Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Matthew 19:14
132 E. 13th St.
Port Angeles, WA 98362
Meet Our Teachers
Michelle
Nilsen
Elizabeth
Tjepkema
Hello Preschool families!
My name is Michelle Nilsen, and I am honored to be working for St. Matthew Lutheran Preschool. I have two great loves: I have a love for Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and I have a love for children! That combination has led me to a career in Early Childhood Education: First as a teacher for 11 years for Prince of Peace Preschool in Everett, Washington, and then for 12 years as the Director of the same Preschool.
Although my degree is a BA in Business Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara (which served me well as a director), I spent 23 years attending courses in Early Childhood Education.
After my youngest daughter married, I felt it was time to retire from being a Director and move to my cabin out on the Peninsula. But that yearning to continue to teach preschoolers, especially about the love and joy of Jesus Christ, did not diminish. So I reached out to St. Matthew - and here I am!
Besides teaching, I love spending quiet devotional time with God, hiking with my dogs, reading, and spending quality time with family, especially my grandboys.
Hi Everybody!
My Name is Elizabeth Tjepkema, and this is my first year teaching at St. Matthew Lutheran Preschool! My youngest son attended St. Matthew's preschool a few years ago, and I'm excited to be joining the preschool as a teacher this year. I look forward to all the fun activities we will be doing!
My husband and I live in Port Angeles with our two young sons and two pet ferrets. Our family enjoys being members at St. Matthew and worshiping together on Sundays.
I was raised on the Olympic Peninsula and studied at Peninsula College before moving to Seattle for a few years. We are happy to be back, and I love spending time in the beautiful outdoors with my family and reading a good book in my free time!