Staff

Administration

DEVON ZULEGER, Executive Director
Devon has been an active part of the Madison early childhood field for the past 17 years. She has held roles as a teacher, family childcare provider and most recently an Executive Director. She received her education from Madison College and UW-Whitewater, where she still attends. Devon continues to peruse her passion of early childhood development by attending classes focusing on leadership and program development.  Devon grew up in Madison and now lives in Windsor with her husband, two children, and dogs. On her days off she enjoys camping, gardening and cooking.

MO LANCASTER, Administrative Assistant
Mo started working at Meeting House in 2018. Having both of her children attend preschool here meant that she was able to see the school through the eyes of a room parent, snack helper, and board member. She spends a lot of time cooking and baking with her children. Besides eating related endeavors she really enjoys reading and anything that involves being outside. Mo lives in Madison with her husband, two children, one dog and three chickens.

Classroom Teachers

KARI ARCISZEWSKI, Three-year-old teacher (Room 1)
Kari graduated from Madison College with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education. She taught both at Meeting house and in the Milwaukee area before staying home to raise her kiddos. Both of her girls attended Meeting House and she herself is a Meeting House alumni! Kari lives on the west side of Madison with her husband, Ben and two teenage daughters, Abby and Ella. She enjoys spending time outdoors and can usually be found sitting in the stands watching her girls play softball or volleyball.

MEGGAN BEYER, Two-Year-Old Teacher (Room 2)
This will be Meggan’s 12th school year as a teacher. She has a dual degree in Early Childhood Regular Education and Special Education from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. First having taught 4K as a regular education teacher in Oshkosh, then shifting to an early childhood special education teacher as part of the Brillion Area School District, and finally in the Kimberly Area School District. Meggan, along with her husband  and two cats, moved to Madison in the summer of 2022. They love the area and are taking advantage of being closer to their families. In her free time, Meggan loves to read, travel to new places, bike, and spend time at their cabin in St. Germain.

CHERIE CARVER, Two-Year-Old Teacher (Room 3)
Cherie has worked at Meeting House since 2004, and has been working with children and families since 1985.  She has an Associate’s Degree in Child Development from MATC, and spent 13 years operating an accredited family childcare program. A life-long resident of Madison, Cherie lives on the near Westside and has three grown children. She enjoys organizing, decorating, art and music.

JULIE CUSHMAN, 4K Teacher (Room 6)
After 15 years as a Meeting House Nursery School parent and serving as a board member, Julie has finally joined the staff. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education (PK-3 certification) from UW-Madison. She taught preschool in Illinois before becoming a parent. She has eight Meeting House alum. Julie lives with her family in Middleton. She enjoys travelling, walking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

TERA DISCH, Two-Year-Old Teacher (Room 3)
Tera began teaching at Meeting House in 2004.  She is a graduate of MATC with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education. Tera lives in New Glarus and in her spare time she enjoys biking, going on walks, doing hot yoga, and spending time with friends and family. She enjoys organizing, decorating, art and music.

PAIGE FLIETNER, 4K Teacher (Room 6)
After graduating with a degree in child development from UW-Madison, Paige spent seven years living and teaching in New York, NY. She also had the unique experience of helping set up multiple new preschool programs and worked with students ranging from ages 2 to 5. She is thrilled to be back in her hometown of Madison, along with her fiancé Alex, their three-legged cat, and their pet guinea pigs.

DAWN GEBLER, 4K Teacher (Room 4)
Dawn has been an early childhood educator for 25+ years in various settings.  She began her career teaching 1st and 2nd grade in northern California, then Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.  Dawn spent the best seven years of her life teaching and raising her own children at home. As they all became school aged, she started substitute teaching in MMSD, taught 4K at Bernie’s Place in Madison, and most recently she was teaching two-year-olds at SSMHealth Child Care Center.  Dawn is excited to come back to 4K at Meeting House, where her sons went to preschool. Dawn lives in Madison with her husband, Derek, and their 3 children, ages 14, 16, and 19. She says her kids are the best thing that has ever happened to her. The family also has two cats, Sol and Martha.  Dawn’s happy place is outdoors.  She loves to hike, going camping, riding her bike, playing in the snow, reading and playing board games with family.

KARI HACK, Three-Year-Old Teacher (Room 1)
Kari joined the Meeting House family in September 2020. She has spent the last 20 years teaching 3 and 4-year-olds at a City of Madison accredited center. Preschoolers are her favorite age group to work with. Kari received her degree in Early Childhood Education through Madison College. She lives in Deforest with her daughter, Brooke, their puppy, Stella, and two cats, Sophie and Fritz. She loves to spend time with her daughter, doing yard work, traveling and reading.

MICHELLE LEINBACH, Three-Year-Old Teacher (Room 5)
Michelle joined the Meeting House staff in 2001. She has been in the early childcare and education field for 25+ years. Before becoming a preschool teacher, Michelle worked with developmentally disabled children and adults in a group home setting. She lives in Marshall with her fiancé Steve and their German Shorthair Pointer, Wyatt. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, antiquing, flea markets, camping, visiting relatives in Iowa and spending time with family and friends.

KATIE NORCROSS, 4K Teacher (Room 4)
Katie joined the Meeting House teaching team as a 4K teacher in 2013. She is a Madison native, and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota in 2007. She spent the following five years teaching preschool both in Minneapolis and Madison, and taught English to children in rural France. Those experiences made her realize Early Childhood Education is where her heart is! Katie lives in Madison and spends her spare time biking, doing yoga, reading, and watching the Badgers.

LISH ST. PIERRE, Two-Year-Old Teacher (Room 2)
Lish joined the Meeting House staff in 2021. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master’s degree in special education from Cardinal Stritch University. She has worked in education and childcare since 2009. Lish lives in Cross Plains with her daughter, Layla. She loves to spend her free time crafting, listening to music, and cooking.

Resource Teacher

BECCA RAMEY
Becca is so happy to be joining the Meeting House family! She has been teaching for over 12 years (8 years in early childhood, 4 years in art education).  She holds a Master’s degree in art education from Ohio State University, and has taught in Ohio, Seattle, Oslo, Toronto, as well as here in Madison. When not teaching, Becca enjoys reading, hiking, baking, traveling, being in nature, and spending time with friends and family. Becca lives in Middleton with her husband, 2 kids, and their big shaggy dog.

MHNS Traditions

Parent Orientation Night: At the beginning of each school year a general orientation meeting for parents/guardians is held at the school to introduce the families to the Board and Staff. Parents/guardians also meet in the classrooms with the classroom teachers. Teachers explain the classroom program, give examples of the learning that takes place through out the year, and answer questions. It is highly recommended that parents attend this very important meeting.

Family Night: Each fall the school has an Open House in the early evening for families, friends and relatives. Families visit classrooms, the playground, and have the opportunity to enjoy refreshments.

Child of the Week: This is a popular tradition in our older classes (Room 2 & 4). It is designed to enhance each child’s self-esteem by giving them an opportunity for special attention. During their child’s week, parents/guardians are encouraged to send in photos, share some time at school, bring in a special snack or share a family tradition. Parents should consult with the teachers for ideas.

Scholastic Book Club: Each month a paper flyer is placed in student mail tubes. There is an option to turn money and order form into the office or order online yourself using the Meeting House code. Each purchase in this optional program provides bonus points for Meeting House. The school uses the points to purchase books and equipment.

Birthdays: Families are welcome to send in a special snack or visit the classroom to celebrate a child’s birthday. Please be sure snacks are free of all peanut/nut products and have not been processed in a facility that uses nuts/peanuts. Some families purchase a gift for the school to commemorate the day and all such donations are always welcome! A “Wish List” is posted for each classroom.

School Photographs: In Spring school photos are taken. Class pictures and individual photos are available for purchase. A portion of the sales is given to the school by the photographer.

Week of the Young Child: Each Spring a week is designated as the Week of the Young Child. This is a national event sponsored by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). Fun events are planned all week that may include Pajama Day, Beach Day or an all-school sing along.

Special Person Night: On an evening during Week of the Young Child each child is asked to invite one special adult to attend an open house at school. This casual evening provides an opportunity to meet the teachers, explore the classroom and playground all at your own pace! Children typically invite a grandparent, mom or dad, close adult friend or a child care provider.

Fall/Spring Spruce-up Day: This is our annual playground clean up day which includes gardening, weeding, painting and repairing our building and playgrounds. It is a great way to socialize with other Meeting House families.

“Parents Night Out” Silent Auction: Local businesses (and families) are solicited for items beginning in January. We open an online auction format about a week before the event. The “Parent’s Night Out”, adult-only evening in April, is our live and silent auction event. This is a casual, fun filled of community building with other parents. The Fundraising Committee plans this event and strives to create a fun, pressure free and casual atmosphere for all families to attend!

End of the Year Picnic: This is an opportunity for families to bring a picnic supper and enjoy the company of other families and Staff members at a local park.

Accreditation

Licensing
Meeting House Nursery School is licensed by the State Department of Children and Families. Periodic visits are made by a State Licensing Specialist, which includes an inspection of the school’s records and facility. The school is re-licensed every two years. The purpose of licensing is to protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of children in child care centers.

City Accreditation
Meeting House Nursery School is accredited by the City of Madison through the Child Care Unit of the Office of Community Services. Accreditation specialists make annual visits to the school, focusing on program content and staff/child interactions.

Young Star
Meeting House Nursery School has received the highest rating for a
program (5-stars) in the Young Star Quality Rating Scale. You can find out more about YoungStar at www.youngstar.wi.gov

 

UW-Madison Child Care Network
Meeting House Nursery School is a member of the UW-Madison Child Care Network.
Families with connection to UW-Madison (students and employees) can receive discounts/reimbursements on tuition from the UW-Madison upon qualification.

Board of Directors

The Meeting House Board of Directors is the corporate policy-making body. In accordance with the Bylaws of Meeting House Nursery School, Inc., Board members hold a two-year term with five positions voted for each year by the Annual Membership Meeting in May.

Duties of the Board include:
– establishing the corporate and legal existence of the school
– setting the governing policies for the school’s program,
– annual review of Executive Director’s implementation of these policies an program operation.

Board of Directors membership is open to:
– parents
– interested community persons
– includes one teacher representative from the staff.

The executive officers of the Board are: Chairperson, Vice Chair, Officer at Large and Treasurer. The Executive Director is a nonvoting member of the Board.

Board meetings scheduled monthly on Mondays, and are open to interested parents. Board meeting minutes and agenda are posted on the “Board News” bulletin board in the hallway and online. Please notify the Board Chair or Executive Director at least two weeks prior to the meeting if you’d like to add an item to the agenda.

If you wish to get in contact with the Board, please email mhnsboard@gmail.com

Board Minutes

Board Agenda

Board Application Information

Learning Environment

The nursery school wing, added in 1963, has five classrooms—Rooms 1, 2, and 3 on the main level, Room 4 downstairs, and Room 5 upstairs. Two fenced playgrounds are located adjacent to the classrooms. The “Whale Yard” and “Tree House Yard” offer a variety of large motor equipment and outdoor activities. All of these spaces encourage our children to “be children”– to act, choose, explore, test, investigate, react, and experiment.

We strive to provide a setting that recognizes each child’s uniqueness and inherent curiosity, as well as a love of learning. Our beautiful, light-filled classrooms, innovative play-based curriculum, and nurturing teachers enhance children’s natural curiosity and love of learning.

You can take a virtual peak at our outdoor play spaces and classrooms here.

History

Meeting House Nursery School, Inc. leases the west wing of the First Unitarian Society. The Landmark Auditorium was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, notable for his prairie style homes and organic architecture. It is a national landmark visited by architects, students, and tourists from around the world. The nursery school wing, added in 1963, was designed by the Taliesin Foundation to meet the special needs of the nursery and church school programs

The curriculum at Meeting House Nursery School has always been based upon the importance of free play, a respect for children and their ideas, and the freedom for children to explore and develop relationships. The current staff at Meeting House Nursery School boasts a combined tenure of over 65 years at the school.

Over the past 70+ years Meeting House Nursery School has added events to our school year that children and families look forward to every year.  These have become Meeting House traditions; events like family night, Child of the week, Parents’ Night Out and the list goes on and on.

 

 

 

Play-Based Learning

Play-based learning fosters life skills such as:

  • Learning to exercise problem solving skills
  • Showing an ability to think flexibly
  • Practicing processing their emotions
  • Facing their fears
  • Trying new things without fear of mistake

Your child will apply these skills to K-12 academic learning and social-emotional learning after they leave Meeting House.

Play is more than you think; it is a way for your child to familiarize themselves with the world while exploring and testing their own limits. At the same time, they are engaged in an activity across varying curricular areas that provides them enjoyment or amusement.

Older children also gain something additional while they play—they discover their own interests and passions. Your child may find they have a love for a specific activity such as art or acting, or possibly for an animal or character. Playtime encourages them to continue exploring their own interests and build skills they will use in the future.

 

Check out this video from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction promoting play-based learning.