Wesleyan Faculty
Gina Munkers
Director
Gina joined Wesleyan Preschool and Kindergarten program 15 years ago as a classroom teacher and recently was promoted to director for the 2022-23 school year. She has 21 years of teaching experience in education and early childhood development. Past experiences include teaching at an art-based charter school, a private elementary school, and developing an in-home childcare program. Her son is also a past Wesleyan graduate. Gina has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in reading and has a K-8 Idaho State Teaching Credential.
Patti Valenzuela
Assistant Director
Patti joined the administrative team in 2019 after 12 years as a classroom lead teacher at Wesleyan. She has 18 years of teaching experience in private preschool and kindergarten education programs and has been an informal leader at Wesleyan and KASP for many years. Patti has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master’s in Counseling and Elementary Education, and a K-8 Idaho State Teaching Credential. Patti is also the assistant director for Kids Are Special People (KASP).
Dawn Wood
3/4's Classroom Teacher
Dawn is in her 9th year with Wesleyan and is the lead co-teacher in the Beetle classroom. She has over 23 years of teaching experience in education and early childhood development. Past experiences include teaching in both public and private high-quality infant, toddler and preschool programs in Hawaii, California and Washington. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development, Specializing in Early Childhood Education/Infants and Toddlers.
Collen McDonald
3/4's Classroom Teacher
Colleen returns to Wesleyan for her 2nd year as the co-teacher in the Beetle M/W/F Class. She has 12 years of teaching experience in elementary and special education. Past experiences include teaching 4th, 5th, 6th grades and an Extended Resource Room teacher in public elementary schools. Her son is a current Wesleyan student and her daughter is a past Wesleyan graduate. Colleen has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with minors in mathematics and science, a Master of Science in Special Education, and holds a K-8 Idaho State Teaching Credential.
Joslyn Bernhardt
3/4's Classroom Teacher
Joslyn returns to Wesleyan for her 2nd year as a co-teacher in the Beetle T/TH classroom. She will also be teaching in the Transitional Kindergarten classroom on Fridays. Joslyn has ten years of teaching experience in elementary education. Her past experiences include teaching third grade at a school of the arts and teaching small group intervention for mathematics. She has two children who formerly graduated from Wesleyan and one child who is currently enrolled in the Transitional Kindergarten classroom. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona and holds a K-8 Idaho teaching credential, with a K-8 mathematics endorsement.
Mary Jo Surges-Prokop
4/5's Classroom Teacher
Mary Jo joins and returns to Wesleyan for her 2nd year as the lead teacher for the Ladybug 4/5s classroom. She has over 20 years of teaching experience. Eleven years were spent at Lee Pesky Learning Center, where she co-developed the Idaho Early Literacy Project, a research-based early literacy and math instruction professional development program for Idaho early childhood teachers. Previous experience also includes being a founding teacher at an independent school teaching K thru 3rd grade, a classroom teacher at a local independent school, community projects, developing summer programs, and directing early childhood programs. Mary Jo has a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education and Special Education.
Catie Wardwell
4/5's Classroom Teacher
Catie returns to Wesleyan for her 4th year as the co-teacher in the Ladybug 4/5s classroom. Catie has taught in a variety of high-quality early childhood settings. Past experiences include teaching at a non-profit speech and language-based preschool and teaching kindergarten at a local progressive school. Catie holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Studies/Early Childhood Special Education and a Bachelor of Science in Public Communication. She has an Early Childhood Special Education Blended Idaho State Teaching Certificate.
Traci Wilson
Classroom Teacher
Traci joins our team as the lead teacher for the Honeybee Transitional Kindergarten classroom. She has ten years of experience in elementary education. Most recently, she taught 1st grade at a public school in Seattle, Washington. She has her bachelor's in psychology from Gonzaga University, Masters in Teaching from Antioch Seattle, and National Board Certified in Early Childhood Education. Traci’s oldest son is a Wesleyan graduate, and her youngest son will be attending this year.
Tracie Lovell
Classroom Teacher
Tracie returns to Wesleyan for her 4th year as the Honeybee Transitional Kindergarten classroom co-teacher. She has eight years of teaching experience in education and early childhood development. Past experiences include teaching 3rd-grade public elementary school. Her daughter is also a recent past Wesleyan graduate. Tracie has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Marketing, a Masters of Business Administration, and a K-8 Idaho State Teaching Credential.
Jen Carlile
Classroom Teacher
Jen Carlile returns to Wesleyan this school year as a Brown Bag teacher in the Beetle Classroom, as well as a school-wide substitute teacher. She has two children that graduated from Wesleyan and have been a part of the Wesleyan community for over 5 years. Jen received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Western Washington University and previously worked in the accounting and financial planning sectors.
