Danielle Lanthier (Mrs. Lanthier)

Date of hire: June 2006

My favorite children's book/story:

The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman. The fun, bouncy rhymes make it such a great read-aloud, and the chaos of a house full of kids feels just a little too relatable. With four kids of my own and two nephews often in tow, I can certainly appreciate the Peters’ very full house — although thankfully, my crew isn’t quite as picky as the Peters children!

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans has always been one of my favorite children’s books. What’s not to love about twelve spunky little girls growing up in the beautiful city of Paris — one of my favorite places in the world! I used to teach a geographically based class called Innovative, and Madeline was always a must-read when our classroom “travels” took us to Paris.

Fun facts about me:

• I’m a mom of four! My twins started at the Children’s Center way back in 2013 and are now headed to high school, while my youngest is starting Pre-K—making him my fourth child to attend the Children’s Center. Talk about a full-circle moment!

• My husband proposed to me at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris! France has always held a special place in my heart and was one of my favorite countries to “visit” with the kids in Innovative.

• My kids have attended the same elementary school I did — Nativity! I love that they’ve gotten to grow up as Nativity Panthers just like their mom did.

Why did you decide to work with preschoolers?

When I was in school, I always planned on becoming an elementary school teacher. At the time, I was also working as a nanny, and the oldest little girl I cared for attended the Children’s Center. I typically stayed with families until their children started kindergarten, and somewhere along the way I realized that preschoolers were actually my favorite age. So, I started working here—and all these years later, I’m still here!

What do you love the most about teaching/working with little ones?

There’s nothing better than teaching or showing a child something new and watching their face light up when it clicks. I especially love when parents tell me their kids went home and started teaching them something we learned in class. That’s always the best!

From your perspective, what makes the Children's Center so special?

This one is so hard to put into words because the Children’s Center is just one of those places you have to experience. Walk in, spend a little time here, and you can just feel what makes it special. There’s a warmth and sense of community here that’s pretty hard to find anywhere else.