STAFF BIOS:

Abbie Fennell
Program Director

This year marks Abbie's third year as Director of Driscoll Extended Day. Abbie has a Bachelor's Degree from Wheelock College in Human Development with a concentration in Elementary Education. Before joining DEDP, she was Director of External Programs for 10 years at the Pierce School Extended Day. She had worked at the Pierce School Extended Day and Pierce School for 18 years. Abbie enjoys cooking, knitting, and travel. She enjoys spending time with her siblings as she is part of a set of quadruplets. 

Vinny LaFrazia

Assistant Director

Vinny is thrilled to be returning to Driscoll Extended Day for his 17th year. He is excited to share his passion for cooking and woodworking with all the children and continuing as the Assistant Director. Before coming to DEDP, Vinny spent many years working with children in organized sports and marching bands throughout Massachusetts and Maine.  He enjoys playing golf and spending time with his wife and two children.

Amy Wells

Grades K-2 Coordinator/ Teacher

Amy is excited to be starting her third year at DEDP and is the coordinator of the K-2 program. She attended Wheelock College before transferring back to Vermont to finish her degree in Social Work at Champlain College. She has worked with children of all ages in many different settings. Before coming to DEDP she worked with children with special needs. She looks at things through a strength-based perspective and strives to create activities that foster social and developmental growth for all children.

Carlos Morales

Grades 3-5 Coordinator / Teacher

Carlos is excited to begin his second year as DEDP as the Coordinator for Grades 3-5. He graduated from UMass Dartmouth in 2007 with his BA in Writing Communications and also one in Literature. In addition he studied at Middlesex University in London during his undergraduate years. After college, Carlos spent two years working in the Brookline Public Schools and worked at Pierce School Extended Day for four years. Carlos is a huge history buff and has participated in a variety of historical reenactments. He enjoys writing, architectural and mechanical designs and all kinds of creative fantasy and sci-fi games.

Sam Dahlstedt

K-2 Teacher

Sam has Bachelors Degree from UMass Boston with a focus in English. Born in Boston, Sam attended the Pierce elementary school growing up, and graduated from Brookline High School. He loves all sports, basketball especially, and is a die-hard fan of the Celtics and all Boston sports teams. He also has a passion for photography, writing, and astronomy.  This past summer Sam was the photographer at Beaver Summer Programs. Sam is eager, ready, and excited for his third year with the program!

Stephanie Goodman

K-2 Teacher 

Stephanie is very excited to start her second year at DEDP. She has a Masters in English degree at Simmons College and is certified to teach English, grades 5-12. For two years she worked in a kindergarten classroom at Driscoll. She loves knitting, reading, and science fiction, as well as helping children grow creatively and expressively.

Robin Brown

K-2 Teacher

Robin is looking forward to starting her second year at DEDP.  She is a graduate of Hamilton College with a degree in Mathematics.  She was born and raised in Brookline where she graduated from Brookline High School.  She worked three summers at a Beaver Summer Programs as a high/low ropes course specialist.  She loves music, sports, theatre, and working with children.

Briana DeFilippis

K-2 Assistant Teacher

Briana is thrilled to join the DEDP staff for her first Northeastern co-op. She is in her third year at NU and dual majors in Psychology and Education. Briana has worked with children in many different capacities but most recently she was a teacher’s assistant at the Russel J. Call Children’s Center and has tutored students at Ellis Memorial in Roxbury. She is looking forward to gaining a great deal of experience in the educational field while working at DEDP. In her free time, Briana performs in musical theatre productions, plays the guitar, and studies classical vocal performance. 

Carlie Espinosa

3-5 Teacher 

Carlie worked at DEDP as a K-2 Assistant Teacher/NU Co-op during th Fall 2011.  She is studying Psychology and Education at Northeastern and has enjoyed working with children of all ages through volunteer programs such as Jumpstart and DREAM. In her spare time she likes traveling, doing yoga, and spending time with family and friends.

Zachary Nicol

3-5 Teacher

Zach has a BS in Social Studies Education and a Minor in German Language and Literature from Boston University, and he is very excited to begin his first year at DEDP.  After graduating in 2011, he went back home to Pennsylvania and worked as a Site Director for an extended learning day program in his local school district.  He moved backed to Boston this June and worked as the Cooperative Games Specialist at Running Brook Day Camp in Waltham.  In his free time, Zach loves to watch his Phillies and Eagles, read historical non-fiction, and travel the country!

Adria Katz

3-5 Teacher

Adria is excited to be beginning at DEDP this year as a 3-5 Art Teacher!  She is moving to Boston from Providence, RI, where she received her Masters in Teaching Elementary Education, and her Bachelors in Visual Arts from Brown University.  Through Americorps, she has worked with school-age children in Providence's CharterCorps program.  She is passionate about incorporating creativity into students' actvities She love bike-riding, exploring new places, treasure hunts, creating new things that don't exist yet, and sharing these joys with kids!

Kris Cook

K-2 Assistant Teacher  (January 2013-June 2013)

Kris is extremely excited to start her second year at DEDP as a Teaching Assistant.  As a fourth year Psychology & Education Dual Major, Spanish Minor at Northeastern University, Kris has really enjoyed dedicating most of her undergraduate experience to volunteer programs like Jumpstart and Peace through Play.  During her four years at Northeastern, she has studied abroad in both Argentina and Peru, and she will hopefully be serving as the Teaching Assistant of a five-week NU study abroad program to Spain this summer. In her spare time, she enjoys running, drawing, and learning different languages.  Kris did her NU co-op at DEDP during the Winter/Spring of 2012.  She looks forward to returning to DEDP!