Sonflower Christian Preschool Team

Loreta joins us with 20+ years of experience with the early childhood field in Durango.  Loreta was nominated for Early Childhood Teacher of the Year (2018) for her unending kindness and fun with her students.  As a teacher, Loreta knows how to reach each child on a personal level and help them in the first steps of their educational journey.  She is a great model to our students with her positive attitude and enduring patience.

Teresa "Colleen" Wilcox has been a teacher for almost a decade - elementary at first, then a toddler teacher, and finally settling on preschool once her son hit that age and she was able to land a paraeducator position in his classroom at Needham Elementary. Before becoming an educator, Miss Colleen had two previous careers: early on, as a newspaper reporter in New England; then, after graduate school at Yale School of Forestry, as the director of an environmental nonprofit in post-Katrina New Orleans. Part of that program was teaching students about wetland plants and their protective role. The seeds of her current endeavor, training to be a Forest School Practitioner, germinated in the swamps of Louisiana.

Grace Foster is a teacher education student at Fort Lewis College. She has a passion for working with kids and helping them to thrive in their learning. She works at Sonflower as a teacher’s assistant, and loves getting to bring brightness to the children’s days. "I believe God has placed me where I am to teach young minds to grow in His presence, knowledge of His creation, and the fruits of the Spirit. God bless!"

Deedee has been a lead teacher for Sonflower in the past and is returning to lead our 2025 Summer program.  She enjoys having the opportunity to work with young children. She has lived in Durango for 17 years - her four kids were raised here, and her youngest is in high school - and has been an early childhood educator for almost a decade. 

Deedee is an avid reader when she is not cooking, hiking, camping or skiing. Her educational philosophy is that children need to play, preferably outside, and have choices and opportunities to discover the world around them at their own pace. This environment provides them a supportive backdrop for their personal growth and confidence. She is excited to build new relationships with parents and students this summer!