Meet the Teachers

Ms. Monica, Lead Educator

I graduated from Maryville University in 2013 with my Masters in Early Childhood Education. I enjoy being at KECC especially in the Bear Room! 

My husband and I have two daughters, Madison and Olivia, and a dog named Abby.

Ms. Jackie, Classroom Educator

I graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I have been at KECC since 2016 and I love it! 

Ms. Annie, Classroom Educator

Hello! My name is Annie and I joined KECC in 2025. I grew up in Kirkwood with three sisters and spent most of my adolescence and teenage years nannying. 

In college, I realized how much I loved working in preschool classrooms. I have a background in English so I love speech and language development. One of my favorite jobs was a social and emotional learning teacher since I got to help students work on emotional intelligence.

I enjoy reading and crafting in my free time. And I’m super excited to work at KECC!

Ms. Sally, Flexible Classroom Educator

Hello. My name is Sally Lester. I have been very fortunate to work at KECC over the past few years. It is a very happy and positive environment with a fabulous staff.

In 2024, I worked one day a week in each of the 3/4 classes and got to know each student very well. I was lucky to move up with my favorite little people to the 4/5 classrooms in 2025.

My husband and I live in Kirkwood with our two dogs, Midge and Eloise. We have a grown son, Griffin, who lives in Columbus, Ohio and is a Senior Business Data Analyst. 

Finance and business are where I spent my early career.  After I retired, I decided to do something I love…working with kids!

I come from a very large Irish family (4 brothers, 3 sisters and numerous nieces and nephews). We are very close and I have been around children my entire life.