I am now a Community Research Specialist

Tomorrow I start my new part time position for Mary Linsmeier Schools. I was the director of the Mary Linsmeier School here in Watertown for 22 years. Those were good years. Our school started in one room of a church with a morning preschool class of ten kids. I was the second teacher in that Preschool when I started. I wanted to teach for Mary Linsmeier Schools because I wanted my girls to be able to attend that top notch Preschool at a reduced rate. After they both finished their early years at Mary Linsmeier I was the Director of the Preschool with my friend, Lynne Uttech the other teacher. Our reputation had become known and we had larger classes.

It was when Courtney went to first grade that we added a child care to our Preschool. We were now open from 6 AM - 6 PM with three big rooms in the church. The first few years were slow, but once we got going, we never looked back. I was now the Director of a school with eight teachers where we cooked our own meals and ran a successful grade school program, too. Those were fun years. My staff was a close knit group and we all genuinely enjoyed working together. It was after about 12 years in the church that we outgrew the space and moved into the old High School. My staff jumped to 18 and we now had infants and toddlers. It was a whole new ballgame with many more headaches. That many women together does not always make for smooth sailing. The small group that got along so well now had many more personalities thrown in and it showed.

It was seven years ago that I approached St. John's about starting a Preschool for three year olds. With the okay from them, I quit my position at Mary Linsmeier Schools and moved on. Many times over the years I have second thought myself about this especially when John was laid off. I love teaching my Preschoolers at St. John's and I have met lots of challenges and goals in my program there, but a little part of me always wondered, "what if..."

Well, out of the clear blue sky on the Wed. after Christmas, Theresa, one of my old supervisors from Mary Linsmeier called and asked me if I would be interested in helping them out with their struggling Oconomowoc School. After a week or so of careful thought and weighing pros and cons, I decided to take the challenge.

So, starting tomorrow, I am the new Community Research Specialist for Mary Linsmeier Schools. I will work from their center in Oconomowoc and from home a few afternoons a week. They are paying me well for my time and I am excited to give it a try.

On another note, tonight John and I go to our first session of the Financial Peace University. Hopefully, it is an interesting class and we learn something. After all, I want to invest and use my new income wisely!