Marcy Girt, Preschool Lead Teacher, has worked with children for over 20 years. Eight years were spent at the Montclair Cooperative Elementary School in New Jersey where she began as an assistant teacher and was then the lead music and drama teacher. She spent 3 summers as a dorm parent and teacher at Idyllwild Arts Academy in California as part of their summer camp program. She is an actress and director and has been living and working in NYC until moving recently to Boston after marrying local muralist Alex Cook. She is so excited to be a part of the Corner Co-op and to spend time getting to know these beautiful families!

Beth Mahar, Teacher-Director, helps children create games and stories that span weeks, months, and maybe years. Beth has filled every role at the Co-op except student since her son attended the Co-op from 1994-6. She has been a teacher, parent, and board Vice President and President. She’s been recognized by Susan Linn in “The Case for Make Believe” as an effective, playful partner in child development. During the Spring and Summer of 2020, Beth created 16 wonderful Corner Co-op Adventure Books using photos submitted by students and parents to create a new digital picture book each week. Though we were unable to meet in person, these books brought joy and connection to our community in such a lovely, creative, and personal way. In the Fall of 2020 she organized our outdoor Meetups, and was instrumental in refreshing our Co-op space for our return in the Fall of 2021. In the realm of Architecture and Design, Beth has thirty years of experience designing residences, renovating childcare facilities, and creating schemes for Corner Co-op. Beth also studies Renaissance music and plays the dulcian and recorder.

To contact Beth, please email her at [email protected]

Mariangie Mercado, Toddler Teacher, Lovely early childhood lead teacher since 2013 with an associate degree in Early Child Development as well as my (CDA), a widely recognized credential that demonstrates my knowledge, skills, and abilities in the early childhood education field. I have been working with children both in center-based care and with families. Since then, my passion is to see them grow while they learn and have fun. I am eager to continue learning at the co-op.

Annie Peterson, Toddler Teacher, Graduated Lasell University in May after working for over a decade in early childhood education in various teaching roles. She is coming from a role as program coordinator at another co-op Infancy to Independence Waltham, where she also did diversity, equity, and inclusion work. Annie has experience working with diverse student populations, of all learning styles and abilities. She values connecting with her students both as a group and individually. She uses a whole-person collaborative approach to teaching. Annie also works in victim advocacy and policy reform. She loves hiking, traveling, and going to the beach with her 3 year old Lilly, who will be joining Annie at Corner Co-op fall 2023.

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Elizabeth Seater, Volunteer, Elizabeth’s younger son attended Corner Co-op from 2016-2018.  After attending the 50th anniversary & reunion in 2022, she was reminded just how special a place Corner Co-op is, and asked to come back and volunteer!  Elizabeth has worked with children in various capacities since middle school, when she discovered the then newly-published Babysitters Club books.  She lives in West Roxbury with her family, who also volunteer at Corner Co-op whenever they can.

Tomoe Tsukuda, Volunteer, August of 2018, my family and I moved from Japan to Brookline. I came with my husband and two daughters. My younger daughter went to the Corner Co-op from April of 2019 until June of 2020. At first, she was extremely shy and couldn’t speak English but the Co-op teachers were very nice and cared a lot about her. At the Co-op, she enjoyed art activities and the lunch program which also made her more sociable and feel more comfortable. While my daughter was at the Co-op, I worked as Parent help and I got the opportunity to learn about the American Childhood Education. As a Japanese, I didn’t know a bit about the American way, so it was very interesting to get to know about it.
I started volunteering because I was curious about the American way and wanted to get to know more children and their sense, talents and energy. I am so grateful that I am able to support children and teachers and spend time with them.

Rosie Kamal, former Teacher-Director, has a B.A. in Psychology, Northeastern University; EdM. in Foundations in Education, Boston University; EdD. in Humanistic Studies, Boston University.  Rosie has special interests in music and songmaking, recycling, and natural science. Rosie taught at the Co-op for 38 years; 36 years as Teacher-Director.  Rosie and Sajed’s son,  Ashok, attended the Co-op as well. He works and lives in San Diego with his wife, Marlene, and son, Aikido.

Sajed Kamal, Teacher-Consultant, has a B.S. in Economics, Northeastern University; EdM. in Curriculum and Instruction, Northeastern University; EdD. in Humanistic Studies, Boston University.  He coordinates parent and staff education workshops. Sajed is also an award-winning poet, artist, translator, psychotherapist, renewable energy expert, author of a dozen books, and an Adjunct Lecturer in the Sustainable International Development program at Brandeis University. In 2007 he was awarded Boston “Mayor’s First Annual Green Award for Community Leadership in Energy and Climate Protection”, and in 2008 a “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.  “The Greener Issue” of The Boston Sunday Globe Magazine on September 28, 2008, featured him as one of the “Six local heroes whose work is having rippling effects—at home and far away—in making the world a better place.”  Sajed taught at the Co-op 38 years, the first 3 years as a parent.

Alex Vaillancourt, Teacher, has an M.S. in Early Childhood Education and a B.S. in Human Development, both from Wheelock College. She taught English in Japan and loves learning new languages. She’s a writer, a photographer, and a parent coach. This is her 18th year at the Co-op.

Grace Littlejohn, Lead Teacher, has B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Boston University. Grace taught at the Early Childhood Learning Lab at Boston University for two years before joining the Co-op.

Sue Shenkman, Teacher, has a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreational Services, University of Connecticut; Masters in the Management of Human Services, Heller School, Brandeis University; Certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Boston Language Institute. She also teaches English at Showa Boston to Japanese college students and brings some of her students to Corner Co-op to do special activities with our children.” Sue likes traveling and talking about alternative education.  She enjoys helping the children create their own stories and perform them.  This is her 22nd year at the Co-op.  The first three years as a parent and her 19th year as a teacher.  She and her husband, Marc (former parent helper) have a 25 year old son Eli who attended the Co-op for 3 years and was home schooled in Jamaica Plain for 6 years and graduated from Sudbury Valley School, Framingham. He received B.S in Sustainable Agriculture from Sterling College in Vermont, and is farming and doing forestry in VT.