Meet Our Team
All of our teachers must take at least 16 hours of continuing education in early childhood every year, and all of our lead teachers must have at least 6 months experience in a licensed center.
Ms. Laura
Preschool Director
Ms. Laura has been Preschool Director at our center since 2009 after nearly five years of leading the Early Childhood Ministry of Life Church. She has worked in the Early Childhood field since 1992 in a variety of positions but finds the current one her favorite.
She loves Jesus, her family, and her job, and her passion is supporting young children and their families in their walk with the Lord as they’re introduced to formal schooling. Knowing that learning happens best in the context of a relationship, Laura is excited to be part of this team of women that love Jesus and love children!
Ms. Melanie
Administrative Assistant
Ms. Melanie has been a part of LifeMission since 2014 and Little Blessings since 2019 when she first joined as a support staff. In 2021 she attended CFNI (Christ For The Nations) focusing on Children and Family studies.
She loves Jesus and has a heart to connect others to him. Little Blessings has taught her to create a safe environment to nurture and let others grow into who they were created to be. Coming from a family of teachers Little Blessings feels like a natural place to be. Ms. Melanie loves spending time serving families as Doula, with her family, and friends.
Ms. Melanie is excited to be back from CFNI and ready to serve the Little Blessings Family as the Administrative Assistant.
Ms. Christina
Lead Teacher
Ms. Christina began at Little Blessings in the Fall of 2010 and has been leading the 3-4 year old classroom for most of that time.
She is a very compassionate and loving teacher who provides a perfect balance of nurture and structure, providing children with a solid foundation and helping them to develop social-emotional awareness in her classroom is very important to her.
Since her time at Little Blessings she has had opportunities to grow as a teacher and expand her knowledge on how to effectively connect with children on their level. One effective resource our center uses is TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention). With TBRI she has had the opportunity to lead Nurture Groups with children outside our center that have experienced trauma and helped them practice TBRI principles in a safe, fun environment while their parents learn effective parenting skills. TBRI has been a game-changer for the way she teaches children and helps them feel safe, knowing they are seen and heard in her classroom.
She is thankful for the time that she has been with Little Blessings. Over the years she has grown into not only a more confident teacher and follower of Jesus Christ, but a more confident person as well.
Ms. Heather
Director-Qualified Lead Teacher
Joined Little Blessings in 2017 as a substitute Support Staff, and became a part-time Lead Teacher for the Yellow Room in 2020-2021 and has been a Lead Teacher since the 2021-2022 school year.
She loves Jesus, her amazing husband, Chris, and their six children – Caleb, Logan, Stella, Josiah, Gideon and Titus born in 2002, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2013. Heather enjoys crocheting, acrylic painting, reading, coffee and building relationships to help others grow in the Lord. Her daughter attended Little Blessings when she was little and still sings the songs and shares fond stories!
She graduated from Northwest Missouri State University (Go Bearcats!) in 1999 with her Bachelors of Science in Marketing and worked in the advertising field in newspaper and magazines, and as a corporate event planner.
She truly enjoys watching the preschool children grow and learn new things-those light bulb moments are some of her favorites…when the moment clicks and the kids grasp something new. She’s excited to learn and grow with your little ones and knows she will learn just as much from them as they do from her!
Heather’s mother gave her the following verse as a little girl and it continues to guide her…“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Ms. Jessica
Lead Teacher
Hello, my name is Jessica Shepherd, and I am so happy to be a part of the Little Blessings family! I came to know this school as my youngest daughter was introduced to preschool, and I quickly noticed the approach to learning was different than any school in the area, by meeting the preschooler’s emotional needs first. Being able to help children adapt to the classroom while recognizing and responding to a child’s specific need is my favorite part about teaching at Little Blessings.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Public Health Nutrition from Kansas State University and have always loved health and fitness, it is one of my favorite hobbies. I have been married to my husband, Austin since 2010, and we have two girls, Ava and Ella, born in 2013 and 2016. Both of our girls participate in competitive cheer at KC Cheer – so that keeps us very busy!
Ms. Lynette
Director-Qualified Lead Teacher
With a degree in Early Childhood Educational and Juvenile Justice from the University of Kansas, Ms. Lynette has been working with children in the Early Childhood Field for over a decade. Before starting at Little Blessings as a Lead Teacher in the fall of 2019, she taught at a local Montessori School for eight years.
She began attending LifeMission Church in 2010 and has served faithfully both in LifeMission Kids and the HERO Squad Special Needs Ministry where she used her education and experience to help children be seen and valued whatever their abilities. Her favorite part of teaching is watching the children grow and develop throughout the year.
Ms. Lynette has lived in Olathe for over 20 years and loves her community, especially since most of her family lives in the KC area. She has an adult stepson and two grandchildren who she enjoys spending time with, as well as her many nieces and nephews, and going on long walks with her dog.
Her hobbies include fitness, nutrition, flower gardening and refurbishing furniture for her home and garden.
Ms. Kim
Lead Teacher
Ms. Kim joined Little Blessings as a substitute support staff member in 2021. After working with the kids and staff at Little Blessings she realized she wanted to make this a permanent role. Most recently before Little Blessings, Ms. Kim was a stay at home mom for her two girls Audrey and Emma. Both of her daughters have attended Little Blessings and Ms. Kim loves the focus that is placed on emotions and relationship building. The skills her older daughter learned at Little Blessings significantly helped with her transition to kindergarten. Not only academically, but emotionally as well.
Ms. Kim has always had a strong faith and loves Jesus. She loves her family and loves working with children. She is often told she is a very patient and loving mother. She uses these same skills in the classroom to provide a safe space for the children where they feel comfortable and heard. She has found a nice balance with being gentle while providing the structure children need.
Ms. Kim has a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication with an emphasis in Training and Development. She has always enjoyed working with children and is excited for this opportunity where she can continue to help children grow into their full potential and build their relationship with God.