May 8, 2008

Community Maker

Kay Michaels

The Pillar of Precious Preschool

By Shana McLean Moore
Staff Writer

Architecturally speaking, a pillar is most often defined by the style that adorns it. It’s as if all the ornate leaves and fancy filigree are meant to distract us from the fact that the pillar’s real job is to keep the ceiling from crashing down.

Kay Michaels of Precious Preschool with students Ben Clevenger and Zachary Louvelle, right.

Whether the image you see when visualizing a column is a cylinder of stone that supports the Parthenon or the ornately carved wooden pillars that line the porch of a San Francisco Victorian, none can be more commendable than the flesh and blood human varieties that hold our community together.

Precious Preschool is delighted to celebrate one such pillar—their teacher of 31 years, Kay Michaels.

To the more than 450 families who have been touched by the kind and soft-spoken ways of Michaels during her tenure at the school, it is her structural essence that will be missed the most when she retires at the end of this school year.

Angie and Mike Rosenbaum whose three children, Ryan, Troy and Jenna, have all had the good fortune to have Michaels as a pre-kindergarten teacher, feel “honored to be in her class during her final year at Precious.” They are most grateful for Michaels’ “quiet, calm manner that the children respond so well to,” said Angie Rosenbaum.

She appreciates Michaels’ skills with children for both general and specific reasons. Michaels has a quiet way of redirecting the children and teaching them ways to deal with each other without fighting. She makes a point to give each child the attention and guidance they need to succeed. “The way Mrs. Michaels always focuses on the positive helps the children succeed and prepare for kindergarten,” said Rosenbaum.

“The personal attention Mrs. Michaels gave my son Troy helped him build self-confidence. Mrs. Michaels saw that he was anxious about new things and situations and gave him the extra TLC he needed. By taking the time to assess Troy’s individual needs, and provide him with a little ‘heads up’ if there was a change in his routine, went a long way to increase his success and confidence in her class,” said Rosenbaum.

Fellow Precious Preschool parent Carmen Gwartney had a similar experience. “She truly loves each child and she is loved and respected by all of the children, so much that in my experience she never had to raise her voice to get their attention,” said Gwartney. “She plays the piano beautifully and loves to sing with the children and teach them about music. She is a fantastic teacher—when the children "graduate" from her Pre-K class, they are totally prepared for kindergarten,” Gwartney added.

Lisa Clevenger, who nominated Michaels as an Almaden Community Maker, sees Michaels as “one of those people who makes me feel good just being in her presence. She has a calming influence that makes me feel like everything will be fine.

Mrs. Michaels is loving yet strict, and the children excel under her guidance. She understands the children's different needs and personalities and plans her lessons around those needs and personalities. I know my son has been blessed to have her as his teacher,” adds Clevenger.

Wendy Flynn, the director of Precious Preschool, has worked with Michaels since 1995. Flynn admits with a sigh that it will be “impossible to replace Kay Michaels. She is Precious Preschool. I could watch Mrs. Michaels read the children the same story over and over because she is so expressive and engaging,” said Flynn.

“Mrs. Michaels gives 200 percent to everything she does and is helpful to everyone. She has mentored many of our staff members who will carry on in her tradition,” Flynn added. “In addition to being all of that, she is humble, a good friend and a great listener. We are so glad that she had promised to come back to substitute and play the piano for the children.”

Los Alamitos teacher Jenn Leitner has the unique experience of having been a pre-school student of Michaels herself. Leitner now has the pleasure of teaching students who have come from Michaels’ class. "Mrs. Michaels is an incredible, caring teacher who inspires everyone to be their best. I have very fond memories of her and my time at Precious Preschool."

Kay Michaels is to Precious Preschool what those thousands of pounds of solid rock are to the many historical monuments that have stood the test of time. The Almaden community thanks you, Mrs. Michaels, for the 31 years of love, patience and dedication you have given to the children of our community.