Our Teachers:
Sam Walker, Woburn - Team Building and Celebrating 15 Years September 2023
GET TO KNOW OUR TERRIFIC TEACHERS:
MISS Jenn
Ms. Jenn, who was a referral from two other current PSA teachers, started at the school during the 2018 School Year and has been our preschool teacher for the last 5 years. She has a BS in Childhood Studies from Plymouth State University and has been a preschool teacher in MA and NH for 15 years. Before coming to PSA, she worked at Another Place to Grow, in Arlington. Miss Jenn is our Director in Charge at PSA. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “We draw attention to the kids’ work, which other schools don’t often do. I was so happy teaching at the school that I brought my own child here too.”
MISS Lana
Ms. Lana has a BS in Teaching from Northeastern University. She is a MA licensed teacher across ALL grades and completed her student teaching at Boston Latin. She has worked at PSA for 7 years and began at the school in 2016 when we moved to Cross Street. Upon our Grand Opening, Miss Lana and Miss Kimberly co-taught in the school’s preschool classroom together. Lana is now also a Head Teacher at PSA. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “PSA is not a daycare. It is a preschool with extended day options, where our Reggio approach uses both the hands-on learning and experiences with nature to discover. Our curriculum is driven by the kids’ focuses, and we relate age-appropriate academics, math, science, pre-reading, pre-writing, and literacy toward the children’s interests, which we use to structure our themes. PSA generates their goals of the classroom using the same curriculum as the Winchester Public Schools.”
MISS Rai-Ann
Ms. Rai-Ann has a Master’s in Education from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY and has worked in early education for 29 years, in 7 different places across New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. She started at PSA in September 2017. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “I like the hands-on learning of Reggio Emilia, it is not just a teacher sitting in a room teaching, the kids are always doing things. We provide a variety of experiences for them, which is beneficial for the children.”
MISS Fiona
Ms. Fiona has worked at PSA for 11 years and has a BA in Physics from Oberlin College, OH. She began her journey into education and the Reggio approach by collaborating directly with our leader Ms. Kimberly in the preschool classroom in 2012. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “The students can learn based on experiencing things rather than just being told facts about the world around them. It helps them understand the material quicker and teaches them to adapt when things change. If we see butterflies outside, and the children get excited, we can teach them about the life cycle of a butterfly and even show them it while it’s happening in a safe environment.”
MISS Alyssa
Ms. Alyssa began working in Early Education nine years ago in 2014. She graduated from Curry College in Milton, MA after completing her student teaching at the Curry Early Childhood Learning Lab with a BA degree in Early Education. She chose to concentrate on Early Intervention while at college and so therefore can often be found helping a student who may need a little extra attention here and there. Here is what she has to say about our Reggio approach, “I like that we use natural materials, and the children are always exploring outside.”
miss kimberly
Preschool Social Academy was founded by Kimberly Higgins in September 2008 after she completed a BS in Early Education and purchased space to build out one preschool classroom. She has now grown the school to 5 classrooms and 25 teachers. She is currently completing her Masters in Education (expected 12/23). This photo is of Kimberly at the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre in Reggio Emilia, Italy Spring of 2023. She has spent many years as a MA Preschool Teacher, Lead Preschool Teacher, and Director. These studies have involved extensive student teaching up to and including at the Winchester Public Schools and Boston Children’s Hospital Group Language Therapy Program as she obtained her degrees and passed all exams to obtain her MA teaching licence in Early Ed, Pre-K, and Kindergarten. Kimberly and her team donate time and manpower constantly in Winchester, MA. From being the Winchester Family Action Network (FAN) Chair for 7-years, to sponsoring the yearly Kids PMC Race, as well as sponsoring the town’s Fishing Derby on Winchester Town Day every year. Kimberly was thrilled that both of her children attended and graduated from the very school that she had started. Her son attended through Kindergarten and her daughter just finished her Pre-Kindergarten year.
MISS Diana
Ms. Diana, has a BS from the University of Massachusetts Boston and has worked here for 3 years. Her son graduated PSA in 2023. She is now working on her master’s in education. “I like the hands-on aspect of Reggio Emilia.”
MISS Eniko
Ms. Eniko, a referral from two other preschool teachers currently at PSA, comes from many generations and a long line of preschool teachers and local leaders, all paving the way for great schools in the Boston area for young children. Her mother, Beatrix, began Melrose Montessori School in 1974. Ms. Eniko studied Early Education at a vocational high school and continued on to earn her Associate’s degree in Early Education. She completed her student teaching at the Northeast Montessori School and is now a Massachusetts Lead Preschool Teacher. She joined PSA during the pandemic in 2020 and overall, she has worked in early education for 15 years. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “Nature is good for the kids, they get vitamin D from the sun and get to always play outside. I also like that we have a lot of freedom to develop the curriculum around the children’s interests.”
MISS Donna
Ms. Donna has been our Head Toddler Teacher for the last 7 years. She has worked in early education, specifically with toddlers, for 20 years. Before coming to PSA, she worked at Reading Children’s Learning Center and Rogers Pierce Childrens’ Center in Arlington. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “It is good for the children to always be outdoors! And the natural color scheme, with the beige, white and browns, promotes a safe, secure, calming, and familiar environment for the children.”
MISS Darlene
Ms. Darlene was a referral from our other long standing toddler teacher, Ms. Donna. They have worked together and been great friends for years and years. Although 2023 will be Darlene’s first year teaching on our Toddler Team, it will be her 15th year teaching toddlers. Before that she worked at the Reading Children’s Center for 4 years and the Children’s Center or Wakefield for ten years! Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “I am just starting my journey into learning more about the Reggio approach, but from what teachers have told me it seems to be in line with how I feel children learn best: nature-based with lots of outside time, child-led, and with many family events that bring the parents into what feels like a real community.”
MISS Britney
Ms. Britney, a referral from two other PSA teachers, is going into her 3rd year teaching in our toddler classroom. A Massachusetts Lead Preschool Teacher, she obtained her teaching license from Fisher College in 2017 and has worked in Early Education for 7 years. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “I like that we go outside no matter what! It is good for the kids to be outside as much as possible.”
MISS Jojo
Ms. Jojo was a referral from a Winchester family at PSA (“Auntie Jojo”). She is going into her 2nd year teaching at PSA. She started preschool teaching in 1998 at Mulberry Preschool and has been in the field ever since. She obtained her Associates of Science in Early Education in 2001. She is now a Massachusetts Lead Preschool Teacher and has been teaching Early Edu for 25+ years. “I love that the philosophy is centered around the children. The Reggio Emilia approach leads to much less boredom for the kids - they are always stimulated. This is a much more stimulating environment for them compared to the corporate places I worked at before.
MISS Maria
Ms. Maria, a referral from two other PSA teachers, is going into her 3nd year teaching at PSA. In 2023 PSA began helping her earn a BS in Early Education at Fisher College. “I like being outside with the children, so that they can explore on their own. It is important for the kids to have their own independence to do the things that they like to do in order to grow.”
MISS Kaila
Ms. Kaila, a referral from two other PSA teachers, is going into her 3rd year teaching at PSA. She began her journey teaching young children in high school in 2006, where she was lucky enough to be in a program that allowed her to start her student teaching. She has now been in the field for 17 years. Her daughter is enrolled in our school. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “I love that we combine nature with the learning experience to help children grow.”
MISS Myriam
Ms. Myriam, a Winchester High School graduate, now working on two degrees at the University of Massachusetts, has worked at PSA for 5 years. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “I love how we are constantly outside, which is something the children probably don’t do a lot outside of preschool. I also like that we integrate nature into school.”
MISS Dee
Ms. Dee, a referral from two other PSA teachers, has worked at our school for 6 years. With the help of the school, she became a certified preschool teacher in 2020. Ms. Dee stayed in her last position at MGH for 35 years! She brings that same dedication each day to the classroom. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “I like the natural materials and how the kids can create things with them.”
MISS Nora
Ms. Nora came to us as a high school helper and has now worked at PSA for 5 years. She has just begun to work on her college degree. Here is what she has to say on the Reggio approach, “We spend a lot of time outside and plan a lot of nature stuff with and for the kids. I like that we garden with them and can watch them interact with nature outside. It’s just quite different here from other places.”
Philosophy
Both Ms. Kimberly, our Founder /Head of School and PSA are committed to providing a solid academic base for young children while simultaneously focusing on how important having fun and playing contributes to their development.
PSA formed its curriculum using the best practices from many different philosophies and approaches as sources to create a well-rounded educational experience for our students. These sources include, but are not limited to, the following: the Reggio approach, the Montessori philosophy, the Massachusetts Department of Education Curriculum Standards, and the Winchester Public Schools curriculum. Our philosophy creates a learning environment that enhances student’s intellectual and cognitive development in all areas with a focus on expressive, communicative, and cognitive language skills. We believe that children, their families and society all benefit from a high-quality, early childhood program and that there is a critical link between a child’s early experiences and later successes in life. The mission of the school is to provide a model preschool program responsive to the changing needs of children, parents, and community. The program supports a strong working relationship among children, teachers, parents, and the community.
Commitment to the #reggioapproach
Kimberly values Reggio-inspired education as one of the highest and best possible approaches to early education. Her time spent studying at The Loris Malaguzzi International Centre (“The Centre”) in Reggio Emilia, Italy cemented her passion for and commitment to this educational philosophy.
The world-renowned Reggio Emilia Approach® is an educational philosophy based on the image of a child with strong potentialities for development and a subject with rights, who learns through the hundred languages belonging to all human beings and grows in relations with others.
Kimberly Higgins, Founder