Our Teacher – Eastside Nursery

Our Teachers

The teachers at ESNS are passionate about play-based learning, social-emotional development, and culturally sensitive teaching. They model collaboration and friendship in the ESNS community every day.

Karen Welser

teacher and administrator

Karen graduated from Swarthmore College, where she majored in English. She has been a member of the East Side Nursery School community since 2001, when the first of her four children began in the Tuesday/Thursday class, and has been teaching at ESNS since 2016.

Children and education have been long standing passions for Karen: she is certified in Parent and Family Coaching; she currently leads an online international adoption support group; and has previously developed, written, and taught an original religious education curriculum for children ages 3-9. Karen and her husband live near ESNS on the East Side, with one child in elementary school, one in high school, one in college, and one in graduate school.

Rebekah Ham

teacher and education coordinator

Bekah graduated from Brown University with an AB in American Civilization and a Masters of Arts in Teaching and has worked with children ages three to high school in a variety of settings. She is committed to play based learning and chose ESNS in 2001 for her oldest child. Her next two children followed with the youngest finishing ESNS in 2017.

Bekah served on the ESNS Board for six years, including two as President. Prior to returning in the role of teacher, she worked for ten years as a childhood cancer advocate, Mommas team leader, and fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. In addition to teaching, Bekah is active in her role on the Board of The Wolf School for Complex Learners and loves to write, make art, and get out in nature.

Sarah Dennigan

teacher

Sarah holds a Masters of Education in Early Childhood Education from Worcester State University. She has been involved in the East Side Nursery School community since 2008, when the first of her three children began in the Tuesday/Thursday class. She served on the ESNS Board for five years in various roles, including two as President of the Board, and joined the teaching team in 2019. Prior to joining ESNS, Sarah previously worked as Assistant Director at Books Are Wings, a Rhode Island children’s literacy non-profit.

Sarah enjoys collaborating with her wonderful co-teachers, taking walks in the woods with her extended family, and taking classes on almost any subject for fun.

The East Side Nursery School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, disability, or national or ethnic origin in its hiring, admissions, operation, or programs.

East Side Nursery School

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