Preschool
BVSD offers a tuition-based preschool at Fireside to serve children who turn 3 or 4 years old before October 1st. We also offer expertise and guidance to families who need financial assistance or to those who have children with special needs. This half-day program, AM (8:00 am-10:45 am) and PM (11:45 am-2:30 pm), is available Tuesdays through Fridays during the BVSD school-year calendar.
The Fireside Preschool is designed to meet the physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and language developmental needs of students utilizing developmentally appropriate classroom practices. The teaching strategies employed in the preschool recognizes that young children learn through active explorations and interactions with responsive adults, other children, and open-ended experiences which provide rich opportunities for learning - all in an active, fun, play-based environment.
For more information on the BVSD preschool program, curriculum, tuition, enrollment, and resources, please visit the BVSD Early Childhood Education Website. Please contact Fireside's Community Liaison or additional questions regarding our school's program and/or enrollment.
Meet our Preschool Teachers & Staff
Jody Choi
Candace Garbow
I am honored to join the Fireside family as Community Liaison!
I was born in Fairbanks, Alaska but moved to Minnesota after finishing elementary school. Those are two gorgeous - but very cold - states! I moved with my husband, Zack, to Colorado in 2011. We could not have picked a more beautiful place to call home and start our family.
My background is in electrical engineering and long ago, I did chip design for IBM. I resigned from IBM to work for Zack's startup. Once I had Amelie, I became a stay at home parent. In 2021, I felt inspired to substitute teach within BVSD so I could help our teachers during such a difficult year. Little did I know subbing would lead me here and I am so grateful!
I have two Fireside Falcons: Amelie (3rd grade) and Cade (1st grade). Amelie is a delightful little girl who loves to draw, read, play soccer and listen to Hamilton. Cade is a sweetie pie guy that loves Legos, sharks, crafting and reading.
In my free time, I love to run, read and nap...usually in this order.
Caitlin Guerrie
Hello, I’m Caitlin Guerrie (Grr-air-eee!) I am a proud–fourth-generation!–Colorado native. I grew up in Littleton but I now live with my husband and our two dogs in Old Town Lafayette. In my spare time I like to read, be outside, cook and eat delicious food, and binge watch Netflix dramedies. Some of my pre-pandemic pastimes included Grass Roots Ultimate frisbee, aerial dance and ceramics.
The past three years, I’ve worked at Birch Elementary as the Early Childhood Community Liaison. I recently completed my Early Childhood Special Education endorsement at CU Denver partnering with Brenna Aversano this spring, as her practicum student. Prior to becoming a liaison, I worked at Boulder Journey School as a Graduate Intern Teacher and at Swansea Elementary as a Denver Math Fellow. I studied anthropology as an undergraduate leading me to take the “scenic route” to become a teacher.
I am delighted and proud to become a Fireside Falcon!
Laurie Mickey
I am so excited to be on the Fireside team as a Preschool Teacher! Early childhood is the critical time to spark a love of learning in our students. My goal with each student is to find out what is meaningful to them and use that to help them grow and explore. I love to engage in many hands on learning activities with my students, encouraging questioning and problem solving.
A long time Colorado resident, I come to Fireside from Birch Elementary in Broomfield where I worked for 10 years in Preschool. Prior to that. I have a background in dentistry and Environmental Science. I love sharing fun science experiments in the classroom!
In my spare time, I love gardening, cooking, hiking and reading. I especially enjoy cooking from the things I grow in my own gardens. I also love spending as much time as possible with my family, including my two sons who are bringing me new joys as they embark on the voyage to adulthood.