A ministry of Nichols United Methodist Church
A ministry of Nichols United Methodist Church
Mother's Day Out
A ministry of Nichols United Methodist Church
Where kids love to be!
35 Shelton Road, Trumbull, CT 06611
Our MDO Staff
It is a pleasure to introduce our loving and nurturing staff members.
Meet The Team
Miss Debbie
Director, MDO 2 & 3
Debbie Packnick earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and English at Fairfield University, worked for 6 years in Public Relations for a medical supply company and then chose to stay home and raise her three children. She kept busy volunteering in the community and through her church and began Directing the Christian Education Program for children, youth and adults at Nichols United Methodist Church in 2002. She joined the Mother’s Day Out Staff in 2009 and currently serves as Director of the program. She is also employed by the Covenant Church of Easton as their Student Ministries Pastor and is ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church. Debbie loves sailing, cooking, mentoring youth and leading Bible studies. She and her husband Rob are empty nesters and live in Shelton with their sassy Welsh Terrier, Chloe. They enjoy occasional visits with their young adult children, Kyle (his wife Tess), Craig (his wife Hanna) and Ally who all reside in CT.
Miss Lisa
Head Teacher, MDO 2
Office Supervisor
Lisa Peters went to college intending to get her veterinarian degree, but after rescuing/training dogs to service the deaf and hearing impaired she began her own dog grooming salon/training facility. Lisa began participating in dog shows with one of her rescues and continues to show her dogs today. In addition to her dogs, she also has chickens and is a beekeeper. Lisa and her husband (Ken) have three adult children (Kyle, Avery and Erica), all who went to Mother’s Day Out. After her children graduated from MDO, she joined our staff in 2000. Lisa has led the Children’s Choir at Nichols United Methodist Church in addition to teaching Sunday School to preschoolers. Several years ago, she went back to college to get her Early Childhood Education Certification.
Miss Margaret
Lead Teacher, MDO 2
Margaret O’Malley worked eight years as a newspaper copyeditor at the Dallas Times Herald and Miami Herald after graduating from Western Kentucky University with a B.A. in journalism and economics. In 1993, Margaret, her husband, Mike, and their two daughters moved from Florida to Minnesota, where she took Early Childhood Family Education classes through the local school district. After moving to Trumbull in 1996, Margaret became the nursery coordinator at Nichols United Methodist Church in 2000. She joined Mother’s Day Out in 2004 after subbing the previous year. Margaret also worked with children as a Girl Scout leader, school volunteer, PTA officer and the superintendent of the education program at NUMC. Margaret is a sports fanatic and travels to the Final Four each year. She also loves attending music festivals, concerts and golf tournaments.
Miss Tonia
Lead Teacher, MDO 3
Tonia Cooper joined the MDO staff in 2015 after working 12 years in the daycare profession. She married Doug in 1996, and after the birth of the first of their four children, she put her pursuit of an Early Childhood Education degree from Sacred Heart University on hold to focus on her family. Tonia has volunteered in her children’s schools, served on the PTA, and has been an advocate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She and Doug own and operate Diversified Kitchens in Huntington Center in Shelton.
Miss Cindy
Assistant Teacher , MDO 2
Cindy Kopf successfully balanced being a mother to two sons with accompanying and supporting her husband, Carl, who frequently traveled internationally as a business executive. Later, Cindy served as the full-time, weekday nanny for her five grandchildren, beginning with a set of identical twin granddaughters. As her grandchildren grew up, she missed sharing her time and skills with young children and began volunteering at MDO. She became a substitute teacher in 2016 and an assistant teacher in 2017. She also assists in the Nichols UMC nursery. Cindy is an avid golfer and also enjoys crocheting unique gifts for friends and family.
Miss Sarah
Lead Teacher, MDO 2
Assistant Teacher, MDO 3
Sarah Sergeant graduated from Sacred Heart University with a BA in Social Work and a few years later a Master of Arts in Teaching. She also attended Southern Connecticut State University to earn a Special Education Certification. She worked in the Bridgeport Public School System as a Special Education Teacher.
Sarah decided to put her professional career on hold and stay home to raise her three children. She lives in Shelton and enjoys spending time with her husband of 18 years, Glen, and their children Alexis 13, Sean 11, and Samantha 8.
Sarah’s children all attended our MDO programs. She began subbing for us when her youngest (Sam) was attending MDO 3. She was excited to get back into the workforce when Sam started kindergarten and we were thrilled to invite her to join our MDO staff!
Miss Jean Marie
Assistant Teacher, MDO 2
Jean Marie Poster worked for 15 years in New York City as an Executive Assistant in a Mutual Fund Company before becoming a mom to her son Jack. Jean Marie and her husband John adopted Jack in 2012 and soon after Jean Marie made the decision to put her career on hold and become a stay-at-home mom. She spent much of her free time volunteering at Jack’s school before joining the MDO staff in 2021. She’s excited be working again, especially at MDO where Jack attended in 2014. In her free time Jean Marie loves to read, spend time with family and friends and travel. Jean Marie lives in Trumbull with her husband John, their son Jack and a very energetic, happy pup named Henry.
Miss Mary Beth
Assistant Teacher, MDO 3
After graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a Business degree, Mary Beth held several jobs in marketing, advertising, and promotions for companies such as Tennis Magazine and the Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament. When she and her husband Mike started their family, she decided to leave the corporate world to focus on being a full-time mom. She stayed active volunteering in her community and held several positions in the PTA and at her church. When her eldest daughter started high school Mary Beth joined the MDO family as an assistant teacher in the 2’s program until 2020. She continued to sub for the program over the past few years and is happy to be rejoining our MDO family as an assistant teacher in our 3’s program. She brings over 8 years of experience in a preschool classroom and over 25 years of experience as a mom. In her free time, Mary Beth enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, and relaxing at the beach.
Miss Robyn
Assistant Teacher, MDO 2
Robyn Quarella is a dedicated professional with a diverse background in sales and wedding planning, spanning over 15 years. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 2002, she held various management positions in major hotel chains. In 2017, Robyn decided to shift her focus to full-time motherhood with the birth of her first child. She welcomed her second child in 2020. Her love for raising her two boys, Jackson and Benjamin, has become one of her greatest joys. Robyn is a passionate advocate for early childhood education, inspired by her son's positive experiences at Mother's Day Out. She now brings her enthusiasm and love for educating young minds to the MDO team. In her free time, Robyn enjoys spending it with her husband, Jay, and their family, particularly at the beautiful beaches of Rhode Island and Cape Cod. They currently reside in Trumbull.
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Miss Lisa W.
Assistant Teacher, MDO 2
Lisa Colavito-White earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Sacred Heart University and a Master's degree in Special Education from Southern Connecticut State University. With 23 years of experience as a classroom teacher and evaluator in a special education preschool setting, she has dedicated her career to supporting young learners.
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Lisa is a mother of two and resides in Trumbull, CT, with her two cats, Mario and Houdini, as well as a bearded dragon named Ollie. In her free time, she enjoys Yoga, Pilates, spending time at the beach, and baking. Lisa is excited to join the stellar MDO team.
Miss Jody
Assistant Teacher, MDO 3
Miss Jody has many years of working with preschool children. As a mother of 8 children and an aunt to a handful of nieces and nephews, Jody has lovingly cared for and impacted the lives of young children throughout our community for decades. Jody joined our MDO staff 5 years ago after her daughter attended our program. She and her husband Dan and their extended families have lived in Shelton their whole lives and her husband Dan owns and operates their family business, DJP Electric. Jody’s warm smile and caring heart have blessed countless numbers of little ones in our program over the years.
Miss Alicia
Assistant Teacher, MDO 2
Alicia graduated from Mount St. Mary College in 2003 and worked for New Life Insurance Co. as a director of new business from 2004-2016. In the recent years, Alicia has been a stay-at-home mom and spends much of her free time volunteering at her children's schools. Alicia and her husband Al, have 3 children, all who attended the MDO programs. Alicia has subbed for MDO in the previous years and is looking forward to joining as a teacher. In her free time, you will find Alicia on the sidelines cheering on her kids at a hockey, soccer, basketball, or lacrosse game!