MEDFIELD CHILDREN'S CENTER - Key Persons

Jess Adams - Hello everyone! My name is Jess and this will be my fourth year teaching at MCC and I will be in the Toddler II room! I absolutely love working with this age group and watching all the toddlers' personalities grow and shine throughout the year! I have always loved kids since I was young and it is my passion to be able to teach this age. I have achondroplasia dwarfism, which just means that I have shorter arms and legs than that of an average person. This however does not interfere with my daily life and I do not let it affect my ability to complete the task at hand. I graduated from Norfolk County Agricultural High School and studied Veterinary Science. Along with my passion for kids, I have a love for animals too, and have a yellow lab named Gus at home. My family owns a flower and greenhouse center which I work at part time and I love designing and arranging different floral bouquets! I am very excited for another year at MCC and cannot wait to watch them learn and grow each day! Heidi Meehan - Hello everyone, my name is Heidi Meehan. I'm a mother of two wonderful and ever growing children, Paige (8) and Chance (5). I am a teacher in Room #9 classroom here at MCC. This is my third year working here and love it! I'm a nature person and love to go for walks in the woods/trails or camp with my family. I'm also a huge animal lover! I look forward to meeting all the new families and catching up with all the returning ones. Let's have some fun the year friends!​ Shawna Ray - Hi Everyone, my name is Shawna Ray and I've been at MCC for 3 years now. I'm excited to start my 4th year. I became a certified Infant, Toddler & PreSchool Teacher in July of 2019. I was a teacher with the older Toddlers for 3 years, but this year I will be teaching the younger Toddlers. Can't wait to have a wonderful year with all your kids; working with kids has always been my passion, I've been watching kids since I was a teenager. I was a stay at home mom for over 13+ years and loved every moment. Before I had my own children, I worked in childcare so I'm very used to being called Miss Shawna! Now my kids are teenagers/adult, CJ (21) who is in his senior year of college at Mass Art, Crystal (18), a freshman at Mass Bay and Michelle (16) a junior at Franklin High School. I've been married to my husband Chuck for 23 years. I have volunteered as a Sunday School Teacher at United Methodist Church in Franklin, as Girl Scout Leader, Cheer Mom and Assistant Cheer Coach, and volunteered for all 3 of my kids in school and out of school since they were little. I still volunteer for my daughter at FHS. I love being outside, going to the beach during warm weather, doing arts and crafts, Disney movies, and taking lots of pictures because making memories is very important to me. My time alone (when I can get it), is catching up on shows, going out with my friends, dancing and listening to our favorite bands. Spending time with my family is my #1♡ Bonnie Corlito: Hi everyone! My name is Miss Bonnie and this will be my third year teaching at MCC! I am excited to be in the Toddler II classroom. I love teaching this age group and helping them learn and grow. I am currently taking classes toward my Director certification. When I'm not at MCC you can find me spending time with my husband and two children, Adam(19) and Alyssa(17). Looking forward to another great year! Lisa Pease - I am a seasoned PreSchool teacher of 24 years. I truly enjoy helping children learn everyday and achieve goals through many hands-on learning experiences and fun exploration. I graduated from Mount Ida College with a BA in early Childhood Education. I continue to expand my learning by taking numerous classes to keep my knowledge of Early Childhood current as things change. I am the proud mother of 17 year old twins, Megan and Stephen, who will be seniors at Medfield High this fall. I believe in helping others and do so by sponsoring a 15 year-old girl in Zimbabwe, Africa where life is difficult. In my free time I enjoy time with my kids, watching Boston sports, with the Pats being a favorite, reading and gardening. I feel fortunate to be part of the MCC family and teach with a great staff. I look forward to creating a positive learning experience for each child every day! ​Courtney Zahner: Hi everyone! I am Ms. Court, and I teach PreK here at MCC. I could not think of a better place to be and a more supportive staff to work with. I look forward to teaching my third year of PreK at MCC this fall! It is hard to believe that I have been teaching for 21 years. I received a bachelor's degree from Framingham State College and a master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College. I have taught in both public and private school settings; teaching PreK, kindergarten and first grade. My favorite part of teaching is allowing the children to learn through play and to explore the world at their own pace. I enjoy teaching with a sense of humor and allowing children to find a love for learning. Outside of school, I am married to my amazing husband Paul, and we're always busy driving our 9-year-old son Jake to baseball events, school activities and meeting his social agenda! Nicole Killilia: Hi everyone! I'm starting my third year here at the MCC & I love it! I've had the best time getting to know you & your wonderful children. When I'm not at the MCC I'm usually with my 11 year old son, who plays soccer, baseball & basketball here in town, and will be starting the 5th grade at Dale in September. I also work part time at Nicole Carol Hair Studio in Wellesley, on the weekends. I'm looking forward to a great school year & hopefully getting back to normal in the near future! Natasha Stevens- Hello Families! I am so excited to be returning for my third year at MCC! Although this is only my third year at MCC, I have 27 years of teaching experience under my belt. The past thirteen of those years have been spent teaching preK. My experience in the preschool world is varied! Before coming to MCC, I taught at a preschool in Holliston for eleven years where I filled many roles including; Art teacher, Workshop coordinator and teacher, Extended Day teacher, Children's Literature teacher, preK Lead teacher and Assistant to the Director. I am a graduate of Framingham State University where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Secondary Education. I am Early Education and Care Lead Teacher and Director 1 certified. I live in Holliston with my family which includes my husband Nick (better known as Mr. Stevens to all you Wheelock families!), my daughter Becca (20) a Junior at UMASS Amherst, my son Brady (17) a senior in high school, my dog Mabel, and my cat Ranger. I love all creatures big and small and would probably own a zoo if I could! Other than enjoying the wildlife in my backyard I love photography, gardening, reading, going on hikes with Mabel, and having fun with family and friends. I love teaching at MCC! I love seeing smiling faces, hearing giggles and laughter, and being part of it all every single day. Helping children learn, discover, and grow emotionally as well as academically is incredibly rewarding to me. I look forward to another amazing year at MCC!​

Kirsten Carlson - Hi, my name is Kirsten Carlson, I am a junior at Medfield High School and I am a proud MCC graduate! This is my second year at MCC and I am beyond excited to be back! I started working with kids while in 6th grade, assisting in the nursery at my church. For the past 3 years I have been babysitting for several families in Medfield and Millis I have always had a passion for working with kids, but over the past few years I've been thinking more about going into the field of education and pursuing a career working with kids. Outside of school and work, I am on a competition dance team, I volunteer as a leader at my church's middle school youth group, and I love spending time with my family and dog. I can't wait to have an amazing year and to get to know your kids better! Liam O'Leary: Hi Everyone! I am starting my first year here at MCC and I'm so excited to join the team! I was a camp counselor at the Medfield Parks and Rec summer camp for four years, and I'm happy to bring that experience to the classroom. I am a 21 year old college student, former MCC student and a lifelong resident of Medfield. I have loved working with kids from a young age, and spent many holidays watching over my younger cousins. I'll be helping out (mostly) in the Nursery I class, but I look forward to getting to know you all! Mary Hanley: Hello! My name is Mary Hanley and this will be my first year teaching at MCC. I am beyond excited to be a part of this wonderful community and to experience many incredible memories with the children, families and staff. This past May, I graduated from Dean College with an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education. There I spent most of my days in their preschool program learning and observing how the teachers ran their classrooms. I was then able to take what I learned and got to teach lessons of my own. I enjoyed every second of my schooling and cannot wait to apply it here at MCC! Outside of the classroom, you will find that I have a love for dance. I danced at Medway Dance Authority for 15 years and it has become a great passion of mine. Fun Fact about me, I have led and danced in two Disney parades in Magic Kingdom! I definitely plan to incorporate dancing into the classroom, because I believe it has such a positive impact in child development! Here's to a great school year Judy Marston: Hello Everyone! My name is Judy, and I am looking forward to another year at MCC. This will be my third-year teaching in the Toddler II classroom. It is so rewarding to see the children as they grow and develop. I absolutely love teaching this age group. I am continuing my education, and I am currently working on my Lead Teacher and Director certifications. I have taught in both public and private school settings; mainly as a paraprofessional in grades K-2. I live in Mansfield with my husband Larry and my daughter Dylan. Dylan is a senior at Mansfield High School and worked with the Junior K children this summer. I cannot wait to start a new year and get to know all of you and your little ones. Cassandra Reynolds: Hello, my name is Cassandra! I adore children and loved working in the childcare field in the past especially here! I couldn't be happier to be back! I am passionate about art and have experience in painting. My fiance Dominic and I have a pet bunny named Clover. Working with children truly makes me happy, I love seeing them learn and grow. Drawing, painting, and watching how creative the children can be is one of my favorite things about my job! I can't wait to meet all the children and their parents! Morgan MacLean: Hello everyone! My name is Morgan and I am looking forward another year at MCC and as a Little Cubs teacher! This is my second full year of teaching and I have enjoyed the experience of getting to care for and bond with the littlest members of the MCC community . My favorite part of teaching is building a classroom environment based on the children's interests and where they are in their development. I enjoy watching the children explore the classroom and providing new/different experiences for them like art, sensory play, using instruments, music and movement, and reading lots of stories! When I am not at MCC, I will be working towards a degree in Early Childhood Education at Fisher College and spending time with my boyfriend, Bobby, at our home in Plainville. My hobbies include drawing and painting, yoga, photography, video gaming, and traveling. Jess Oehley: Hi MCC families! My name is Jess. you may remember me since I previously worked in the toddler room from 2017-2019. I started in the old MCC church and am looking forward to exploring the new building! After stepping away for a few years to explore different childcare routes, I am ecstatic that I found my way back to my home at MCC. I will be in the infant room this year and I am looking forward to seeing what is to come this upcoming school year. I have had a passion for watching children ever since I was little. I was always the family babysitter at family gatherings, and it has definitely carried into my adult life as well! I graduated from Norfolk County Agricultural High School in 2015 and also have a love for animals. I have two dogs at home named Smithers and Barney, as well as horses and goats. In my spare time I love taking my dogs hiking and swimming in the lake and spending time with family and friends. I am so excited to meet all the new families and watch the kids learn and grow this year!

Nicole Jackman: Hi everyone! My name is Nichole Jackman, also known as Miss Nichole. I am so excited to be a part of the MCC family. This will be my second year with MCC. I am teaching in Junior Kindergarten with Miss Cailyn. I originally studied Dance Education and Performance with the Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance, at Dean College. I fell in love with teaching when I first joined the field as an assistant preschool teacher in 2006. I quickly then became certified, and have been teaching ever since! In addition to teaching Junior K, I also teach dance, right across the street at Mass Motion Dance in Medfield! I am from the area as well. I grew up in Dover, and currently live in Medfield. I've been dancing practically my whole life (since the age of 3), and love to incorporate it in the classroom as well. I am an avid sports fan too! Especially my Patriots! I also really enjoy anything that involves the outdoors, live music, and cooking. I've always enjoyed working with children from a young age, and am truly lucky to have a career I love, and am passionate about. I am so looking forward to getting to know all of you, and your wonderful children this 2021-2022 school year! Stacy Bingham: Hello Everyone! I am very excited to be starting at MCC. I am Lead Teacher certified in both Infants and Toddlers, and Pre-School with more than 20+ years of experience. When I'm not working I LOVE spending my time with my husband David and two children, Danny (21) and Bobby (19) and our dog Kingston. I live in Walpole but I'm originally from West Roxbury. Infants are my favorite age to work with because I love to care and nurture the youngest ones. I can't wait to meet all of you in the upcoming months! Clarice Papp: Hello everyone, my name is Clarice Papp. When I am not at MCC, I will be working towards my bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education at Dean College. I'm a summer person, I love going to the beach, sitting by a bonfire, and going to amusement parks. When I'm not working or attending classes I love spending time with family and friends, going shopping, cooking/baking, and traveling. I enjoy going up to the White Mountains every year. This is my first year at MCC and will be working in classroom #7. I'm excited to start this new adventure at MCC and look forward to meeting the children and families of MCC. Let's have a great school year!

Sharon Maillet: MCC has been home for so many years it's hard to think of a time when it wasn't part of my life. I went from a family of 4 teachers and 48 families at our Pleasant Street location to a family of so many more at our 105 North Meadows home. It has been a joy getting to walk down the hallway every day to peek into windows and doorways to say hello. The kids' sweet smiles, hugs, waves, and conversations melt my heart every time. Childhood is so precious; I can't thank you enough for letting me be a small part of your child's preschool story. My school story started in Waltham where I grew up. There will always be a smile in my heart when I think of the red brick elementary school with the big weeping willow out front where my love for school began. And my love for books! In third grade, Miss Bonica introduced me to the wonderful world of Zuckerman's farm and the sweet characters who lived there and just down the road. "Charlotte's Web" and a special teacher started me on a road that took me all the way to Medfield after graduating from Framingham State University with a degree in education. It was back to FSU a few years later to earn a master's degree in Special Education and after that a director's course at Dean College. Once I entered MCC's doors 28 years ago, I was home. After years as a PreK and Nursery teacher, I became director and moved a few steps out of the classroom and into the office. I had the best view in the world from my office window. I saw the smiles. I heard the laughter. I eavesdropped on the sweetest conversations. This year I couldn't be happier than to step back into the classroom and be called teacher once again. My heart never left the classroom and my "best view" just got even better. I won't see the smiles, hear the laughter, and eavesdrop on the sweetest conversations from behind a window, I'll be right there in the middle of it all!

Tara Grady: Hi everyone, my name is Tara and I am one of the Nursery teachers at MCC. I have been teaching in this classroom for about five years now and love every minute of it! I find this classroom to be very rewarding because of how much the children grow throughout the school year. It's great to see the kiddos come out of their shells and become their own person. I really love doing art projects and enjoy having spontaneous dance parties in the classroom as well. During the school year I like to spend as much time as possible outside, it's nice for us all to get some fresh air and run around! Outside of MCC, I take classes as I am working on my degree to become a Paralegal. Not to worry though, this does not interfere with my time and attention to the class. I really love movies of any type and am a big Marvel movie fan. I even named my cat Odin after the Thor movies. I also have a husky named Duncan. Music is one of my favorite things and I love to listen to classic rock the most. Traveling is one of my favorite hobbies too, I've been to almost half of the states in our country and have a goal to visit all of the states. I also like to be outdoors and love camping too. I'm looking forward to a fun year ahead and getting to know the Nursery I kiddos!