Ruthann Dalzell is our School Director at Primrose School of Algonquin, serving in this role since our school opened in January, 2011. Ruthann brings a wealth of experience to her position with over 30 years directing and teaching young students. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree from Augustana College.

Mrs. Gallagher has her B.A. in Early Childhood Education and over 30 years experience teaching young students from infants to school age. She joined our faculty in the summer of 2012, leading our Early Preschool classroom. In the summer of 2014 we proudly promoted her to the Curriculum Director position, where she oversees curriculum implementation in our classrooms and faculty support to ensure our Primrose Balanced Learning program is implemented with fidelity.

Mrs. Shooll has her B.A. in Early Childhood Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Northern Illinois University.  She has over 12 years of experience working with young children in both classroom and management capacities.  She joined the Primrose management team in May of 2025. 

Mrs. Sue Lambert joined the Primrose team in December of 2011.  Graduating from Western Illinois University, she holds a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a minor in Early Childhood Education. Mrs. Lambert has held many positions within the Early Childhood Field, but the infant room is where she is the happiest.

Mrs. Berg joined Primrose in 2025. She graduated from Loras College with a double major in Elementary and Early Childhood Education. She has experience with children of all ages but her favorite age to work with is infants.

Ms. Sarah Kirkpatrick joined the Primrose team in August of 2024.  Previous Co-Owner to a home daycare for numerous years, we welcome Ms. Kirkpatrick to a bigger environment where she is excited to work in our Infant classroom, helping them grow and develop their own personalities.

Mrs. Kristin Nelson joined the Primrose team in September of 2012. Holding her Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Special Education, Mrs. Nelson has experience working with children of various ages. Helping wherever it is needed, Mrs. Nelson is current working in our Infant classroom and loves watching them grow and develop.

Mrs. Kahlee Wallace joined our school in August of 2024. After working in other industries, Mrs. Wallace discovered a love of caring for children. She enjoys being able to see how much the babies grow & change while in her classroom.

Ms. Megan Camper joined our Primrose team in January of 2025. She became interested in the field of Early Childhood Education after becoming a mom and seeing how her son experienced the world. She earned her CDA (Child Development Associate credential) in 2026. She loves to see how young children persevere when learning new things.

Ms. Valentina Fernandez joined our school in September of 2023 as an Assistant Teacher in the Toddler classroom. She especially enjoys teaching toddlers because their joyful play makes her day brighter

Ms. Joan Eigenbrod joined the Primrose team in September of 2013.  Known by “Ms. E” to the students in the building, she works in one of our Early Preschool classrooms, where her group of two-year-olds just love her. While this has been Ms. E’s first job in childcare, she has spent time working with children in other settings.

Ms. Yulisa Villicana joined the Primrose team in October of 2024. She earned her Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) certification and enjoys teaching our two-year-old students, who lovingly call her “Ms. V.” She loves how each day with her students is full of surprises and laughter.

Ms. Nicole Manikowski joined the Primrose team in March of 2023.  Coming from a big family of educators, Ms. Manikowski, know as “Ms. M” by her students, holds many years of experience helping in the Sunday School at her Church. She loves being part of everything her group of two-year-olds learn and watching them grow up in such a short period of time. Ms. Manikowski earned her CDA (Child Development Associate credential) in 2026.

Ms. Medina joined Primrose in 2025 and has a degree in both Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She comes from a family of teachers and enjoys seeing the smiles & excitement her students bring to each day.

Ms. Amanda Barnett joined the Primrose team in September of 2016.  First starting in Childcare in 2008, Ms. Barnett loves seeing her students learn something new and the joy that it brings them. She enjoys listening to her student’s stories and talking with them.

Ms. Danielle Jackson joined the Primrose team in December of 2011. Working with children her entire career, Ms. Jackson lends a hand wherever it may be needed, but her sole focus is on her preschool students, where she enjoys watching them grow and seeing their excitement they have when they are doing something new for the first time.

Mrs. Kristie Decker joined our Primrose team in November of 2022. With previous experience as a Pre-k teacher in another setting, Mrs. Decker now helps our preschool students get ready for the next steps in their learning. She loves the children’s honesty and the stories they share about what they did or where they went. Her students put a smile on her face each day.

Ms. Kayla Van Dike joined the Primrose team in August of 2021. Ms. Van Dike has her degree in Early Childhood Education from Eastern Illinois University and has a Paraprofessional License for Special Education. She loves her group of students and how creative their minds can be.

Mrs. Stacey Terpening joined the Primrose team in August of 2015. Known to her students as “Mrs. T” she holds a degree in Elementary education and has been working with children since 2001. She does a wonderful job preparing her Pre-k students for their next adventures.

Ms. Paige Nelson joined the Primrose team in October of 2023. She has previous experience tutoring various ages and enjoyed taking numerous Child Development courses throughout high school. She loves seeing each child develop their own personality.

Ms. Maureen Maguire joined the Primrose team in September of 2022. Having over 40 years of experience working with children, in different roles, Ms. Maguire comes to us from another Primrose located in Texas. Preparing our Pre-k students for Kindergarten, Ms. Maguire loves seeing each child’s imagination and their excitement when they master a new skill.

Mrs. Sharon Garling joined the Primrose team in October of 2012. Holding her Masters in Elementary Education, Mrs. Garling is our Kindergarten teacher, having many years of experience working with children of various ages. She loves to teach her students how to read and write.

Ms. Lynn Peterson joined the Primrose team in December of 2011. Working with children of various ages for many years, Ms. Peterson helps in each room of the building, where she gets to build relationships with all the children, but her School Age students are the ones that hold a special place in her heart.

Ms. Nicole Morys joined the Primrose team in the Fall of 2022. You will see Ms. Morys smiling face in any one of our classrooms. She enjoys being able to watch the children grow and find their own unique personalities.

Ms. Sandra Farrell joined our team in 2024. She is a mom of to sons, one of whom has a speech delay.  Throughout his journey with special education she has learned so much about early childhood development and has a strong appreciation for all educators. 

Ms. Danica Morys joined our team in 2025. Her favorite thing about working with children seeing the joyful way they approach learning each day.

Ms. Julie Gonzalez joined our staff in 2025. She is proud to be a part of a child’s early years of growth, especially as they are learning to navigate & name their feelings.

Mrs. Maria Arias, joined the Primrose team in July of 2022. Mrs. Arias is passionate about making healthy food choices for each child in the building and supplying them with the resources to grow and learn, while also keeping the kitchen nice and clean. Each child greets her with a loud “hello” as she enters each room.

Mrs. Monica Llamas joined the Primrose team in May of 2023. She loves seeing how excited the children are when she enters each classroom to bring them their food. Helping the children make healthy choices is something Mrs. Llamas is passionate about.