Our dedicated STAFF provide a caring, safe, and positive place for children to develop a myriad of social, artistic, and academic skills.
DAVID POST:
David Post is the Owner and Arts Coordinator of Bellingham Preschool of the Arts, as well as the Director of BAAY!, Bellingham Academy of Arts for Youth. He has a Masters Degree in Choral Conducting from Northern Arizona University, a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music. David has over 20 years of experience as an educator.
TINA OCHELTREE:
Tina Ocheltree is the Lead Teacher at Bellingham Preschool of the Arts. She discovered her passion for working with young children over 30 years ago while studying Early Childhood Education in high school. Tina graduated from Western Washington University where she was able to combine her love of the arts with her desire to become a teacher of young children. She holds a BA in Ed with a Major in Art Education and a Minor in Elementary Education. Tina worked in childcare throughout college, and has taught grades K-4 in the Bellingham and Mt. Baker School Districts, Grades 1 and 2 at Whatcom Hills Waldorf School, and more than 10 years at Children’s Cooperative Preschool (CCP); a part of Whatcom Community College’s Parent Education Program. While at CCP, Tina developed and taught a kindergarten enrichment program and a toddler program, as well as teaching the 3-5 yr. old preschool classes. During all of this time, Tina continued her own education through courses at Western Washington University, Seattle Pacific University, Whatcom Community College, Rudolph Steiner College in Sacramento, CA, the West Coast Institute for Early Childhood Education in N. Vancouver, B.C., and a myriad of conferences through WAEYC. Tina has been married to her high school sweetheart for 28 years, and is mom to 4 wonderful sons, ages 6-21.
"Teacher Tina is phenomenal. Almost supernatural with her abilities with children. She's that rare person who is passionate about both individual children and about early childhood education in general. She continues to learn and research and refine her own techniques and strives to create the best possible environment for growth. I just can't say enough about her and the program she's creating at BPOTA." ~A BPOTA Mom
JOHANNA de VRIES:
Johanna is our Visual Arts, and Spanish Instructor, as well the Assistant Preschool, and Toddler Teacher. She has an Associate Degree in Fine Arts from Lower Columbia College and a BA in Fine Arts from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland. She has taught visual art classes in Seattle and in Bellingham Public Schools for the last 10 years.
"Teacher Johanna is the assistant teacher and she brings her vast knowledge as a working artist, art teacher and mother to the mix. She also speaks Spanish with the kids and has an infectious enthusiasm for visual art and expression." ~A BPOTA Parent
KRISTA EYTCHISON:
Krista started her career as an educator in Seattle, working with at-risk youth in the mid-nineties. In 2002, she earned her Bachelors of Science in Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. As a certified art teacher, Krista taught elementary art for five years in Nevada’s Clark County School District. In 2008, she moved back to the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two small children. Since setting down roots in Bellingham, Krista has been teaching at the Preschool of the Arts and running a successful online crafting business. Krista is one of our Assistant Toddler Teachers, and the Lead Toddler Art& Play Teacher.
JOHN BISCEGLIA:
John Bisceglia is a pianist and electric bassist with 35 years of performing experience, first as a church organist and rock bassist, and later as a member of various jazz orchestras and classical ensembles.
He began teaching 25 years ago and has been in love with teaching ever since.
John started out as a self-taught musician. In 1985 he began taking general
music courses at a local community college at age 20; by 1986 he was accepted as a piano performance major at the University of Michigan's School of Music, earned 2 scholarships, and graduated with a BM in Piano Performance (cum laude) in 1993.
He has been a member of the Music Teacher’s National Association, the Early Childhood Music & Movement Association, and the Gordon Institute for Music Learning, and is certified as a Musikgarten Group Piano instructor.
John is very passionate about teaching music to children of all ages, and believes that working to inspire and cultivate interest in the creative arts through music, movement, and drama to be a privilege and a joy.
contact Mr. B at : soundartist88@yahoo.com for more in on his music programs
ERIN WILLISON, Director and Programs Coordinator
Erin organizes, coordinates, facilitates, administrates, and communicates all things “behind the scenes” at Bellingham Preschool of the Arts. She is responsible for program development and coordination, curriculum planning, student registration, enrollment, scholarship, marketing/PR, HR, managing BPOTA website, and budgeting.
Before coming to BPOTA, Erin traveled the world as an international flight attendant for a decade. She has a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication, is a certified Montessori teacher, is an intergenerational facilitator, and a mother of a spirited 4 year-old son.
Erin has often described herself as “having a Master’s in Life.” Before moving to Bellingham to raise a family, she spent 4 years traveling around the world solo. She cooked on a cattle station in Australia’s Outback, taught Kindergarten to novice monks in Ranong, Thailand, was a roustabout on a sheep sheering station on D-Urville Island, New Zealand, and rode camels through the Thar desert in Rajastan, India.
Erin believes that hands-on learning opportunities are all around us, and she is eager to offer her knowledge of early learning and her passion for building community, to Bellingham Preschool of the Arts.
JILL TAYLOR, Office Manager (Bio Coming Soon...)
******************************************************************
Bellingham Preschool of the Arts
1059 N State St
Bellingham, WA 98225
