Our Team
Claudine Taylor – Director
Claudine joined the B
rown Play School teaching staff in 2002 as Co-Director; after her youngest daughter attended the preschool. Previously, she owned and operated a State Certified and Nationally Accredited family child care business in the Providence area. Claudine loves having the opportunity to get to know the children and their families along with watching their developmental growth. Besides her work with children, Claudine enjoys going for walks, reading and spending time with her husband and two daughters. Claudine holds an Associate Degree in Business Management from the Community College of RI, a BA in Psychology from RI College and also received her RI Teaching Certification in Early Childhood in 2006.
Jackie Courtemanche – Head Teacher
Jackie has been a member of the Brown Play School community since 2001. After many years of working in various early childhood settingsin the greater Providence area, she earned her BS in Early Childhood Education/ Science Concentration from RI College along with her RI Teaching Certification. She is proud to be associated with a long-standing establishment in partnership with a dedicated staff and wonderful families. Most of all she enjoys guiding children as they build a foundation for a life of learning. Jackie resides in North Providence with her husband, Bruce, and her children, Kyle and Deanna. She spends her free time biking, hiking, and gardening.
Marisa Bettencourt – Teacher
Marisa has been working with children for years but feels most at home at Brown Play School. When searching for a preschool for her oldest son in 2003, she found Brown Play School and quickly discovered it was everything she didn’t know she wanted in a school. Observing the day to day routines as a parent for two years made the transition to teacher an easy one. An excellent photographer, Marisa often documents the students throughout their day, an important part of the philosophy at Brown Play School. She is also the co-owner of a line of baby clothing called “Jack and Joe”, featuring hand made bibs, burp cloths, onesies and more. Marisa is the mother of three boys and is married to filmmaker David Bettencourt. They live in Cranston RI.