JULIE O'COIN
Head Teacher
Julie has been with the Mindess Extended Day for 7 years. She previously worked at the Mindess during the day as an ESP with the RISE Program. Over the years she has worked with kids of all ages, from toddlers to coaching 16s club volleyball. Being a part of the Mindess Extended Day has meant so much to Julie and she is excited for another year in the Head Teacher role.
TAYLER BODIO
Director
Prior to joining us in Ashland, she was the Program Manager in Milford for their Community School Use Program. She has vast experience managing community programs including Extended Day, adult and children’s recreational and educational programs, town-sponsored sports teams, and much more! Her unique insight into Extended Day programming excites us. She started working as an aide in high school and continued through the ranks ultimately leading her to the Director position here.
Tayler graduated from Framingham State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology. In past years she has continued her education through the Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association. She plans to expand her knowledge base by joining the Network of Extended Day Directors.
On the weekends you can find her outside enjoying time with her dog Benny and her family. She also enjoys trying new restaurants, testing new recipes and taking fitness classes of all kinds.
MS. Z
Teacher
We are so excited to welcome back Ms. Z to Mindess EDP! She joined us during the spring of the '23-'24 school year and will be returning to the Mindess 5 days a week. Ms. Z brings creative new activities every week and we can't wait to see what she has in store for the year!
MS. WALKER
Teacher
Ms. Walker has been committed to fostering student growth and advocating for their needs since she came to Ashland Public Schools. She teaches with compassion and sprinkles a touch of fun in every learning experience while she supports students in an inclusion classroom as an ESP during the day. We are fortunate to have her returning for another fun filled year at the Mindess!
MS. IZEN
Teacher
Ms. Izen will be joining us once again for 5 days at Mindess EDP! Last year during her first year, she served as the Mindess RISE Teacher during the day. This year, she will be shifting over to the Ashland Middle School to head up their RISE Program and join us later in the afternoon.
MS. PLICHTA
Teacher
During the day, Ms. Pichta serves as the wonderful Wellness teacher at Mindess. Although her schedule changes from week to week, we can count on her to bring the laughs every day! She keeps everyone, students and staff, ready to tackle the afternoon and be their best selves.
MS. FONTAINE
Teacher
By day, Ms. Fontaine works at Mindess as the beloved Music Teacher. By afternoon, her brightness lights up EDP! This will be her fourth year with us.
Away from school, she enjoys getaways to see family, reading new books, and playing with her little pack of furbabies : Remy, Bandit, and Osito!
MS. JESS
Teacher
Ms. Jess started with Mindess EDP a couple years ago and has become an essential part of our afternoons. She works 5 days a week with us, and even though it is only for the first hour of the day, we can always count on her to keep us moving. During the day, Ms. Jess works as an ESP assisting students in inclusion settings.
FLYNN
Teacher
Going to 5th grade can be a tough time when students know it's their last year at Mindess. Thanks to Flynn, students thrive in their 5th grade classroom every year. As Flynn joins us for another year with our rowdy Mindess crew, they'll be conducting more 'Magic Puzzles' in Puzzle Club!
MR. HEGGS
Teacher
EDP does not run without the help of our High School Aides. We are even more fortunate when they return to us while pursuing their college degrees. Mr. Heggs will be returning to our Mindess program this year as a TEACHER among the staff! We are so happy that he has decided to return while going to school at Framingham State close by.
MS. SHOTTEN
Teacher
Last year we welcomed Ms. Shotten to Mindess EDP. We are so happy to be having her back this year! While taking college courses, Ms. Shotten arrives in the afternoons ready to have and brings exciting activities to students, like slime making. We look forward to more fun and messy projects this year!
MS. KEARNEY
Teacher
Ms. Kearney jumped into Mindess EDP with us last year and we are delighted to have her back! She brings top notch organizational and communication skills, as well as her 'fun vibes.' During the day she assists students in different classrooms as an ESP at Mindess.
MS. SHADRA
Teacher
We are so excited to have Ms. Shadra joining us for her first year at Mindess EDP! She previously worked at the Pittaway school years ago, and we are so lucky to have her rejoin Ashland Public Schools with us. Ms. Shadra will also be with us 5 days a week!
MS. BAHKET
Substitute Teacher
Mindess EDP is so fortunate to have accumulated staff over the past year, however, many of them work in the school during the day and cannot always get to us right away. Thanks to Ms. Bahket, we are able to keep functioning and keep our students in the norm. She fills in when needed and is a huge help during our Parent-Teacher Conference half days. We'd be lost without her support!