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Chesterbrook Academy

Chesterbrook Academy Preschool of Shorewood, IL

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  • About Us
    • Our Preschool
    • Health & Safety
    • Family Communication
    • Parent Reviews
    • Our Leadership & Staff
  • Programs
    • Our Curriculum
    • Infants
    • Toddlers
    • Beginners (2-3 yrs)
    • Intermediates (3-4 yrs)
    • Pre-K
    • School Age Care
    • Summer Camp
  • Admissions
    • Tuition Information
  • For Parents
    • Calendars & Menu
    • Newsletter
  • My Account
Request Information

Our Leadership & Staff

Home / About Us / Our Leadership & Staff

Meet Our Dedicated Team

The Heart of Our Community: A Message from Principal Heather Zudycki

Heather Zudycki, Principal

Thank you for exploring Chesterbrook Academy, where we believe early childhood education is the cornerstone of a lifetime of intellectual curiosity, character development, and joyful learning. Choosing the right foundational environment for your child is one of the most significant decisions your family will make. Here in Shorewood, we are dedicated to ensuring that decision rewards your family with a profound sense of partnership, academic excellence, and community.

A Sanctuary for Growth and Learning

At Chesterbrook Academy, our mission centers on a singular, unwavering promise: to provide a safe, intellectually stimulating, and deeply welcoming environment where students and families can truly thrive. This commitment is evident from the moment you cross our threshold. Visitors and current families frequently speak of the palpable warmth that defines our campus culture. We intentionally cultivate an environment that feels like an extension of your home—a place where every child is uniquely known, celebrated, and supported.

Academic Excellence Rooted in Research

Our curriculum is meticulously engineered to achieve the highest standards of early childhood development, striking an intentional balance between rigorous academic preparation and vital social-emotional cultivation. We look at early education through the lens of comprehensive kindergarten readiness.
Our approach evolves alongside your child, transforming innate curiosity into structured intellectual capability through three foundational phases:

  • Early Discovery: In our youngest environments, expert educators focus on language acquisition, sensory precision, and the secure attachments that form the bedrock of emotional resilience. By honoring a child’s natural impulse to explore, we build the confidence required for future academic risk-taking.
  • The Expanding World: As children grow, our curriculum introduces a deliberate global perspective. Through the integration of diverse cultural traditions and languages, students develop a sophisticated cultural literacy and a foundational understanding of a pluralistic society.
  • Advanced Readiness: In our Pre-Kindergarten programs, learning shifts toward complex, collaborative problem-solving and deep inquiry. Through hands-on experimentation and high-level project work, students master the executive functioning, critical thinking, and social-emotional agility required to transition seamlessly into premier elementary environments.

True kindergarten readiness goes far beyond early literacy and numeracy; it requires emotional resilience and interpersonal confidence. We empower our graduates to be kind, inclusive, and deeply curious citizens who know how to articulate their feelings, navigate challenges with words, and approach new concepts with confidence.

A Faculty Defined by Longevity and Passion

The heartbeat of Chesterbrook Academy is our extraordinary teaching faculty. In an era where educational stability is rare, our school stands out as a beacon of institutional longevity. This is not a transitional space for our staff; it is their career and their calling. The vast majority of our educators have served the Chesterbrook community for over five years, with many celebrating tenured milestones of 10, 15, and 20+ years of teaching excellence.
To maintain this gold standard, our faculty engages in rigorous professional development three times a year, connecting with the latest pedagogical research. This continuity of care means your child is guided by steady, highly experienced mentors who understand how to nurture individual potential and help students blossom from their earliest years through graduation.

A Thoughtfully Designed Campus Environment

Our physical campus is designed to stimulate both the mind and the body. We feature bright, beautifully updated interior spaces, clean modern flooring, and specialized learning zones, including our dedicated indoor movement room for year-round physical activity.
Our expansive outdoor environment includes three large, premium playgrounds that offer unrivaled space for physical exploration, gross motor development, and social play. Furthermore, we are thrilled to introduce our new campus garden—a living laboratory where students engage directly with environmental science, sustainability, and agricultural discovery.
And, of course, no visit to our foyer is complete without a greeting from Toothless, our cherished 11-year-old bearded dragon, who helps instill a sense of gentle stewardship and biological curiosity in our youngest learners.

An Uncompromising Commitment to Security

As an educator—and as a parent whose own children attend this school—I hold our safety standards to an uncompromising level. Our security protocols are absolute. From a permanently secured perimeter with dedicated front-desk personnel to continuous active-preparedness training, we maintain a sanctuary of safety. Our faculty recruitment is intentionally rigorous, ensuring that only educators who meet our highest standards of character, professionalism, and emotional intelligence join our team.

Experience the Chesterbrook Distinction

The true essence of our community cannot be fully captured on a webpage. It is felt during the morning drop-off conversations, observed in the brilliant breakthroughs in our classrooms, and heard in the laughter on our playgrounds.
We invite you to experience our culture firsthand. Visit us today to discover how Chesterbrook Academy can partner with your family to inspire a lifelong love of learning.

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Learn More About Chesterbrook Academy Shorewood Teachers

Do you have long-standing faculty and staff at your preschool?

Absolutely! Stability is a core strength of Chesterbrook Academy Shorewood. We are proud to have a team of seasoned professionals, including several educators who have been with us between 5 and nearly 20 years.

What do families appreciate most about teachers at Chesterbrook Academy Shorewood?

Families frequently highlight that our team is personable and friendly. Our parents especially value the high level of communication they receive, ensuring they always feel connected to their child’s daily progress and milestones.

What qualifications do your preschool teachers have?

Our faculty is highly credentialed and committed to academic excellence. Many of our lead teachers hold Bachelor’s degrees, while others bring specialized expertise through Associate degrees and Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials.

What makes the teachers at Chesterbrook Academy Shorewood exceptional?

What truly defines our team is their warmth. Beyond their impressive credentials, our teachers create an exceptionally welcoming atmosphere that makes our school feel like a second home, ensuring every child feels loved and every parent feels like a partner.

Come See Our School in Action!

Contact us today to schedule a private tour and experience our Links to Learning curriculum firsthand.

Learn More
Chesterbrook Academy
813 N. River Rd (at Black Rd) | Shorewood, IL 60404 | (815) 916-7606
Hours of Operation: M-F 6:30 AM - 6:00 PM
License # 468930-02
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