(c)1999-2008
St. Paul's School
|  | CLC Curriculum Infant/Toddler Program The CLC teaching team develops a separate daily program for infants and toddlers. While much of the day for infants revolves around each child's individual schedule, consistency is established through predictable staffing patterns that foster strong primary relationships between the children and their caregivers. Infants are provided with a safe, secure, and stimulating environment. In addition to meeting each infant's basic needs, the teaching team is attentive and encourages gross motor and sensory development by giving the children opportunities to crawl and interact with the world around them.
Developing a consistent daily routine provides the framework for the toddlers' program. A typical day includes group time with songs, stories, and games; small group activities such as working with playdough or celebrating a birthday; and outdoor play. Through individual attention and respectful interactions, the teachers help the children learn about and deal with transitions, understand and respect limits, and respect each other. The classroom is a language-rich environment with books on low shelves that the children can reach and look through at any time. The teachers regularly read from "big books" and teach the children songs and fingerplays. Every month, the children learn a new song and poem.
The children are given opportunities to exercise both fine and large motor skills. In the classroom, the texture table may be filled with water, sand, or rice, and the children work on art projects using clay, playdough, or finger paint; in the Big Room the children may tumble on mats or climb through shape cubes. In addition, the playground outside offers many chances to exercise, explore, and learn. |
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| MEET THE INFANT/TODDLER TEACHING TEAM  Gail GettensDirector, Children's Learning Center (603) 229-5576 Gail was hired by St. Paul's School in July 1991 to coordinate the start-up of the Children's Learning Center. Since then, she has designed and overseen two expansions: in 1995 the center added space for a school-age program, and in 2000 an addition provided increased capacity for infant and toddler care.
Gail holds a master of science degree in early childhood education and child development from Wheelock College and earned her bachelor of arts degree in 1985 from Dartmouth College. While at Dartmouth, she received an academic citation for her independent research on parent-child communication in the child care center setting. She was also awarded an early childhood education studies certificate. Gail completed her student teaching practicum at the Dartmouth College Child Care Center and was an intern in the Upper Valley Child Care Resource and Referral Office.
Gail is a lifelong learner and a major participant in the early childhood education field. She is a member of the New Hampshire Infant/Toddler Task Force. As a member of the Early Childhood Senior Mentor Corp, Gail provides support and assistance to directors and programs throughout the state. She is past president of NHAEYC, the New Hampshire affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In 1999 Gail received a human resources management certificate from the UNH Division of Continuing Education, and in 1992 Gail participated in the first Child Care Design Institute, a week-long seminar sponsored by the Harvard Graduate School of Design and Tufts University. Gail lectures frequently at colleges and universities throughout New England on early childhood education, child development, program administration, and facility design.
In 1998 NHAEYC awarded Gail the Administrator Award in recognition of her outstanding center managerial skills and her contribution to early care and education in the state through her leadership and community involvement.
In 2003, as a member of the NH Infant/Toddler Task Force, Gail was a recipient of the Mary Stuart Gile Award. The mission of the Task Force is to improve the quality and capacity of infant and toddler care for all families in New Hampshire.
Before coming to St. Paul's School, Gail taught at the Wang Laboratories Child Care Center and was the director and head teacher of the Children’s Meetinghouse, Inc., the child care center on the campus of Middlesex School in Concord, Mass. She was project manager for SAU #24’s (Henniker, Hopkinton, Weare) federally-funded Chapter 1 programs, including the Early Childhood Home Visiting Program.
Gail is a teaching director. She is an active member of the Children's Learning Center's teaching team, teaching in the classrooms a minimum of 10 hours each week.
Gail has state credentials in the following categories/levels: Director, level 4; Faculty, Trainer, Mentor, level 3.
Gail lives in Concord with her husband, John, and their three daughters. |
 Barbara A. CiarlaAssistant Director/Infant/Toddler Program Coordinator (603) 229-5631 Barbara coordinates all aspects of the infant/toddler classrooms and has been a member of the Children's Learning Center's infant/toddler teaching team since the CLC opened in September 1991. She graduated from Keene State College with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education and a minor in psychology. While at Keene State, Barbara completed student teaching internships in both the toddler and preschool classrooms at the college's Child Development Center.
Barbara is a member of the Early Childhood Education Department Advisory Committee at the NH Community Technical College in Manchester. The group advises the department in evaluating curriculum, textbook selection, and course requirements.
Barbara has attended several nationally-recognized, week-long seminars at Wheelock College in Boston, including "Caring for Infants and Toddlers" and "Legal and Financial Issues in Child Care Management."
Barbara is active in both infant/toddler classrooms and teaches every morning in the infant/toddler II classroom.
Barbara has state credentials in the following category/level: Director, level 2.
Barbara lives in Weare with her husband, Steve, and their son. |
 Melyssa D. PaulInfant/Toddler I Head Teacher (603) 229-5571 Before joining the Children's Learning Center's teaching team in October 2005, Melyssa was an Assistant Teacher at the Early Head Start Program in Concord teaching infants and toddlers in a multi-age classroom. Melyssa has also been a Head Teacher in the Socialization Program at the Early Head Start Program. For that parent-child program, Melyssa developed curriculum based on children’s individualized learning plans to support both the children’s growth and development and to support the development of parenting skills. Prior to teaching at the Early Head Start Program, Melyssa taught for more than five years at the Shaker Road School in Concord as both an Assistant Teacher and a Lead Teacher, caring for and teaching preschool children.
Melyssa has teaching credentials through the NH Early Childhood Professional Development System in the following category/level: Lead Teacher, level 3.
Melyssa lives in Loudon with her husband, Justin, and their children. |
 Justina R. JohnsonInfant/Toddler I Teacher (603) 229-5571 Justina came to the Children's Learning Center in the fall of 2006. Prior to her arrival, Justina was an infant/toddler teacher at the Early Enrichment Center in Concord. She completed student teaching internships in the toddler classroom at the Child Development Center, the on-campus lab school at Keene State College, and in the Kindergarten classroom at Symonds Elementary School in Keene.
Justina holds a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education from Keene State College. Justina has state credentials in the following category/level: Lead Teacher, level 2.
Justina lives in Loudon. |
 Michelle L. DubeInfant/Toddler I Classroom Assistant (603) 229-5571 Before coming to the Children's Learning Center in July 2007, Michelle was an assistant teacher at All Aboard Child Care Center in Nottingham, working with children six weeks to eighteen months of age. She has also been a lead teacher and assistant director at Growing Year Child Care Center in Colchester, Vermont, teaching toddlers. While attending the University of Vermont, Michelle was a student teacher in the infant room at the UVM Campus Children's Center.
Michelle has attended the University of Vermont and the University of New Hampshire, having completed coursework in early childhood education and child development.
Michelle has state credentials in the following categories/level: Lead Teacher: level 1
She lives with her family in Chichester, having recently relocated from Maine. |
 Susan TolcserInfant/Toddler I Classroom Assistant Before coming the to Children's Learning Center in September 2007, Sue was a Family Care Facilitator with Early Head Start in Manchester, coordinating services for infants and toddlers and their families. Her responsibilities included completing children's developmental assessments, coaching parents, conducting home visits, and facilitating and teaching play groups for children and their parents.
Sue has been after-school program site coordinator for the Concord Boys and Girls Club and a family resource coordinator with Lakes Region Community Services Council.
Sue holds a BS degree in Early Childhood Education from Granite State College. She is currently pursuing NH Early Childhood Professional Development System credentials at Lead Teacher: level 3.
Sue is the mother of two grown children, and lives in Gilmanton. |
 Laura A. UrbanInfant/Toddler II Teacher (603) 229-5629 Prior to joining the Children's Learning Center in August 2004, Laura was a Lead Early Specialist at the Early Head Start Program in Battle Creek, MI, teaching and caring for infants and toddlers. Laura was also a lead teacher in the infant classroom at the Bright Horizons Family Solutions work-site, child care center at Compuware's corporate headquarters in Farmington, Michigan. Laura has a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Madonna University (Michigan).
Laura has state credentials in the following category/level: Lead Teacher, level 1.
Laura lives in Manchester with her husband, Kurt. |
 Penny N. BeauchesneInfant/Toddler II Teacher (603) 229-5629 Penny came to the Children's Learning Center in May 2003 from the Sandwich Children's Center, where she was an infant and toddler teacher. She also taught preschoolers at the Chestnut Grove Child Development Center in Phoenix, MD. Penny holds a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education from the University of New Hampshire’s College for Life Long Learning.
In July 2004, Penny attended the nationally recognized week-long seminar "Caring for Infants and Toddlers" at Wheelock College in Boston. Penny also recently attended the "Learning and Leading Together" workshops at the 34th Annual Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children Conference.
Penny has state credentials in the following category/level: Lead Teacher, level 4.
Penny lives in Hopkinton with her husband, Don. She is the mother of four grown children and the grandmother of four grandchildren. |
 Alicia AndrewsInfant/Toddler II Classroom Assistant (603) 229-5629 Prior to joining the Children's Learning Center, Alicia was an associate teacher caring for infants and the health and safety coordinator at the Kinder Care Learning Center in Portsmouth. Alicia has also worked as a child health support worker for the North American Family Institute in Dover providing supervision and guidance for visitation between children who had been removed from their home and their biological parents.
Alicia is a 2004 graduate of the University of New Hampshire. She holds a bachelor of science degree in child and family studies.
Alicia is currently pursuing state credentials in the following category/level: Lead Teacher, level 4.
Alicia lives in Northwood with her husband, Courtney. |
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