Teachers

Emmanuel Preschool is blessed to have three wonderful and experienced teachers:

Betty Davidson

I was born in Vancouver and lived there (with the exception of two years in Powell River and one in Sidney) until 1990 when we moved to Victoria. Ken and I were married in 1973 and Andrew, Colin and Heather were born in 1978, 1979 and 1982. I worked in a bank until 1978, and then was lucky enough to be a stay at home Mom until Heather was seven. It was being involved with preschool and later elementary school as well as just spending time with my children that made me realize that working with children was what I loved.

I started my ECE training at Kwantlen College in Richmond in 1989 and finally finished it at UVIC in 1995! I worked for two years in a small preschool, then two years at Cool Aid Daycare before starting at Emmanuel Preschool in 1999. Emmanuel Preschool has been a great place to work and I have been blessed with great people to work with. My children are all grown and living their own lives, all here in Victoria.

Our family has been enlarged by Jen (married to Andrew), Stephanie (married to Colin) and Brian (with Heather). We also have three grand daughters , Lilly, Maya, and Cecelia, who have enriched our lives beyond belief (being a parent is good, being a grandparent is way beyond good!). Ken and I now live with two dogs, a cat , a garden, and in the summer, the preschool goldfish. My goal for our preschool is to provide a positive and fun first “school” experience.

I hope that the children learn to feel comfortable with adults as well as Mom and Dad, and that they practice and learn, with our help, the social skills necessary to be successful in a group of children.

Connie Antonsen

”Mrs. Connie” Antonsen was born in Columbus, Ohio but grew up mostly in Portland, Oregon and finished high school in Bellevue Washington. In 1985, she graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and a minor in Psychology.

Connie moved to Canada when she married John in 1987, and they lived in Vancouver while he was attending UBC Medical School. They spent a couple years in Victoria and then moved back to Vancouver while John was finishing his specialty training. During these years, Connie worked as a corporate secretary for the Dale Carnegie provincial office (and took the “Dale Carnegie Course”), The Empress Hotel, Coca Cola and Canwest Gas Supply.

Britta and Ryan were born in 1992 and 1993. Connie decided to stay home while raising the children. Another move to Seattle for 3 years meant that preschool years had begun. Connie was a cooperative preschool mom, learning that she loved this stage of a child’s life. In 1997 her family moved back to Victoria and Amy was born in early 1998. Connie has worked as John’s bookkeeper for his practice since 2000. Another 2 years of coop preschool mom experience and volunteering at Willows and Lansdowne schools kept her busy for several years. She decided to attend Pacific Rim Institute and studied from 2003 - 2005 to earn her ECE certificate. She even got to do a practicum at Emmanuel Preschool! She is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada. Mrs. Connie has been working here since September 2005 and has loved working with children. She has found a way to share her love of music, learned that she does have a creative/artistic side and often gets messy in the art room, and has enjoyed the staff members very much.

Connie is licensed in B.C. and keeps her First Aid Certification up to date. She also has taken Food Safe, Safe Spaces, the Virtues workshop and several other professional development courses. Connie believes that children learn best when they have fun. While playing together, they learn social and emotional skills. Language and pre-reading skills come when stories can be shared with someone who loves to read. Connie loves to sing and dance and create imaginary moments with children. Her goal is to introduce children to the positive side of school by making wonderful memories, encouraging independent thinking, and building relationships. Once these goals are achieved, a child will have valuable tools to take into kindergarten.

Akiko Fraser

I was born and grew up in a small city in Niigata; located on the northwest coast of Japan. As a small town girl, I always had a dream: One day I would leave my small home town and see the whole wide world! After I studied Japanese literature at college, I moved to Tokyo and worked as office clerk and secretary. When I was 25 years old I had a chance to visit my friend who was studying in Minneapolis MN. It was a short trip but the impact was huge. It was an eye-opener for me. By the following year, I packed my small apartment in Tokyo, found a house to share in Minneapolis and spent 6 months there. Beautiful nature, freezing winter, sharing a house with 6 girls… every little thing fascinated me in the different culture. I wished I could speak English better.

In 1996, I came to Vancouver to study English. I spent a year studying and doing volunteer work. My marriage brought me to Victoria in 2000. One day I was looking at the Emmanuel Baptist Church bulletin. I found a note saying “Emmanuel preschool was looking for help”. I applied and got a position. I worked as a teacher’s assistant mostly on call basis for 4 or 5 years. During these years, my daughter was born and she spent 2 years at Emmanuel preschool. She loved it and she still likes to visit the preschool.

In September 2007, I got offered a teacher’s position. Since November 2008, I have been taking classes to obtain my ECE diploma. Working in a preschool is very fun and fulfilling. I enjoy children’s unique ideas and responses. Almost every day I learn something from the children. I also feel so fortunate to work with Mrs. Betty and Mrs. Connie and I have been learning so much from them. I believe young children learn through play, and learning is enhanced when they have fun. I try to make a safe and fun environment for every child so they can feel free and enjoy themselves. Children develop their cognitive, communication and motor skills during the preschool years. It is also a time to develop their social and emotional skills. Preschool is a great place to practice these skills and I am happy to support them. In my spare time, I enjoy reading good novels, yoga, sewing & knitting (when time permits). I also enjoy craft with paper (cutting shapes, making shapes, painting). I am hoping to bring some of the craft ideas to the preschool. I am very excited to meet all the children and watch them grow in the preschool!