Our Staff
Meet our amazing staff.
Our staff members are pleased to provide an enriching, developmentally appropriate early education experience for the young children at Avenue Preschool.
100% of our teaching staff members hold Department of Education Certification for their position or above. We regularly attend professional development training, education conferences and in-house training sessions. All staff members are certified in CPR/First Aid.
Paula Yeich: Director
Paula Yeich began working at Avenue Preschool in 2016 as our Director, and both her children attended. Mrs. Yeich has a B.S. degree in physical and health education, with a background in teaching and administration. Prior to working at Avenue she taught in the Caesar Rodney School district and was the Director of the Wellness Center at the Modern Maturity Center. She volunteers in the Milford community and has also been a coach. Mrs. Yeich and her husband live in Milford with their children Taylor and Evan, and their dogs. In her free time she loves spending time with family and friends. She values the opportunity to guide Avenue Preschool, with its established reputation as a quality early childhood education provider for our community's children.
Andrea Prettyman: Business Manager
Andrea Prettyman has been involved with Avenue Preschool since 1996 in several ways, serving as our prior Director for 14 years (and teacher before that) and moving into the Business Manager position in 2012. Her daughter attended and both her children volunteered over the years. Mrs. Prettyman has a M.Ed. degree in Elementary Education and a B.S. degree in Business Administration and is certified to teach early childhood through grade 4. She also works with the state's Birth to Three program, and is an instructor with Del Tech and Dept. of Education. She and her husband have 2 grown children, a son-in-law, and a silly cat named Jaxson.
Andrea enjoys time at the beach, traveling and reading.
Belinda Bahder: Pre-K Teacher and Curriculum Coordinator
Belinda M. Bahder has been part of Avenue Preschool since her children attended over 25 years ago. She started working at APS in 2001 as a teacher assistant, and began teaching in the Pre-K program in 2005. She is certified through the Delaware Department of Education as an Early Childhood Teacher. She and her husband have lived in Milford for over 25 years. They have 3 grown children, a daughter-in law, two sons-in-law, and five adorable grandchildren. Mrs. Bahder enjoys spending as much time as possible in Bethany Beach and loves to sew, scrapbook, read and most of all spend time with her family.
Laura Speicher: Pre-K Teacher
Laura Speicher has been with Avenue Preschool since 2013 and has worked in education locally since 2002. Mrs. Speicher holds a Delaware Department of Education certification as an Early Childhood Teacher. She enjoys spending time with her family and creating crafts, and likes to spend time at the beach with her son. Mrs. Speicher enjoys working with the children and staff at Avenue Preschool and feels truly blessed to be a part of the APS family.
Matthew French: Pre-K Teacher
Matthew French became involved with Avenue Preschool as a parent volunteer in 2008 when his children began attending. Prior to his role as a Pre-K teacher, he worked as a substitute and as an administrative assistant in the office. He also previously served as a member of Avenue Preschool’s board of directors. He holds a Delaware Department of Education certification as an Early Childhood Teacher. Mr. French enjoys spending time with his wife, Joanna and their two children, Erin and Sean going camping, fishing and hiking.
Danielle Deinert: Pre-K Teacher
Danielle Deinert joined the Avenue Preschool team in August 2025. Stay tuned for more details!
Adrienne Brozefsky: Beginners Teacher
Aridenne Brozefsky, or Mrs. B. as the children call her, has worked at Avenue Preschool since 2012 and has been in the early education field since 2004. She was born and raised in Milford, DE and is a former student of the preschool. Mrs. B. holds a Delaware Department of Education certification as an Early Childhood Teacher and Curriculum Coordinator. She has three lovely children, all of whom attended Avenue Preschool. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time at the beach.
Erica Dickerson: Beginners Teacher
Erica Dickerson has worked at Avenue Preschool since 2020, starting as an assistant teacher, and now as a teacher in the Beginner program. She also worked in early education in Dover prior to joining our team at Avenue. Mrs. Dickerson is certified through the Delaware Department of Education as an Early Childhood Teacher. She and her family moved to Milford in 2016. She has two children who attend Milford High School. In her spare time, Mrs. Dickerson enjoys watching her children play several sports, walking her dogs and reading.
Tara Benton: Assistant Teacher
Tara Benton has been a teacher assistant at Avenue Preschool since 2011. Her children attended the preschool in year's past. Mrs. Benton is certified through the Delaware Department of Education as an Early Childhood Teacher. .
Michele Engelsiepen: Assistant Teacher
Michele Engelsiepen began working at Avenue Preschool in the fall of 2018. Prior to working at Avenue, she taught kindergarten in the Milford School District for 31 years. Mrs. Engelsiepen is certified through the Delaware Department of Education as an Early Childhood Teacher and holds a Master of Education degree. She and her husband Ray live in Milford, and she loves spending time with her family and friends. Mrs. Engelsiepen enjoys stamping, reading, relaxing at her pool and working with the staff and children at Avenue Preschool.
Joy Short: Assistant Teacher
Joy Short has been a teacher assistant at Avenue Preschool since 2022. She has worked in education locally for many years. Mrs. Short holds a Delaware Department of Education certification as an Early Childhood Teacher. She grew up in Milford but now lives in Ellendale with her husband. She has two sons, a daughter-in-law and two granddaughters. Mrs. Short loves spending time with her family and going on camping trips. She says that she is beyond blessed to be working with all of the children and staff members at Avenue Preschool.
Meg Gravatt: Assistant Teacher
Meg Gravatt joined Avenue Preschool as a teacher assistant in September 2023. Prior to working at Avenue, she retired from teaching elementary school in Delaware.
Linda Messick: Assistant Teacher
Linda Messick has been involved with Avenue Preschool for almost 30 years, having previously been one of our Pre-K teachers, then a substitute so she could spend more time with her grandchildren, and she now works as an assistant teacher in the Pre-K program.
Our Substitutes:
Disa Crew
