Sarah Snodgrass is the Director of the Early Childhood Center. Her Passion is to share the love of Christ and love of learning with children, families, staff and congregation members through building loving and trusting relationships. 

LEAD TEACHER, BABY ROSEBUDS

My name is Ms. Rana and I have been working at Immanuel for 17 years! I love to work with young children and especially infants. I have so much fun watching them grow and develop. My favorite part of the day is snack time and watching babies learn to feed themselves and develop their love for delicious and nutritious food. When the weather is nice I love to take the babies on long walks to enjoy nature. Walking and observing the world around me is one of my main hobbies. I also enjoy cooking and baking. This is most fun for me when I get to do it with my family.

I was born and raised in Madaba, Jordan but my husband and I have been living in the United States for over 35 years. I am a mother to four children - Issa, Sarah, Omar, and Fayrous. I am grateful everyday that our Open Arms families trust me with their precious babies, and so I make sure to pour all of my love and care into them each and every day.

Education: Early Childhood Education CDA certified

Ms. Debbie (that’s me) has been working at Immanuel since August of 2012. I started in the Toddler Tulips and then moved into the Begonia room where I am now the leader of the Begonia team. Prior to coming to Immanuel I was an elementary teacher in a Lutheran school. I am a product of Lutheran education and have always taught in Lutheran schools, graduating with my teaching credentials in 1985 from Concordia Chicago.

I grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, where my sister still lives. I also have two brothers, one lives in Maryland and the other in Georgia. Three of us are Lutheran trained educators. At times you might find me playing the organ at Immanuel, Glenview.

When I do have free time, I enjoy relaxing in front of the tv with my cats Cali, Oreo, and Monti. I also enjoy counted cross stitch projects and sewing. My latest project is sewing bibs for the OA classrooms.

I love working at Immanuel where I can share my faith with the children and their families.

Education: Elementary education - BA in 1985 from Concordia Chicago, Gateways credentials 1 and 2, working on Gateways Infant/Toddler credential.

I am Rebeka Russell and I’m thrilled to be the Toddler Tulips Teacher for Immanuel Lutheran Early Childhood Center. I have spent the past 25+ years in the early childhood field and have extensive experience as a lead teacher and as a director. My background education is in early childhood development but my many years of experience have additionally prepared me for this role. I am committed to providing families with a loving and nurturing learning environment that allows children to grow and develop in all areas of life. I believe in giving children the respect and care they need and deserve, as well as providing guidance to facilitate their continued growth as an independent and confident individual. Additionally, I very much value my faith and feel it is an integral part of my life to share that faith with others, especially young children.

I have been married for 25 years and have two beautiful twin teenage daughters. We enjoy walks in nature with our dogs, spending time with extended family, and participating in board games and puzzles for fun. I am devoted to maintaining a family oriented environment where children feel free to be themselves and explore engaging activities, experiences, and materials on a daily basis. It is extremely important to me that my classroom be a place where a child feels welcome and excited to come in the door, where there is encouragement and the child is praised as a unique and valued person, and where they learn that they have a lot to offer. I am a firm believer in teaching and leading by example. That is the natural way for a child to develop positive character attributes and grow into becoming a good friend to others.

Hi! I’m Klara Mikho, and I’m thrilled to introduce myself as the Lead Teacher for the 2’s Class. My journey in this field began over 18 years ago when I graduated as an educator in Germany in 2007. I’ve been part of the Immanuel family since 2012, where I’ve gained valuable experience starting in the Older Infant Room and later serving as an interim lead for the 2’s—a role I’m honored to now hold permanently.

Working with children is my passion; they truly are a gift from God! I love helping them discover new things and watching them blossom every single day. I’m excited to continue growing alongside our students and look forward to serving this wonderful community for many years to come.

At the small local church I attended back in Hawaii, I was the only high school student available to run Sunday school. Through my role as a Sunday school teacher and by babysitting during adult Bible study, I discovered my passion for engaging with young learners.

After moving to the mainland to study Fine Arts at Northern Illinois University, I continued to stay involved with children—through babysitting, volunteering at my children’s school, helping with kids’ ministry at church, providing childcare at MOPS (MomCo), and running free art classes for local children. After many years of dreaming about turning my passion into a career, I finally took the leap and completed the Early Childhood Education Certificate program while working as a special education teaching assistant at an elementary school and as a robotics teacher at a learning center.

Now, as the lead teacher in the Daisy Threes classroom, my goal is to be a caring, dependable presence for both children and their families—a teacher that parents can trust and children feel safe and excited to be around. I’m always ready to get down on the floor, run around, and have fun right alongside them!