Our People
(The shapers of hearts & minds)
Mr. Hanifin, Director & Co-Founder
Hello! My name is Jake Hanifin. I am the co-founder and director of Butler Children’s Preparatory here in the Gold Coast. I am very excited to be part of such an amazing new preschool in Chicago.
I am originally from a small city in central NY. I grew up with great parents and two awesome brothers. I received my B.S. degree in Psychology. After college, I escaped the cold NY winters and moved to sunny south Florida. While in Florida, I taught first grade for four years. Two years in a Title I school and two years in an IB school. I also received my Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and 18 additional graduate credits in Early Childhood Education. After my stint in sunny Florida, I moved to Chicago to open the tuition-based program (TBP) at the Ogden International School of Chicago. Working collaboratively with Ogden’s administration and staff, we were able to serve the needs of many preschool aged students in Chicago for over six years. Due to the increase in population, CPS decided that Ogden could no longer house such a program. When it was announced that the program would close, we began working on opening Butler Children’s Prep here in the Gold Coast neighborhood.
That brings us to today! I am happy and beyond excited to be back with preschool aged students and look forward to meeting the needs of our families and most importantly our students here at Butler!
Email: jhanifin@butlerchicago.org
Butler’s Founding Parents
Butler is a direct result of one Ogden family wanting to provide a new home for Ogden’s preschool program after CPS announced its termination due to the school’s over-capacity issues.
Inspired by the transformation Ogden’s preschool had on her own child, Nikki Koutso, with the support of her husband Steve, brought the teachers and director together to establish Butler Children’s Prep, named after Chicago’s first mayor William Butler Ogden.
If you ever need a “parent’s insight” to preschool, feel free to email Nikki directly: nikki@butlerchicago.org
Ms. Petschenko, Head Teacher
I was born and raised in this wonderful city of Chicago! This will be my 11th year teaching, 9th year in the wonderful world of Preschool! I received my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2005 in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Mathematics. While attending college, I played for my school’s Women’s Softball team.
During my years teaching at the Ogden International School of Chicago, I decided to pursue a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in English as a Second Language, which I completed in 2014. I am excited to be a part of the Butler family!
Ms. Shannan, Head Teacher
Hello, families of Butler Children’s Prep! My Name is Ms. Shannan and I’ve been teaching full-time for two years. I started my career in the field by earning a B.S. in psychology, specializing in child psychology. I also recently earned both a Master’s in Social Work and Child Law and Policy at Chicago’s very own Loyola University! Through my time studying, I tutored refugee children, taught English abroad in Italy, and worked with children in all kinds of life situations. I have spent the last two years teaching two-year-olds, Preschool, and Pre-K age children, and am ready for brand new opportunities with Butler! I look forward to enriching the lives of your children through Butler’s amazing curriculum.
Butler’s Founding Parents
Butler is a direct result of one family wanting to provide a new home for Ogden’s preschool program after CPS announced its termination due to the school’s over-capacity issues.
Inspired by the transformation Ogden’s preschool had on her own child, Nikki Koutso, along with the support of her husband Steve, brought the teachers and director together to establish Butler Children’s Prep, named after Chicago’s first mayor William Butler Ogden.
If you ever need a “parent’s insight” to preschool, feel free to email Nikki directly: nikki@butlerchicago.org
Perfect location for parents in the Gold Coast, but more importantly, highly seasoned professionals from Ogden International!
– Stephen Parlier, Parent