Teachers, Educators, & Staff @ PRCP…

Nature and animal lover, Pam,  joined our team in 2013. Pam has her degree from North Shore Community College in Child Development. She was down the road at Bright Horizons in Newburyport for several years prior to joining Parker River and has also taught at Little Montessori. Pam is a creative out-of-the-box thinker who brings this gift to her preschool classroom. She enjoys watching children grow at their own natural pace and is a master at staging open ended provocations that make children think harder and do more research on their ideas and theories. She’s always up for an adventure and instills her love of nature in the children and her co-teachers. During her time away from Parker River, she enjoys spending time in nature with her son and husband and whatever little animals she’s taken in at the time! 

Ingrid is a calm, nurturing presence at our school. She’s been with us since 2016, but it feels like forever. Our preschoolers and teachers would be lost without her endless patience and leadership. She’s currently grown to be the Team Leader for our Preschool program and helps unite both groups–facilitating team meetings, supporting with child development needs, curriculum planning, and just taking care of us all. Ingrid is a graduate of Salem State with a degree in Psychology. Prior to joining Parker River she was a teacher at a preschool in Essex. When not at school she’s at home on the beach or in front of a cozy fire, enjoying her family including three dogs and three children! 

Sandi is a jack of all trades at our program. She joined us starting in 2015 for her student teaching experience through North Shore Community College. Previously a baker (although she still is an amazing cook if you need cakes, etc!), Sandi changed fields after raising her two girls in Ipswich. She finished her Early Childhood Education degree and made her home at Parker River. Sandi has taught in all of our classrooms and can often be found being silly or playing as hard as the kids. Her favorite role is Floating Teacher though and we love her ability to switch age groups, teaching styles, and tasks to support everyone on a dime. She makes our days run more smoothly from drop off to laundry to reading with each class group. Outside of school Sandi is an avid baker and cook and enjoys time with her family. 

Sandy has been with Parker River since 2011. She joined our team as a lead toddler teacher and has since grown into a school wide leadership role of Assistant Director. She is our go-to person and handles anything and everything at Parker River from licensing paperwork to teacher support to unclogging toilets! Sandy is a dedicated hard worker and you can always count on her. She is the caregiver for all of our animals on site as well, from chickens to frogs! Sandy is a strong leader for our team and always there to lend a hand. We could not get by day to day without her! Sandy is a veteran teacher in the field and spent most of her earlier career at Children’s Castle in West Newbury and has her degree in Special Needs Education from James Madison University. When not at school (is she ever not there?!), Sandy can be found exploring on the beach with her granddaughter, Violet, and her cats! 

Brenda just recently joined our team in December 2020! She teaches in the Transitional Kindergarten with Amanda and we’re already so grateful for her wisdom and calm presence. Brenda has a degree in Early Childhood Education from North Shore Community College and previously worked for most of her career, over 12 years, at Gordon Conwell Nursery School. She is a kind soul and master teacher with a gift for tuning into individual children’s needs and interests. When not at Parker River Brenda keeps busy at home with her grown children visiting her and spending time out in nature together. Brenda also volunteers in her community to help out with outreach programs to support families who are hungry or in need of transitional support. 

Kara is a Lead Preschool teacher in our Owl Classroom. She’s been a part of Parker River’s life for many years, but officially joined our team in May 2020. Kara spent her entire teaching career at Pathways in West Newbury until their closure. We’re so fortunate she made her way from one play-based, respectful preschool program to another. Kara is a master teacher with an uncanny ability to connect authentically with all children. She is a master at planning curriculum provocations to engage and inspire the children and can often be found in the forest on an adventure. Kara has a degree in Elementary Education from Fitchburg State. When not at school she’s at home enjoying time with her family; going on hikes and adventures with her grown son. 

Pam joined our team with Kara in 2020. They previously co-taught together for 20 years at Pathways in West Newbury. Pamis certified in Early Childhood Education and is a strong veteran teacher. She has a secret love of glitter and all things art and nature and brings out our creative side! When not at Parker River, Pam can be found at home in NH with her husband, taking care of her house, and gathering around the backyard fire with her family.

Krissy Hathaway is co-teaching in our toddler classroom this fall with Pam K. She joined our team in June of 2021 to support our summer program and we were so enamored with her teaching style that she’s here to stay! Krissy studied early childhood education in school and has a Master’s degree from BU. Following in her mom’s footsteps, she’s worked with children in some capacity ever since she was young. She recently taught at Maple Street Church in Danvers and completed her graduate student teaching in local elementary schools. Krissy is our favorite ukulele player and chicken lover, as well as a beautiful human who truly sees children as capable. She quickly and easily builds genuine relationships with children and adults and has a passion for planning engaging science & nature curriculum. At home with her family she enjoys time out in nature and loving up her pack of Sweet Paws foster pups. 

Jen is the founder of Parker River and manager of most behind the scenes tasks such as payroll, tuition, enrollment, etc! Jen should be focused on paperwork, but most often can be found adventuring in the forest with one of the classes. She has an Early Childhood Education Degree from UVM and did her grad work at Wheelock. Child Development is her life’s work and she taught for several years before founding Parker River in 2009 with her husband, Anthony. Jen lives in Ipswich with her husband, two children and three pups! When not at PRCP she can be found on adventures with her own crew, reading a good book, or hiking everywhere and anywhere. 

Rachel has been working with preschoolers since 2010. She majored in Human Services with a concentration in Child and Family Studies and Early Intervention at Northeastern University. She moved to San Francisco in 2013 and taught at one of the top 10 preschools in the country, Pacific Primary, for many years. She also completed a kids yoga teacher training there and uncovered her passion for mindful body movement and storytelling with young children. She moved back to the east coast in 2017 where she continued to teach preschool in Watertown, MA, before finding her way to Parker River Community Preschool. She started as a floating teacher in 2019 and loved getting to know all the groups of children and families. After taking some time to recoup and stay safe during Covid, Rachel is so excited to be back at PRCP as the Curriculum Specialist and TK teacher. Rachel mentors our team to take next steps with their practice and to engage the students with challenging provocations. She also facilitates our process of making learning visible &  brings a world of patience and expertise to our team. She is most excited about supporting and encouraging a love of learning and the natural world to children and families, and supporting our school community to raise the next generation of thoughtful citizens of the world. Rachel lives on an organic farm in Newbury, MA with 12 chickens and lots of flowers, herbs and veggies. In her spare time she enjoys biking around Newbury, hiking in the White Mountains, making flower bouquets and playing piano.

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