Floaters and Subs (0 -5 yrs)

Katrinia has been working with children for over 23 years and she had five of her own to prepare her. She loves to cook and spend time with her family. Katrinia strives to have a positive impact on the children she works with through her understanding and patient presence. 

Kelly moved from the UK to Chicago in 2012 and lives here with her husband and two children.
Kelly’s background is in training and development and she obtained her Bachelors degree from
Cardiff University, in Broadcast Media and Culture and her Masters degree in Early Childhood Education with a focus on Social Emotional Learning. Kelly is passionate about helping children manage their feelings and loves engaging with children through mindfulness practices and art projects. In her free time Kelly enjoys spending time with her husband and their two children, traveling, writing and exploring new places.

Penny joined OPFS March 2021. She just graduated high school in the  spring and is taking a gap year to work and save money. Penny is a singer/songwriter and is currently in a band called "Space Cake" that has a  song on Spotify called "Wonder". She loves working with the babies and  getting to know their fun individual personalities! Her mission is to make sure the kids are happy and comfortable wherever they are.

Trish brings with her a lifetime of experience caring for children.  Her teaching philosophy is to let the children be the guides while helping them learn  boundaries. She loves nature-based learning and can be found helping the kids climb, swing, and create using materials from nature. Fun Fact: she has more tattoos than any other OPFS staff, and despite her mother’s doubts, she still has no regrets.

Karen grew up in Rochester, New York and left to attend Ashland University in Ohio. She has an Elementary Education degree, has done course work in Early Childhood Education, and attends continuing education workshops and seminars. She and her husband moved to Oak Park in 1999 and have two adult daughters.

Karen worked at the elementary level between corporate computer jobs (where teaching adults was a big part of the job). She also worked with her church high school youth group. She taught at Pilgrim Community Nursery School for four years in the 4-year-old classroom and recently, three years in the 2-year-old classroom.

Karen is an avid quilter and geocacher, and loves to travel and read.