MEET the

ESSEX FELLS SCHOOL STAFF

2013-2014

ROSALIE ALMEIDA Ms. Almeida is the preschool inclusion teacher. This is her 7th year teaching at Essex Fells School. She has a BA in Psychology from Montclair State University. She received her Post Baccalaureate teaching certificate and special education certificate from Caldwell College. She is currently working on her Master’s in Special Education. Ms. Almeida is happily married and has a son Logan. She enjoys spending time with her family and going to the beach.

NICOLE ARAMANDO Miss Aramando is the new School Psychologist at the Essex Fells School. She is in the school four days per week collaborating with the rest of the Child Study Team. Miss Aramando graduated from Seton Hall University in 2009 with her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. She then continued on to receive her Master's Degree at Montclair State University in Clinical Psychology, and her certification in School Psychology. Miss Aramando is looking forward to beginning her journey in Essex Fells!

DOROTEA BANEK Mrs. Banek has been teaching at Essex Fells School for 16 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in History and is certified in elementary education. She has been awarded two Fulbright Scholarships which have enabled her to travel to Japan and New Zealand. Her continuous journeys around the world contribute to her passion for history and culture. Before entering the teaching profession, Mrs. Banek earned a degree in Fashion Buying and Merchandising and worked as a color coordinator in the fashion industry. Mrs. Banek has a background in acting which has enabled her to combine her talents and skills to direct and choreograph the school musical for the past seven years. She has two beautiful children, Luca, who is six years old, and Elia, who just turned three. During her spare time, Mrs. Banek enjoys spending time with her family, venturing to the beach, visiting museums, and practicing yoga. Her motto in life is, “Don't be afraid your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin.” In a nurturing environment, she encourages her students to take chances, explore their creativity, and to challenge themselves.

MICHELLE BARSHAY Mrs. Barshay is beginning her third year as a fourth grade Language Arts and Social Studies teacher here at Essex Fells School. She has also taught the 2nd and 3rd grades and this is her eighth year teaching at Essex Fells School. Mrs. Barshay received a Bachelor of Arts in History and American Studies from Boston University. After graduating, she worked in finance for several years before receiving her Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification from Caldwell College. While student teaching here at Essex Fells School, Mrs. Barshay won the 2006 New Jersey Distinguished Student Teacher Award given by the Department of Education. Mrs. Barshay loves being a mommy to her two children, Marissa (2) and Connor (6). She also enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family at the beach. She is looking forward to another wonderful and exciting year at Essex Fells School.

CHRISTIN BEAM Miss Beam is a Paraprofessional at Essex Fells Elementary School. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree at Montclair State University in Family and Child Studies with an emphasis in Elementary Education. She is currently working towards a Master’s Degree in Special Education. Miss Beam has her teaching license for grades K-5 and she is also trained in Applied Behavior Analysis. For the last 5 years, Miss Beam worked in Wellesley, Massachusetts as a Preschool and Elementary Paraprofessional and Kindergarten teacher. She spends her afternoons working with children on the Autism Spectrum; providing ABA therapy and language development services. In her free time, Miss Beam enjoys traveling to new and exciting places and spending time with her family, especially her two nephews!

CANDICE BELMONT Ms. Belmont is the 5th grade inclusion teacher. This is her third year as a teacher at Essex Fells School. In 2009 she received her BA in Elementary Education and English from Seton Hall University. She has her teaching certificates for Elementary and Special Education. In her free time she enjoys traveling, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends. Ms. Belmont is looking forward to a wonderful year at Essex Fells School!

LAURA BRUTMAN Mrs. Brutman is a second grade teacher. This is her ninth year teaching at Essex Fells School. Mrs. Brutman received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications at Villanova University. She went on to attain a Post-Baccalaureate Teaching Certificate from Caldwell College. Since then, she has earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction, also from Caldwell College. Mrs. Brutman is happily married and has two daughters, Charlotte (5) and Rebecca (3). In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Mrs. Brutman is looking forward to another exciting year at Essex Fells School.

NINA BUONOMO Mrs. Buonomo has taught language arts and social studies at Essex Fells School for the last 12 years. She has a Master’s in Teaching and Education with a Specialization in Reading in Elementary Education. Prior to becoming an educator, she owned a boutique for 10 years. It was there that she began to utilize her creative assets to artistically design window displays and the merchandise in her store. Her artistic ability has been put to great use as the art director for the school musical for the last 7 years. She is also the host and co-coordinator for the annual Variety Show. In her spare time she enjoys reading, painting, the beach, and spending time with her family. She has been married for a (very) long time to her husband, Rich. They have two children. Her son, Richie, graduated from Villanova University as a civil engineer and is continuing his education to earn a Master’s degree. Her daughter, Janine, graduated from Montclair State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and plans to pursue a Master’s in Speech Pathology. Needless to say, she is very proud and feels very blessed to have such a wonderful family. Her second family is, of course, the Essex Fells School community, where she continues to fulfill her passion for teaching children.

MARYJO BUOYE Mrs. Buoye has been a paraprofessional for seven years at Essex Fells School, mostly in the preschool. When she is not in the classroom, Mrs. Buoye loves spending time with her husband and three kids, going down the shore, skiing and going to many sporting events.

MARISA BURGER Ms. Burger is excited for her third year at Essex Fells School, this year as the Preschool Inclusion Maternity Replacement Teacher. Ms. Burger graduated magna cum laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She graduated from F.D.U. again, in May of 2011, with her Master’s in Elementary Education. Ms. Burger will be working towards her Teacher of Students with Disabilities certificate this year. Outside of the classroom, she likes to spend time with family and friends, travel and bake. Ms. Burger is happy to be at Essex Fells School.

EMILY CALISTRI Mrs. Calistri is the 4th grade inclusion teacher. This is her fifth year teaching at Essex Fells School. She has taught 3rd through 6th grade inclusion the past four years. She attended Rutgers University where she attained a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. Mrs. Calistri then decided to further her education by getting a certificate in Special Education. She was married in June. In her free time she enjoys traveling and going for long walks with her dog Pepper.

JACKIE CASTELLANO Mrs. Castellano is the technology enrichment teacher and technology coordinator at Essex Fells School. She has her Master’s in Technology in Education and continues to take graduate level courses on the integration of technology and current trends in the field. She is a member of the New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative. Mrs. Castellano also heads up the Gifted & Talented activities for our district. Under her guidance, Essex Fells School hosts several of the countywide events for the other schools in the county. She is a member of the Essex County Gifted & Talented Consortium. Mrs. Castellano has enjoyed twenty four years at Essex Fells School and loves spending time with her daughters, Cora and Carli, and husband Jeff.

NICOLE CERVINO Ms. Cervino is the 1st grade inclusion teacher. She graduated from Rowan University with Bachelor’s Degrees in Collaborative Education, Elementary Education, and American Studies. While at Rowan she also received a Teacher of Students with Disabilities Certification and earned her Master's of Science in Collaborative Teaching Degree. Prior to this year, she had taught in both Paterson and Rutherford school districts in New Jersey. This is Ms. Cervino's first year at Essex Fells and she is excited for the upcoming 2013-2014 school year!

CATHERINE CODELLA Mrs. Codella is the Art Therapist at Essex Fells School. She also facilitates class meetings at each grade level which encompasses character education, social skills and positive self-esteem building. This is Mrs. Codella’s 11th year at EFS. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education, a New Jersey Art Teachers Certification, a Master’s Degree in Counseling with a specialization in Art Therapy, and a NJ state counseling license. Mrs. Codella is a registered Art Therapist and an active member of the NJ Art Therapy Association and the American Art Therapy Association. She has a private practice in Caldwell where she provides Art Therapy services. She is married with two children, Gianna Elizabeth age 21 and Anthony Richard age 18. Mrs. Codella enjoys watercolor painting and collecting vintage textiles to create unusual interior designs.

LINDA COSTELLO Mrs. Costello has been teaching for the past 24 years, 20 of which were at the Essex Fells School. She has worked in many capacities including Special Education, Regular Education in the preschool through grade 6 classrooms, Basic Skills Instruction, and specialized reading instruction. Her education includes a BA degree in Elementary Education with a certificate in Special Education. She has also received a Master’s degree in Reading and is a certified reading specialist. Mrs. Costello’s educational journey continues as she pursues a Level 2 certificate in Wilson Reading. On a personal level, she has been married for almost 32 years and has a 26-year-old son and a 28-year-old daughter who bring much joy to her life. Mrs. Costello enjoys the beach, reading, traveling, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.

MONICA CRAVEIRO Ms. Craveiro is the 5th grade math and science teacher. She attended Kean University, and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, Highly Qualified in Math. Ms. Craveiro also received her Teacher of Students with Disabilities Certification from Kean. After teaching two years in South Korea, Ms. Craveiro joined the Essex Fells faculty and will be enjoying her fourth full year. Ms. Craveiro also contributed to the alignment of the Science Curriculum, and she is eager to further her education in the field. Ms. Craveiro loves to travel, and has visited such places as England, Portugal, Thailand, and Spain. She is looking forward to another fun and successful year at Essex Fells School!

SARA DALTON Ms. Dalton is a 6th grade math and science teacher. This is her third year at Essex Fells School. She graduated from University of Delaware with a BA in Elementary Teacher Education with a concentration in middle school mathematics. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to the beach, running, reading, and traveling. She is looking forward to a wonderful school year at Essex Fells School.

GAIL ELLOWITCH Mrs. Ellowitch has been the school nurse at Essex Fells School for the past 23 years. She has a Bachelor of Science degree and post graduate school nursing certification from Seton Hall University. She is married and has a daughter, son and two stepsons. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, making craft projects and playing the piano. She will be checking the student's height, weight, hearing and vision to name a few of the things she sees the students for each year. She tries to always be available to discuss any of your child's health and safety concerns so please feel free to contact her if you have any questions.

DEBBIE EMMA Mrs. Emma teaches kindergarten. This is her 7th year teaching at Essex Fells School. She previously taught first, third and fourth grade for 8 years before coming to Essex Fells School. She began her career here as a special education teacher before stepping into the kindergarten classroom 4 years ago. Mrs. Emma received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary and Special Education from the University of Delaware. She lives in Caldwell and has been married to her husband Paul for almost 27 years. They have 3 children, a son Doug, 23, who is pursuing a career as a golf professional, a daughter Jamie, 20, who was recently married, and a daughter Madison, 16, who is in high school. In her free time Mrs. Emma enjoys traveling, cooking, taking care of her 3 dogs and spending time with her family.

VANESSA FACENDOLA Mrs. Facendola is the Speech and Language Specialist at Essex Fells School. She graduated from The College of New Jersey with a B.A. in Communication Studies and Marketing in 2004. Mrs. Facendola worked with children over the next four years, then decided to pursue her Master’s degree. She graduated with honors from William Paterson University with a M.S. in Communication Disorders/Speech and Language Pathology in 2011. In addition to working at Essex Fells School, Mrs. Facendola sees private clients and works in Early Intervention. She is also a Beachbody Coach. Newly and happily married, Mrs. Facendola enjoys spending lots of time with her family and friends, being outdoors, live music (especially the Dave Matthews Band, and traveling.

SARAH FERNANDES Mrs. Fernandes is so excited to be the new Child Study Team Coordinator and Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant at the Essex Fells School. Mrs. Fernandes graduated from Keene State College in New Hampshire with a BA in Elementary Education and Communications. After moving to New Jersey, Mrs. Fernandes began her career teaching third and fourth grade. During that time, Mrs. Fernandes received her Master’s in Education with a certification in Learning Disabilities. After teaching for 8 years, Mrs. Fernandes took a position as a Learning Consultant on a child study team. She continued working as a Learning Consultant for the past five years only taking a break when her son Jake was born. Mrs. Fernandes enjoys spending time with her son and husband Nuno. She loves visiting her parents in New Hampshire where she and her family spend most of their time skiing at Okemo or Stratton Mountain.

MICHELLE GADALETA Mrs. Gadaleta will have been in district for 4 years in February. She serves as our Superintendent/Principal. Prior to Essex Fells, Mrs. Gadaleta was a Principal in Hawthorne and before that a Principal/Child Study Team Coordinator in Washington Boro. She began in education as a teacher including 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade experiences. Mrs. Gadaleta earned her Bachelor’s Degree at Radford University in Virginia and her Master’s at Montclair State University. She currently lives in Kinnelon, NJ with her husband Maurizio and 2 year-old daughter Mikayla. Mrs. Gadaleta enjoys spending time with her family, playing sports, and listening to music.

SANTIAGO GALINDO Mr. Galindo is the School Custodian.

KRISTIN GANN Mrs. Gann is a kindergarten teacher. She has been teaching for 21 years, 11 of which have been at Essex Fells School. She received a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from West Chester University and has taught grades preschool through second throughout her career. Mrs. Gann currently lives in North Caldwell and is married with two daughters; Alexandra age 12 and Ava age 7. In her spare time she likes to spend time with her friends and family and cook.

SUSAN HACKER This year will be Mrs. Hacker's ninth in Essex Fells School. Before beginning her career in education here in 2005, Mrs. Hacker was a CPA and Accountant for a private insurance company in NYC. She made the decision to pursue her Master’s Degree in Education when her two children began school full time. Mrs. Hacker and her family moved to New Jersey in 2005 and currently reside in North Caldwell. Her children both attend West Essex. In her spare time, Mrs. Hacker likes to walk, read, and spend time with her family. She also enjoys summers at sleep away camp with her children where she is the camp’s head counselor.

DEANA HROMOKO Mrs. Hromoko is the second grade inclusion teacher. This is her 13th year teaching at Essex Fells School. She has a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Psychology. She has a Master's degree in Reading. Mrs. Hromoko is a certified Reading Specialist and has a certificate in Special Education. She is also certified in Wilson Reading and is the Student Council Advisor. Mrs. Hromoko is married and has 3 children. In her free time she likes to spend time with her family, read and travel to Disney World.

ALLISON KELLEY Ms. Kelley is a paraprofessional in second grade.

BETH LEGGETT Mrs. Leggett is entering her thirteenth year as Administrative Assistant in the Main Office. She worked for many years at CBS, Inc. in both television and radio. Mrs. Leggett has three children. Elisabeth is married and a teacher in Toronto; Gwendolyn is a backpacks/accessories designer in NYC and soon to be married; and James just graduated from Susquehanna University (Mrs. Leggett’s alma mater!). She loves biographies, movies -- especially Gone With The Wind -- and family vacations to Rockport, Mass.

STEVEN LELLA Mr. Lella serves as the district’s School Business Administrator and Board Secretary. This is his second year with Essex Fells School. Mr. Lella’s primary function is to manage the day to day operations of the Business Office. He holds an MA in Management from the College of St. Elizabeth and BA in Accounting from Moravian College. In his free time, Mr. Lella enjoys playing golf, watching the Yankees and Giants, and spending time with family.

LISA MASSARO Mrs. Massaro is the first grade teacher. This is her sixteenth year teaching in Essex Fells School. In that time she has taught first and second grade. She has a BA in Early Childhood Education, and an MA in Reading from Montclair State University. Mrs. Massaro is a certified Reading Specialist. She is married and has two daughters; Nicole, age 9 and Danielle, age 7. In her free time she likes cooking, reading, spending time with her family and friends and going to the beach.

KATIE McLAIN Ms. McLain is the 3rd grade inclusion teacher. She graduated from Rowan University with Bachelor’s Degrees in Collaborative Education, Elementary Education, and American Studies, a Teacher of Students with Disabilities Certification, and earned her Master of Science in Collaborative Teaching from Rowan as well. Last year, Ms. McLain earned her Middle School Math Certification through Montclair State University. Ms. McLain loves spending time with her friends, family, and fiancée. This will be Ms. McLain's fourth year at Essex Fells School, and she is excited as the new school year begins!

KIMBERLY McMAHON Ms. McMahon has worked at EFS for the past 12 years and is a second grade teacher. She received her BA in Early Childhood Education from Lynchburg College, VA. When Ms. McMahon is not in the classroom she is busy taking care of her little boy, Max, who will be turning four in November. In her free time, Ms. McMahon enjoys reading, baking, making popcorn and cotton candy at St. Peter’s Annual Street Fair, and running.

CATHERINE McNISH Mrs. McNish is the art teacher for Essex Fells. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Arcadia University. She received her Post Baccalaureate teaching certification for K-12 art and K-5 elementary from Caldwell College. Before entering into the teaching profession, Mrs. McNish was an interior designer. Currently, along with teaching, Mrs. McNish is a floral designer as well as an active artist. She is happily married and has two children, Haley (11) and Nicholas (9). In her free time, Mrs. McNish enjoys painting, drawing and spending time with her family.

KELLY MITCHELL Ms. Mitchell is the preschool teacher. This is her 10th year teaching at Essex Fells School. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education as well as a Master’s Degree in Reading from Montclair State University. She is also a certified Reading Specialist. In her free time, Ms. Mitchell enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching the NY Giants and going to the beach to relax and read. Ms. Mitchell is looking forward to another fantastic school year at Essex Fells School.

KATHLEEN NATALINO Mrs. Natalino is the Business Office Assistant. She started with Essex Fells in November 2011. Kathleen has a BA in Accounting from Pace University. She has a 11 year old daughter who attends school in the Wayne School District. In her spare time Kathleen enjoys spending time with family and friends.

PATRICIA PAKONIS Ms. Pakonis is a paraprofessional in the 4th grade. She graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor degree in Comprehensive Science with a minor in Biology. She received her teaching certification through the Post Baccalaureate program at Caldwell College. She was a substitute teacher here at Essex Fells School for two years prior to joining the staff full-time this year. She is excited to be a part of the staff this year!

STACEY PERRY Mrs. Perry is a third grade teacher. Mrs. Perry previously taught Preschool, fourth grade, and various levels of special education in Riverdale, NJ before coming to Essex Fells School. She received her BA in Fine Arts and Psychology, and MA in Special Education from Montclair State University. Mrs. Perry lives in Verona with her husband and three children; Gavin, age 10, Ava, age 8, and Emily, age 3. She loves to spend time reading and baking with her children.

JUDI REYNOLDS Mrs. Reynolds is thrilled to be starting her fifteenth year at Essex Fells School and her third in the third grade. She began her professional teaching career at EFS upon graduating with a degree in Early Childhood Education and Sociology from The College of New Jersey. During her eight years as a first grade teacher, she completed a Master’s Degree in Reading from Rutgers University. More recently, she taught Language Arts and Social Studies to our fourth graders for four fantastic years. She also enjoyed being Student Council Advisor for six years. She continues to be the Primary Building Assistant to the Administrator. She was proud to complete her MA in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University and holds certifications as an Elementary Teacher and Principal/Supervisor. When Mrs. Reynolds is not busy with school, she enjoys spending time with her new son Cole who was born in May. Playing ball with her dog Cooper and biking or snowboarding with her husband, Hugh also fill her days. DEBBIE ROSENSON Mrs. Rosenson is happy to be the part-time School Social Worker on the Essex Fells Child Study Team for eighteen years. In addition, she works in Watchung Borough Public Schools, on their Child Study Team. Prior to moving to New Jersey, she was a social worker in the Ardsley, New York school system, in Westchester County. She has a Bachelors' in Social Work from Cornell University and a Masters' in Social Work from Fordham University. Mrs. Rosenson enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and son-in-law, twin granddaughters, and two sons. She also loves traveling, reading, Broadway shows, spending time with family and friends, and playing with her granddaughters.

LAURA SHORT Mrs. Short attended Marquette University where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish. She later earned her Teaching Certification at Chapman University in California and her Post-Baccalaureate degree at Caldwell College in New Jersey. She has been at Essex Fells Elementary School for nine years. Prior to her employment here she taught bilingual education in the first and second grades in California. She then moved over seas and taught fourth grade at a Department of Defense School in Sicily while her husband served in the United States Navy. When she came to New Jersey she began teaching Spanish part-time at Essex Fells Elementary School. The following year she became a full time EFS teacher working as both the Spanish teacher and the fourth grade inclusion teacher. She is now the kindergarten inclusion teacher. She has recently completed her Wilson Reading Program Certification. When not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her three and a half year old daughter and her seven year old son. She also enjoys reading, taking long walks, traveling and spending time with her extended family and friends. She looks forward to continuing her teaching career at EFS as the kindergarten inclusion teacher.

ADI SULISTYO Mr. Sulistyo is the Facilities Supervisor.

LUCY SULISTYO Mrs. Sulistyo is the School Custodian.

KIMBERLY TRAFFORD Mrs. Trafford is excited about her first year as the Media Specialist at Essex Fells School. Mrs. Trafford received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting at Indiana University. She went on to attain a Post-Baccalaureate Teaching Certificate and Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Caldwell College. Since then, she has earned her Media Specialist Certification from William Patterson University. Mrs. Trafford has four boys, Trey (10) Ryan (8) William (7) and John (5). In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. Mrs. Trafford is having a wonderful year at Essex Fells School.

JOHN TROGANI Mr. Trogani has been teaching music at Essex Fells School for 7 years and has a BA with a concentration in music. He has taught in Newark Public School district and is the scenery director for the “All Children’s Theatre Summer Camp” programs. He also has a background in the graphic arts and hand drawn animation. Mr. Trogani teaches general music, instrumental music, and chorus. He helps organize the school’s variety shows, concerts, musicals, and graduations. He has two beautiful children, Lilia, who is nine years old, and Jayden, who is five years old. In his spare time he likes to create and perform music, draw and paint wall murals, relax at the beach and spend time with his family. “Since I am one of twelve siblings and have twenty-eight nieces and nephews, I feel that I can relate to the needs of each student that enters my classroom.” – Mr. Trogani

COURTNEY VAN DUYNE Mrs. Van Duyne is a paraprofessional in our 4th grade this year. Before coming to Essex Fells School, she was a 3rd and 4th grade teacher for 5 years on Long Island. Mrs. Van Duyne has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Molloy College in New York and a Master’s Degree in Teaching from Queens College. She is looking forward to meeting the students, teachers, and parents and having a fun and exciting school year!

JOHN VIGGIANO Mr. Viggiano teaches health & physical education at Essex Fells Elementary School. Prior to teaching here, Mr. V worked at Montclair State University, East Hanover and West Caldwell. He attended Montclair State University for undergraduate and graduate school receiving a degree in Exercise Science & Health. In addition, he received his graduate degree in Educational Leadership this summer from MSU. In his free time he likes to spend time with his wife, Jenniffer and two children, Adelina and Adam. Some of his hobbies are reading history novels, chess, crossword puzzles and organized sports. Mr. V is an avid supporter of the NY Rangers, NY Mets, NY Knicks, Dallas Cowboys and the Michigan Wolverines.

JEANINE WHITMAN Mrs. Whitman has been teaching for 12 years. She started her career as a 4th grade regular education teacher in Newark. She received the Newark Public School Exemplary Teacher Award in 2005, Mathematics Dedicated Service Award in 2005, and Governor’s Award for Excellence in 2007. While teaching in Newark, she earned her MA in Educational Leadership and Management Policy from Seton Hall University. She was in the Newark School system for 5 years, and then came to Essex Fells School as a Special Education Teacher/Inclusion Teacher. This will be her 7th year at Essex Fells School as the 6th grade Inclusion Teacher. She is also the Upper Building Assistant to the Administrator. She currently holds certifications as an Elementary Teacher, Teacher of the Handicapped, and Principal/Supervisor. She is also certified in Wilson Reading. While teaching in Essex Fells School, she met her husband, Kenny. They have two sons, Dean and Kenneth. In her spare time she enjoys the beach and spending time with her family. She looks forward to another great year with all of the students!