Our Staff
Kerrie Dalton
Stars Lead Teacher
Karrie grew up in South Florida and moved to Seattle in 2005. She loves working with children and taught elementary school for nine years. After staying home to raise her three boys, she spent time as a preschool assistant teacher and found that preschool was where she wanted to teach. Karrie lives in Snohomish with her husband Chris, son Harrison, and two mini pigs Kylo and Rupert. She enjoys watching her son play hockey, spending time with family and friends, and camping.
Favorite Children’s Book: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Kieko Kawahara
Stars Teacher
Kieko grew up in Japan, where she developed an appreciation for the outdoors throughout the four seasons. She enjoys being outside and has fond memories of doing activities every day with her four siblings. She received a kindergarten Teacher License in early childhood education in Japan. Kieko has worked at Holy Spirit Lutheran Preschool for over 13 years and each year, the students make her love this job even more. She enjoys being around kids, and every day is an adventure. Kieko loves to learn from the kids, explore new ideas they come up with, and work together to create amazing memories. Kieko has been married for over 20 years, and they have two sons, both of whom attended HSLP. Kieko and her family have great memories of the community while her sons attended and the wonderful teachers they had. When not at preschool, Kieko enjoys reading, jogging, and playing tennis.
Favorite Children’s Book: Bark George by Jules Feiffer
Julie Main
Stars Teacher
Julie grew up in the picturesque town of Bend in Central Oregon. She pursued her higher education at Whitworth University in Spokane, where she earned a degree in Elementary Education and English. She explored different roles in elementary schools and community mental health before choosing to further her studies at the University of Washington, obtaining a Master of Social Work (MSW).
Julie began her professional journey in the field of adult mental health, working in both Washington, D.C. and the Bay Area before choosing to become a full-time mom.
In 2004, Julie and her husband, Eric, moved to Kirkland, where they raised their three children. The family enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, and sailing. They are also avid soccer fans and love spending time together playing games or walking their golden retriever around the neighborhood. In her quiet moments, Julie enjoys reading, writing and working with others on their writing skills. Through the years, she has enjoyed a wide variety of volunteer roles in her kids’ schools and with their sports teams. Now that her own kids are (mostly) grown, she is looking forward to surrounding herself again with the exuberance of preschoolers at Holy Spirit Lutheran.
Corrine Zarfos
Twinkles Teacher
Corrine has enjoyed working in early childhood for 9 years at HSLC. She has experience with babies through 6 years old. Corrine is empathetic and works to incorporate each child’s individual needs into the learning objectives. Science and Art are her favorite things to do with children, as you can see their problem solving and creativity in real time. Corrine loves animals of all kinds and has spent time volunteering at local shelters. She enjoys spending time in nature and going to her family’s cabin in Eastern Washington. Corrine lives in Martha Lake with her husband and their pets. '
Favorite Children’s Book: Babies Around the World by Puck and illustrated by Violet Lemay
Monica Dadashi
Twinkles Teacher
Monica grew up in Kirkland and at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church. Both of her children attended Holy Spirit Preschool and it was a foundational experience for their social development. Monica is thrilled to work with children at Holy Spirit, watching them learn and grow through play. She believes in supporting each child as an individual, by emphasizing their talents and gifts. Monica enjoys reading and going for walks with her twins. She lives in Kirkland with her children, cat, and bunnies.
Favorite Children’s Book: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Kelly Burns
Administrator
Kelly is thankful to be part of Holy Spirit Preschool staff. As a stay-at-home mom for over 15 years, she spent her time volunteering in the church nursery and helping run VBS for Eastside Foursquare Church. She loves being part of the community and helping at her kids’ school. She enjoys being around kids, teaching them new things, and being silly. Kelly lives in Kirkland with her husband Andrew, their four boys and a Labsky named Coco. They love to spend time together playing sports, boardgames and being outdoors. Kelly enjoys hiking, camping, swimming, even though her favorite season is winter. She loves puzzles, coffee, and reading. She is excited to see where the Lord leads her on this new adventure.
Favorite Children's Books: Mousekin’s Golden House and Goodnight Moon
Becky Cole
Director
Becky grew up in Minnesota and moved to the Seattle area in 1996. She joined the HSLC staff in 2007 as Children’s Ministry Director. Becky has an MBA, and a Certificate of Professional Studies in Children, Youth and Family Ministries. Becky and her husband, Christopher, have two sons who attended HSLP and she loves being a part of the school that helped shape her boys’ education. Becky enjoys reading, camping, traveling, attending soccer matches, and spending time with her family. She especially feels called to include every child, teach the grace of Jesus Christ, and live life as God called.
Favorite Children’s Book: Silly Sally by Audrey Wood