Schoolhouse Staff

Brian has a degree in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College (Day Care Specialist & Pre-school/Kindergarten) with graduate coursework on integrating children with special needs, multi-cultural curriculum, and child care programming. Brian has a Massachusetts DOE K-3 Teaching Certificate and EEC Director II / Lead-Teacher Infants, Toddler & Preschool EEC Certification. Brian and Joanne live is West Newton withtwo of his three children, Skye (21) and Becky (19). His oldest daughter Mikeala (23) a lives in Quincy. Joanne Hiromura is a landscape architect and specializes in designing playgrounds and parks (including the new Cunningham Park!). Brian also serves as a Director on the Board of Discovery Schoolhouse, and founded the program in 1992 with a small group of parents and teachers. He is committed to providing an affordable, high quality, culturally diverse program for families. He is a member of the Steering Committee for the Milton Early Childhood Alliance (MECA), a community service program of Discovery Schoolhouse. He is committed to providing an affordable, high quality, culturally diverse program for families. He particularly enjoys singing, playing guitar, building blocks, hammering, reading Dr. Seuss stories, and going on walks with the children. His dog, Shadow, comes to work with him every day.

We are very pleased to be able to announce that Mary Shields will soon be here full-time as Assistant Director and Teacher. Mary has been Acting Assistant Director since February and has been here most days late afternoons and even occasional nights and weekends. Mary has worked off and on for Discovery Schoolhouse since February 2012, and Brian has known her as a teacher since 1989, when he became the director of the program she was then teaching at. Mary knows the Discovery Schoolhouse program, philosophy, children, and staff well. She has 32 years of early childhood experience with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school age children. Mary has worked extensively in the classroom, but she also has six years of experience as a director, too. She has an easygoing nature, unflappable disposition, and professional attitude. She has great organizational skills, extensive knowledge of children’s development, and a solid familiarity with state regulations. When she’s not working, Mary enjoys spending time on the Cape, taking walks with her dog, and biking. Mary has a degree in Early Childhood Education from U-Mass/Boston. She has Teacher, Lead Teacher Infant/Toddler and Preschool, as well as Director I and Director II Massachusetts Dept. of Early Education and Care (EEC) certification.

[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

Motoko “Moco” Kinoshita, Teacher, has an Associates in Early Childhood Education from Quincy College. She has Teacher Infant/Toddler and Teacher Preschool Massachusetts EEC certification. Moco lives in Quincy with her husband. She is from Japan, but has lived in the area for about ten years. In Japan, she was a member of the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra as a vocalist. She loves singing with the children. Moco is usually here Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Ylen (pronounced “Elaine”) has an Associates of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Urban College.  She is Teacher Infant/Toddler and Teacher preschool certified by the Department of Early Education and Care.  Ylen has four children, and she is very proud of all of them.  they are 7, 16, 19, and 23 years old.  Ylen loves especially to play outside with the children, loves music, and also enjoys painting.  She has lived in Milton for over 15 years, and in the Boston area even longer, but she is originally from the Dominican Republic.  She is bilingual in both Spanish and English.  She loves all children and cares for them and protects them as if they were her own.