ABOUT US
Welcome to St. Luke's Preschool in Tacoma, WA
Located in the peaceful north end of Tacoma, Washington, St. Luke's Preschool has been nurturing young minds within the welcoming environment of St. Luke's Memorial Episcopal Church for ten years. At St. Luke's Preschool, we believe in providing a balanced approach to early childhood education. Our dedicated teachers offer both individual attention and group learning experiences through a mix of teacher-directed activities and free-choice exploration. This balanced approach helps create an engaging and supportive learning environment where each child can thrive.
Our Commitment
At St. Luke's Preschool, we are committed to creating a nurturing, Christian-based learning environment where children can develop the skills and confidence they need for future success. Our experienced teachers work closely with each child, ensuring they receive the attention and support needed to reach their full potential.
Our Curriculum
Our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to support children's complete development. We focus on nurturing physical abilities, fostering intellectual growth, building emotional well-being, developing social skills, and encouraging spiritual understanding. This holistic approach ensures each child develops as a whole person, ready to embrace future learning opportunities.
Our Educational Programs
Our comprehensive curriculum creates a rich learning environment that integrates socialization skills, creative arts, and music with storytelling and literature. Children engage in hands-on cooking activities and scientific exploration while developing mathematical thinking and language skills. Active listening is emphasized throughout our program, and our Christian foundation is strengthened through regular chapel visits and the integration of Christian concepts and values into daily activities.
Age-Specific Programs
Our carefully structured age groups ensure that each child receives developmentally appropriate instruction and support. Our Junior Preschool program, designed for ages 2-3, provides a gentle introduction to the school environment where children begin their educational journey through age-appropriate activities and guided exploration.
In our Preschool program for ages 3-4, children build on these foundational skills with increased emphasis on social interaction and structured learning activities. Our Pre-Kindergarten program, serving ages 4-5, prepares children for their transition to kindergarten by focusing on essential academic skills including alphabet recognition, reading readiness, and mathematical concepts within a more structured learning environment.
We also offer a Novice class for children 12 months to 2, which introduces children to the exciting world of preschool.
To further enrich our students' experiences, we offer special Friday enrichment classes that complement our regular program, providing additional opportunities for growth and discovery.
The Staff at St. Luke's Preschool
Preschool Director – Melissa Martin
Melissa earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Newman University in 2011. Since then, she has dedicated her career to serving young people in a variety of settings, including education, juvenile corrections, mental health, and coaching. Originally from Kansas, Melissa has called Tacoma home since 2015, where she lives with her partner, Alex, and their two children. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, exploring the outdoors, playing sports, and creating through arts and crafts. Melissa stepped into the role of Director at St. Luke's Preschool in January 2023 and has been passionate about building a warm, nurturing, and intentional preschool community ever since.
3’s Preschool Class Teacher – Deborah Toney
Deborah started her lead teacher role in September 2024. With over 17 years of experience in Early Childhood Education, Deborah brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to our team. As a former military spouse, she has had the unique opportunity to teach in California, Alaska, and various schools in Washington. A graduate of Western Washington University, Deborah holds a CDA credential and is an accredited National Geographic Educator. Her teaching philosophy is deeply inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, emphasizing child-centered learning, creativity, and collaboration. She believes in empowering children to be active participants in their own learning journey. Outside of the classroom, Deborah enjoys hiking, traveling, scuba diving, and gardening.
3’s Preschool Class Teacher – Tyler Wisdom
My name is Tyler, and I am a passionate preschool teacher with a love of all things nature and child-led learning! I have been a preschool teacher for the past 8 years (both in Seattle and in Gig Harbor). During this time, I have specialized in the Reggio Emilia philosophy as well as nature-based teaching. There are so many things to enjoy about teaching the 3-year-old age group. I love supporting them on their journey of social and emotional growth and watching them grow individually as well as a class. I delight in creating unique, engaging sensory bins as well as setting up lots of opportunities for exciting process art! When I'm not working, I love expressing myself artistically and always have many projects in the works: painting, sewing, gardening, and finding loose parts, are some of my favorite hobbies. My family (my husband and two children) and I love exploring nature in all ways and can usually be found outside enjoying the beauty of where we live.
Pre-K Teacher – Terri Atkinson
With over 30 years of experience, Terri has worked with young children and their families across various early childhood programs, such as employer-sponsored childcare, COOP preschools, Head Start, college affiliated childcare, homeschooling for kindergarten, and licensed family home childcare. She holds a Child Care Specialist certificate and a Child Development Associate Credential, complemented by more than 1000 credit hours in early childhood education from Clover Park and Bates Technical Colleges. Terri is passionate about integrating creative arts, music, dance, science, and storytelling into the preschool curriculum and delights in reading to children, introducing them to quality literature.
Novice Teacher - Vernadette Thie
Hello everyone! I am Vernadette and am looking forward to teaching the Novice class. I am passionate about working with adolescents and am currently pursuing my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy to become a children's play therapist. In the meantime, I am dedicating my time to being a God-centered mother to my one-year-old son, a wonderful wife to my loving husband, a Nursery attendant/Sunday school teacher at Gig Harbor United Methodist Church, and now the Novice teacher here at Saint Luke’s. I enjoy antiquing, thrifting, crafts, whimsical decor, and pugs (I have two!) I look forward to building my classroom on a foundation of faith and nature-based learning with lots of color, music, and fun!
Fran Fortner - Preschool Class Assistant
Fran holds a degree in Sociology/Psychology from Western Washington University and retired as a Special Education Paraeducator within the Tacoma School District. She has a particular fondness for working with preschoolers, recognizing that each child is unique. Fran is also a proud mother of three daughters and grandmother to eight grandchildren