Golden days - staff

JANICE GOLDEN
Director & Teacher of Special Events & Programming
Since 1967 I have worked with children and their families in preschools, elementary schools, and middle schools. I founded Golden Days Play Camp in 1982 and Golden Days Children’s Center in 1985.
My Bachelor’s degree in Education and English Literature from Boston University and my Masters of Science degree in Administration from Wheelock College Graduate School have professionally prepared me as an educator and administrator.
I grew up in New York and my mother and sisters live in Long Island and Manhattan. My husband, Lee and I live in Wayland. My sons and daughter-in-law live in New Hampshire and Chicago.
Golden Days is a dream come true for me! Every year is filled with new challenges, fresh perspectives, and engaging children and wonderful parents and teachers.

JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN

COREY KEMPTON
I have been an early childhood teacher since 1998 starting my career at the Family Development Center in Boston teaching children who were at-risk for abuse and neglect. I was the Lead Preschool Teacher for a center that served homeless children and most recently I was the Lead Teacher for a Preschool in Cambridge. I have always enjoyed getting to know families from diverse backgrounds and developing close relationships with children. I have a Bachelor's Degree from Wheelock College and a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University. I have Director certification from the Department of Early Education and Care and a license to teach Pre-K-2nd grade from the MA Department of Education. Currently I live in the Boston area with my husband and daughters.

LAURA GIROLAMO
I live in Stoughton, Massachusetts and I have four children and two dogs. I am a graduate of Wheelock College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education K-3 and Moderate Special Needs. I have taught all ages in day camps, day care and preschools for many years, and I am director 1 qualified. I have taken time off to start a family and now that my youngest child is in first grade, I am ready to get back into the field I love the most, teaching children.

PRESCHOOL CLASS TEACHERS

BETTY CANTOR
I have a Master's degree in child development from Tufts University and a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, K-8 from Boston University. Since 1975, I have worked as an activity therapist at Children's Hospital, a lead teacher at Temple Beth Shalom Nursery School and at the Red Barn Nursery School. Recently, I have been a kindergarten teacher in the Lexington Public Schools. In January, I was hired to work in the preschool classroom at Golden Days. In all of these experiences, I bring my love of nature and art into the classroom.

LESLIE KOLA
I grew up in Bridgewater, Massachusetts and attended Stonehill College where I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. During my undergraduate years, I was a camp counselor/archery and arts and crafts specialist and program coordinator at Dedham Country Day Camp. I also substituted in the Brockton school system, volunteered at the Boston Children's Hospital and worked at the Boys and Girls Club of Brockton.
Upon graduating from Stonehill College I worked as a Unit Director at Camp Lyndon in Sandwich, Ma and as an assistant preschool teacher at the YMCA in Cape Cod until I began my career as an auditor at the accounting firm of Feeley and Driscoll P.C.
After deciding to leave the accounting field I taught at the Wellesley Hills Children's Center and immediately enrolled in classes to work towards my current Lead Teacher status. I am currently searching for the right program to pursue my Masters in Early Childhood Education. I have worked at Golden Days for 4 years.

TODDLER CLASS TEACHERS

ALLYSON CROWELL
I grew up in Sharon, Massachusetts and attended Fitchburg State College, Massasoit Community College, and Bridgewater State College where I took early childhood courses and received my Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and my certification as a Lead Teacher of preschoolers and Teacher of toddlers. I have worked most recently as a Pre-K teacher at The Goddard School in Walpole and have also been an instructor in after-school programs and summer programs in Sharon. My references applaud my warmth, intuition, organization, and sense of responsibility as some of my outstanding abilities.

CLAIRE FARRINGTON
I grew up on Martha's Vineyard and graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2008 with a BA in both psychology and sociology. At UConn, I worked as a research assistant in the Child Language Lab investigating language acquisition in children with Autism. I have worked as a nanny during the summer and as a toddler teacher in a preschool in Weston before teaching at Golden Days in the Toddler Class 2 and Afternoon Program since 2009.

JOAN RIDGE
I have been working in the early childhood field since 1989. I am certified to teach toddlers and preschoolers and enjoy every developmental age. Although different, all age grous provide exciting and challenging learning opportunities that I relish and admire. I have worked at Wellesley Hills Children’s Center as a Lead Teacher and Director and also worked at Whitney Place Childcare and several centers in Natick.

TARA WHITMER
I'm from Erie, PA and came to Boston last summer by way of Tampa, FL where I lived for twelve years. I graduated from Penn State University in 1996 with a BA in Psychology. From 1996 to 2008, my experience has been working with high-risk youth in Pennsylvania and Florida and developmentally disabled individuals in Florida. In 2008, I welcomed my son into my life and took two years off to raise him. After much consideration about what to do next, I decided to pursue a career in teaching as a way to be a more active parent and to positively impact the lives of other small children and their families.

AFTERNOON PROGRAM COORDINATOR TEACHER

SPECIALISTS & SUPPORT STAFF

ANGELA PAOLUCCI
I work in all the classrooms as an assistant teacher, supporting the teachers, paying attention to each of the children and spending one-on-one time by playing, reading, or escorting children throughout the center. I raised four children and I am a grandmother to eight children. I have worked all my life, most recently in the food service business. I learned about Golden Days when my grandchildren attended the center and began working as an assistant teacher in 2002.
I bring an abundance of love, smiles, and hugs to all the children at Golden Days.

PAM MCKUEN - Visiting Librarian
As a Newton Public Librarian, I visit the center once a month. I select from a wide selection of classic and newly published children’s books and try to coordinate my selections with the on-going themes in the center. I visit each classroom with stories told with puppets, flannel-board cut-outs or picture books.

KIM PETOT - Music Specialist
I am the music specialist and also work at All Newton Music School teaching piano for all ages and music classes for children between te ages of 20 months through 7 years of age. I have also taught at the Thatcher Montessori School, Atlantic Union College, Kassel, West Germany, and Wittenberg University. I am a soloist/Cantor and choir member at Christ Lutheran Church in Natick and a member of Silk Tones, an acappella singing group. I received a Bachelor of Performance in 1981 and a Bachelor of Music Education in 1982, and a Minor in voice and Harpsichord Studies in Organ from Wittenberg University. I studied piano with Larissa Kylius in Frankfort, West Germany, Jazz Piano with Peter Casino, and Voice Lessons with Sue Ellen Kuzma from 2003 – present.

MITCH ZEITLER – Gym Specialist
I have a Master’s degree in elementary education and a Bachelor’s degree in sociology. Having backpacked throughout the world for five years I also have an eclectic background. Never one to slow down, I worked summers as the athletics director of summer camps, and progressed from a volunteer to a board member of a homeless shelter and have been biking, everywhere, since 2000. I founded Knuckle Bones® directly from my experiences at summer camps. After 10 years I was asked to run camp games at birthday parties. Never one to turn down an opportunity, I spent a year devoting my weekends to playing at parties with children of all ages. Soon afterward I was asked to run an “athletic session” for a child care and thus Knuckle Bones was turned from a small side business into an entrepreneurial endeavor. I don’t have a TV, work from any café with free wireless, want a big dog that loves to swim, retrieve balls and knows how to play. In my spare time, I am the Executive Director of the Charles River Challenge, a triathlon.

LACEY LEMANDER – Nature Specialist
I have been learning about nature with children since 2007. During these experiences, children were encouraged to squeeze mud through their fingers, blow away dandelion seeds and feel the grass under their toes. In this way, every child can connect with the world around them. In 2009 I was very fortunate to be sharing these experiences with the children at Golden Days. I also work with the children at the Needham YMCA as an after school and day camp instructor.
Much of my early life was spent outdoors where I would spend hours fishing, pressing and identifying flora and watching birds. My interest in nature was a gift from my grandmother and it continues to be an important part of my life.
I have been working with children in various organizations for more than five years. I am currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education and I'm in the process of obtaining my EEC certification.

MARGE SKLAVER – Speech & Language Therapist
After graduation from Emerson College with a Bachelor's Degree in Speech and Hearing, I pursued a graduate degree at Boston University in Early Childhood Education. My careeer began in public schools as a speech and hearing therapist and continued as a preschool teacher and assistant director of a nursery school.
My first interest has always been speech and language therapy. I continue to work with children on a private basis in the mornings and the remainder of my day is spent at the British School of Boston as the Director of the After School Care Program.
I have enjoyed working with the children at GDCC and getting to know so many families. I am always available to answer any questions you may have and to evaluate your child's speech.

DANUTA BUJAK-CZUBAROW - Spanish Teacher
I have a life-long passion for languages. I hold Master's degrees in Education and Languages and have more than fifteen years of experience teaching adults and children. I am fluent in five languages. My mission is to promote language learning among children and to that end Amy Riddle and I founded Pio, Pio Spanish (Spanish for little learners) which provides language lessons for children in preschools such as Golden Days. I live with my family in Wellesley, MA.

CELESTE LEMIEUX - Yoga Teacher
I first began practicing yoga in 1992 and have been a certified Kripalu Yoga instructor since 1997. I was certified to teach prenatal yoga and trained with ALACE and to be a birth doula in 2002. In 2006, I discovered Itsy Bitsy Yoga and have loved teaching yoga to children from birth to age four ever since.