
Christine Martin
Christine Martin is the founder and owner of Sunshine Preschool in Hopkinton, MA, a
NAEYC accredited program, which has been in operation for over 47 years. She holds a
Bachelor of Arts in Child Study and a Masters in Early Childhood Education.
Christine is the author of You’ve Got This! Keys to Effective Parenting for the Early Years. She is an early childhood education consultant and expert who has spoken on child development topics at colleges and national education conventions.
Christine runs the school in absentia with the help of her director and teaching staff. Sunshine has run seamlessly with her off-site oversight for more than 15 years due to the hard work and dedication of the following staff members.
Christine Martin
Owner/administrative Director

Liz Dacey
For over 20 years, Liz Dacey has been a dedicated and beloved part of the Sunshine Preschool family. She has served as our Director for more than a decade, bringing not only her leadership skills but also a deep love for early childhood education and a passion for creating joyful, meaningful experiences for every child.
Before joining Sunshine, Liz taught first grade in Northborough, giving her valuable classroom experience that parents often appreciate when entrusting their little ones to our care. Her educational background includes a degree in Sociology/Psychology, and she holds Director I/II certification from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.
At the heart of Liz’s work is her commitment to providing a warm, safe, nurturing environment where children feel seen, supported, and encouraged to grow in every area of their development. She’s passionate about making each child’s early learning years full of wonder, laughter, and discovery.
As Director, Liz oversees the daily operations of Sunshine Preschool — from communicating closely with families and supervising our caring staff, to jumping into the classrooms when needed. She ensures that Sunshine maintains the high-quality standards required for NAEYC accreditation and all state governing agencies, making sure everything from licensing to certifications and inspections is always up to date.
Liz is an active member of both the Central Massachusetts Association of Early Childcare Directors and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, staying connected with best practices and the broader community of early education leaders.
She lives right here in Hopkinton with her husband, their three children — all proud Sunshine Preschool graduates — and their playful family dog. Liz brings warmth, heart, and dedication to everything she does, and she’s honored to be part of your child’s early learning journey.
Liz Dacey
Director

Lyn Calkins
Lyn Calkins is Lead Teacher Preschool and Lead Teacher Infant/Toddler certified by EEC. She has been a teacher at Sunshine since 2009 and teaches our three-day Prekindergarten and Wednesday Afternoon Enrichment classes.
Lyn has also worked as a Teacher’s Assistant when needed. She studied Spanish at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is fluent in Spanish and coaches youth tennis.
Lyn Calkins
Lead Teacher

Mary Pawela
Mary Pawela is Lead Teacher Preschool, Lead Teacher Infant/Toddler, and Director I certified by EEC.
She has been a teacher at Sunshine since 2020 and currently teaches our two-day Preschool/Prekindergarten and Tuesday and Thursday Afternoon Enrichment classes. She has her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo and her Master of Education in Early Childhood from the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Mary Pawela
Lead Teacher

Carol Quinlan
Carol Quinlan is Lead Teacher Preschool certified by EEC. She has worked at Sunshine since 2011 as a Teacher’s Assistant and Nursery Teacher – she currently teaches our three-day Nursery and Wednesday Afternoon Enrichment classes. She has her Associates Degree from Nassau Community College.
Carol Quinlan
Lead Teacher

Nancy Rotatori
Nancy Rotatori is Lead Teacher Preschool and Lead Teacher Infant/Toddler certified by EEC. She has been a teacher at Sunshine since 2020 and teaches our three-day Pre-kindergarten and Monday Afternoon Enrichment classes. She has her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a Life Is Good Playmaker.
Nancy Rotatori
Lead Teacher

Lisa Summers
Lisa Summers is Lead Teacher Preschool certified by EEC. She has worked at Sunshine since 2014 as a Teacher’s Assistant, a Preschool Teacher, and a Prekindergarten Teacher -she currently teaches our three-day Preschool class. She has her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and her Master of Social Work from Simmons College. She is a licensed certified social worker (LCSW) and is fluent in Russian.