Dina Kalina: St. Vincent de Paul Preschool
Fortunately for central Illinois children, several college experiences led Dina Kalina into elementary education rather than politics. “When I entered Indiana University, my major was political science, and one of my professors was particularly interested in children’s issues. During the course of her classes, I learned about the Children’s Defense Fund and founder Marian Wright Edelman. From that point, I wanted to aid children by being a lobbyist for the CDF rather than an attorney and politician as I had planned,” she said.
A second experience, as a counselor for a residential wilderness camp directed by the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis, solidified her desire. “We served children ages four to 14 from the inner city. These children had been exposed to and lived through more violence, poverty, hunger, drug addiction, heartache, and despair in their young lives than most of us could even begin to imagine. One evening, after an intensely terrifying occurrence, I began to wonder if I could finish the summer and went home. However, my mom didn’t even unpack my bags because she knew I was hooked. The director of the camp told me I had a choice to make: I could either walk away and stay in my comfort zone, or I could carry on and make a difference. I went back to camp and finished the summer and realized that in order to work for kids, I needed to work with kids.”
Kalina’s career in education has included stints as director of St. Charles Children’s Ministry in Bloomington, Ind.; teaching pre-kindergarten at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Natchitoches, La.; and her current role as administrator at St. Vincent de Paul Preschool in Peoria, where she’s been since 1999. “As administrator, I oversee the operations of the entire program. On an annual basis, I’m responsible for enrollment, developing and administering the budget, hiring and training staff, establishing the curriculum, updating communication materials, and planning our annual calendar,” she said.
The school hosts many special events for the children, their families, and the community—including a noteworthy art program. “In the spring, we spend a month learning about famous artists, works of art, forms, and techniques. Our Parish Hall is transformed into a museum, and the artwork is readied for display in the galleries. That may mean bronzing, mounting, matting, or hanging. Then, on a Friday evening, we hold a showing of the collection of art created by the students during that period, complete with music, wine, and hors d’oeuvres.”
In addition to her administrative duties, she teaches a pre-kindergarten class each morning. “The choice to stay in the classroom while also being an administrator is an easy one for me,” Kalina said. “Being with the children each day reminds me of the important things in life. Far more than me imparting knowledge to them, they teach me how to be a kinder, more compassionate person and how to find excitement in the little things. And I shouldn’t discount just how much fun it really is.”
The early education environment can be difficult, however. “We’re still facing many of the same hurdles that have been around for years. Although we’ve made progress in raising awareness about the importance of early childhood education, we’re still battling for our profession to gain the respect it deserves. Until our government and private entities fully understand the importance of quality care and education for young children, we’ll continue to see insufficient dedicated resources. This means staff wages will be low, turnover will be high, qualifications will decline, and needed equipment and supplies will be lacking. All of this translates into poor care and education for our children. In essence, we’ll continue to send children to school who aren’t prepared to learn.”
She said the ability to celebrate her faith at work, the committed school families, and an incredible staff are among the highlights of her career. But she can’t discount the “hug” factor, either. “I often tell people there’s no better job on earth than being a preschool teacher because it’s the only one I know that begins each morning like mine does—with someone running toward me, arms outstretched, calling my name, so eager to greet me with a hug.”
Kalina’s other passion is the Junior League of Peoria, for which she recently ended a one-year term as president. “Leading this volunteer organization of more than 450 women has been an honor and a privilege, as I’ve been afforded so many amazing opportunities,” she said. “Collectively, we ensure our various fundraisers, such as Julep’s Closet and Dueling Pianos, are successful so our current projects—Keepsacks for Kids, the ‘I Like Me’ literacy program, and the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum—can continue to serve the community.”
The Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum is the largest project the Junior League of Peoria has undertaken, she said, and it’s poised to make an extraordinary impact on the community with its opening in 2008. “There are so many exciting things happening right now. The ‘In This House’ campaign for the museum is close to the $1 million mark with recent contributions from ADM and Methodist, and many more requests are being considered. The committee continues to offer free educational programming for children in various venues throughout Peoria, and our partnership with the Prairie Air Show has been renewed. Recently, the design team of Jack Rouse Associates and educational consultant Mary Sinker visited to begin the schematic design phase of the project, which further defines the exhibits to be housed in the museum. The newly formed Educational Advisory Board is working with the committee to ensure we’re offering the very best educational opportunities for our children.”
The community impact of the new museum will be profound, Kalina said. “We’ll no longer be one of the last cities of our size in the U.S. without a place where young children and their caregivers can play and learn together. Children will know it’s a home for them because it’ll be completely interactive, hands-on, fun, and will offer a different experience each visit. The museum also will function as a resource to educators, as every exhibit will be tied to Illinois Early Learning Standards and a multitude of programming options will be available. Finally, the economic benefits will be great. Along with the new Peoria Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the museum, as part of the Glen Oak campus, will be a regional, full-day destination for school groups and families. We expect the Peoria PlayHouse and zoo both will attract additional patrons for one another. We also hope the campus will be a catalyst for revitalization of the neighborhoods surrounding it. We look forward to the completion of this long-awaited, much-needed facility that’s accessible to all children and their families and are excited and proud to be leaving such a legacy to our community.” tpw
A second experience, as a counselor for a residential wilderness camp directed by the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis, solidified her desire. “We served children ages four to 14 from the inner city. These children had been exposed to and lived through more violence, poverty, hunger, drug addiction, heartache, and despair in their young lives than most of us could even begin to imagine. One evening, after an intensely terrifying occurrence, I began to wonder if I could finish the summer and went home. However, my mom didn’t even unpack my bags because she knew I was hooked. The director of the camp told me I had a choice to make: I could either walk away and stay in my comfort zone, or I could carry on and make a difference. I went back to camp and finished the summer and realized that in order to work for kids, I needed to work with kids.”
Kalina’s career in education has included stints as director of St. Charles Children’s Ministry in Bloomington, Ind.; teaching pre-kindergarten at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Natchitoches, La.; and her current role as administrator at St. Vincent de Paul Preschool in Peoria, where she’s been since 1999. “As administrator, I oversee the operations of the entire program. On an annual basis, I’m responsible for enrollment, developing and administering the budget, hiring and training staff, establishing the curriculum, updating communication materials, and planning our annual calendar,” she said.
The school hosts many special events for the children, their families, and the community—including a noteworthy art program. “In the spring, we spend a month learning about famous artists, works of art, forms, and techniques. Our Parish Hall is transformed into a museum, and the artwork is readied for display in the galleries. That may mean bronzing, mounting, matting, or hanging. Then, on a Friday evening, we hold a showing of the collection of art created by the students during that period, complete with music, wine, and hors d’oeuvres.”
In addition to her administrative duties, she teaches a pre-kindergarten class each morning. “The choice to stay in the classroom while also being an administrator is an easy one for me,” Kalina said. “Being with the children each day reminds me of the important things in life. Far more than me imparting knowledge to them, they teach me how to be a kinder, more compassionate person and how to find excitement in the little things. And I shouldn’t discount just how much fun it really is.”
The early education environment can be difficult, however. “We’re still facing many of the same hurdles that have been around for years. Although we’ve made progress in raising awareness about the importance of early childhood education, we’re still battling for our profession to gain the respect it deserves. Until our government and private entities fully understand the importance of quality care and education for young children, we’ll continue to see insufficient dedicated resources. This means staff wages will be low, turnover will be high, qualifications will decline, and needed equipment and supplies will be lacking. All of this translates into poor care and education for our children. In essence, we’ll continue to send children to school who aren’t prepared to learn.”
She said the ability to celebrate her faith at work, the committed school families, and an incredible staff are among the highlights of her career. But she can’t discount the “hug” factor, either. “I often tell people there’s no better job on earth than being a preschool teacher because it’s the only one I know that begins each morning like mine does—with someone running toward me, arms outstretched, calling my name, so eager to greet me with a hug.”
Kalina’s other passion is the Junior League of Peoria, for which she recently ended a one-year term as president. “Leading this volunteer organization of more than 450 women has been an honor and a privilege, as I’ve been afforded so many amazing opportunities,” she said. “Collectively, we ensure our various fundraisers, such as Julep’s Closet and Dueling Pianos, are successful so our current projects—Keepsacks for Kids, the ‘I Like Me’ literacy program, and the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum—can continue to serve the community.”
The Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum is the largest project the Junior League of Peoria has undertaken, she said, and it’s poised to make an extraordinary impact on the community with its opening in 2008. “There are so many exciting things happening right now. The ‘In This House’ campaign for the museum is close to the $1 million mark with recent contributions from ADM and Methodist, and many more requests are being considered. The committee continues to offer free educational programming for children in various venues throughout Peoria, and our partnership with the Prairie Air Show has been renewed. Recently, the design team of Jack Rouse Associates and educational consultant Mary Sinker visited to begin the schematic design phase of the project, which further defines the exhibits to be housed in the museum. The newly formed Educational Advisory Board is working with the committee to ensure we’re offering the very best educational opportunities for our children.”
The community impact of the new museum will be profound, Kalina said. “We’ll no longer be one of the last cities of our size in the U.S. without a place where young children and their caregivers can play and learn together. Children will know it’s a home for them because it’ll be completely interactive, hands-on, fun, and will offer a different experience each visit. The museum also will function as a resource to educators, as every exhibit will be tied to Illinois Early Learning Standards and a multitude of programming options will be available. Finally, the economic benefits will be great. Along with the new Peoria Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the museum, as part of the Glen Oak campus, will be a regional, full-day destination for school groups and families. We expect the Peoria PlayHouse and zoo both will attract additional patrons for one another. We also hope the campus will be a catalyst for revitalization of the neighborhoods surrounding it. We look forward to the completion of this long-awaited, much-needed facility that’s accessible to all children and their families and are excited and proud to be leaving such a legacy to our community.” tpw