Sky Valley Cooperative Preschool loses a popular worker to retirement

Published 10:42 pm Sunday, May 24, 2009

SULTAN — For more than 20 years, Maggie Conley has knelt beside toddlers and walked their parents through the often overwhelming world of nightmares, finicky eaters and power struggles at the Sky Valley Cooperative Preschool.

Now she’s retiring.

“The valley is going to suffer a huge loss,” said Cindy Goodwin, the school’s sole teacher. “She just has a wealth of information and she keeps up on everything. She goes to conferences and workshops and reads and she just knows so much. She has shared so much with everybody.”

Conley spends two days a week at the Sultan preschool, mostly teaching parents about child development and guiding them through parenting hot spots.

Working through Everett Community College, the Monroe woman also visits preschools in different parts of Snohomish County.

She started working at the Sky Valley co-op when her children attended the school. Some of the children she worked with decades ago are now parents in the program.

“The fact that we’ve been able to have (her) this long is a blessing,” said Catherine Van Pelt, chairwoman of the preschool board. “She’s made a huge difference in a lot of families in Sky Valley. It’s going to be sad to see her go.”

Kaitlin Manry: 425-339-3292, kmanry@heraldnet.com.