hi, my name is Melissa Jones, and I have been a part of the Peace family for nine years. I have taught preschool 3s, 4s and Young Fives here at Peace. Outside of school, I am a wife and a mom to three girls. In my free time, I enjoy camping, shopping, bike riding, going up north, and spending time with my family. I believe every child is unique and deserves a caring and engaging environment in which to grow emotionally, intellectually, and socially.
Mrs. Michelle Jones
Preschool Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Michelle Jones, Preschool Teaching Assistant
I’m beyond blessed to be joining the Peace staff this year and the wonderful group of Preschool teachers! I will be an aide in the 4-year-old classroom. I have lived in Shelby Township my whole life and love it here. I have four wonderful boys and an amazing husband!
This is the first year all my boys will be in school all day so I decided I needed something for me, which led me here! I have volunteered and helped in preschools since my oldest attended Pre-K which he is now almost 12 now, and loved it so much! So I knew this is where I am supposed to be. I am truly excited to start this school year! The Peace community is amazing and has welcomed me with open arms!
Miss Kristen Leo
Preschool Teaching Assistant
Miss Kristen Leo, Preschool Teaching Assistant
I feel overjoyed to be a part of the Peace Lutheran staff this year! I have felt so welcomed as one of the new staff, and I cannot wait to start the year! Here is some background information: I live in one of my favorite cities, Rochester, my whole life! This place has so much rich history and there is so much to do here too! I attended St. John Lutheran School for 8th grade. I then transitioned to Lutheran Northwest for High School. I graduated from Rochester College (University) earning an undergraduate degree in Social Work and Counseling. I have used this degree in various ways, by working with children in foster care and working in the classroom at schools. One of my passions is helping others partner with Jesus to find the roots of pain, feel/heal and move on! That goes with my life slogan; “My passion is people and my heart is ministry.” For fun, I am in leadership at my church, Living Army. I also enjoy my community group. Another passion of mine is art. I am an artist. I have painted many items. I am currently learning about pour art and using differing mediums. It is a blast! Teaching and working with children, has always been special! I look forward to meeting everyone this year and I am looking forward to what this year will bring in each classroom!
Mrs. Heather Lewis
Preschool Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Heather Lewis, Preschool Teaching Assistant
I am a preschool aide. I have been attending Peace since 2008 and my children have been students at school here for the past 14 years. This place just feels like a warm hug on most days. When I decided to go back to work, I didn’t want to work in the field I got my degree in. I wanted to work with kids. I love the Lord and I love kids. I love watching how much the kids grow academically and spiritually over the school year. Learning is fun and we make it fun in preschool.
Miss Kaitlin Lewis
Preschool Teaching Assistant
Miss Kaitlin Lewis, Preschool Teaching Assistant
Hi, my name is Kaitlin Lewis. I am a preschool teacher aide. I have been a part of the Peace family for my whole life! I went to preschool and elementary school at Peace, along with my younger brother and sister. I have spent the last three years studying Education and child growth and development. I am attending college majoring in Education. I still remember preschool at Peace; I loved learning and growing my faith here in school and church. I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to return as a teacher! Peace does a fantastic job of letting students of all ages know that Jesus loves and cares for them. I'm so excited to be a part of this. In my free time, I enjoy camping, snowmobiling, going up north, playing sports, and hanging out with my friends and family.
Mrs. Erin Olsen
Preschool Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Erin Olsen, Preschool Teaching Assistant
The last two years my twin boys attended 3 and 4-year preschool at Peace and it has made a huge impact on our family. The outpouring of love from the teachers, Pastor, and staff not only had me wanting my kids to be a part of this community long term, but also had me praying for an opportunity to get involved on a deeper level. My mission is to help spread the love and light of our savior to precious young minds, as the previous teachers did for our family.
Mrs. Amanda Pate
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Amanda Pate, Preschool Teacher
The opportunity to join the Peace Preschool team came to me unexpectedly. I took a leap of faith jumping back into education after seven years at home with my youngest child. What a blessing it turned out to be! I love my Peace family and could not be happier with where God has led me. I have met some amazing families here and find great joy in sharing the love of Jesus and my enthusiasm for learning with this community. I am looking forward to helping your child discover, learn, and grow their skills and faith in the year ahead. I live in Shelby Township with my husband and three children. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education, and my work experience includes teaching Kindergarten, Lead Teacher in an Early Head Start program, and working with families in their homes as a Maine Families Home Visitor.
Mrs. Brandi Taylor
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Brandi Taylor, Preschool Teacher
I am blessed to be joining the Peace Preschool staff this year as a lead teacher. I have been in the education field since 2006, and I also had the privilege and joy to spend 6 years as a stay-at-home mom. Our family attends church at Peace, and our children have attended the amazing preschool program that Peace offers.
I reside in Shelby Township with my husband, 6-year-old twin boys, 4-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son. My passion has always been teaching and I am excited to be back in the classroom to grow the students' love of learning and Jesus this year!
Mrs. Denise Verrier
Preschool Teaching Assistant
Mrs. Denise Verrier, Preschool Teaching Assistant
My name is Denise Verrier. I’m an aide for the 3- and 4-year-old preschoolers. I raised four children. I loved being a mom and now a grandparent of six. I have kindergarten and second grade granddaughters at Peace. I love teaching children to THINK, read, and understand the world around them as well as to explore new things. Above all else, my goal is to teach children to be loving, kind, LOVE JESUS and be a blessing to others. I love traveling and learning new things. Summertime is the best! I love the outdoors and being with my children and grandchildren around the pool and barbecuing on most weekends. I spend a lot of time in the flower garden getting my hands into the soil and I find it very therapeutic.
I’m looking forward to working with the children at Peace this year.
Mrs. Sarah Wysocki
Preschool Teacher
Mrs. Sarah Wysocki, Preschool Teacher
I am excited to join the Peace staff this year! I look forward to meeting all of my students and their families. I have stayed home for the past 6 years and I can’t wait to be back in the classroom, leading. The best part is we get to learn about Jesus! My hope is to spark a love for learning and grow each child’s love for Jesus.
My previous experience is in pre-school, elementary education and special education. There is magic that happens every year in the classroom! I am certain this year will be the same. As a class, we will care for each other, make memories, and grow lots and lots!
Outside of school, I enjoy time fishing with my husband, attending Michigan State football games with my stepson, and playing outside with my 3-year-old daughter. You can usually find our family either at church, cooking with family, at the lake, or the gym. I trust that God has special plans for this year and I look forward to a great year!