Norma has been teaching at the Eastside Cooperative Preschool for more than 20 years. She currently teaches the Red and Green classes (2 and 3 year-old) classes every morning. The cooperative is fortunate to have such a skilled, caring teacher on staff. What Our Families Say About Norma "I appreciate her attention to each student. She makes them feel loved and valued as individuals -- most people don't connect with children in such an honest way. As a professional who works with children, I feel I have learned a lot from watching Norma interact with kids." "She is very warm and makes every child feel important and special.Norma empowers kids by teaching them the skills to resolve conflict with other kids.

And when she needs to step in to change behavior, she does so in a respectful way that doesn't cause any shame or bad feelings."

"Norma is a gentle leader who not only appreciates each child's unique personality but is remarkably adept at integrating these little individuals into a cooperative group. She has an incredible way of engaging the children, encouraging their curiosity, and supporting their independence. It is wonderful to watch her guide their creative exploration and to see their growing confidence and joy in learning. What I most appreciate about Norma is the way she sets the stage for children to succeed, to learn and to solve problems on their own."

Family: Husband Joe, children Laura and Kevin, grandchildren and ECP students Benjamin and Mason.

Background: Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Norma moved with her family to Southern California before making Olympia her home. She studied Early Childhood Development at San Bernardino College. Both of her children attended co-op preschool in California. Norma attended and taught classes at Clover Park Vocational Technical College and taught at a private school before she discovered and fell in love with ECP. In 2005, Norma was nominated for and received the South Sound YWCA's Lifetime Achievement Award for her commitment and excellence at Eastside.

Hobbies and interests: Norma is an avid gardener. When she isn't in her magnificent backyard, she and her husband, Joe, enjoy the outdoors and love to travel and discover new and interesting places.

About Eastside: "The co-op is very supportive of families and children. It is a community-based preschool, I agree with its philosophy and I like being part of the co-op community."