Three's Class

THREE OR FOUR DAY OPTIONS

Monday / Wednesday / Friday: Katie Rucker and Leslie Rinehart

Tuesday / Thursday / Friday: Laura Owens and Taylor Redd

Our Three's classroom is designed to allow opportunities for play in a way that will intentionally support skill development. Each center in the classroom will encourage the children to practice language skills, social skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, self-regulation, and creativity.

The Threes class spends the first and last part of their day on the playground, allowing lots of time for outdoor play time that is unstructured but supported by our teaching staff. The class will have a Circle Time that provides routine and structure while building a classroom family connection. Center Time accounts for most of the time spent inside, with children having a free choice to try out the centers, including an art center, a dramatic play center, a literacy center, fine motor centers like play dough or slime, gross motor centers like car tracks or big blocks, manipulative like puzzles, and a science center.

Children bring their own snacks each day and a reusable water bottle.

Taylor Redd

Leslie Rinehart

Leslie loves laughing, singing, connecting with people, and exploring the world. Originally from Minnesota, Leslie studied Communications at Ithaca College and has lived in Chapel Hill since 1991. After careers in financial counseling and international adoption, Leslie became an early childhood educator in 2008. Since then, she has taught preschool in both Montessori and Reggio Emilia inspired schools in the triangle area.

Leslie was thrilled to join the UPPS family in Spring 2021 and she looks forward to teaching the 3's class in the coming years. Leslie enjoys spending time with her three adult children. They enjoy singing together, going to concerts, sporting events, and theater productions, walking their dog Bella, skiing, traveling, boating, as well as going to the pool, beach, and their summer cabin in Michigan.

Katie Rucker

Katie is a life long Chapel Hill resident. She grew up here, received a BS in Sociology from UNC and doesn't think there is a better place to raise a family. She and her husband, Adin, have two daughters (11 and 15).Once her girls graduated from preschool she went back to work as a preschool teacher. She has taught 3 year old preschool for the past seven years. Play based learning is her focus and she loves watching children grow and gain confidence through all the different types of play.When she isn't watching her girls play volleyball, Katie enjoys the beach and gardening.

Laura Owen

As a native North Carolinian and graduate of UNC, Laura loves being back in Chapel Hill. She lived in Atlanta for 16 years and moved to Chapel Hill with her husband and three children in 2017. Laura received her BS in Elementary Education from UNC-CH and her Masters in Education from UGA. She taught elementary school in Chapel Hill and Atlanta before staying at home with her three children. Laura loves guiding children’s learning through play and discovery. She is an active member of UPC and enjoys anything outdoors, puzzles, and spending time with her family.