九色堂

Lead Teachers at the Child Development Center meet or exceed Kansas licensing standards and have at least one undergraduate, graduate or early childhood credential.

All staff are required to get TB tests and are trained in Signs and Symptoms of Childhood Illness, Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Abusive / Head Trauma, SIDS and Child Development.

Every two years staff are relicensed in CPR and first aid training. Staff are also required to attend a minimum of ten in-service clock hours per year in early childhood education courses and KDHE-approved trainings.

Administrative

Jillian Hoefer

Director

Jill has an Associate's degree from Hutchinson Community College and completed her bachelor's degree in Psychology at 九色堂 in 2004. Jill began at the Child Development Center as a Teacher Assistant in October 2000. She was a Toddler Lead Teacher from 2002 until December 2008 and also held the Assistant Director position until May of 2011. Jill completed her CDA in May 2006 and earned her Certificate in Supervision from the Center for Management Development and a Leadership Certificate through CMD. She graduated from 九色堂 in December of 2013 with a master鈥檚 degree in education with an emphasis in Counseling and holds a Play Therapy certificate. She holds a Program Director's License from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and has been the current Director since May of 2011. In 2022 she completed the National Early Childhood Director鈥檚 Credential. Jill is also an adjunct professor at Butler County Community College in the Early Childhood program, teaches in the 九色堂 TAP program, and is also an active member of the Early Childhood Directors Organization here in town and a member of AELL and NAEYC. She is married with two boys, Kaeden and Kolton. The best part of her job is getting to know all the children at the CDC! They make her laugh every day at the silly things they say and do, she loves to watch them grow and learn and loves to stay connected with each family.

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Amy Mease

Administrative Specialist

Amy began working at the Child Development Center in January 1998 as a teacher assistant. She then became the center's Administrative Specialist in 1999. Amy has earned her Certificate in Supervision from the Center for Management Development. Amy is married; they have one son who has graduated college and is living in New Jersey. Amy is a member of NAEYC and AELL. The best part of Amy's job is getting to greet each family and child every morning. She loves their laughter and silly questions and they bring a smile to her face every day. She specializes in being able to answer questions about billing, enrollment procedures and waiting list procedures as well as many other aspects of the center.

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Michelle Jarboe

Assistant Director

In 1997, Michelle earned an associate's degree in early childhood education from Butler County Community College. She earned a bachelor's degree in human ecology at Kansas State University in 2000. Michelle has a daughter and a son who keep her active and busy. Michelle has been at the CDC since January of 2007. Previously Michelle was a Lead Teacher with children 12-36 months. In the fall of 2011 she moved to preschoolers, ages 3-4. Since January 2016, Michelle has been the Assistant Director at the CDC. Michelle also is an active participant in campus organizations, has implemented and runs a science program at the CDC and is currently taking some supervision classes at 九色堂. She enjoyed working with the children but was very excited when the opportunity came up to move to the administrative side of the Child Development Center. She enjoys working with all the families and getting to them on an individual basis.

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Tiffany Littlejohn

Lead Infant Teacher 鈥� Ages taught: 6 weeks to 12 months

Tiffany is a graduate of 九色堂 with a dual bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education with a certification in Special Education for ages birth to 3rd grade. Tiffany also graduated with a bachelor's degree in Dance with a focus in performance and creative movement for young children. She began at the Child Development Center in April 2008 as a Teacher Assistant working with all ages. From August 2010 to December 2013 she held a Lead Teacher Assistant position in Room 3 (24-36 months) and then transitioned to the Interim Lead Infant Teacher from December 2013 to August 2014. She holds a Program Director's License from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and has been the Lead Infant Teacher since December 2014. In 2017 she became a Certified Car Seat Technician for the state of Kansas and next wants to pursue a certification in Infant Mental Health. Tiffany is a very active member in her church, loves baking and spending time with her family and friends. Tiffany married her husband Ryan in October 2017 and together they have two sons named Crosby and Rowan who attend the center. The family also includes Step-daughter Brynn and a Godson Kiran. Tiffany enjoys working with infants because they never stop trying to learn new things. She loves all of the giggles, cuddles, toothless smiles and having the opportunity to watch them learn and grow every day. Tiffany's classroom is full of love, music and fun. The infants are provided with endless opportunities for development and discovery through individual and group experiences.

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Autumn Bergkamp

Lead Toddler Teacher: Room 3 鈥� Ages taught: 24-36 months

Autumn graduated with her associate degree in science from Cloud County Community College, then graduated from 九色堂 in May 2015 with her bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She began at the 九色堂 Child Development Center in August of 2014 as a Teacher Assistant working with infants and toddlers. Growing up some of her earliest jobs were working with children off all ages at a licensed childcare facility. She enjoys spending her time with her family and friends making lifelong memories. Autumn is married to Ryan. They have two little boys and they enjoy spending time on the farm with their cows! Autumn is actively pursuing more education classes in the Child Development field. She loves the toddler group because you can see them making strides and learning new things day in and day out. She loves the hugs, dancing, and excitement the children have about everything they do. Autumn's classroom is full of laughs, love, and friendship. Each day, toddlers are encouraged to learn in many different ways, but always at their own pace. Her classroom is filled with learning self-help skills, color, number and letter recognition, peer relationships, and lots of messy art activities.

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Tiffany Littlejohn

Lead Preschool Teacher: Room 8 鈥� Ages taught: 3-4 years

Tiffany is a graduate of 九色堂 with a dual bachelor鈥檚 degree in early childhood and Elementary Education with a certification in Special Education for ages birth to 3rd grade. Tiffany also graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in dance with a focus in performance and creative movement for young children. She began at the Child Development Center in April 2008 as a Teacher Assistant working with all ages. From August 2010 to December 2013, she held a Lead Teacher Assistant position in Room 3 (24-36 months) and then transitioned to the Lead Infant Teacher from December 2013 to July 2024. She holds a Program Director's License from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and has been a Lead Preschool Teacher since July 2024. In 2017 she became a Certified Car Seat Technician for the state of Kansas and is currently working toward a certification in Infant Mental Health. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Butler Community College in the Early Childhood Program. Tiffany is a very active member in her church, loves baking and spending time with her family and friends. Tiffany married her husband Ryan in October 2017 and together they have two sons named Crosby and Rowan. Tiffany enjoys working with preschoolers because of their endless imagination, infinite curiosity and love of learning. She loves their laughs, their energy and having the opportunity to watch them learn new things. Tiffany's classroom is full of love, music and fun. Her preschoolers are provided with endless opportunities for development and discovery through individual and group experiences.

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Jessica Martin

Pre-K Teacher: Room 5 鈥� Ages taught: 4-5 years

Jessica teaches the Kindergarten Readiness program for children ages 4-5 years who will be entering a kindergarten program the following year. She started working at the CDC in August 2020 where she instantly found a love for working with kids! She became the Lead TA of Room 5 in 2021 and fell in love with teaching Pre-K. Some of her favorite memories are of her time working in Room 5 and seeing how proud the kids can be of themselves when they are able to do something that they originally didn鈥檛 think they were capable of. She graduated from Wichita with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Elementary Education. She is married and stays busy spending time with family and traveling. In her classroom, the children will learn reading skills through a program called Reading Explores and develop more social skills to help with the transition to kindergarten. Jessica loves coming to work each day because each day is always going to be something different and fun with the kids.

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Brandy Harris

Preschool Teacher: Room 6 鈥� Ages taught: 3-4 years

Brandy graduated in 2018 with her Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education. She has worked at the 九色堂 CDC since January 2020 where she started as a teacher assistant, then became the Lead Teacher Substitute and in July 2022 became the lead teacher in Room 6. She loves working with children and seeing their ah-ha moments when they accomplish a new goal. Not only is she able to help them learn, but they are also constantly teaching her to slow down and celebrate the small victories. Every day is an adventure in room 6. She spends most of her time at the ballpark watching her son, Jacoby, play baseball. Brandy & her husband recently welcomed a new little boy, Jett. In the little time they are not at the ball fields, they enjoy fishing, swimming, and riding 4-wheelers. She also enjoys tending to her large vegetable garden and crafting. She has a lab German Shepard mix, orange tabby, Bengal, leopard gecko, crested gecko, and a fish tank. She currently has her director's license through the state of Kansas. Her goal is to fill any classroom with love, acceptance, laughter, learning, and fun.

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Ana Hernandez

Lead Toddler Teacher: Room 12 鈥� Ages taught: 12-24 months

Ms. Ana has been in the early education field since early 2019. She is currently the lead teacher in Room 12 where she teaches the one-year-olds. She has worked here at the CDC since 2020 and is excited to spend many more years with us! Ana loves teaching every age and says that there is something beautiful and unique about every stage of childhood, but she has found her niche working with the ones! She loves to see the contrast between her 12 and 23-month-olds, and she enjoys empowering them to keep learning and growing. Her goals as a teacher are to create strong relationships with her kiddos, teacher assistants, and families that she works with by sharing love, empathy, and patience. She鈥檚 set to marry her high school sweetheart of six years in March of 2025, and plans to continue raising their fur baby, Aiden. In her free time, Ana enjoys puzzles, planning, and spending time with her favorite people.

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Angie Lancaster

Lead Toddler Teacher: Room 10 鈥� Ages taught: 12-36 months

Angie is the Lead Teacher in Room 10 with 1- to 3-year-olds. She has been in Early Childhood Education since 2004 when she started at Butler Community College to earn her Associates Degree and graduated in 2005 with her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. Angie has two daughters, Claire and Ashlyn. She enjoys spending time camping at the lake or jumping into the car for an adventure. When she isn鈥檛 out and about, she likes tending to her small garden and playing with her dogs. Angie enjoys working with toddlers because it is so inspiring to see them grow from a young toddler into an older toddler and be a witness to all the magical milestones they are reaching. Angie's classroom is filled with laughs, hugs, and endless discoveries. She firmly believes that children learn best through play, and it is her responsibility as their teacher to keep them safe and engage them with quality activities that enhance their learning.

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Ashlyn Riggs

Lead Teacher Substitute

Ashlyn Riggs is our newest Lead Substitute Teacher and was previously the lead teacher assistant in room 6. She is a senior at Wichita State majoring in Early Childhood Unified Education. After graduating she plans to stick around the CDC. In her free time Ashlyn enjoys working out, spending time with friends and family, and going out to eat. Ashlyn began working at the CDC in June of 2022. Her favorite thing about working there is seeing all the kid鈥檚 unique personalities show. She loves getting to help the kid鈥檚 grow and see them change throughout the years. She is very excited to be helping each classroom throughout the school year!  

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Lead Teacher Assistants

Chaelyn Webber

Chaelyn is the Lead Teacher Assistant in Room 5 with 4 and 5-year-olds. She is a Freshman at Wichita State and is majoring in Business Management with the hope of being an interior designer one day. Chaelyn started working at the CDC in August of 2023. Some of her hobbies include shopping with her roommate, reading, spending time outside, and finding new coffee places to try. One of her favorite things about working at the Child Development Center is watching the kids learn and grow every day. She loves seeing Room 5鈥檚 progress from the beginning of the year to now, and she thinks it is amazing. Chaelyn is excited for Room 5鈥檚 endless laughs and to make so many memories!

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James Buhman-Wiggs

James is the Lead Teacher Assistant in Room 8 with the 3 and 4-year-olds. He is a sophomore at Wichita State and is majoring in Secondary Education with a minor in Psychology. After graduating he hopes to pursue a master's degree and teach high school history. James began working at the CDC in October 2023. Some of James鈥� favorite things include writing, tea, and tabletop roleplaying games. One of his favorite things about working at the CDC is the wonderful community of staff and families. He loves to meet the children where they are and help them grow from there. In Room 8 he enjoys playing with the preschoolers inside and outside, sharing fun facts, and connecting with each child at snack time. James is so excited to be Room 8鈥檚 Lead TA and cannot wait to see what comes next.

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Victoria Chacon

Victoria is the Lead Teacher Assistant in the Infant Room. She is a senior at Wichita State and currently in the TAP program getting her Early Childhood Education degree. She started at the CDC in August of 2020 and has loved working here ever since. She loves working with infants because she gets to watch them grow and learn all kinds of new skills. She loves getting to help them complete all the milestones that they achieve in their first year of life. Victoria loves coming to work each day and seeing the smiles that the babies give, it is the best part of her day!

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Natalie Mora

Natalie is the Lead Teacher in Room 6 with the three-and four-year olds. Natalie is a junior in the TAP program getting her bachelor鈥檚 degree in Early Childhood Education. She is also a student in the Honors College. She has always loved working with kids and watching them learn about the world around them. After graduating, she plans on being a preschool teacher. Some of her favorite things to do are walk her dog, go to the gym, and travel. She loves workign with the preschool children and seeing them accomplish so much.

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Taylin Coleman

Taylin is the lead teacher assistant in Room 10, with the one- and two-year-olds. She is a sophomore and is majoring in Elementary Education. After graduating, she hopes to teach 3rd grade! Taylin enjoys reading, going for runs, and cooking/baking. Taylin started working at the CDC in August 2022! She enjoys working with the kids and exploring creativity with them. Her favorite thing about being a part of the Room 10 family is watching all of their personalities shine and grow as they get older!

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Mackenzie Freeman

Mackenzie is the Lead teacher Assistant in Room 12. She is a sophomore at Wichita State majoring in nursing. After graduating, she hopes to continue her education and become a neonatal nurse practitioner. Mackenzie enjoys sleeping, watching movies, and going out with her friends. Mackenzie started working at the CDC in August of 2022 where she fell in love with the smiles and laughs shared throughout the classrooms. Mackenzie鈥檚 favorite thing about working with one-year-olds is getting to watch all their personalities develop along with being able to celebrate every new accomplishment! 

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Haley White

Haley is the Lead TA in Room 3, our two-year-old classroom. She is majoring in Elementary Education at Butler Community College. She began working at the CDC in June of 2022 where she quickly learned about the deep love she has for these sweet kiddos. Her favorite thing about working in Room 3 is that it feels like one big family. She loves working with two-year olds because she loves to see their personalities come out and watch them grow and succeed! Haley loves to come to work every day to their sweet yet sometimes messy hugs, hear their crazy laughs, and see the biggest smiles you will ever see!

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