Mrs. Schneider is a life-time member of Zion Lutheran Church and has been the director and classroom teacher at Zion since 2016. She works alongside Mrs. Spratt, her assistant teacher. She attended grade school at Zion, and graduated from Palmyra HS. She received her B.S. in Child & Family Studies from Northwest Missouri State and her Masters of Early Childhood Education from Grand Canyon University. She also completed the Seminar Program for Lutheran School Teachers through Concordia University. After graduation, Mrs. Schneider worked as a Parent Educator for ‘Parents as Teachers’ in Palmyra, a teacher at Blessing Hospital’s ‘Lauretta M. Eno Early Learning Center’ in Quincy, IL, and as the High 5 Preschool Teacher at St. John's Lutheran School in Hannibal, MO. Mrs. Schneider lives in Palmyra with her husband, Kyle, who works as an electrical lineman at Missouri Rural Electric-Palmyra. Together they have two sons, Eli and Liam.
Ms. Becky (Speckhart) joined the preschool team in 2019 as a substitute teacher, and 2022 as the preschool secretary. She is a communication professional with 16 years of experience in the public sector, consulting and healthcare industries. Her areas of expertise include internal communications, video editing, writing, training and project management. Becky is originally from Bourbon, Indiana and has a Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations with a concentration in communication studies. Becky lives in Palmyra with her husband Isaac and three children, Bianca, Shelby and Lincoln.
Mrs. Spratt has worked at Zion as an assistant teacher since 2015, and works in the classroom with Mrs. Schneider. She is a Palmyra High School graduate and has a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration. Mrs. Spratt is a member of the 1st Baptist Church in Palmyra, and an active member in the American Legion Auxiliary. She lives in Palmyra with her husband, Trevor, and their four daughters, Danae, Devyn, Dannah, and Dylan. Trevor was a member of the Marine Corps, so Mrs. Spratt has lived on the East Coast, the West Coast, and in Arizona. She loves softball, being outside with her daughters, swimming, and traveling.
Mrs. Foster joined our team in 2018 and is a classroom teacher at Zion Lutheran Preschool. She works alongside Mrs. Hudson, her assistant teacher. Mrs. Foster is a graduate of Hannibal High School and received her B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Hannibal LaGrange. Before coming to Zion, she worked as a classroom teacher at the Hannibal Children's Center. Mrs. Foster lives in Hannibal with her husband, Josh, their daughter, Leandra and son Jonah. They attend Tabernacle of Praise in Hannibal.
Mrs. Hudson joined our team as an assistant teacher in 2018, and works in the classroom with Mrs. Foster. Before coming to Zion, she was a stay at home mom for 13 years, until her youngest started kindergarten. Before she had children, Mrs. Hudson worked at the YMCA in Hannibal teaching swim lessons, working with the after school program, and in the program's office. She lives in Palmyra with her husband, Aaron, and their five daughters. They attend St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Palmyra.
Ms. Erin joined the team in 2018, and is a classroom teacher at Zion Lutheran Preschool. She works alongside Mrs. Bounds, her assistant teacher. Ms. Erin realized her love for early childhood education when she began her career at Bright Beginnings Preschool in Mexico, MO. She also taught as a teacher's aide for 7 years at Head Start Douglas Community Center in Palmyra. Ms. Erin has a son, Cade, and triplet daughters, Addie, Annie, and Angie. She lives in Palmyra with her fiance, Chris, and two "bonus sons", Cameron and Austin.
Mrs. Bounds joined our team in 2022, and will work in the classroom with Ms. Erin. She has an Associate’s Degree in Human Services Management from the University of Phoenix. Mrs. Bounds spent 4 years in elementary classes teaching programs about health choices & peer-to-peer conflict resolution. She also served 7 years in the United States Army as a Chemical Operations Specialist & Paratrooper—where she received two honorable discharges. Mrs. Bounds lives in Palmyra with her husband Shane and three children—Lillie, Marshall and Lila. In her free time, she enjoys music, reading, fishing and being with her family. Amber’s home church is Zion Lutheran Church.