Dez Delahanty

Head Teacher
(He/Him)

Dez enjoys spending time with his menagerie of animals, including 1 dog, 1 cat, 1 gecko, 2 frogs, and 2 snakes. He loves to hike and camp and hopes to visit every National Park some day. He draws, paints, and plays guitar, and he’s lived in Seattle all his life.
He finds it gratifying to teach children how to navigate their big feelings and watch them explore their environment. Children make more sense to him than adults, and he truly can’t image doing anything else in this life.

Sarah Miles

(She/Her)

Sarah enjoys playing DND (3.5 years with the same group), hanging out with friends, and spending time in the beautiful outdoors when the weather is behaving.
Her favorite part about working with kids is watching them learn and figure something out. It’s such a privilege to see the “aha” moment, as well as witnessing major milestones like walking and talking. They make her laugh every day.

Courtney Stillwell

(She/Her)

Courtney is a passionate educator, having almost 15 years of experience in early childhood education. She loves helping kids discover their own skills and strengths by fostering love and care.
She’s also passionate about music, is a DJ and music producer all over the U.S. and is pursuing a degree in electronic music production. She loves the outdoors, painting, and meeting new people!

Greg David-Craft

Head Teacher
(He/Him)

David is a hardcore cinema nerd who loves to write and draw, play and sometimes design tabletop games, and writes movie reviews on Letterboxd.
He enjoys watching the kids go from barely verbal to full conversations in the course of one year. He also learns a lot about basic human psychology by watching young people who haven’t learned to disguise their instincts yet.

Greg has been teaching at SIDC for 31 years.

Pata Sebial

(She/Her)

Pata loves to travel, especially to Europe and specifically Italy. She’s excited to be visiting Barcelona soon! She’s also an amazing cook.
Her favorite thing about working with children is that they’re fun, they are eager to learn and grow. She LOVES being at SIDC, and never gets tired of coming to work.

Pata has been an SIDC teacher for over 14 years.

Martha Buchta

(She/Her)

Info coming soon!

Phaivanh Sisurath

Head Teacher
(She/Her)

Phaivanh loves spending time with her family, cooking delicious food, gardening and taking long walks.
Her favorite thing about working with kids is seeing them develop through different stages, learning their numbers and letters, becoming more independent, expressing their feelings, and problem solving. The kids make her so happy, and she’s amazed by them.

Phaivanh has been with SIDC for 34 years.

Vicky Barrientes

(She/Her)

When not at SIDC, Vicky can be found gardening, spending time with her family, and drawing.
She loves watching the kids grow before her eyes and getting to be a part of that growth. She enjoys helping them learn what to do, and then eventually seeing them do it on their own. It’s gratifying to make a difference and be a part of their growth.

Vicky has taught for 14 years a SIDC.

Kathy LaRocque

Head Teacher
She/Her

Kathy enjoys bike riding on trails in the Puget Sound area, Spokane, and Coeur d’Alene, as well as cooking cozy soups, stews and chilis in her crock pot during cold months.
The PreK kids bring joy to her heart through their curiosity, eagerness to learn and try new things, and their individual personalities. She loves the partnerships with families as they support the child’s individual needs and goals.

Kathy has taught for 27 years at SIDC.

Elzada Lofton

(She/Her)

Zada enjoys socializing and entertaining friends and family, as well as sharing good food with her neighborhood. Known as a social butterfly, she loves meeting new people and taking walks with people in her community. She loves going to plays, luncheons, church, and helping others that are in need.
Her favorite part of working with children is seeing how much they learn, seeing the “light come on,” and the joy and love they share with others.

Zada has been teaching at SIDC for 21 years.

Alana Clay

Floating Teacher & Kitchen Manager
(She/Her)

When not at SIDC, Alana enjoys drawing and reading, as well as ceramics and pottery.
She loves working with children and watching them grow older. It’s amazing to see them become their own unique individuals.

Maggie Godwin

Floating Teacher
(She/Her)

Information coming soon!

Valkyrie Jacobson-Smith

Floating Teacher
(They/Them)

For over 15 years, Valkyrie's breadth of childcare experiences have ranged from nanny care and camp counseling to teaching preschool. They have training in Montessori and Reggio Emilia principles and are excited to be in a Highscope environment.
Their hobbies include foraging, flow arts, partner dancing and living history.