Meet Emily Erpelding, Toddler Teacher
Hello, my name is Emily Erpelding. I have been working here since I was a teenager (2003)! I applied to work here as a college student because I’ve always enjoyed working with children. My previous work experiences included being a lifeguard/swim instructor and lots of babysitting! I started on a student sub list and I was so excited each time I was called in to work. At first preschool was my favorite age group, but as I spent more time with toddlers I knew that it was a perfect fit. Bungalow C started to schedule me regular hours and when a teacher was leaving, I was approached if I would like to continue to work here full time. I obviously said “YES!” Over the years, I have bounced between the infant classrooms and C5. I would have to say that younger toddlers is my favorite age group. We have so much fun together. I love how quickly their language develops and to hear all of their interesting ideas. I also love when they begin to play more with each other and watch their friendships grow. They are so silly, playful, and determined! I love my job!
Meet Heather Lynch, Preschool Teacher
Hi, I’m Heather Lynch. I started at CDLS as a student worker in 2004 and over 20 years later I’m still here! I have enjoyed getting to know so many children, and adults too over the years! I especially enjoy working in early childhood because it gives me so many opportunities to continue learning and growing with the children I teach. These connections and the relationships I have with the children, families, and my colleagues are what makes working at CDLS so special to me. I have had the unique fortune of teaching in all age groups. I started my career in infants and have progressed through toddlers to my current preschool classroom. Over the years, I have most enjoyed spending time reading, cooking, and being outdoors with the children. Three experiences that jump to mind are taking the children to the library, making cauliflower crust pizza from scratch, and snowshoeing almost every winter. These same sorts of activities are how I enjoy spending time with my husband, Scott, and my son, Liam.
Meet Gary Strafelda, Head Cook
What do you enjoy about your work?
I enjoy seeing the children and knowing what I do is providing nutritionally balanced meals for them.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I get in around 6:20 a.m., I have everything I need turned on to prepare for the day. Then I start breakfast, and if I have time to work on some of the lunch items I’ll do that before we wheel out the breakfast carts. At about 8:15 a.m. we roll out the carts for breakfast and head back to the kitchen to continue preparing for lunch. Lunch carts hopefully roll out between 11:15 – 11:30 a.m. After lunch goes out I try to start doing prep work for snack if needed and/or prep what I can for next day’s meals, and I leave around 2:30 p.m.
What do you enjoy most about CDLS?
THE CHILDREN.
What is your favorite season?
Not that it’s recognized as an official season…but fishing season is my favorite. I enjoy getting out on the water in my boat to fish and also enjoy the peace and quiet with my family or friends that are fishing with me.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of CDLS?
Fishing and hunting are my hobbies. I just returned from a trip to Canada where I caught the largest walleye of my life (30″ and 11 lbs).
What is something that your coworkers might not know about you?
That I had a double organ transplant in November 2018. I’ve been married for almost 39 years, I have two children (now in their 20’s) that my wife and I adopted from Russia when they were infants. We have three labrador retriever dogs at home named Otis, Harper, and Gryffindor (Griff for short), and we look forward to our annual Leech Lake fishing/family vacation with a group of my high school friends and their families. We’ve done this vacation for over 25 years and look forward to it time and time again.