Owner - Mrs. Leslie Ball is a mother of four that understands the need for quality child care. As a full-time working mother for many years prior to JLU, she can relate to the stress a mother, and family, feels to find quality childcare. It is her desire to alleviate this stress by providing quality childcare in a loving, Christian environment. Mrs. Ball has been a certified foster parent for three years and has welcomed many children into her home in that time. She has also served as the Vacation Bible School director and nursery program director in her home church and has experience working as a teacher in the child care field.
Mrs. Ball holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in mathematics. She spent several years working in the engineering corporate world and in the academic world as a collegiate mathematics instructor. However, she felt that providing an option for Christian childcare by opening JLU Child Care was something God called her to do. Mrs. Ball now feels blessed to know and serve the children and families of JLU Child Care.
Director - Mrs. Nancy Getbehead is a mother of two with eleven years of experience as an educator in a Christian school setting. She has taught preschool, first grade and second grade. She has vast experience writing curriculum, lesson plans and evaluating student progress. Mrs. Getbehead has volunteered for many years at her church in roles such as VBS director and Sunday School Superintendent. Mrs. Getbehead loves to read and feels especially passionate about introducing kids to reading and developing a love for books. In her spare time, she also loves to knit and can often be found knitting hats for local charities.
Mrs. Getbehead has a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She holds a dual teaching certification in both elementary education and special education. She is thrilled to be using her educational training and professional experience with the children at JLU Child Care. Mrs. Getbehead has been the JLU director since it first opened in Sept 2010.
Infant Teachers
Mrs. Darleen Nau has more than 30 years of experience teaching in child care centers, and most recently acted as the Program Director at her previous center. She has a Child Development Associate and has earned many college credits in the field of Early Childhood Education. In addition to her education and experience, she is also a member of The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), a professional organization dedicated to increasing the quality of educational and developmental services for children.
Her career in childhood education has spread across the world, literally. Her first position was at a military base in Germany and from there she traveled to New Hampshire, Arizona, Michigan and now New York. We are glad that Mrs. Nau has ended her journey at JLU Child Care.
Mrs. Teresa Wilson has been working with children at her church for the last 14 years, and has been the nursery coordinator for the past 6 years. She feels a calling to work with younger children and teach them God’s unconditional love. She previously worked at the Open Door Mission and is happy to continue working in a Christian ministry.
Along with a new career, she is also a newlywed! Mrs. Wilson is happy to be starting a new chapter in her life and is thankful that God has opened a door to an opportunity to work with the children at JLU Child Care. We are thankful too.
Miss Dawn Sommerfeldt holds a certificate in Early Childhood Education from WeMoCo and is currently attending the College at Brockport pursuing a bachelor’s in Health Science. She most recently worked with children as a volunteer in an after school program at the Brockport Free Methodist Church in Brockport.
She has experience working with all ages of children including infant through school age. However, she finds working with infants to be the most rewarding. She believes that they are beautiful miracles that need constant attention, care and unconditional love.
Miss Stephanie Servati is excited to get to know the littlest students at JLU Child Care. While a full-time college student, she has worked for the past two years as an Infant/Toddler Teacher at TLC Adventures in Child Care. She is currently attending the College at Brockport pursuing a degree in Psychology.
Miss Servati feels grateful not only to have the opportunity to work with our infants, but also to be working in a Christian setting. Her fond memories of attending Sunday school as a child helped give her a child-like faith that later became her foundation. She is proud to be able to pass on the blessing of a Christian education to a younger generation. We are proud to call her a part of the JLU team.
Toddler Teachers
Mrs. Brittany Maze went to school in Pennsylvania, taught in Florida, and we are happy she found her way to JLU Child Care. Mrs. Maze graduated from Bloomsburg University with a degree in Elementary Education and previously worked as a toddler teacher at Eastminster Presbyterian Preschool in Florida. Throughout her experience, she grew to have an appreciation for the excitement of the toddler classroom.
Mrs. Maze is happily married with one baby – her dog Teddy. Outside of her love for teaching, she also enjoys running and photography. Mrs. Maze is a nurturing, but dynamic teacher who has all of the compassion, energy and love that is needed in the toddler program at JLU Child Care.
Miss Lisa Hubers has a Child Development Associates through the Child Care Council of Rochester. She has spent the past seven years in the child care field as a teacher at the MCC Child Care Center, Kindercare and as a teacher in a toddler classroom at Care-A-Lot in Henrietta.
She also has eight years of sign language training, which she incorporates into the classroom lessons. Her gentleness, patience, and her genuine love and respect for children make her a wonderful part of the JLU Child Care family.
Ms. Amy Scharf has thirteen years of experience as the dietary director at Wedgewood Nursing Home and began working at JLU as the center cook. However, it is her experience as a mother that led her to make a career change and enter the field of child care.
Ms. Scharf is currently pursuing her Child Development Associate's degree from the Child Care Council in Rochester. Ms. Scharf's unique background and ability to relate to our parents is a blessing at JLU Child Care.
Miss Jessica Hutchison is excited to go to work every day with children. Before applying at JLU, she felt that child care centers would not offer the family atmosphere that she desired. After coming for a tour, she was confident that JLU was the family setting that she was looking for!
Miss Hutchison has two years of previous childcare experience as a full-time nanny and is excited to continue her work with children in a classroom setting. In addition to her experience as a nanny she has also worked as an aide in a kindergarten classroom as well as an aide in a preschool program. She is currently attending Monroe Community College and has completed nine credits in the field of Early Childhood Education.
Preschool Teachers
Mrs. Darleen Croucher feels blessed to bring her experience and knowledge to the preschool program at JLU Child Care. She has over 20 years of experience teaching in child care centers, and most recently acted as an Assistant Director at her previous center. Mrs. Croucher holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Sociology from Roberts Wesleyan College.
In addition to her education and experience, she also taught in children’s ministries at Browncroft Community Church for 10 years. It is her desire to teach in a Christian setting that has brought her to our program.
Mrs. Sharon Bligh has a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Special Education and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Special education from Roberts Wesleyan college. Mrs. Bligh provides a well-planned, structured setting within her classroom that allows her students to thrive. Her abounding creativity and her enthusiasm to teach lead to a classroom never lacking for excitement.
Mrs. Bligh also has a passion for sign language, and used her talents as a sign language coach at Bethel Grove Bible Church for seven years. She also established and directed the "Signs of Praise" group at Roberts Wesleyan.
Miss Kaitlin Surawski is a graduate from Roberts Wesleyan College where she earned a bachelor’s in Elementary and Special Education. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Literacy from Nazareth College. In addition to her education, she is also excited to share her talents of cooking and scrapbooking in the classroom. Her passion for working with children continues into her weekends as she volunteers in her church nursery.
Miss Surawski is a teacher that will not only care about how well a child succeeds in the classroom, but also care who they are as individuals. It is this unique outlook and sincerity that make Miss Surawski a fantastic member of the JLU Child Care staff.
Miss Amanda Arnold is currently completing a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Outreach at Concordia University. She also previously completed an Associate’s degree in Humanities and Social Sciences. She has previous experience working as a preschool teacher at Trinity First Lutheran School. She also spent four summers working with children as a camp counselor and program director at Christian summer camp programs.
We are excited to have Miss Arnold’s strong faith and Biblical knowledge shared with our students and families at JLU Child Care.
School Age Teacher
Miss Heather Trimm recently completed her Associates degree from MCC which included credits in the field of Early Childhood Education. After serving the JLU preschool program for a years, Miss Trimm has eagerly moved into the school age classroom where she is excited to take on more responsibility and work with our oldest students. Prior to working at JLU, she was a preschool teacher at Alphabet Campus.
Miss Trimm is an enthusiastic teacher who brings many smiles to our school age program. We are happy that she is a part of the JLU team.
Mrs. Melanie Larsen is thrilled to have the opportunity to be back in a classroom working with the children at JLU. Mrs. Larsen holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Childhood Education from the College at Brockport and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Childhood Curriculum. She has three years of experience as a first grade teacher in North Carolina and is also employed as a substitute teacher for the Greece and Churchville-Chili Central School Districts.
Mrs. Larsen is also eager to use her gifts and talents with the students at JLU. She is passionate about theater and music and has used these talents in her role as a Sunday school leader in her church, leading a drama program at a summer camp, and as the director of an afterschool drama club for fourth and fifth graders. After coming to JLU for the first time, Mrs. Larsen felt called to this position. We are thankful that not only did she hear God’s call, but that she listened.
Classroom Staff
Miss Meghan Larkin is excited to begin using her educational background in a classroom. Miss Larkin holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Niagara University. For the last two years she has been employed as a substitute teacher for the Hilton Central School District. Although she enjoyed working as a substitute, she is eager to develop long-term relationships with the JLU students and families.
Besides working as a substitute teacher, Miss Larkin is also a manager at the CVS in Hilton where she has worked since high school. Her experience at CVS has given her professional managerial skills that have helped her both in and out of the classroom. Miss Larkin attended St. John the Evangelist in Spencerport and from her experience she understands the importance of sharing God’s Word with children starting at a young age.
Mrs. Ashley Maldonado recently completed her bachelor's in Humanities with a minor in Ministry from Roberts Wesleyan College. While obtaining her degree she completed many courses in the field of early childhood education and feels a calling to work with children. She has eight years of experience working in child care and has spent two summers as a counselor at Casawasco Camp.
Mrs. Maldonado is a newlywed and has already proven her dedication to JLU Child Care by applying for the position while on her honeymoon!
Miss Sara Swaciak is currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education from Roberts Wesleyan College to follow a direction she feels God is leading her to go. She has two years of experience working in childcare at Holiday Valley Child Care and has also worked as a camp counselor at Duffield Camp and Retreat Center, a Christian camp where she taught the gospel to both inner city and rural youth.
While on the RIT campus, Miss Swaciak has also been a leader in The Wells Project, a program that demonstrates God’s love by providing safe drinking water to impoverished communities. We are thrilled to witness her leadership and love of Christ in the classroom at JLU Child Care.
Miss Rebecca Pawley is excited to take on the role of toddler teacher at JLU Child Care. Most recently, Miss Pawley has been volunteering in the Geneseo Central School District in a first grade classroom. Prior to being in a classroom, Miss Pawley worked as a Program Director for Camp Rainbow, a day camp for children with diabetes. Miss Pawley is currently completing a bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education with certification in Special Education at SUNY Geneseo.
In addition to growing professionally as an educator, she is also looking forward to serving God in this position. Miss Pawley is eager to not only teach children, but also to help children grow in their faith. It has been a passion of hers to work as an educator for as long as she can remember. We are pleased that Miss Pawley will be living out her passion at JLU Child Care.
Center Cook / Classroom Aide
Miss Sarah Owens is a bright, energetic member of the JLU Child Care team. Miss Owens is a proud graduate of St. Paul Lutheran School and Hilton High School. She has six years of babysitting experience, spent one year volunteering as a preschool aide at the Quest school in Hilton, and is currently pursuing a degree at Monroe Community College.
In her free time, she is a teacher at her church’s Vacation Bible School program and participates in her church youth group activities. Her youthful energy and infectious smile brighten our classrooms at JLU Child Care.
Mrs. Katje Ewsuk is excited to use her culinary skills professionally at JLU Child Care. Mrs. Ewsuk loves to be in the kitchen. She has previously completed the food safety course through Monroe County and is eager to use her training at JLU. Mrs. Ewsuk’s prior professional experience includes 20 years in research and development at Eastman Kodak. Her technical and professional background will be an asset to the JLU program.
Mrs. Ewsuk is choosing this career because of her passion to be a part of our Christian mission. She is an active member at her church and has many years of experience volunteering with Vacation Bible School programs. In her spare time she also makes quilts that eventually are sent to Poland. She is also a mother of three and a grandmother of one. It is a blessing to have Mrs. Ewsuk use her talents at JLU Child Care.
Office Assistant
Mrs. Priscilla McAllister is eager to use her professional experience and administrative skills at JLU Child Care in the office. Mrs. McAllister has over 30 years of experience as an administrative assistant and worked the majority of her career in the district office of Brockport Central Schools. She is very familiar with the school setting and is pleased to have the opportunity to get to know the JLU families personally.
Although she will spend the majority of her time helping in the office, you may see Mrs. McAllister from time to time helping out in the classroom as needed. In addition to her administrative skills, she also has two years of experience as a teacher’s assistant at Brockport Community Nursery School. While at the nursery school, she worked with 3 and 4 year olds and is excited to continue working with young children at JLU.
Mrs. McAllister is a warm and welcoming person that always has a smile. We are confident that she will represent JLU to our families marvelously.