Teacher Feature: Meet A PreK 3 Teacher With A Heart for Littles
If you’ve ever stepped into our PreK 3 classroom at CCA, you’ve likely seen the joy and peace radiating from a teacher who is exactly where she’s meant to be. With a heart full of kindness and years of experience, Mrs. Perona is living out her calling—one smile, story time, and sweet goodbye at a time.
She’s a wife, a mom, a lifelong learner, and above all, a teacher who sees each child as uniquely created by God.
A proud University of North Texas graduate, she married her husband Joe just a few weeks after graduation. Together, they raised three children, all of whom attended Baylor University. While raising her family, she taught Pre-K part-time, and once her youngest left for college, she began teaching full-time at CCA. “It has been such a blessing to me to teach at CCA,” she says—and it shows. From the moment her young students walk through the door, they are met with warmth, structure, and joy.
What she finds most rewarding about teaching isn’t just academics. “Impacting a child’s character and having a part in who they become… now that is rewarding.”
She treasures the opportunity to partner with parents and build lifelong foundations for her students. “We want their children to grow, and we’re in it together.” She also knows that PreK 3 is the beginning of something big. “I love that they come to me as a blank slate, and I get to introduce them to school. It’s an honor to shape those first experiences.”
Her favorite CCA tradition? Grandparents Day. “It’s such a treat to honor them. Sometimes they pull me aside and tell me how CCA has impacted their grandchildren. It fills my heart!”
Every day, she closes her class with the same loving phrase: “Today was special because you were here.”Then she calls each student by name. It’s more than a ritual—it’s a reminder that every child matters deeply and uniquely. And if you ask her, that’s the best part of her job.
When she’s not in her classroom, you’ll likely find her spending time with family—playing pickleball, board games, or enjoying long dinners full of laughter and conversation. “I like to talk,” she smiles. “If you go to dinner with us, plan on 2–3 hours!” She describes herself as a blend of introvert and extrovert. “I’m not the life of the party, but in a smaller group, I love to connect.”
When asked what success means to her, she doesn’t hesitate: “Success is being in your purpose and doing what God calls you to do. That’s where happiness lives. I wake up every day and get to do what makes me happy—that is success.”
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