My name is Kelly Lafferty and I accepted the Director position of the amazing Ascension Lutheran's Extended Day preschool program in January of 2021. I am also an Internationally certified Lactation Consultant with a small company in downtown Denver. I was raised very dedicated and involved in a local Lutheran church in Centennial, and have always been driven and motivated to work with children alongside of God's support.
I currently live in Highlands Ranch with my two children, my loving boyfriend, and our extremely spunky Jack Russel dog. My very wise and outgoing daughter, Ashlynn, was born in 2010 and my very independent and energetic son, Declan, in 2015; they both attend school nearby, in Highlands Ranch. They are both very active and love playing sports outdoors, doing art, or getting dirty with science experiments or just in the dirt of a garden, whichever makes a larger mess for us to clean up, of course. We all feel blessed to be living in beautiful Colorado as it provides us with the ability to take quick trips to an abundance of locations for hiking, exploring, or just relaxing in front of a scenic sunset or mountain views.
I have spent the majority of my life (no need to age myself and tell you for how long) involved with child development and gained my Bachelors of Science degree from Colorado State University in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Infants and Children. My passion truly is children and I am fortunate to be surrounded by the laughter and gleeful sounds of children everyday in my career. Those sounds drive my energy and fill my cup. I truly believe Ascension is exactly what I was searching for and I feel privileged to work alongside of the incredible teachers in this program.
Email: director@alcpreschool.com
I currently live in Highlands Ranch with my two children, my loving boyfriend, and our extremely spunky Jack Russel dog. My very wise and outgoing daughter, Ashlynn, was born in 2010 and my very independent and energetic son, Declan, in 2015; they both attend school nearby, in Highlands Ranch. They are both very active and love playing sports outdoors, doing art, or getting dirty with science experiments or just in the dirt of a garden, whichever makes a larger mess for us to clean up, of course. We all feel blessed to be living in beautiful Colorado as it provides us with the ability to take quick trips to an abundance of locations for hiking, exploring, or just relaxing in front of a scenic sunset or mountain views.
I have spent the majority of my life (no need to age myself and tell you for how long) involved with child development and gained my Bachelors of Science degree from Colorado State University in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Infants and Children. My passion truly is children and I am fortunate to be surrounded by the laughter and gleeful sounds of children everyday in my career. Those sounds drive my energy and fill my cup. I truly believe Ascension is exactly what I was searching for and I feel privileged to work alongside of the incredible teachers in this program.
Email: director@alcpreschool.com
Preschool Teacher: Rondelle Martinez has spent most of her adult life teaching. She received her Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management from the University of Colorado and spent 14 years of corporate training for adults. While completing all of that, she learned she really loved teaching children and had a passion to help guide them in their early years. Rondelle gained her Lead Teacher certification in 2021 and has completed Pyramid Plus and Expanding Quality in Infant and Toddler Care. Rondelle's favorite part of teaching is seeing her students accomplish a goal they have been working hard to achieve!! She maintains a focus on social emotional skills while teaching our students.
Preschool Assistant Teacher: Kari Pace was raised on a ranch in Wyoming. She has been a Youth Pastor, has coached high school basketball, martial arts, swimming, music, tennis, and dance for over 25 years. Kari has helped develop Programs and Family Involvement Practices for organizations in four areas of Colorado. Kari has served on many boards, including her church, medical, and private organizations. Kari's background and previous work is extensive in behavioral therapy, autism support, TBI's, nutrition, medical research, music therapy, advocacy and disease control. Kari studied at CWC, LCCC, the University of Chicago, and Pickens Technical College. She loves to spend time with her family, which includes two sons and five grandchildren. She enjoys swimming, boating, her motorcycle, hiking, fishing, playing the piano, atvs, and does professional photography on the side. She is excited to be a part of the Ascension program.
Prekindergarten Teacher: Bernadine Herrera is a Colorado native. She taught in Denver Public Schools for 30 years before blessing us with her passion for teaching and her true love for children. Bernadine received her Bachelor of Arts from Loretto Heights College in Elementary Education and Educable Mentally Handicapped. She received her Master of Arts in Education from the University of Phoenix in Curriculum and Instruction. She also has an endorsement in Early Childhood Education. She likes to watercolor paint and garden in her free time. She also enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.
Preschool Assistant Teacher: Kari Pace was raised on a ranch in Wyoming. She has been a Youth Pastor, has coached high school basketball, martial arts, swimming, music, tennis, and dance for over 25 years. Kari has helped develop Programs and Family Involvement Practices for organizations in four areas of Colorado. Kari has served on many boards, including her church, medical, and private organizations. Kari's background and previous work is extensive in behavioral therapy, autism support, TBI's, nutrition, medical research, music therapy, advocacy and disease control. Kari studied at CWC, LCCC, the University of Chicago, and Pickens Technical College. She loves to spend time with her family, which includes two sons and five grandchildren. She enjoys swimming, boating, her motorcycle, hiking, fishing, playing the piano, atvs, and does professional photography on the side. She is excited to be a part of the Ascension program.
Prekindergarten Teacher: Bernadine Herrera is a Colorado native. She taught in Denver Public Schools for 30 years before blessing us with her passion for teaching and her true love for children. Bernadine received her Bachelor of Arts from Loretto Heights College in Elementary Education and Educable Mentally Handicapped. She received her Master of Arts in Education from the University of Phoenix in Curriculum and Instruction. She also has an endorsement in Early Childhood Education. She likes to watercolor paint and garden in her free time. She also enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.