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Kate Dwyer
School Coordinator
It's a privilege to see learning in action. Our students' observations about the material we offer them are so often insightful and profound. It just reaffirms our premise that the instinct to live in harmony with this planet is present in everyone. My job as a teacher at Cuvilly is to encourage and cultivate this connection.
Number of Years at Cuvilly:
22
Additional Experience:
I taught Child Development in the Hampton, N.H., public school system for three years at Winnacunnet High School, and five years at Tilton's Winnisquam Regional Middle School.
Special Interests:
Knitting, sewing, hiking and boating, especially on Squam Lake in N.H.
I was born and raised in New Hampshire, where I lived until I got married in 1986 and moved to Beverly, Mass. I have three daughters: Janna who is currently teaching pre-school in Cambridge, Mass., after 14 months teaching in South Korea; Breezy who is currently a senior at St. Lawrence University; and Chapin, a recent Beverly High School graduate who is off to St. Lawrence University in the fall. I am married to Steve Dwyer, who works in Peabody as an accountant.
I attended the University of New Hampshire (UNH) for undergraduate school and have taken classes at UNH and Salem State in administrative work and teaching reading. I continue to attend as many classes and workshops as possible to further my education and stay current in my field.
In addition to my career in education, I founded and ran my own business designing and sewing wedding dresses when my two oldest daughters were little. Once I enrolled my oldest daughter Janna in Cuvilly's pre-school program, I realized how much I missed teaching and accepted a position as a teacher at Cuvilly as well. I have been connected to Cuvilly for 22 years, two as a parent and 20 as a teacher; I have served as the school coordinator for the past 15 years.
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Rene Jamerson
Teacher
I've always thought of teaching as the art of helping others on their journey of discovery. There's nothing more satisfying or enriching as watching the children I teach make connections for themselves.
Number of Years at Cuvilly:
I joined Cuvilly's teaching team in the Fall of 2009.
Additional Experience:
I have been teaching for the past 16 years. I taught second grade in the Franklin Public School System in Franklin, La., and kindergarten, sixth grade and English as a Second Language (ESL) in Valencia, Venezuela. I also taught pre-school in Georgetown, Mass., before accepting my position at Cuvilly.
Special Interests:
Gardening, traveling and spending lots of time with family and friends.
I had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout my childhood as well as throughout my married life. After an early childhood spent in the Boston area, I attended schools in New Hampshire, New York and Florida before graduating from high school in a tiny town called Iva, South Carolina. I then attended Anderson College in Anderson, South Carolina, before returning to my roots to complete my bachelor of science degree at Salem State College.
After marrying Tom Jamerson, an engineer with Cabot Corporation, I traveled with him and, later, with our two children - daughter Kelsey, a senior at Emory University, and son Kyle, who will be attending Assumption College as of fall 2011. My husband's assignments took us to Missouri, Louisiana, Venezuela, Georgia, Texas and Canada.
I am very fortunate to have been able to teach in so many different states as well as Venezuela. I also have had the opportunity to meet so many different people and learn from them about their cultures, languages and customs, something I have enjoyed immensely and draw from daily as a teacher.
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Tina McCoy
Teacher
I love working in the Cuvilly gardens and teaching our students about the natural world. I thoroughly enjoy exploring, planting and harvesting with them. It's amazing how much their classroom learning is enhanced by their direct observations and interactions with the Cuvilly animals and our outdoor adventures.
Number of Years at Cuvilly:
7
Additional Experience:
I taught pre-school and kindergarten in the Essex Public School System, Essex, Mass., for 10 years and privately taught a series of nature workshops called "Discoveries" as an enrichment program for small groups of children.
Special Interests:
Gardening, knitting, reading, cooking, boating on the Essex River and Chebacco Lake.
I live in Essex, Mass., with my husband Alan and our two dogs, Manny and Ruby. We have four grown children -- Anna, Dan, Caroline and Cody.
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Nicole Sazin
Teacher
At Cuvilly, we meet children when they start coming to our pre-school when they are almost three years old. We watch them grow until they are five and ready to go on to kindergarten. Just knowing I have become a small part of their lives makes me happy.
Number of Years at Cuvilly:
11
Additional Experience:
Birth to Three Family Center in Ipswich, Mass.
Special Interests:
Walking in the woods, listening to music, reading, and being with family.
I come from Gloucester, Mass., but have been living in Ipswich for the last 15 years with my husband, Scott, and two children - Joshua and Amanda. I also share my life with three cats, Carl, Gibby and O'Malley. I had always dreamed of becoming a teacher, but never had the monetary means to attend college. Cuvilly gave me the chance to reach that dream by encouraging me to attend North Shore Community College. As a result, in 1999 I received my teaching certification through the State of Massachusetts. I continue to attend as many teachers' workshops as I can to learn new creative methods and strategies for classroom teaching.
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Ginger Shaughnessy
Teaching Assistant
With its emphasis on experiential learning, Cuvilly encourages students to make creative connections and explore possibilities -- much needed skills that they will one day offer to the larger world.It is truly a privilege to be a part of this process.
Number of Years at Cuvilly:
I joined the staff in January of 2011 as a Teaching Assistant.
Additional Experience:
I worked in the insurance industry as a corporate trainer and was also a counselor in a group home for girls. In addition to the countless volunteer positions I held while raising my children over the past 24 years, I have volunteered for many years as a "Play Space Pal" with Horizons For Homeless Children in Peabody.
Special Interests:
Other than spending time with my family, I adore my two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Meera and Lili. I enjoy watching basketball, visiting my siblings (I have five!), doing yard work, and appreciating the beauty of Ipswich on a daily basis.
I am native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and a proud alumna of the Pennsylvania State University, where I also met my husband, Dennis, a member of the faculty at Northeastern University. We lived in the Washington, DC area, Philadelphia, and Lexington, Mass., before settling in Ipswich in 1987. We have been married for 31 years and have four children, all of whom attended Cuvilly. Lindsey lives in Tamale, Ghana, and is a Project Coordinator for Innovations for Poverty Action. Kathleen is a member of the Baltimore Teach For America Corps and teaches 10th grade American Government. Audrey is entering her third year at Northeastern in the College of Business Administration. Doug is a 2011 graduate of Ipswich High School who will also be attending Northeastern in the fall.
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Lisa Thomas
Teacher
Cuvilly's philosophy regarding the sacred nature of the earth and the importance of preserving diversity in all aspects of life reflects my own. I am grateful to have the opportunity to not only live it, but teach it.
Number of Years at Cuvilly:
9
Additional Experience:
I have worked as a substitute teacher for a variety of local pre-schools and completed my four-month practicum in a kindergarten classroom at Pinegrove Elementary in Rowley, Mass. I was also a full-time nanny for two young children and was very lucky to be with the family for four years.
Special Interests:
Painting with watercolor, reading, spending time with friends and family and walking in the woods with my dog, Ollie.
I have lived in Ipswich for most of my life and am still discovering and finding new places and things to do here. It's such a beautiful town. My husband Michael and I have two beautiful girls, Whitney (17) and Jacklyn (10). Both are Cuvilly "graduates." I have recently finished my degree in early childhood education at North Shore Community College. I love teaching at Cuvilly and having the opportunity to discover something new with the children on explorations around the property. Cuvilly has been and always will be a very special place to me.
