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Our Staff

Stella Maris employs 45 of the most committed and qualified teachers and staff in the St. Louis area. They are caring instructors and mentors deeply committed to the success and well being of their students.

stella maris staff
Left to right: Justin W., Denise F., Jasmin P., Michelle B., Ruth V., Virginia H.

Highly skilled and fully accredited, all SMCC teachers must meet or exceed the requirements of our licensing agencies. SMCC staff and teachers have an average of 8 years of tenure; providing continuity, consistency and experience unique to child center care agencies.

Each staff educator maintains relevancy and stays up-to-date by participating in SMCC required annual training programs. Staff educators must attend a minimum of 12 in-service training hours each year with an emphasis on childcare, including:

  • Setting developmentally appropriate goals
  • Providing positive behavior management
  • Establishing classroom management
  • Developing safety practices
Bonnie Shearin - Executive Director
Left to right: Karla W., Nicole B., Bonnie Shearin (Executive Director), LaDonna T., Marie M.

Bonnie Shearin is the Executive Director of Stella Maris Child Center. She is a recognized area expert on, and advocate for, early childhood development.

Now approaching its 162 year anniversary, the Center annually serves 160 St. Louis families, providing needed support regardless of race, faith or economic status.

A comprehensive transformation of the Center's strategies was launched to increase its appeal and relevance to today's families' needs and the Center's mission to build children of courage, confidence, and character. A SMCC strategy was adopted that:

 

 

  • Focuses SMCC programs on leadership development and provable outcomes that benefit children, families, and communities;
  • Overhauls outdated volunteer systems and widens the volunteer base;
  • Revitalizes SMCC as the premier child care/development center in St. Louis;
  • Builds a culture of philanthropy and models how to raise funds for new programs and future expansion;
  • Streamlines and realigns SMCC into a high-capacity, high-performance organization that more effectively delivers needed services and support for St. Louis families;
  • Champions diversity and pluralism.