WE LOVE OUR KIDS!
As teachers at the Sonshine Patch, we really enjoy having FUN right along with the children. We have been given the unique gift of being able to minister as well as teach and it makes spending time with these precious little ones and each other an extra privilege.
Mrs. Valerie Herzog
Valerie has been the director of the Sonshine Patch since June 2010. Valerie and her family moved to Janesville in November of 2007 when her husband Jason took the position as music minister at New Life. She is licensed by the DPI as a certified K-12 music teacher. Over the past 17 years she has taught music in Beloit, Janesville, Illinois, and Missouri. Her love and knowledge of music is a great asset to the Sonshine Patch. Besides teaching in the public schools, Valerie has taught private flute and piano lessons to children since the age of 16. Currently, she is the director of the children’s choir and plays the piano for the worship team at New Life. Valerie has three daughters: Katherine attends Craig High School, Grace attends Marshall Middle School, and Madalynn attends Kennedy Elementary.
Mrs. Nancy Gorman
Nancy’s warmth is combined with her loving guidance to make her a very special attribute to our school. She is trained as a Love and Logic teacher and uses it very effectively with the children. In addition, as a former Sonshine Patch mom, she brings with her the ‘parent perspective’ as well as teacher knowledge. She and her husband Randy are parents to Jay, a 2006 Sonshine Patch graduate, as well as older sisters Clair and Allyson. Nancy is licensed by the DPI as a classroom teacher for grades K-8. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Platteville and taught kindergarten for 4 years in the Janesville School District. She took time to be a full time mom and joined our staff in January of 2005. She and her family attend St. Willliam’s Catholic Church.
Mrs. Kim Jazdzewski
Kim is the Mother of four daughters and loves working with children. She is a licensed teacher, grades 1-8, and has her Masters degree in Special Education. She has been a full time Mom for the last 12 years and has also worked with children in a day care setting for the last 5 years. She has taken Love & Logic classes and uses Love & Logic both in her home and in her classroom. Kim likes to craft and loves watching children discover the world around them through their senses. She likes to camp and go geocaching with her family. She coaches her daughters soccer teams and is an avid fan at their basketball games too! She plans to keep her class active and interested each day!
Miss Becky Mansur
Becky is thrilled to be joining the Sonshine Patch family this fall. While working towards her Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education, she is soaking up each step along the way and cannot wait to share with the children what she is learning. Becky has served as a day care teacher and a nanny for many years, continually striving to have a positive impact on the lives of children through the use of Love and Logic. She loves to craft, zumba, and spend time with her friends and family. Becky attends Heartland Community Church in Rockford and is passionate about finding community in everyday life.
