Rachel Sugarman is a WarriorMama, educator, talent developer, educational consultant, writer, and healer. She is known to sprinkle creativity like pixie dust through her work with children, teens, and adults all over Maine. Choreographing an extended day and after-school academic and arts enrichment program for school-age children is now the pinnacle of her life work. The whimsical title for the program is “Miss Sugarman's School for Extraordinary Children.” It is there where children's interests, strengths, and areas for growth will shape what they explore academically and socially. Creativity abounds.

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Sugarman holds a Master of Education from the University of Maine at Farmington. Her postgraduate research immersed her in discovering, utilizing, and promoting teaching strategies that increase academic engagement. In public education, she has worked for the towns of Whitefield, Palermo, Chelsea, Windsor, Augusta, Wiscasset, Falmouth, and Brunswick. She has served as an educator outside of public education in many venues, including Upward Bound at Bowdoin College, Neighborhood Clay, Buker Studio Arts, Waterville Creates, River Arts, Hallowell Clay Works, Common Street Arts, Wavus Camp for Girls, The DaVinci Experience, and Spiral Arts. Sugarman holds teaching certificates in Visual Arts (K-12), Gifted Education (K-12), and Assistant School Administration (K-12). 

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Sugarman’s love for teaching extends into her day-to-day life. She is imaginative, a visionary, and a change-maker. Sugarman has vigorously studied and embedded STEAM education, Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Maker Education, Anti-Bias Education, Growth Mindset, and Odyssey of the Mind problem-solving into her repertoire. Like a fairy godmother, Sugarman conjures all the elements children need to succeed. She builds strong and safe learning communities where children feel safe to be who they are, offering a place to explore and develop their talents and strengths. As a result, their confidence develops and grows, elevating their openness to new learning challenges. 

Jennifer Thomas (Miss Jen) is an adventurer and has a love for life. She recently returned to her home state of Maine after living in Oregon and North Carolina. Jen has ten years of experience teaching first through sixth grade in schools driven by the Montessori philosophy. Teaching in Montessori schools has allowed her to truly approach children as individuals, embracing their strengths and interests as well as their challenges. She is especially passionate about helping children’s social and emotional development, supporting a growth mindset and a friendliness with mistakes. Jen believes that teaching children to learn resilience and to step outside their comfort zone is what truly allows them to grow. She knows that forging strong relationships with children and their families will best support them in reaching their full potential. Jen holds a Master of Education from Loyola University in Maryland.

Morgan Paradis (Miss Morgan) has been working with children for five years. She enjoys gardening, crafting, and spending time with her family. Morgan is originally from Maine, but has recently spent the past four years living in Pennsylvania. There, she had the opportunity to work in a variety of roles in the early childhood education setting, including being a nanny, a substitute teacher, and a soccer coach for children ages 2-8. Before moving to Pennsylvania in 2021, Morgan gained experience in the classroom as a substitute teacher at an elementary school, working alongside her mother, who was a dedicated special education teacher for over 10 years. Morgan’s mother has been one of her biggest inspirations. Growing up, Morgan loved helping in her mother’s classroom whenever she had the opportunity. Through these experiences, she discovered a true passion for working with young children and supporting their growth and development in the early childhood setting. Morgan holds an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education. She is passionate about creating a classroom environment where students feel safe, respected, and motivated to learn. 

Morgan’s teaching philosophy centers around the idea that every child can succeed with the proper support, encouragement, and tools. She aims to foster a love of learning in her students by making lessons engaging, meaningful, and tailored to different learning styles. She also believes that open communication between home and school is key to student success!

Meet Chloe Salloway, a massive asset to our daily staff! “Superstar Nanny" really does her justice. Imagine driving around a family of five foster kids, aged four months to five years?

Chloe is a born caregiver, confident, kind, and an absolute blast to be around! She's our van driver and assistant for the school-age after-school program. Chloe brings a wealth of professional experience to childcare settings, working with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. She holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from Central Maine Community College.

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Additionally, Chloe has worked as a one-on-one support professional for children with autism, demonstrating her expertise in behavior management. Her commitment to promoting kindness and positivity shines through in all environments. You can’t help but smile when you see her!

Mrs.Lisa Jones will be joining our educational team as not only an occasional substitute but will also be here frequently while Mrs. Jen is on maternity leave. Nurturing has always been a part of her natural disposition. Before Lisa was school age, she was caring for stray cats and toddlers, earning herself the nickname “little mother." Lisa always dreamed of becoming either a veterinarian or a kindergarten teacher. 

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Lisa holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Community Counseling. She has worked as an early childhood caseworker and a foster care caseworker. Before 'retiring,” she spent 35 years as an elementary school counselor right here in Maine! As a retiree, Lisa found she preferred semi-retirement. She then spent another two years as the Dresden Elementary Counselor and now looks forward to substituting at Miss Sugarman's. 

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Lisa lives on a local farm with her husband, where she keeps busy with their beagle, ducks, turkeys, chickens, and horses. Her hobbies are gardening, volunteering, reading, and horsemanship. She absolutely loves adventuring with her grandchildren.