MULBERRY ROOM STAFF
- Miss Katie Meccariello
How long have you been with Children First: Started over the summer 2017
What is your DEEC Certificate: Director II
What is your role at CF: Lead Toddler Teacher
Favorite Quote: “I am the one thing in like I can control, I am inimitable, I am an original” -Lin Manual Miranda
Favorite Book: Anything by Chuck Palahniuk (Adult)
Ferdinand the Bull (Child)
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: Become a Team Leader
Miss Mel Jantas
How long have you been with Children First: Joined in August 2017
What is your DEEC Certificate: Lead Teacher in I/T & Preschool.
What is your role at CF: Toddler Teacher
Favorite Quote: “Tomorrow is always gresh with no mistakes in it.”
-Anne of Green Gables
Favorite Book: Anne of Green Gables by: L.M Montgomer
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: I would like to finish Director I, work on a double Bachelor’s in Early Education and Special Needs
BIRCH ROOM STAFF
- Miss Beckie (Leone) Bergeron
How long have you been with Children First: 5 1/2 years
What is your DEEC Certificate: Lead Teacher (Waiting on my Director I certificate to come in)
What is your role at CF: Lead Teacher in the Birch Room / Support Services Coordinator
Favorite Quote: “Some of the most wonderful people are the ones who don’t fit into boxes”
“If a child cannot learn in the way we teach, we must teach in a way the child can learn”
Favorite Book: Green Eggs and Ham – Dr. Seuss
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: Solid Support Services Reasources and Program
Miss Meaghan Bergeron Mahan
How long have you been with Children First: Since Nov 2016
What is your DEEC Certificate: Preschool Teacher
What is your role at CF: Teacher
Favorite Quote: “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think” – Christopher Robin
Favorite Book: (So Many!) The Mitten by: Jan Brett
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: I would love to grow a full circle food program where children are invited to take an active role in their food experiences. Starting from a seed, exploring the growth and preparations of the food, and then dealing with the waste responsibly. I am excited to have Children First resources at my hands and to continue to grow and learn.
Miss Tara Classey
How long have you been with Children First: Started in August 2017
What is your DEEC Certificate: Director II
What is your role at CF: Birch Room Teacher
Favorite Quote: “You’ve made this day a special day just by being you.” – Fred Rogers
Favorite Book: Miss Rumphius by: Barbara Cooney
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: To learn, grow and help those around me
Miss Elizabeth Brisebois
How long have you been with Children First: 2 years
What is your DEEC Certificate: Teacher
What is your role at CF: School Age Site Coordinator & Preschool Teacher
Favorite Quote: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better! It’s Not” -Dr. Seuss :The Lorax-
Favorite Book: Oh Say Can You Say – Dr. Seuss
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: Become Lead Teacher Certified
Miss Haley Lukasik
How long have you been with Children First: 2 years
What is your DEEC Certificate: Teacher
What is your role at CF: Because I am a student, I have become a strong opener and closer of the building. I make sure forms are signed, and I am the one who communicates what happened during the day to parents.
Favorite Quote: “Just keep swimming” -Dori-
Favorite Book: The Great Gatsby
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: To continue to grow and to positively impact the community more than we already do.
Miss Donna Lee Poli
How long have you been with Children First: 6 Months
What is your DEEC Certificate: Teacher’s aide/ assistant
What is your role at CF: I work at the before school program with the school agers, and I also work in the afternoons with the preschool children. Because my own grandchildren are a bit of a drive from me, working at CF allows me to be a grandmother figure for all the children here.
Favorite Quote: “It is what it is”
Favorite Book: The Nightingale By: Kristin Hannah
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: To learn and grow with the children and my co-workers. Most important to me personally is to have FUN and love my job. Continue to nurture and teach children how to interact with other kids and teachers. Manners and respect.
Miss. Kacie Pitts
How long have you been with Children First: 7 Months
What is your role at CF: Teacher’s assistant in the Birch Room.
Favorite Quote: ” There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live” – Dalai Lama
Favorite Book: The Freedom Writers Diary
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: Continue to make Children First a place where parents can trust that their children will be safe, loved and cared for.
HICKORY ROOM STAFF
Miss Nadine Goodhind
How long have you been with Children First: 7 years
What is your DEEC Certificate: Teacher Certified
What is your role at CF: Hickory Room Teacher
Favorite Quote: “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, we should teach the way they learn.”
Favorite Book: Reiterhof Dreililien
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: Become Lead Teacher certified and move towards Administration.
Miss. Samantha Cole
How long have you been with Children First: 3 years
What is your DEEC Certificate: Preschool Teacher
What is your role at CF: Lead Lead Teacher in Hickory
Favorite Quote: “The kids who need the most love will ask for it in the most unloving ways”
Favorite Book: Today I feel silly
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: To be a part of the admin team
Miss Karen Kingsley Plasse
How long have you been with Children First: Since August 2017
What is your role at CF: Hickory Teacher
Favorite Quote: “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” – Booker T. Washingston
“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. But the world may be different, because I was important in the life of a child.” – Forest E. Witcraft
Favorite Book: Children’s Book – The Paper Bay Princess – Robert Munsch
Adult Book – Needful Things – Stephen King
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: To take on/learn more admin duties and implement a yoga program. I would also like to bring more emergent curriculum into the pregram.
MAPLE ROOM STAFF
- Miss Kimberly Marsh
How long have you been with Children First: 15 Years
What is your role at CF: Pre- Coordinator
Favorite Quote: “Hope’ is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – and sings the tune without the words – and never stops – AT ALL. -Emily Dickinson
Favorite Book: Acheron By: Sherrilyn Kenyon
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: To get greater as we get bigger!
- Miss Christie Sicard
How long have you been with Children First: I started in 1999, but took a break to get married and have children. I came back in 2006.
What is your DEEC Certificate: Lead Teacher
What is your role at CF: Lead Teacher in the Maple Room, Librarian
Favorite Quote: “You’re mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.” – Alice, from Alice in Wonderland
Favorite Book: Alice in Wonderland
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: Become experianced in the Montessori and Reggio Emilia approaches and practice them more in my Pre-K classroom with a focus on social emotional development as well as academics.
Miss Heather Cruz
How long have you been with Children First: 12 1/2 years
What is your DEEC Certificate: Director II
What is your role at CF: I am the Office Administrator, which simply means I am in charge of all accounts payable and receivable. I am also looked at as the “Vice Principal”. I sub in all classrooms when needed.
Favorite Quote: ” You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself” – Glinda – Wizard of Oz-
Favorite Book: The Mouse, The Strawberry and the Big hungry Bear
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: My personal goal is that I would like to be more involved in family support at Children First. My company goal is to create an amazing building with expansion II and to make an even more amazing school age space that is out of this world.
KINDERGARTEN
Miss Erica Pease
How long have you been with Children First: 13 years
What is your DEEC Certificate: Director II
What is your role at CF: School Age Coordinator and Kindergarten Teacher
Favorite Quote: “All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.” -Tinkerbell–
Favorite Book: The Hobbit
What is your 5 year Children First Goal: Move Forward on expansion 2. Design an amazing space for school ages children that allows them to use their imagination and provokes learning in a way that is different from school.
