We are a leading child care provider in our area, dedicated to providing a safe, nurturing, and fun environment for your child. Our experienced staff is committed to helping your child grow, learn, and thrive. We offer a wide range of programs and services to meet the unique needs of every child.
All new employees at Hilltop School will go through the same interview process and new hire orientation. Each new employee is screened through fingerprinting and background checks via DHHS and Childcare Licensing as required by the State of Maine prior to their first day. At least 3 references are also checked for every candidate.
All positions must possess the required qualifications through the State of Maine. All teaching staff and administrative staff are required to hold current certifications in Pediatric and Child First Aid and CPR and must keep it current during employment at Hilltop School. All staff must also complete the State of Maine Mandated Reporter Training and a Required Health and Safety Training.
Hello! My name is Tracy and I am the Executive Director at Hilltop School. From a young age I knew teaching or working with children in some capacity was what I wanted to do. I am thankful for the opportunities I have had over to the years to work in a nurturing environment where children can learn and experience new challenges that help build their confidence. I earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine in Early Childhood Education and currently hold a State of Maine birth- age 5 certification and a pre-k through third grade teaching certification. I have worked in the early childhood field since 2005.
Prior to working at Hilltop School, I worked at The Sharing Place Childcare Center in Orono for 7 years and had the opportunity to work with children ages 6 weeks through 5 years of age and I developed, implemented, and taught a kindergarten readiness program during my time there.
I started at Hilltop School on February 11, 2013 as the Kindergarten Teacher. On July 5, 2016, after 3 years of teaching the Kindergarten, I became the Assistant Director, and had the opportunity to work under 2 of the most amazing Executive Directors and learned a lot from them. On August 5, 2019 I took on the role as Executive Director and have been in this position ever since. I was honored to accept this position and together with a team of amazing and creative teachers, I am committed to partnering with you and providing your family with a loving and safe foundation for your child’s early education that will foster a lifetime of learning. I look forward to many more years here!
When I am not at Hilltop School, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two children. We enjoy going on adventures and exploring new places together.
Hi my name is Laurie. I have had the privilege of being an Early Childhood Educator for 15 plus years. Over the years, I have worked with various age groups. I have spent several years working with children from ages 3 to 5 years old. I earned my CDA (Child Development Associate) in October 2010 and continue to hold this certification. I joined Hilltop School the summer of 2013 as the Summer Camp teacher for children Kindergarten thru 2nd grade. In November of that year, I was asked to become the teacher in the 3-year-old room. I was in this classroom until March 2022, when I took the position of Assistant Director/Curriculum Coordinator. This decision was not an easy one to make as I have loved every minute of being a Preschool Teacher. It has been the most rewarding experience of my life. In my new role, I can work with all the children and families in our center which I also find very rewarding. I am so fortunate to be able to come to work each day and spend time with the most amazing staff members as well as the most incredible little ones that you can imagine. I am truly blessed!
Hello, my name is Miss Janessah. I am a teacher in the toddler room 2. I have been a teacher at Hilltop School since summer of 2018. I have been an early education teacher for almost 10 years and I have worked with children with special needs in many different environments. I have lived and worked in many different states and I have enjoyed all the experiences and friends I’ve made along the way. I have lived in Maine for about 4 years now and have really enjoyed my time here thus far. My favorite thing about working at Hilltop School is all of the hugs, snuggles, and giggles.
Some fun things about me are, I have 2 sisters named Jennifer and Ashleigh and 1 brother named Josh. I also have a niece named Holly. I have lots of pets. Sometimes I feel like I live in a zoo! I have 4 parakeets named Billy, Buttercup, Lilly, and Nick, 2 Cockatiels named AJ and Jon, 2 cats named Mary, Kate, and Marge and 2 dogs named Zoey and Loki. My favorite colors are blue and green. My favorite foods are my grandmother’s magic cookie bars and her chicken and noodles and my favorite animals are dolphins, elephants, and horses.
I love to create a fun learning environment where the children in my care will feel safe and loved and one in which they will have fun coming to school.
I moved to Maine about 5 years ago, and have been working towards my childcare background certification and furthering my skills. I have lived in NY, SC, TN, TX, and Maine. I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Health, Psychology, Sociology, and Education, from Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC. I also went to the University of Phoenix in TN for a Master’s in Human Resource Management and completed only 6 months towards it. I have worked in Information Technology Helpdesks, Manufacturing Management, Cellular Phone Service Helpdesks, and Childcare along with Childcare Management. I am ServSafe Certified, CDL certified to drive school buses, and CPR, First Aid Trained. I have 17 years experience working with children, have a 16 year old daughter, an 8 year old son- and they both attended the daycares I worked in from babies. I have worked in Church and State run daycares. The changes I have seen over the years to help children learn and grow for the next generation has been such a wonderful gift. I enjoy working with all age groups but favor the Toddlers. I am excited to be on the Hilltop Team.
My name is Wendy Brown and I am the lead toddler teacher in Room 1.
I have been at Hilltop School since May 2023 and love it here! I have worked in childcare for over 25 years with children ages 6 weeks up to 5 years of age.
A little bit about me, I am a mom of 3 children, and I am a grandma to 3 children. I love photography and being outside. When I am not here at Hilltop School, my favorite pastime is going jeeping with my friends and family!
Hi my name is Maddie! I grew up in Hampden Maine where I lived with my parents and many siblings. I graduated from Hampden Academy in 2020 then went on to study early childhood special education at the University of Maine Farmington. It was important to me that I become somebody who supported children through out there different styles of learning. Teaching children is my passion and as much as the children learn from me, I learn so much from them every day. I plan to continue pursuing my passion for teaching studying at the University Of Maine at Augusta at Bangor in the Fall.
My journey took me to Hilltop after learning that one of my friends worked here. I have very much enjoyed my time here and am excited for the future.
I currently live in Bangor with my cat Skyler. When I am not working I enjoy many hobbies including watching Sitcoms, making jewelry and spending time with family
Hi, my name is Miss Brittany. I have been caring for young children for 9 years now. I was a nanny and then ventured into being a behavioral health professional since 2017. I have always enjoyed caring for young children and I have a son of my own.
I have been at Hilltop School since December 2021 and I am very glad to have the chance to work with all the wonderful children in the program. I am a float teacher here but currently filling in for the lead teaching position in our Jr. Preschool Program and it makes me so happy to work with all the children and teachers throughout the building. I am committed to providing a good environment and early education.
My name is Sam and I am from Plymouth, Massachusetts. More specifically, a tiny, beachside town named Manomet. Growing up, I was the oldest of three boys, my brothers being about 2 and 6 years younger than me respectively. My parents encouraged us to stick together and watch out for each other, taking my brothers along with me became second nature and I felt like it was up to me to keep everyone happy and healthy. We lived on Sachem Road, a dirt road named after the Algonquin word for chief over an alliance of tribes, that led to our beach and had bike trails and Indian paths criss-crossing the beachside neighborhoods. In this more natural setting, my brothers and I rode bikes and explored and enjoyed an independence that I have heard many older generations reminisce for.
Like other teachers before me, my mother was the teacher who inspired me to take up the torch in education. I was very fortunate that I had a very active parent in my education that also encouraged independence and choices. I was able to sample schools that were public, private, charter, homeschooling and everything in between. After sampling these different educational styles I felt firm in choosing to homeschool through high school due to its adaptable structure allowing me to take my education into my own hands. Midway through my junior year in high school, a friend's older brother came back on break and told me tales of his college's curriculum where they read different original source texts from philosophers, mathematicians, poets and more, then discuss them in a small round table discussion of around 20 students with a professor leading the way. This was to be my Alma Mater St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. A liberal arts college with a unique program based on a reading list that spans Plato to James Joyce. There I found the true love of listening to others and engaging in a dialogue in order to find common ground.
After I graduated college, I found work at a wonderful head start program in Baltimore working with inner city kids and an amazing staff that took me under their wing and made me feel like another teacher. I also worked at a Kindergarten under the First English Lutheran Pre-k and Kindergarten (usually abbreviated to FELP) whose campus was a stone's throw away from Johns Hopkins University. At FELP, they had a unique social emotional training course called the Mariposa method that emphasized understanding how emotions cause certain physical reactions that need to be processed and understood rather than ignored or punished. I aim to take all of these various, different experiences I have had and hope to bring a calming presence to the classroom that provides a steady, happy, and healthy example to follow during our time together.
Hello! My name is Cheyenne, and I am a substitute teacher here at Hilltop School, however, at this time I am the long-term substitute for one of the Pre-K rooms. I am originally from a very small town in Maine, North Anson, though currently live just a few minutes away in Hampden. I attended Husson University and just recently obtained my bachelor's degree in the field of psychology. I found out about Hilltop through a former classmate of mine and am grateful that I took the opportunity to apply! In the spring, I plan on returning to Husson University to start my master's degree journey for clinical mental health counseling. When I am finished with my degree, I hope to be a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor! I am so grateful that I have had the chance to interact with all of the children, parents, and loved ones of children that attend Hilltop and I look forward to those that I encounter in the future!
Hi, my name is Makayla, and I am the Lead Teacher in the Pre-K classroom in the red building! I am currently attending school at Eastern Maine Community College for Early Childhood Education and will be graduating with my degree in May 2024. I have been working in some form of childcare since I was in high school. From summer camps, to a one-on-one in a first-grade classroom, to a infant classroom teacher, to toddler teacher when I first joined Hilltop School and now here with the Pre-K students at Hilltop! I have always had a passion for working with children and am eager to continue learning how to help children learn and grow!
A little bit about me, I love being outside. My favorite activities are hiking, kayaking, and spending a day on the lake! I am from a small town right outside of Canada called Woodland, which provided so many opportunities to explore the beautiful Maine outdoors. Now, I live right in Hermon and am happy to be much closer to the rest of my family! I also love to paint and have, and entire house packed with arts and crafts. I love being creative but most of all I love seeing children explore their surroundings and be creative too!
Hello, my name is Courtney. I am currently a student at the University of Maine Orono majoring in psychology with a concentration in developmental psychology, and a minor in child development & family relations. My goal after graduation is to obtain my Master’s degree in Adjustment Counseling in hopes of becoming an adjustment counselor in elementary schools for children on IEPs and specialized plans. Over the years, I have worked with various age groups, preschool and kindergarten being my favorite. I have spent several years coaching children from ages 3 to 7 years old in cheerleading and gymnastics, and have worked as a special education assistant teacher through my courses at the University of Maine.
I joined Hilltop School team in October 2023 and have loved it ever since. I float around the building, but most of the time you can find me upstairs in Junior Preschool with some of our 2 1/2 to 3-year-old friends. Some days I feel like they teach me just as much as I teach them, and it has been an incredible experience thus far. My role here at Hilltop has really solidified that I am studying and working towards exactly what I want to pursue in the future.
Biography and Photo Coming Soon!
Hilltop School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is governed by a Board of Managers.
Hilltop School does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religion, cultural heritage, political beliefs, marital status, sexual preference, disability, Veteran Status, or national origin.
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