Early Childhood Center | The Learning Center for the Deaf

The Early Childhood Center at The Learning Center for the Deaf serves deaf and hard-of-hearing children aged 3-6, and their families with innovative research based instructional strategies and programs. Our goal is for every child to have the opportunity to develop age-appropriate cognitive, communication, language and social skills.

The Center is home to a vibrant community of young children, families, educators and specialists in communication, language and learning. We strive to integrate best practice teaching methods with the unique, individual needs of each child and family we serve. Because we recognize and respect that the most important learning environment for children – especially during early childhood – is the one created at home, family involvement is a vital component in all of our early childhood programs.

Preschool: Three- and four-year-old children attend a child-centered, full-day preschool program founded on the belief that knowledge is intuitively sought by children through their own actions and experiences. Students attend half-days on Fridays to allow for monthly home visits to families in this program.

Kindergarten: Five- and six-year-olds participate in a full-day kindergarten program which continues to foster child-directed learning opportunities while skill-building in areas of communication, literacy, math, science and social studies. Kindergartners also participate in physical education, library, art and ASL classes on campus.

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Contact Admissions

About MPS

Parent-Infant Program

Inside ECC

A teacher and a student outside. The Teacher is crouched down and the student is looking at her shoes.

a student give a presentation to teachers and peers.

a student holding a string to bottle with people around her.

Key Staff

A black woman with long dark hair sitting outside. She is wearing a dark blue blazer over a light blue shirt and smiling.

Glennis Matthews, MA

Superintendent of TLC

All Administrative discussions regarding TLC students (MPS and Walden)

Glennis passionately believes in the foundation of literacy and has focused her studies on early literacy intervention strategies for deaf and hard of hearing children with a career goal to advocate and implement an early literacy curriculum for deaf and hard of hearing children.

Glennis earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Spelman College in Atlanta after an Associate of Applied Science degree in Sign Language Interpreting from Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston. She then obtained a Master of Arts degree in Middle Grade Math and Science from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta.

Her role as TLC Superintendent makes her the first Black Deaf woman and first HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) graduate to become a Superintendent of a Deaf School throughout the history of Deaf Education, joining the league consisting of a few Deaf BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Deaf School Superintendents in the United States.

A Latinx woman standing outside. Curly black hair and glasses and a light blue shirt.

Milmaglyn Morales

Early Childhood Center Principal

Education Issues, PreK - K, Parent Infant Program, Birth - 3

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Milmaglyn holds certification in Connecticut as an Integrated Early Childhood Education (*N-Grade 3) and Special Education in K-12, as well as a Birth-to-Three Program Service Coordinator. She also has a Sixth-Year Leadership Certificate and is currently a Certified Visual Communication Sign Language Evaluator.

Janice Wenstrom

Assistant Principal, ECC and Elementary

Mary Jane Huru, B.S.

Admissions Director/Family Liaison

Enrollment, Linkage to Resources,
Parent ASL Classes, TLCPA and PAC Group Liason

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Mary Jane Huru has a deep, personal connection to TLC. She is the mother of a former PIP student, who went on to attend her entire schooling at TLC, graduating in 2010. Mary Jane received her bachelor's degree in Child and Family Services. She has worked at TLC for 25 years, 10 as Admission Director/Family Liaison. Prior, she was the Director of TLC’s Childcare Center.

Toni Ammirati, M.Ed

Director of Curriculum & Instruction

Unresolved Education Issues, DESE Liaison

(v) 508-879-5110 x307

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Toni received her master’s degree in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University and has more than 35 years of experience working in the fields of nonprofit organizations, literacy, classroom management, education reform and lesson planning. She was an Elementary Principal for 25 years prior to moving into a senior leadership role in curriculum and instruction. Toni is also responsible for supporting TLC’s educational leaders and academic programs. She is also responsible for TLC’s Educational Compliance through DESE and is a MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Donna Kilcoyne-Orthoefer, MSN, RN

Director of Health Services

Student Emergency Forms, Immunizations, Physicals, Medications, Sick Visits

(vp) 774-999-0970

Donna holds a Master’s in Nursing and Healthcare Administration from Framingham State University. She has than 35 years of experience in nursing, includes experience in pediatric critical care, cardiology, medical-surgical care, and nursing education at Emerson Hospital. Donna has also served as nursing faculty at Northeastern and Regis College, as well as the Director of Professional Development at TaraVista Behavioral Health. Before joining TLC in 2022, she was the School Nurse Leader at St. Bridget’s School in Framingham.

When she is not at work, she enjoys travel, especially Disney World, with her husband and son. Her two dogs bring her much joy.