258 Concord Street, Newton Lower Falls, MA 02462 617-964-2086
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Our Staff

Hills and Falls places a great value on excellence in the teaching staff and maintains high teacher-to-child ratios. The school is staffed by five highly qualified professional educators and two teaching assistants, as well as the school Director. The staff takes a team approach and shares strong common values of respect, caring, love of learning, creativity, community and a spirit of fun. As one parent put it, “The love and creativity that trickles down from the Director, through the teachers, and straight into the hearts and minds of these kids never ceases to amaze me. This place is truly magical.”
 
 
 

Cate Burrell, Director

 

Cate joined Hills and Falls in 2007.  In Cate’s 25 years of experience in education, she has been director and lead teacher at a cooperative day care center, public school teacher, board president of both a home-school cooperative and a cooperative nursery school, NAEYC evaluator, as well as director of several DOE grants where she consulted to preschools applying for national accreditation.  Cate received her BS in Elementary Education from Lesley University. "Hills and Falls is like a super magnet, people come and don't want to leave this dedicated, caring community."

 

 

 

Judy LoPorto, Assistant Director and Lead Teacher, Three-Year-Old Class

 

Judy has been with Hills and Falls since 1986, when she joined the school as an assistant teacher in the three year old class.  She has since held every position in the school and is the voice of the school’s history.  Her favorite aspects of the school are the children and how the teachers, “try to meet children where they are and help them get to where they need to go.”

Tyler Lineback, Teacher, Three-Year-Old Class

 

Tyler came to Hills and Falls in 2010, making him the newest member of the school staff.  He has a background in web design and photography, and has previous experience working with children at a YMCA childcare center.  Tyler is a 2008 graduate of the New England Institute of Art. 


 

Lee Thurston, Assistant Teacher, Three-Year-Old Class

 

Lee has been with Hills and Falls since 2000.  She studied business at Mass Bay Community College.  Prior to becoming a preschool teacher, Lee worked at Mitchell Elementary School in Needham, both in the library and as a parent volunteer.  “I value the sense of community at Hills and Falls and, as a teacher, I enjoy seeing the world through the children’s eyes.”


Melissa Decina, Lead Teacher, Four-Year-Old Class

 

Melissa joined Hills and Falls in 2007 and has worked with young children since 1994, as both a preschool teacher and the director of a childcare center.  Melissa has an Early Childhood degree from Middlesex Community College.  Before working at Hills and Falls, Melissa worked as a lead preschool teacher at Hanscom Air Force Base.  “It’s the wonderful staff and community that drew me to Hills and Falls.  All of us truly love what we do and are very supportive of each other.”


 

Tucker Wood, Teacher, Four-Year-Old Class and Music Instructor for all classes

 

Tucker joined Hills and Falls in 2008 as an assistant teacher in the four and five year old classes.  In 2009 he became the music teacher as well and in 2010 he became a teacher in the five-year-old class.  Tucker is a talented musician who plays seven different instruments, including bagpipes, and is a “clean rhyming” rapper.  He attended Albertus Magnus College, is a hip-hop performer in Boston and has released three CDs, the newest of which is a kids rap collection called, Nursery Rhymez.  “Hills and Falls provides me with the opportunity to integrate my love for music and my desire to be working with young children.”



 



Jan Pevar, Lead Teacher, Five-Year-Old Class

 

Jan has taught the five-year-old class at Hills and Falls since 1990.  Prior to joining the Hills and Falls staff, Jan had experience as a preschool, kindergarten and elementary school teacher in various settings.  She has also served as a resource teacher for the Bureau of Jewish Education.  Jan earned her B.A. in Elementary Education at Rutgers University and was a graduate student at Hebrew Union College studying Jewish education.  “What I enjoy about working with our curriculum is the flexibility to choose themes that match the children’s interest.”





 

Amy Manoli, Lead Teacher, Five-Year-Old Class

 

Amy came to Hills and Falls as a parent in 2003 and has moved from parent to substitute to assistant to lead teacher.  Amy graduated from Lesley College with a BS in Early Childhood Education.  Prior to her work at Hills and Falls she was the Volunteer Coordinator for METCO Family Friends at Mitchell Elementary School in Needham.  “I love being part of this great community of parents, children and teachers.”



 


Melissa Roldan-Stills, Assistant Teacher, Four and Five-Year-Old Class


Melissa is excited to join the Hills and Falls family as an assistant teacher in 2011. She has a background in journalism and performing arts, and has taught at the Boys and Girls Club, Milton Academy, Fiddlehead Theatre Academy, and Drama Kids International. Since she was a child, she has always believed the arts have a magical ability to transform lives, and today she treasures seeing the smiles on students' faces when they are truly enjoying the creative process. Melissa received her master's in 2009 from Emerson College in Theater Education.  She is looking forward to learning and growing with both the students and staff at Hills and Falls this year!