Staff
The teachers you will meet here just love working at Hazel Drive! Our staff includes Miss Laura, Miss Missy, Miss Erin, Miss Cathy, Miss Maddie, Miss Susan, Memere Lynn, Miss Ashley, Miss Darice, Miss Ana, and a lively group of highschoolers in the afternoons. Miss Julia and Miss Madison join us during college breaks, and Mr. Fix-It completes our terrific group of staffers. What a wonderful team!
Laura F. Picciano
Owner/Director/Music
Laura is the owner and director of Hazel Drive Early Childhood Center. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Gifted Education.
Laura has spent many joyful years in the classroom! With over forty years of experience in education, Laura has vast knowledge of the nature and needs of young children. During the course of her career, Laura has been an exuberant and creative preschool teacher and director, designed and implemented dynamic preschool music programs and developed a curriculum for and taught gifted Kindergarteners and first graders. Laura brings her musical gifts to her teaching with piano and guitar playing. She has given piano lessons to eager children and has been the church pianist at Exeter Presbyterian Church since 2009. Best of all, Miss Laura has been the provider of lots of warm smiles, laughter and singing!
Melissa Shinault
Wascally Wabbits
"I cannot imagine my life without teaching." Those words appear on Miss Missy's resume, and when you get to know her, the truth of those words is apparent. Missy has been a teacher since her youth, and has decades of experience. She served as a teacher and acting director at a Massachusetts preschool for many years. She contributed her talents to Mrs. Shirley's Hampstead school for thirteen years where she was Kindergarten teacher and wore many other hats as well. Missy came to Hazel Drive from a long run in Derry Public Schools as a special education one-on-one assistant and K-5 substitute. We have been blessed by her presence since 2014. Miss Missy's always present smile and her sense of humor are perfectly paired with her creativity, patience and energy!
Erin Settle
Big Hoppers
We were so pleased to welcome Erin to our fabulous team of teachers for in 2021! She is no stranger to Hazel Drive, as her son has attended as a Little Bunny, Big Hopper and Wascally Wabbit. Erin is experienced in the field of early childhood, and has enthusiastically embraced her return to this very special avocation. She has made the diminuative Big Hopper room into a wonderland of learning and discovery!
Cathy Jaycox
Little Bunnies
Cathy is a certified Lead Infant/Toddler Teacher and a certified Lead Preschool Teacher with an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and more than thirty-five years of experience. She’s worked in a variety of child care settings: a small group preschool in a home; a large center preschool; Christian daycare in a church; and family daycare in her own home. She loves and appreciates children of all ages. She has a calm demeanor and a genuine concern for children, and is able to use her knowledge and skills to provide a wonderful learning environment for our Little Bunnies. Cathy uses weekly themes to plan activities and promote learning in all disciplines. She especially likes doing lots of music and movement with children and lots of open ended art, too.
Miss Cathy came to Hazel Drive from her previous job of nine years as lead teacher at a center in Massachusetts. Just before Christmas in 2015, her family moved to New Hampshire. She was very happy to find another preschool that was just the right fit, and joined us in the spring of 2016. She loves teaching little ones and can’t imagine doing anything else!
Wascally Wabbits
Miss Susan first came to Hazel Drive with the highest of recommendations: She and Miss Missy have been best friends for more than 30 years! Now, our own experiences with Miss Susan are all the recommendation we need. We were so fortunate to have her return to us at the perfect time in the spring of 2022.
Susan was a stay-at-home mom to her three children, now grown. For twelve years during their younger years she ran a home day care, where she cared for children from newborn to school-aged. This was a natural outgrowth of her high school studies in Early Childhood Education.
Susan since worked as a school secretary and paraprofessional at a K-8 school in Lawrence, Mass. She then worked at Hazel Drive for several years, and was beloved by so many of our Hazel Drive children. Miss Susan's capable, loving hands and soft-spoken ways, paired with her helpfulness and humor, nurture and enrich our oldest learners.
Gloria M. Denoncourt
Please join us in wishing Miss Gloria
a Happy and Blessed Retirement!
June 2018: After a long and fruitful career as a teacher, Miss Gloria has decided to take the plunge into the land of rest and leisure. While we will sorely miss her, we're glad that she will have time to pursue her artistic endeavors, travel and spend time with family.
Miss Gloria had a long run as a teacher in Columbia and Venezuela, upstate New York and here in New Hampshire. Gloria has touched the lives of many over the years. Personally, I'm so glad that we met nine years ago. I see the hand of God in all that has transpired. Many have heard the story of how we met while teaching in an Exeter preschool, and how we decided to continue to create and teach together after the closing of that school. We are so happy that we were led to this place! I will be ever grateful for the years we had together and for our future friendship.
All of us at Hazel Drive wish Miss Gloria a fond farewell!
Vaya con Dios, Miss Gloria!
Love,
Miss Laura and the Hazel Drive Teachers past and present
2013 - 2014 Teaching Staff
Mrs. Shirley, Miss Donna, Miss Becca, Miss Gloria, Mrs. Stacy, Miss Linda, Miss Cathy, Miss Alanna and Miss Laura (Miss Janet not pictured)
2012 - 2013 Teaching Staff
Miss Linda, Mrs. Shirley, Mrs. B., Miss Elisabeth, Miss Laura, Miss Gloria and Mrs. Stacy
As We Grow...
Hazel Drive Early Childhood Center offers quality programs for ages 22 months through school age, and as they've grown, our staff has grown with them. All of our staff are well-qualified individuals who satisfy or exceed the requirements of the State of New Hampshire for the various positions. All of our teachers are warm, cheerful, patient, loving and kind. Each brings her own unique characteristics to her job of caring for children and maintaining the joyful and nurturing environment that was established by Miss Laura and Miss Gloria when we began in November 2010.
Fix-ItJune 2018