BROOKLINE SCHOOLS STAFF CHILDREN'S CENTER
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    • Staff
    • Parent Testimonials
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    • Toddler Room
    • Preschool Room
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Meet Our Staff

Classroom Teachers

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Eleza started at BSSCC in 1993 after graduating from Lesley College with a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education.  She went on to obtain a Master's Degree in the Creative Arts and Learning Program from Lesley University. Eleza has taught in all of BSSCC's  classrooms and currently works in the Toddler room. She especially strives to provide a variety of sensory and art experiences for young children to explore.  Born and raised in Brookline, Eleza is dedicated to this co-op and unique community. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, friends and many pets.

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Sarah is starting her second year at BSSCC. She was instantly drawn to BSSCC’s small, intimate size,  its  play-based philosophy and tight-knit community of teachers and parents.  She holds a B.A. from Lesley University in child, youth and family studies with a concentration in teaching infants and toddlers and is working on a Master's focusing on applying  Reggio Emilia philosophy to early childhood teaching. Sarah traveled to Italy in 2016 with a group from Lesley University to study the student-driven, play based approach and looks forward to continuing to grow as a Reggio-inspired teacher. In her spare time she enjoys coaching volleyball for Suffolk University and the SMASH volleyball club in Newton as well as playing in various adult leagues.


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Vanessa is delighted to be in her 3rd year at BSSCC and adores the special community that exists here. She is entering her 8th year working as an early childhood teacher and prior to BSSCC, had experience as a lead teacher and teacher coach/ supervisor in a variety of private centers, Head Start, and non-profit programs. She has her bachelor's in Early Education and Care from Worcester State University and is currently getting her master's in Early Childhood Education from UMass Boston. Passionate about the Reggio Emilia approach, Vanessa aims to foster a holistic and child-led environment that encourages creativity and building strong social-emotional skills. In her free time, she enjoys creating art, making music, and spending time with her friends!

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Carolyn started out as a teaching assistant at BSSCC in 2012 and joined the preschool team full time in 2016. She loves the curiosity and creativity of preschoolers and is grateful to have a job where she gets to laugh and play so much! She believes it is important to provide children with open-ended learning opportunities where they can develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, while discovering and sharing their passions. Carolyn has a BA in Human Development and Social Relations from Earlham College and strongly supports BSSCC’s emphasis on social-emotional development. She and Liz work hard to create a sense of community in the classroom where every child feels loved and valued. Outside of the classroom Carolyn enjoys reading, writing, hiking, and practicing yoga. She brings these passions into her teaching by interweaving a love of stories, appreciation of nature, and mindfulness practices into the preschool curriculum.  ​

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Liz came to BSSCC in 1989 after  graduating with a BS in Early Education from Wheelock and working at several other centers in the Boston area. Liz values the natural curiosity and wonder that children exhibit towards the world and believes that these are best served through open ended and play based curriculum. The preschool team works hard to tap into the interests of the class and provide meaningful learning experiences for the children to build upon. A main emphasis of the preschool is on fostering caring and trusting relationships, helping the children develop their problem solving skills and creating a creative and exciting learning environment where children feel comfortable exploring their potential. A story teller, Liz and the preschool encourage the children to find their own voice through listening to stories, reading books, and dictating and acting out the stories, as well as informally sharing their own stories about life events. Besides her passion for teaching young children, Liz enjoys long walks with the family dog, yoga, meditation, rooting for the Red Sox and spending time with family. Working at BSSCC and being part of the warm, supportive, extraordinary community of children, colleagues and family continues to provide Liz with opportunities for growth and joy.

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Jane has been the Director of BSSCC since 1999. After graduating from McGill University with a BA in Psychology, she entered the field of early childhood education as a Toddler teacher. After ten years of teaching, she obtained a Master’s degree in Early Intervention from Wheelock College and recently has been working towards a Certificate in Early Education Leadership from the Zaentz Early Education Initiative at Harvard's Graduate School of Education. She is honored to direct a program in which parents take the time to connect with each other and BSSCC as a whole,  a program whose teachers observe and reflect and continue to learn, and a program where children are provided much time to follow their interests both indoors and out. Jane enjoys spending time on her couch reading Saramago novels, walking in the woods with her niece, and watching any sport other than baseball.
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  • About
    • Staff
    • Parent Testimonials
  • Enrollment
  • Classrooms
    • Toddler Room
    • Preschool Room
  • Contact Us
    • Employment
    • Giving