Teachers and Staff

Teacher Mireille

Mireille McKee feels blessed to have the perfect job: being instrumental in a program that helps so many families, as well as being able to share in the everyday smiles, hugs, joys and concerns. Being a part of this generously supportive community is very special to Mireille and is the source of her motivation and dedication to work with families. Having worked with children and families for over 30 years, Mireille feels this has not only strengthened her knowledge and ability to understand children, but also continued to motivate her to share the importance of understanding a child's development in order to have appropriate expectations, create connection and raise happy, caring children.

She and her husband Tom enjoy continued work on their home, getting together with friends and family and Tahoe weekends. Their son, Justin (23) is pursuing a career as a musician/songwriter/actor and has currently set up camp back at home! Daughter, Kristin (20) a student at Lake Forest College outside Chicago is looking forward to her junior year and a semester abroad in Paris. Mireille has been a teacher here at Little Wonders for 14 years, and this is her 9 th year as director. She looks forward to each year as if it were her first.

Teacher Roberta

Roberta Templeman is starting her 9 th year at Little Wonders and loves our wonderful, supportive community of LW parents and teachers. She is a single mother with three grown children, David, Charlene, and Andrew, and the grandmother ("Grand") of 2 ½ year old Kieran. She is passionate about Early Childhood Education, has taught for 15 years in Montessori and play-based preschools, and ran her own home-based daycare program for 12 years.

She has participated in numerous parent education programs, workshops and conferences. She is a strong advocate of parenting education for fathers, and has a special interest in families with multiples as she comes from a family of 3 sets of twins (and 4 singles) and is a fraternal twin herself. Roberta is also interested in finding much needed resources for supporting the parenting partners' relationship as the core of the family unit.

Teacher Suzanne

Suzanne Zaino is excited to be a part of the small but dynamic teaching team for a sixth year serving Little Wonders' families. She has worn many hats in the school - cooping parent, board member, and now as a teacher. She and her husband, Chris, take their inspiration for parenting from their children, Ben (8) an energetic, active former Little Wonder, and Alexa (10), a lovely sensitive, spirited child and the numerous nephews and surrogate children in her life. Ben's and Alexa's boundless energy, creativity and testing provide Suzanne with lots of parental joys and challenges to share with others. Her interest in supporting parents and seeing the growth and development of young children fuels her passion for teaching.

In addition to teaching social science for ten years at the secondary level, Suzanne is passionate about food and nutrition and teaches cooking privately in people's homes. Outside of school, she loves to travel with her kids, hike, read and sample cuisines from around the globe! She looks forward to having another wonderful year getting to know the new parents and children in her classes and seeing the growth of those returning.