Meet Our Staff!
Miss Peterson's Preschool 1
Welcome to the Preschool 1 class! I would like to introduce myself. My name is Karen Peterson and I have been teaching at Little School of the West since 2001. I have an Associate of Arts degree from Cerritos College in Early Childhood Education and I am beginning my thirty-second year of teaching. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading (paper books), going for walks, and having coffee with friends. I believe God has called me to teach the little ones, and I am blessed and honored to have the opportunity to work with your precious child and family.
God Bless!
Mrs. Sanchez's Preschool 2
Welcome to the Preschool 2 class! My name is Lizette Sanchez. I am married to my wonderful husband and have a beautiful daughter, Noel, and precious son, Declan. I started working at Little School of the West in 2012. I began as an aide, became a teacher's assistant, and am now the teacher of the Preschool 2 class. I am currently working on completing my Early Childhood Education Certificate. I believe God has called me to teach young children and I am excited to have Him work in and through me as I teach your precious little ones!
Miss Neilson's Preschool 3
Hello and welcome to the Preschool 3 class! My name is Karen Neilson. I have attended West Cypress Church since I was in 2nd grade and have worked with young children, serving in the Children’s Ministry, since high school. I have my Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development from Whittier College. I have been working at Little School of the West since 2016. I started as an aide, became a teacher’s assistant, subbing in each classroom, then taught the Preschool 2 class, and have been teaching the Preschool 3 class since 2021. I believe God has called me to this profession and I will do my best to have Him guide me as I teach and care for your precious little ones. I am so blessed to be your child’s teacher and am excited for what the Lord has planned for this school year!
Mrs. Verhoef's Preppy Pre-K
Welcome to the Preppy Pre-K Class! My name is Kari Verhoef. I became a preschool teacher in 2017 after many years of homeschooling my own three children. The preschool years are my favorite because they learn so much during these years. My favorite part of working at a Christian preschool is teaching about the love of Jesus! I am so excited to get to know your child this year.
Welcome to the Pre-Kindergarten 1 classroom! My name is Cristin Salas and I am excited to be your child’s teacher. I have two children of my own. As I became very involved in their education and volunteered at their schools, I found my passion in working with young children. I started working as an aide for the Long Beach Head Start program while going to college part time. Then I worked as a teacher in a couple private preschools before being called to Little School of the West. I believe God has guided my steps, and I love working with young children because they are our future! My goal as your child’s teacher is to help them prosper in their education, to help them learn about God, his love for them, and his teachings, and to help nurture their whole development. I am very blessed to have the opportunity to work with your precious child and family.
Miss Salas's Pre-Kindergarten 1
I am very happy that your family will be part of this special year that I have planned for us. My name is Crystal Molinar. I began teaching in 2000 and I have my Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Development. I believe that God has called me to this profession and I will do my best to let Him guide me in teaching, caring for, and loving your children. My classroom theme, “sloths,” is based on the scripture found in Psalm 37:7, "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him." We will learn how God is always there for us, how we can rest in His promises and how He has made each one of us special in our very own unique way.
Miss Molinar's Pre-Kindergarten 2
Mrs. Muesse's Transitional Kindergarten
My name is Kelly Muesse (pronounced Macy). I would like to share a little bit about myself with you. I received my teaching certificate in Early Childhood Development and have been working with children since 2001. I started teaching at Little School of the West in 2015. I am also a proud mother of 2 teenage boys, Samuel and Abel. I am looking forward to getting to know my new students and their families. Through a structured theme based curriculum I will nurture and stimulate your child's growth in areas of physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual development. I am so thankful to have this opportunity as your child's teacher this year!