Our Teachers
All teachers at Erdman Preschool have standard professional credentials, most with advanced degrees, and are licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. All teachers participate in a minimum of 20 hours of professional development each year.
Our teachers create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere that is structured enough to offer security, but open enough to foster creativity and independence. This is how children:
- develop strong, healthy social skills
- gain self-direction
- learn resiliency and coping strategies
- experience satisfaction from expressing their own ideas, completing tasks, and learning to care for and about others
WHAT'S
HAPPENING
Fundraisers, PAC Meetings, Open Houses - there's a lot happening at Erdman.
Mark your calendars and don't miss a thing.
LEARNING
BY DOING
Children at Erdman paint, cook, build, sing, clean, share and play with others, and much more.
Why do we do certain activities?
Why are they important?
2023-2024
REGISTRATION
Applications for the 2023-2024 School Year are available now. Placement will begin in January.
We have all the info for both new and returning families.
ADDRESS
330 First Parish Road
Scituate, MA 02066
GET IN TOUCH
781.545.9309
erdmanpreschool@verizon.net
FOLLOW US
RELATED LINKS
Jenn Franklin joined the Erdman family in January 2022 as the Director. She has been in the early education field for over 15 years. She grew up in Quincy and lives in Scituate with her husband and two dogs, Norman and Margie.
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite Children's Book: The Chocolate Covered Cookie Tantrum by Deborah Blumenthal
Pets: Her pugs, Norman & Margie
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Anything chocolate
Birth Month: January
Favorite Store: Marshalls/Homegoods
Favorite Place for Vacation: Aruba or the beach
Hobbies: Reading, Writing, Baking
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Swimming with sharks
Patti Litz has taught at Erdman Preschool since 1978, for 44 years. She volunteered for several months at Erdman and then was hired in January 1978. Prior to that, she had worked as an assistant at a Montessori school.
Favorite Color: Purple Favorite food: Lasagna
Favorite Children's Book: Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Pets: No pets, but she loves animals!
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Peanut M&M's
Special Talent: Playing guitar
Birth Month: August
Favorite Store: Frugal Fannie's
Favorite Place for Vacation: New Hampshire
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Skydiving
Tricia Berlo says that she was always going to be a teacher! She was introduced to Erdman Preschool when the oldest of her three adult children attended.
Favorite Color: Yellow
Favorite food: LOTS! Italian & seafood especially
Favorite Children's Book: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Apple Pie & ice cream
Birth Month: July
Favorite Place for Vacation: Italy
Hobbies: Reading, anything on the water, boating, paddling, fishing, floating
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Swimming with sharks
Nancy Santiano has been teaching at Erdman Preschool for 16 years. She majored in Elementary Education at Stonehill College and started her career teaching 4th grade in Walpole. She has three children and one grandson. She lives in Marshfield.
Favorite Color: Blue Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite Children's Book: The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Pets: 2 dogs - Padre and Oliver
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Ice cream
Birth Month: November
Favorite Store: Homegoods
Favorite Place for Vacation: Beach
Hobbies: Lobstering or crabbing
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Swimming with sharks
Sue Duff lives in Scituate with her husband, Jim. She has a son, Jack (26), and a daughter, Lily (22). She has been involved in Early Childhood Education for over 25 years, first as a home daycare provider and then a teacher at Erdman.
Favorite Color: Purple Favorite food: Watermelon
Favorite Children's Book: The Country Bunny and Little Gold Shoes by Du Bose Heyward
Pets: A dog named Scout
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Chocolate
Special Talent: Singing
Birth Month: September
Favorite Store: Any book store
Favorite Place for Vacation: Anywhere!
Hobbies: Knitting, gardening, singing, baking
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Swimming with sharks
Beth Schwarz has been teaching for 25 years, 16 of those have been at Erdman. She grew up in Scituate and her children came to Erdman - "I never left!" she says.
Favorite Color: Blue Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite Children's Book: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Mint chocolate chip ice cream
Birth Month: September
Favorite Store: TJ Maxx
Favorite Place for Vacation: Virgin Islands
Special Talent: Messy but creative
Hobbies: Running, biking and reading
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Skydiving
Meet Our Team
Tanya Makaitis has been at Erdman for four years. She has a Bachelor's in Finance from Bentley University. She lives in Scituate Harbor with her husband and two sons.
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite food: Greek Salad from Harbor House
Favorite Children's Book: Cat Problems by Jory John
Pets: 2 cats, Sharky and Humphrey
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Ice cream
Birth Month: July
Favorite Store: Amazon
Favorite Place for Vacation: Glamping
Hobbies: Binging audiobooks, Netflix, and hiking
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Swimming with sharks
Patti Litz
Jenn Franklin
Tricia Berlo
Sue Duff
Beth Schwarz
Nancy Santiano
Tanya Makaitis
Betsey Hunter began working at Erdman in September 2019. She has three daughters and taught church school throughout their early lives. "Teaching at Erdman has been such a joy for me," Betsey says.
Favorite Color: Persimmon Favorite food: Shrimp & Risotto
Favorite Children's Book: The Boy Who Ate Flowers by Jan Wojtowicz
Favorite Candy or Dessert: White chocolate mousse cake
Pets?: Cat named Moira
Birth Month: May
Favorite Store: Any kitchen store
Favorite Place for Vacation: Italy
Special Talent: I am an artist
Hobbies: Drawing, painting, knitting, sewing, gardening, golfing, pickle ball, sailing
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Skydiving
Kathleen Podurgiel has been teaching at Erdman Preschool for 2 years. She has a degree in Communications from Syracuse University and worked in advertising for many years. She is happily married with two adult children who attended Erdman themselves!
Favorite Color: Green Favorite food: Cheese & crackers
Favorite Children's Book: Oh the Thinks You Can Think! by Dr. Seuss
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Pecan pie
Birth Month: March
Favorite Store: Amazon
Favorite Place for Vacation: Deer Valley
Hobbies: Skiing
Betsey Hunter
Kathleen Podurgiel
Theresa Delahunt
Lisa Leonard
Lauren Schlegel works in the office at Erdman. She spent her own preschool years at Erdman, as did her children!
Favorite Color: Blue Favorite food: Lasagna
Favorite Children's Book: Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBartney
Pets: A Goldendoodle named Cora
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Peanut butter cups
Birth Month: September
Favorite Store: Wegman's
Favorite Place for Vacation: Florida
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Skydiving
Lauren Schlegel
Lisa Leonard - Coming Soon!
Favorite Color: Favorite food:
Favorite Children's Book:
Favorite Candy or Dessert:
Birth Month:
Favorite Store:
Favorite Place for Vacation:
Hobbies:
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?:
Theresa Delahunt is one of Erdman's newest teachers. She has been teaching since 2004 and most recently worked as an Environmental Educator at the S. Shore Science Center. She grew up in Denver, Colorado and is the mother of three adult children. Her family moved to Scituate about three years ago.
Favorite Color: Green Favorite food: Soup
Favorite Children's Book: All the Places to Love by Patricia McLachlan
Pets: 3 dogs - Spider, Trouble & Ruby and a fish, Orion
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Chocolate cake
Birth Month: June
Favorite Store: Little gift shops
Favorite Place for Vacation: Somewhere new
Hobbies: Gardening, knitting, learning about nature, exploring new places
Rebecca Fawcett
This is Rebecca Fawcett's first year at Erdman! She looks forward to meeting everyone and experiencing all the fun traditions! As an artist, she favors creative and hands-on activities.
Favorite Color: Green Favorite food: Salmon
Favorite Children's Book: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Chocolate chip cookies
Pets?: Selkie, a Great Pyrenees
Birth Month: August
Favorite Store: Marshall's
Favorite Place for Vacation: Any place warm
Special Talent: I am an artist
Hobbies: Running, tennis, pickle ball, gardening
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Swimming with sharks
Colleen Schilpp
Colleen Schilpp began working in the office at Erdman in 2019. She has three children - two boys, 10 & 7, and a girl, 1. She has a degree in Elementary Education from Boston College and has worked in early childhood education since 2012.
Favorite Color: Blue Favorite food: Breakfast foods
Favorite Children's Book: Anything by Kate DiCamillo
Pets: A dog named Tiller & several chickens
Favorite Candy or Dessert: Cashewmilk Ice Cream
Birth Month: April
Favorite Store: Independent bookstores
Favorite Place for Vacation: The mountains or the beach
Hobbies: Astrology, hiking, yoga
Skydiving or Swimming with Sharks?: Skydiving
