Each educator at CNS has outstanding experience, advanced training or degrees, and a commitment to ongoing professional development. Above all, every one of them loves to guide children through the process and joys of real discovery.

Teachers

Amanda Caplan | Arboretum

Amanda Caplan has been teaching for over five years. She worked and studied at early childhood centers in Copenhagen, Harvard University and was a fellow at the Calvin Hill School at Yale. She has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Harvard where she had a particular concentration in child development. In addition to teaching, she serves as a researcher at Children's Hospital. She brings an interest in art, reading and writing to her work. In addition to teaching and learning, she enjoys skiing, hiking and cooking.

Nancy Cullison | Riverway

Nancy Cullison has been teaching for over 25 years. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, she has worked at many early childhood centers, including the Harvard Radcliffe Center, and managing her own. She worked closely with the Child Development Department while at Harvard in both practice and training of new educators. She has extensive training in the Reggio Emilia approach, including being chosen to travel to Reggio Emilia on a study tour. She brings a particular interest in nature and environmental education to the classroom. In addition to teaching and learning, she enjoys photography, crafts and time with her family.

Emily Filippone | Esplanade

Emily Filippone has been teaching for over five years. Emily has worked in a variety of educational settings including the Washington, D.C. Public Schools, Brookline Public Schools, Newton Public Schools and Reggio-inspired preschools. Additionally, she has taught in summer school programs for children with special needs. Emily obtained her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education at Catholic University and then pursued a graduate degree in Special Education from Boston University. She has extensive training in the Reggio Emilia philosophy and attended a Reggio study tour conference in Italy. Outside of the classroom, Emily enjoys cooking, skiing, biking, traveling, and photography.

Emma Jenkins | Riverway

Emma Jenkins has been teaching for over five years. She has worked in the Brookline Public Schools, Boston Public Schools, and as an art educator at the Museum of Fine Arts. She holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Northeastern University, as well as extensive training in early literacy and math. She brings her great interest in painting and the outdoors to her classroom, and runs her own art classes for children. In addition to those interests, Emma enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, yoga and reading.

Stephanie O'Hara | Greenway

Stephanie O'Hara has been teaching for over 15 years. A graduate of Emerson College, she has a master's degree in communication disorders. As a speech and language pathologist, she has experience working with children and adults in rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, outpatient clinics and early intervention programs. She brings a particular interest and expertise in language and literacy development. She has also worked to integrate technology in her practice of Reggio inspired documentation. Besides teaching and learning, she enjoys reading, traveling and sailing with her family.

Nicole Pelletier | Arboretum

Nicole Pelletier has over ten years experience. She has taught at the Early Learning Center in Dartmouth – a Reggio Emilia inspired-preschool – and at the Martin Luther King School in Cambridge. She has also worked in special education and at Outward Bound. She has a Masters in Education from Wheelock College, where she specialized in documentation. Recently she was chosen as a Harvard Project Zero MLV Renegade teacher. She brings extensive training and interest in portfolio assessment and documenting student process. In addition to teaching, she enjoys the outdoors, gardening, rock collecting and teaching yoga.

Claire Semler | Greenway

Claire Semler has been teaching for over 30 years. She has worked in a wide variety of settings including nursery schools, family childcare and public school programs. Before coming to CNS, she was at the Reggio-Emilia inspired Children's Garden in Weston. A graduate of Wheelock College, she has a concentration in parent education and family support. She brings a particular interest in nature, art, children's literature, observation and documentation. She has extensive experience in individualized instruction and making the learning process visible. Outside the classroom, she enjoys watercolor painting, photography, scrapbooking, and reading.

Saameh Solaimani | Esplanade

Saameh Solaimani has been teaching for over six years in early childhood education. She has taught in Reggio inspired university centers in California and Massachusetts. She has also supported the pre-K program at the Eliot School with "Making Learning Visible". She has her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego and her Ed.M. in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard's Graduate School of Education, where she interned at Harvard's Project Zero as a research and documentation assistant. Saameh also enjoys salsa dancing, yoga, music, traveling, camping, and laughing.