Preschool Education Program

Welcome to the Preschool Education Program (PEP) operated by staff contracted from Strafford Learning Center.

For information about Child Find and the referral process, please click here.

PEP is an integrated program providing related services such as speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy within the context of a developmentally appropriate preschool program. The program runs M-Th morning classes (8:15-10:45) for 3 years old students, and M-Th afternoon classes (12:00-2:30) for 4 years old students.

PEP is located at the Oyster River High School (ORHS) with two classrooms and a dedicated preschool bathroom located off one of the rooms. A playground specifically designed for preschool-aged students was constructed with the help of volunteers from the community.

If you have any questions, please contact PEP Coordinator Diana Eisenhaure at 603-868-2375, ext. 6103, or by email.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Shaps reading to PEP students.

Students visited DeMeritt Hill Farm in fall 2025.

ENROLLMENT

The primary purpose of PEP is to provide special education services for those students of ages 3-5 who have been determined in need of such services through the special education process. In addition, some children from the community are also enrolled in the program. If you are interested in more information about the enrollment process, please contact the program director.

CURRICULUM

The PEP program utilizes the Creative Curriculum System for Preschool, 5th Edition© as a foundation for curriculum decisions. The Creative Curriculum System is a research-based curriculum which integrates all areas of development into center based learning experiences. The Creative Curriculum© is used across the country in both regular education and special education programs. In addition, elements of Eureka Math©, PBIS©, Lively Letters© and Social Thinking© are also incorporated into our work with young children.

OUR TEAM

Diana Eisenhaure

PEP/Child Find Coordinator- SLC

Diana is the Program Director/Child Find Coordinator at PEP.  Diana has over 20 years of experiences working in early childhood education. She has degrees in special education, early childhood special education, and special education administration. Diana is excited to work with both the preschool and high school students. Additionally, she feels very fortunate to work with such a dedicated staff of professionals and within a community that values and promotes early childhood education. 

Liz Collopy, M.Ed.
PEP Teacher

Liz has a Master’s degree in early childhood special education from UNH, as well as degrees in Counseling and Anthropology. She has 20 years experience working with young children. She worked as a preschool special educator in Concord, NH for 3 years before moving to Strafford Learning Center. She lives in Barrington with her husband and two little boys. She enjoys outdoor activities, reading, and spending time with her family.

Isabelle (Izzy) Rodriguez
PEP Teacher

Izzy has been working with children since graduating from Boston University in 2020. After spending some time in Connecticut, she returned to her hometown on the Seacoast and joined the PEP team in 2022. While she originally planned to teach second grade in Boston, she has found a passion for early childhood here at Oyster River. She enjoys watching football and reality television, as well as spending time on her goat farm with her husband and young children.

Amber Goolbis, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech and Language Pathologist

Amber was first impressed by PEP when her son attended the program. She was thrilled to be able to join the team in a professional capacity in 2018. Amber earned a BA in interpersonal communication from Tulane University and went on to pursue her MS in communication sciences and disorders at UNH. For more than 15 years, she has provided speech, language, and swallowing services to a variety of populations, but feels she has found her niche in the preschool setting. When Amber is not addressing the communication needs of young people, she might be found working in her gardens, cooking a delightful meal, or boating on Casco Bay with her family.

Erin Murray, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist

Erin graduated from the University of New Hampshire with her Masters in Occupational Therapy and an undergraduate minor in Disabilities. She has begun her first role with PEP and carries out life skills with high schoolers. Erin is passionate about her use of OT to work with youth involved in the juvenile justice system to support reduced recidivism. Erin also works with adolescents in a residential treatment center to help foster joy, resilience, and positive experiences in the complex lives of vulnerable youth. In fieldwork, she advocated for OT in innovative spaces such as a community-based family resource center with specialized grant training. Erin loves the beach, her friends & family, coffee shops, the outdoors, and running.

Davyanne Moriarty
Paraprofessional

Davyanne has been a fan of PEP for over 20 years. All three of her sons were students in the program. She has been a paraprofessional for 6 years on a full-time basis after subbing for several years.

Stephanie Nossiff
Paraprofessional

Stephanie has been working for the past 6 years as a special education paraprofessional at the middle school level educating and mentoring intellectually and physically disabled students, in the Life Skills and Behavior Intervention Program. She joined PEP at the beginning of the 2022 school year. Stephanie is a lifetime resident of Dover where she resides with her husband and two teenage daughters. She enjoys spending summers on Lake Winnipesaukee water skiing, boating, and hiking with her family.

Amber Tynan
Paraprofessional

Amber joined the PEP team in 2023. She attended college in northern Vermont and has a bachelor's degree in psychology. She enjoys traveling with her teenager, attending concerts, and relaxing in front of the television with her dogs.

Madeleine (Maddie) Jutras
Paraprofessional

Maddie recently graduated from Connecticut College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has experience working in integrated classrooms and at a summer camp and is excited to be working with children again. Maddie lives at the beach in Seabrook and enjoys spending time with animals and making puzzles and crafts.