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Harlem RBI’s DREAM Charter School. Making Dreams Real.
Become a part of DREAMEmployment Opportunities |
Our StaffSchool LeadershipJoshua Klaris, Principal Health and WellnessLauren Fruchter, Guidance Counselor Instructional StaffYolanda Acosta, Kindergarten Classroom Assistant AdministrationKevin Deodath, School Assistant School LeadershipLiza Blank, Social Worker and Director of Family EngagementLiza joins DREAM following six years working with the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park as a Bilingual Family Therapist. At the Center for Family Life, Liza provided therapy to Spanish speaking families and advocated for them in schools, family and criminal courts, and the housing system. In addition, she developed and led supportive and skills based parenting groups. Liza also served as the Mental Health Consultant at ACE Integration Head Start, in Bushwick, counseling parents about the emotional and behavioral challenges presented by their pre-school aged children. Prior to earning her Master of Social Work degree from Hunter College School of Social Work, Liza taught at PS 4 as a Bilingual and Common Branch Classroom Teacher. Liza has traveled and studied extensively in South America. She graduated from Brandeis University with a Bachelors of Art in Sociology. Eve Colavito, Director of InstructionEve was born and raised in the Bronx, the product of a family of educators. After graduating from Brown University in 1996, Eve began her teaching career in Mmabatho, South Africa. She returned to New York City in 1998 and began teaching at River East Elementary School in East Harlem, where she was a third and fourth grade teacher in a full inclusion class. While at River East, Eve further developed her belief in the importance of inclusive education and immersed herself in the practice of engaging constructivist teaching. During this time, she received her Masters in Elementary and Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. In 2003, Eve left River East to become a founding teacher and director at Bronx Charter School for the Arts. As the Director of Inclusion, Eve started the school’s Collaborative Team Teaching model and took responsibility for ensuring the success of all students with special needs. She then served as Upper School Director, supporting students and teachers in grades 3-6. During this time, Eve developed rigorous graduation requirements for the first class of graduating sixth graders, including performance tasks for exit outcomes and a comprehensive student-developed portfolio. And finally, Eve took on the role of Acting Executive Director and then, Co-Executive Director alongside the founder of Bronx Arts. These roles allowed Eve to think strategically about the future of the school, and shape the school’s curriculum, instruction, and overall approach. All of these experiences have led to Eve’s conviction about the possibilities for all students to succeed and her belief in achieving nothing less than excellence. Traci L. Douglas, Director of OperationsTraci is a 1994 graduate of Howard University and a 1997 graduate of Harvard Law School. Traci began her legal career at Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem (NDS), a non-profit, community based law office in Harlem. As a Soros Justice Fellow with the Open Society Institute, she re-established NDS’s delinquency practice while providing legal-rights based workshops to young people throughout New York City. Traci also partnered with Legal Outreach, Inc. to mentor middle school students in Harlem interested in the legal profession. She completed her two-year fellowship with the Juvenile Rights Division of the Legal Aid Society in their Brooklyn offices. During this time, Traci taught a race relations course in NYC public schools through the New York Civil Rights Coalition. After a two-year stint in the private sector, Traci returned to her public interest roots and joined NDS’s criminal defense team as a staff attorney. Her clients were mostly young adults disengaged from school and their families. In an effort to target students at-risk of entering the juvenile and criminal justice systems and to reduce the number of potential NDS clients, Traci became the organization’s first Director of Youth, Education and Outreach Programs in 2004 and was responsible for the programmatic expansion of NDS's youth leadership development program, Students Taking Action Towards Empowerment (S.T.A.T.E.). In that role, she solidified her desire to transition from the practice of law to full-time work in education. In 2006, Traci moved to Philadelphia, PA to become a social and emotional learning instructor and curriculum writer with Mastery Charter Schools. Although she truly enjoyed the classroom experience, she determined that her legal and program management background also made her suitable for charter school administration. Traci has come full circle in her youth-centered public service career and returns to Harlem with over a decade of varied experiences that will prove to be a huge asset to the operations of DREAM Charter School. Joshua Klaris, PrincipalJosh’s professional experience and track record as a school administrator and nonprofit program director give him the requisite capacity to take responsibility for DREAM's start-up process and the skills necessary to manage this critical phase. Josh has extensive experience as a principal (PS 183M), assistant principal (PS 158M/ PS 65X) and teacher (PS 124M) in New York City public elementary schools that have served high populations of poverty-level students, special education students and English Language Learners. In addition to his extensive work in the public school system, Josh's experience in the conceptualization, initial planning and start-up of two summer programs (Camp Get-Set, REAL Kids) further ensures DREAM Charter School’s success. Additionally, Josh is a certified teacher of both general education and English as a Second Language (ESL) and has extensive classroom teaching experience in Kindergarten through sixth grades. He has worked for a significant time in a diverse array of educational settings; from rural Louisiana (as a Teach for America corps member), to Chinatown, the South Bronx, East Harlem, and the Upper East Side of Manhattan. As an educator, He has worked to start up an integrated ESL program for PS 124M and two Collaborative Team Teaching programs, one at PS 158M and the other at PS 183M. He was part of the leadership team that worked to bring balanced literacy and standards based instruction to PS 65X. The model proposed for the DREAM Charter School, to a large degree, is the result of Josh's background and experience in creating innovative and effective methods of service delivery to ELL and Special Education students in an inclusive setting. In his classrooms as well as in his schools students, whether they are a general education student or in one of these traditionally underserved groups, have always benefited from the rich academic and supportive settings he has created. Health and WellnessLauren Fruchter, Guidance CounselorLauren earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater from Syracuse University and her Master of Science in Education, specializing in School Counseling, from Hunter College. For three years, Lauren was a Teaching Artist at Rosie’s Broadway Kids, teaching underprivileged students to dance, sing and perform. She also facilitated SOFIT (System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time), a program for Pre-Kindergarten and Second Grade students that incorporated physical movement to foster student activity levels and health awareness. In addition, during her graduate studies, Lauren was a counseling intern at the School of the Future and Hunter High School. Martin Gordon, Health and Wellness SpecialistMartin joins DREAM full time after serving as the school's part-time Physical Education teacher for the 2008-2009 school year. Martin came to DREAM after teaching for three years at The Brandeis School located on Long Island. While at Brandeis, he served as the schools Athletic Director and Physical Education teacher, teaching PE to grades Pre-K-8. Martin also organized and taught all of the after school sports activities, including volleyball, golf, soccer, lacrosse, softball and baseball. He also coached the Boys and Girls Junior Varsity and Varsity Basketball and Tennis Teams. Martin also worked with the New York City Parks Foundation providing free golf lessons to inner city youth. Prior to the start of Martin’s teaching career, he worked for eight years in the Health and Fitness industry at various New York City health clubs including Reebok, Crunch, and Equinox. In 2002, Martin decided on a career change and enrolled at Queens College where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. While at Queens College, Martin served as the Head Coach of the Men’s Golf team. From 2003-2005, the team qualified for the Division 2 NCAA golf tournament. Martin’s athletic career included playing collegiate football for the University at Albany where he was the teams starting quarterback from 1988-1990. Martin was fortunate enough to travel to Germany while at Albany to play in two exhibition football games against two of Germany’s semi-pro football teams. Martin also pitched and played outfield in the Hudson Valley Rookie League, which featured players from class A and class AA Pro baseball teams. Martin served in the United States Navy onboard The USS Yorktown CG-38 as a reservist in 1990 during the First Desert Storm. While in the Navy, Martin worked as a Damage Control man and served on the ships helicopter crash and salvage team. Martin holds an initial New York State certification in Physical Education. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and two children. Instructional StaffYolanda Acosta, Kindergarten Classroom AssistantYolanda is a proud Boriquena, who was born in Coamo, Puerto Rico. She has resided in East Harlem since she was 6 months old. She has demonstrated her passion for her community by volunteering for Youngsters in Sports, working with children ages 5-8, for three years. Her commitments to youth development continued to grow as Yolanda began to volunteer for Harlem RBI four years ago. She got involved just as her two sons, Johnathan and Angel, became active participants in RBI’s baseball and after school programs. Her husband, Angel, also joined RBI as a baseball coach and has been volunteering for the last three years. Yolanda’s support of RBI deepened as the doors of DREAM Charter School opened in September 2008. She joined the DREAM staff as a Classroom Assistant during the 2008-2009 school year after spending twenty years as a Senior Clerk for the Bank of New York. She is trilingual – she speaks Spanish, English and American Sign Language. Yolanda looks forward to bringing joy and laughter to DREAM’s Kindergarten students. Lisa Alvarez, Kindergarten TeacherLisa joins DREAM Charter School after teaching Pre-Kindergarten for over seven years at the River School. Lisa has instructed culturally and linguistically diverse groups of students. Lisa earned her Bachelor’s of Arts degree with honors from Lehman College. She is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and the Lehman College Chapter of PSI CHI. Lisa is currently pursuing her MA in Literacy Studies with an extension in teaching the gifted and talented. Lisa is New York State certified to teach Early Childhood (birth to grade 2). Her hope at DREAM is to create a community of learners while giving her students a strong educational foundation and a sense of independence and self-worth. Jack Angiolillo, Second Grade Classroom AssistantJack graduated from Amherst College in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry. Before joining DREAM, Jack conducted science research in Germany. His prior experience includes teaching assistant positions in the arts and the sciences. Additionally, he tutored and mentored children in elementary, middle and high school, and continues to serve as a Big Brother to his Little Brother of five years. Catherine Haldeman, First Grade Classroom AssistantCatherine joins DREAM Charter School as a First Grade Classroom Assistant after recently graduating from Dartmouth College. Catherine's passion for education developed during her summers spent at Squashbusters and The Writers Express working with young children. After watching her older brother complete Teach for America and continue working in urban education, Catherine's desire to similarly enter the field was solidified. Eventually, Catherine intends to earn a Master's Degree in Education to advance her career as an educator. Julie Cappuccilli, Kindergarten TeacherJulie joins DREAM Charter School after four years of teaching Kindergarten. She previously taught at Waverly Elementary school in Eastchester. Prior to teaching in Eastchester she taught at PS 91 in the Bronx. At Waverly, Julie provided individual, small group and whole class instruction to students with diverse learning abilities. She values individuality and strives to meet the needs of each student. To accomplish this, Julie uses a variety of hands-on-activities and different teaching strategies to accommodate diverse learning styles. At PS 91 Julie implemented a balanced literacy framework for both Readers and Writers Workshop. She earned her Masters degree in Early Childhood Education from Lehman College and is in the process of earning a certification for Early Childhood Special Education. Julie believes that all students should be given a positive learning environment that welcomes exploration and enhances student confidence. It is her belief that as educators, our mission is to make school enjoyable and stimulating – if students look forward to attending school, and are actively engaged, learning is inevitable. Brooke Childs, Second Grade TeacherBrooke joins DREAM after teaching in a small bilingual public school in Oakland, CA for the past two years. At Esperanza Elementary School, Brooke worked closely with her colleagues and the families of her fourth grade students to meet their diverse needs and interests in the classroom. While she misses the community at her old school, Brooke is excited to get to know her new community at DREAM. Brooke also taught for a year in Quito, Ecuador before teaching in California. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in American Studies with a concentration in Art at Macalester College, and studied education at the New College of California in San Francisco, where she earned her bilingual teaching credential. Julie Chiaverini, Second Grade Co-TeacherJulie joins DREAM as a Second Grade Co-Teacher. She earned a B.S. in Family and Community Services from the University of Oregon, an M.A. in Childhood Education from New York University and an Ed.M. in Educational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. Julie began her teaching career at PS 234, a social studies based elementary school, in New York City. She later moved to Chicago and taught at Hubbard Woods Elementary School and Skokie Middle School in the Winnetka School District, where she served on the district’s literacy, social studies, and assessment/conferencing committees. Since returning to New York City in the summer of 2008, Julie taught at an emerging charter school on the lower east side, where she was responsible for designing and implementing the school’s first 4th grade curriculum. In addition to her teaching experience, Julie has a diverse background in education and leadership, having served as both a juvenile probation officer and an international summer camp site director. She is committed to child-centered learning and fostering achievement and growth for all students. Shontay Coleman, First Grade TeacherShontay has enjoyed six years as a First Grade teacher and two years as a Fourth grade teacher. She attended Howard University and American University where she earned a degree in Psychology and Masters in Elementary Education, respectively. She is licensed to teaching licenses in New York as well as the District of Columbia. Shontay is enthusiastic and prepared to contribute her knowledge to the DREAM educational environment. As a teacher, she hopes to motivate students in ascertaining their inner strengths and discovering what truly inspires them. She aims to provide a stimulating learning environment that encourages students to trust their own opinions, while fostering confidence in order for students to realize their full potential. Heidi Davenport, Second Grade TeacherHeidi joins DREAM Charter School with 14 years of teaching experience. She most recently spent three years teaching Special Education at PS2X in the South Bronx. She spent eight years teaching Emotional and Behavioral Support in Dover, PA where she taught students with learning and emotional disabilities spanning from first through fourth grade. She collaborated with other teachers and support staff to develop IEPs and behavior support plans for the success of her students. While in Dover, Heidi provided Professional Development in the areas of behavioral techniques, disorders and teaching methods. Prior to her work in PA, she spent three years in Milford, DE where she taught a multi-disability class of students ranging from grades 1-4. She earned her Master's Degree in Special Education from Shippensburg University and her Bachelor's Degree from Susquehanna University. Shannon Donnelly, First Grade TeacherShannon joins DREAM after two years teaching 2nd and 3rd grade Special Education at PS 6, The West Farms School. At PS 6, she instructed Heidi Friedman, Reading SpecialistHeidi joins DREAM Charter School with eleven years of teaching and leadership experience. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Education in Elementary School Education from York University in Toronto. She also holds a Masters degree in Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. Heidi most recently held the position of Assistant Principal of a grass roots elementary school with a strong commitment to using progressive and innovative educational techniques. As a key member of the leadership team, she built and shaped the school over the past eight years. She worked closely with teachers to deepen classroom experiences and modify programs to support individual children’s learning profiles. Heidi brings a myriad of experience and skills including constructing and directing faculty development programs, curriculum redesign and writing, and hands on elementary-level classroom teaching. She has provided individual, small group and whole class instruction to students with varying learning abilities. Heidi fundamentally believes in the infinite potential of children and in the power of education. She sees all children as capable and able to experience success. Sara Inbar, First Grade TeacherSara earned her BFA in English and Drama from New York University, and her MA in Curriculum and Teaching through the Elementary Inclusive department at Teachers College, Columbia University. Sara student taught at PS 503, in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where she designed and implemented science curriculum to emphasize ecological awareness and personal responsibility. Sara worked with ELL children from all over the world, using the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project for balanced literacy. Sara also student taught at Central Park East II, where she designed and implemented an emergent social studies curriculum called the World News Project, in which students researched world issues and produced their own news web cast, based on their interests and concerns. Their episode may be viewed at: http://www.schooltube.com/video/34061/World-News-Project. At Teachers College, Sara co-designed a 2-year, integrated curriculum around food, from the garden to the plate. Allison Mayer, Visual Arts SpecialistAllison joins Dream after teaching art on Long Island for six years to students in Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Allison earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Manhattanville College and her Masters of Science in Educational Leadership with a focus on Art Leadership from Banks Street College of Education and The New School University. In addition to teaching art, she is a published artist who has shown her work in Manhattan, Long Island, Purchase, Brockport and Fredonia. She has written and been awarded numerous grants for the arts including one to begin an arts-based after-school program. Danielle Meyer, Kindergarten TeacherDanielle joins DREAM following three years as a Special Education Teacher at Grassy Waters Elementary in West Palm Beach, FL. At Grassy Waters, Danielle managed six colleagues as the Acting Special Education Team Leader. Danielle also planned reading, writing and math lessons that both integrated multi-modal approaches and matched students’ specific IEP requirements. Danielle earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts and her Master of Science degree in Special Education K-12 from Nova Southeastern University. Nelson Ortega, Kindergarten Classroom AssistantNelson began working with DREAM Charter School during the 2008-2009 school year as a part-time Office Assistant and then became a full-time Kindergarten Classroom Assistant mid-year. He enjoys interacting with students and providing support to them and to the teachers. Prior to working with DREAM, Nelson coached children at Harlem RBI. Nelson was an RBI participant from the age of 7 years old through his late teenage years. Nelson grew up in East Harlem and continues to live in the community with his mother, Rosalinda Ortega, who is a regular RBI volunteer. Nelson describes himself as eager to learn and enthusiastic, especially when working with children. He is motivated and adaptable. Nelson is looking forward to helping students and teachers while developing his own skills. Jamie Platzer, Second Grade TeacherJamie joins DREAM after teaching at PS 47. Jamie taught Special Education in a collaborative team teaching classroom. As a fifth grade teacher, Jamie instructed students with a range of learning disabilities and behavior disorders. She directed instruction to meet the needs of all students and developed and implemented IEPs for all students in special education. Jamie earned a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University and her Master of Science in Education from Pace University as a member of the Teach for America program in New York City. Rozzano Polson, First Grade Classroom AssistantRozzano joins DREAM Charter School after working as a Pre-K teacher in the Bronx. He received his BA in Communications Arts from St. Thomas Aquinas College in 2003. After a career change and a growing interest in urban education, Rozzano began working for tutoring companies and after-school programs. From 2006-2007, he was a teaching assistant at The Children's Storefront in New York. He then took a similar position at Opportunity Charter School for the 2007-2008 school year. Rozzano seeks to improve his students’ overall progress and is particularly interested in helping to develop their math skills. He hopes to form a bond with all his students and their families. Rozzano will soon pursue a Master’s in Education. Katie Prince, Kindergarten TeacherKatie has been working with children for 7 years. She has a double master’s degree in Elementary and Special Education. She is certified in Special Education (Birth–Grade 2), Special Education (Grades 1-6), Elementary Education (Grades 1-6), Bilingual Spanish, and English as a Second Language (ESL). She has worked with students, ages 1 ½ to 25 years old, with such disabilities as Mental Retardation (including Down syndrome), Autism, Cerebral Palsy, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, as well as Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Attention Deficit Disorder. She has taught ESL, first grade, special education preschool, and Early Intervention. Katie is currently finishing her doctorate at Columbia University in Special Education (Mental Retardation and Autism) with a focus on early childhood special education literacy. Additionally, she is an adjunct instructor at Hunter College Graduate School for early childhood special education. Katie does not have any children but does have 1 cat, which she loves dearly. She enjoys cheering for the Mets, taking trips to the Bronx Zoo, and spending time with her family and kitty. She strongly believes in literacy, especially for young children, as well as working closely with families to assist children in maximizing their potential. AdministrationKevin Deodath, School AssistantKevin was Harlem RBI’s Assistant Learning Coach prior to joining DREAM Charter School. At Harlem RBI, Kevin fostered strong group dynamics and participation among middle school youth through structure and interpersonal relationships as well as developed strong ties with neighborhood organizations, youth and families. In addition, Kevin maintained a number of the Harlem RBI Youth Services’ attendance databases and ensured that they were up-to-date. Prior to joining Harlem RBI, for three summers, Kevin supervised six staff members and 40 youth as the Camp EUREKA Assistant Male Camp Director. Crystal Vargas, Office ManagerCrystal joined DREAM Charter School as an Administrative Assistant and was promoted after one year to the role of Office Manager. For 17 years, Crystal has been an active participant in Harlem RBI. For almost six years, Crystal was RBI’s Program Assistant and REAL Kids Administrative Assistant. She recruited 9-12 year olds to participate in the many programs offered by the organization and tracked attendance. In addition to her extensive work experience at RBI, Crystal worked as an Educational Specialist for the Scan Beacon Program where she tutored First, Second and Fourth Grade students. Crystal earned her Bachelor of Arts from City College of New York in Media Communication Art with a Minor in Jewish Studies. |
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