Meet our teachers
and staff
We’re fortunate at Happy Day to have a tight-knit group of caring, compassionate and dedicated teachers and staff. Each one walks into the classroom with a smile on their face and a deep knowledge of child development, joy for learning, and love and respect for our Happy Day friends and their families.
Our teachers have a combined 80 years of experience in early childhood education, and several have taught at Happy Day for more than 10 years.
Happy Day Teachers and Staff
Ms. Brenda and Mr. Torrance McNeil
Owners
Ms. Brenda and Mr. Torrance partnered with Ms. Helen in 2022 to continue the legacy and culture of Children’s Happy Day School. Together, they’re the proud parents and aunt and uncle of four Happy Day alumni. Ms. Brenda has worked in the education field for 20 years in academic and health counseling. She earned her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and her doctorate in psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. Mr. Torrance earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston College, where he played second base on the school’s baseball team, and his MBA from Syracuse University.
Ms. Helen Rafiy
Founder
Ms. Helen founded Children’s Happy Day School in 1987 in Brookline Village, where she hoped to build a school community based on nurturing a child’s sense of wonder and curiosity. She’s worked with children of all ages for more than 40 years. Ms. Helen earned her master’s degree in early childhood education from Wheelock College.
Most enjoyable part of working with preschoolers:
I truly admire the curiosity and innocence of young children, and I want to honor that in every interaction. My commitment to and my trust in them gave me confidence to let them experience daily life through nature and play, rather than lectures. This is the best wisdom I have found from a lifetime of working in early education.
Ms. Sarah Doyle
Director
Ms. Sarah joined Happy Day in 2015. Before becoming the school’s director in 2019, she spent four years as a teacher in our P2 and Pre-K/K classrooms. She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from St. Joseph’s College of Maine.
Favorite game to play as a kid:
Go Fish!
Ms. Jessica Conley
Assistant Director
Ms. Jessica has been with Happy Day since 2008, when she joined as a Pre-K classroom teacher. She taught for four years in the Pre-K and Pre-K/K programs before becoming an administrator. Ms. Jessica is Director II certified by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, and she earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Framingham State University.
Favorite children’s book:
One of my favorite books is “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister because it expresses the importance of sharing and kindness.
Ms. Jodi Bissonnette
Ms. Jodi also floats across all four classrooms in the afternoon. She holds a teaching certification from Massachusetts Bay Community College and has several years of experience in early education, including five years at another preschool and running a home daycare before joining Happy Day.
Favorite children’s book:
When I was in preschool, I loved “Harry the Dirty Dog” by Gene Zion.
Ms. Melissa Bourisquot
Ms. Melissa began her Happy Day teaching in the P1 classroom in 2018, where she worked for four years before moving to P2. She has worked with children for 15 years and holds an associate’s degree in early childhood education from Quincy College.
Favorite Happy Day activities:
Nature walks, tasting vegetables from the Happy Day garden with Ms. Helen, and visits from the firefighters during our Community Helper curriculum.
Ms. Alexis Daggett
Ms. Lexi joined Happy Day in 2020, when she moved to Boston from her home state of Vermont. She is currently taking courses to receive her associate’s degree in early education.
Favorite children’s book:
“The Napping House by Audrey Wood. My grandmother used to read it to me when I was a kid. I have a fond memory of a time my grandma and I made puppets of all of the characters from the book and put on a little show together for my parents retelling the story!”
Ms. Jessica Hughes
Ms. Jess has taught in our P1 classroom since 2014. She’s teacher-certified by the Department of Early Education and Care and holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Fisher College in Boston, Mass.
Favorite Happy Day curriculum:
Healthy Eating and Gardening. I love watching the children try fruits and vegetables they’ve never tasted before!
Ms. Victoria Lyons
Ms. Victoria floats among our four classrooms and manages afternoons at Happy Day. She started at Happy Day in 2016, then worked at a different preschool as a Pre-K teacher before returning to us in 2020. Ms. Victoria earned a bachelor’s degree in human development with a minor in education from Merrimack College.
Favorite activity at Happy Day:
My favorite Happy Day curriculum is Art Month. I love how every single school day of the month is dedicated to learning about art and creating our own art. It is so interesting to see which project is each child’s favorite and which project they enjoy most. I also love how we gather together at the end of the month, display all of the artwork and guide the families around our art gallery!
Ms. Tara Masterton
Happy Day was excited to welcome Ms. Tara back to our school in 2023 — she previously worked here for six years as a P2 and Pre-K teacher. She earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education in inclusive settings from the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Ms. Franyeli Peguero
Ms. Franyeli joined Happy Day as a P1 teacher in 2023. She earned her associate’s degree in early education from Bunker Hill Community College.
Favorite game to play as a kid:
Growing up in a big family with tons of cousins, hide and seek was our go-to game. There were so many of us that the game would last for hours, with hiding spots getting more creative every time. I still remember squeezing into closets or behind curtains, trying not to laugh while someone searched inches away. It was a full-blown adventure and one of the best parts of my childhood.
Ms. Rachel Posner
Ms. Rachel started at Happy Day in 2024, bringing her years of experience caring for children as a nanny into the classroom. She graduated from Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass., with a master’s degree in expressive therapies and clinical mental health counseling.
Favorite children’s book:
“The Rainbow Goblins” by Ul de Rico
Ms. Juli Sullivan
Ms. Juli joined Happy Day in 2012 and has worked with young children for more than two decades. She has taught in several of our classrooms and is Director II certified by the Department of Early Education and Care. Ms. Juli holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and sociology from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Mass.
Favorite thing about working in a preschool:
Every day is an exciting new adventure. The look on the children’s faces when they figure out a new concept is priceless.
Ms. Sunnie Zechariah
Ms. Sunnie has worked at Happy Day since 2007, when she started as our P1 teacher. She is now an early education professor at Bunker Hill Community College and now collaborates with our staff to help design our curriculum. Before coming to Happy Day, she worked at a bilingual school in Thailand as a teacher and assistant director. She holds a master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Favorite game to play as a kid:
A Thai tag game called Tee-Jub.
Enrichment Teachers
Mr. Wayne Potash
Music & Movement Teacher
Mr. Wayne is a professional musician who has provided music and movement programs for public and private schools for 30 years, working with children from infancy to eighth grade. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, he’s released eight award-winning albums for children. Mr. Wayne also teaches private and group lessons for ukulele, guitar and several other instruments; performs concerts for families both with his band and as a solo performer; and presents interactive shows for children’s birthday parties.
Ms. Kim Godsoe
Yoga Teacher
Ms. Kim has worked in various facets of education for more than 30 years. An avid practitioner of yoga, she joins the Happy Day community after earning her teacher training in 2024. She has taught classes such as Begin Your Flow, Gentle Flow, and private lessons for beginning students at a local studio in West Roxbury, Mass. Ms. Kim loves how curious children are, and she uses storybooks and other activities to help students explore yoga, breathwork, feelings and their growing bodies. When not teaching, Ms. Kim enjoys cooking, traveling and creative writing.
Programs
Our four accredited preschool programs encourage literacy, introduce age-appropriate mathematical concepts and offer enrichment activities like music, yoga, dance and Spanish.
Our Community
We often say that parents and caregivers are a child’s first teachers. That perspective is why we work alongside families to support a child’s growth and offer resources during the preschool years.
Our Story
Since 1987, we’ve provided a safe, child-centered environment for Happy Day friends to nurture their sense of wonder and connect with the world around them.