Meet Our Team

M.Ed Leadership, University of Pennsylvania; Post-grad Educational Psychology, Temple University; M.A. Dual Special Education & Elementary Education, Chestnut Hill College; B.A. Media Arts, Long Island University; CSP, SPEOS Photographic Institute of Paris; Adjunct Professor, GSE St. Joseph's University.

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Christopher F. Herman, M.Ed (2020)

Senior Leadership Team

B.A. Sociology, Boston College; M.A. Education, Columbia Teachers College.

Brad Battaglia

Upper Division Head & Director of College Counseling (2017)

B.A. Business Administration, CUNY Hunter College.

Mary Maisano

Director of Finance (1992)

B.S. Fashion Design, Syracuse University; Global Executive M.B.A., Georgetown University and ESADE Business School.

Kat Sullivan

Director of Enrollment Management & Marketing (2020)

B.A. Mathematics/Secondary Education; M.S. Elementary Education; P.D. Educational Administration and Supervision; doctoral coursework in Administration, St. John’s University.

William Vogel

Lower Division Head (1977)

Broad Leadership Team

B.S. Elementary Education (Grades 1-6), Math Certification (Grades 5-7), St. John’s University; M.A. Literacy and Language Acquisition (Grades B-6), CUNY Hunter College; School Building Leadership Certification, St. John’s University.

Phil D’Anna

Dean of Grades 4-6 (2013)

B.S. Physical Education, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. M.S. Education, School Building Leadership, Administration and Instructional Leadership, St. John’s University

Flance Dervishi

Director of Athletics (2008)

B.S. Environmental Biology, Ohio University; graduate studies in Secondary Education, CUNY Queens College.

John Hale

Technology, Robotics & Schedule Coordinator (1997)

B.A. Literature, Ramapo College of NJ; Certificate in Book Publishing; M.A. Early Childhood Education, New York University; NYS Certified Birth-Grade 6.

Paula James

Dean of Grades 1-3 (2009)

B.A. History/Secondary Education, Towson University; pursuing M.A. History, CUNY Queens College.

Sarah O’Sullivan

Dean of Grades 7-8 (1999)

B.A. Early Childhood Education, CUNY Queens College; M.S. Multilingual, Multicultural Education, College of New Rochelle; M.S. School Building Leadership, St. John’s University.

Eileen Reyes

Dean of Grades N-K (1986)

John Tocco

Director of Facilities (1997)

Maria Victora

Director of Pre-K for All Program (2014)

Administration

B.B.A. Accounting, Berkeley College, President’s List; NYS Notary Public; CertiTed NonproTt Accounting Professional

Christine Haddad

Senior Accountant (2013)

B.B.A Marketing, CUNY Baruch College; M.S. Marketing, CUNY Baruch College (expected 2022)

Matthew Helsing

Development & Communications Associate (2017)

B.A. Italian, CUNY Queens College; M.B.A. Finance, Fordham University

Mary Petruso

Executive Assistant to the Head of School (2004)

B.A. English/Government, Connecticut College; M.A. Journalism, New York University. Past President of NYSACAC, NACAC Board of Directors, and advisory panel member for The City University of New York and The College Board

Lisa Sohmer

College Counseling Associate (1996)

Elena Sokolova

School Nurse (2020)

Faculty & Staff

Sylvia Alvarez

Pre-K for All Teacher (2019)

Diamanto Andreopoulou

Pre-K for All Assistant Teacher (2021)

Raymond Arias

Bus Driver

Monica Bonilla

Bus Driver

B.S. Health Science, Drexel University, Dean’s List.

Michelle Bruzzese

Mathematics & Science Teacher (2016)

Jennifer Cabrera

Pre-K for All Teacher (2021)

Jessica Caicedo-Marino

Kindergarten Teacher (2021)

Cesar Carvajal

Kindergarten Assistant Teacher (2018)

Herbert Carvajal

Maintenance (2011)

Robert Daley

Staff

Ryan Daley

Pre-K for All Assistant Teacher (2013)

B.S. Biology; completed graduate courses in cell biology and microbial genetics, and research on Lysly-TRNA synthetase activity in E. coli, St. John’s University. Licensed instructor of Medical Assisting & General Academics. Teacher of courses in EKG use and interpretation, phlebotomy, and urinalysis.

Marlene Dapice

Chair of the Science Department & Academic Advisor for Grade 9 (1989)

Maureen DeGaetano

Pre-K for All Teacher (2016)

Rory Duncan

Staff (2021)

Euridice Eleftheriou

Pre-K for All Teacher (2014)

B.A. History of Art and Visual Culture, UC Santa Cruz; M.A. Teaching of English, Teachers College, Columbia; NYS Initial Teacher Certificate, Classroom Teacher.

Amira Esposito

English Teacher (2016)

Daniel Feldman

Science Teacher (2021)

B.S. Physical Education, College of Mount Saint Vincent, NY.

Michelle Ferreira

Physical Education Teacher (2017)

Laura Ganley

Pre-K for All Teacher (2012)

Angelica Gomez

Pre-K for All Assistant Teacher (2014)

B.A. African Literature; M.A. English, University of Dakar, Senegal; Brevet de Technicien Superieur en Tourisme, Vocational School of Tourism and Hotel Management, West Africa; Berlitz Teaching Training Program.

Gabriel Gomis

French Teacher (2005)

Rui Guimaraes

English Teacher (2021)

B.A. in English & Political Science, Queens College, CUNY, M.S.Ed Early Childhood Birth-2nd Grade, Hunter College, CUNY

Davina Hardyal

Pre-K for All Teacher (2019)

Kimberly Hayes

Pre-K Assistant Teacher & Afterschool Coordinator

B.M. Jazz Performance, New York University; additional coursework, CUNY Queens College, Aaron Copland School of Music.

Thomas Heineman

Music Teacher (2008)

Mosammat Khalid

Pre-K for All Teacher (2015)

Maya Kohinoor Khabir

Pre-K for All Assistant Teacher (2021)

B.S. Finance, Boston College; M.A. American History, Fordham University.

Richard Kruczek

Co-Chair of the History Department & Academic Advisor for Grade 11 (2002)

B.A. Mathematics, Columbia University, NY; M.A. Pure Mathematics, Hunter College.

Lauren Little

Mathematics Teacher (2017)

Michael Malone

Maintenance (1995)

B.S. Elementary Education, SUNY New Paltz; M.S. Special Education, CUNY Queens College.

Kristen “Ms. A” Manson

First Grade Teacher (1995)

Andrea Matute

Pre-K for All Teacher (2019)

B.A. Spanish and French; M.A. French, CUNY Queens College. Adjunct Lecturer, CUNY Queens College (1996–2006).

Agustin Melara

Chair of the Foreign Languages Department (2000)

B.A. in Psychology, Pace University; M.A. in Teaching Early Childhood Education/ Teaching Students with Disabilities Birth- Grade 2, Touro College.

Karina Mendoza

Pre-K for All Teacher (2016)

Ana Mesias

Head Chef (2000)

B.S Early Childhood Birth - 2.

Catherine Mesias

Pre-K for All Teacher (2014)

John Paul Mesias

Maintenance (2012)

Joseph Mesias

Maintenance (2015)

B.A. English Iona College, M.A. Elementary Education, Adelphi University, Post Graduate Studies in Early Childhood, Queens College

Lauren Murray

Pre-K for All Teacher (2016)

Brenda Nitti

Pre-K for All Teacher (2016)

A.A. Art, Nassau Community College; B.A. Art History, Hunter College; M.A. Art Business, Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

Edward Orlowski

Fine Arts Teacher (2020)

Darien Ortiz

Science Teacher (2021)

Yaritza Perdomo

Pre-K for All Teacher (2021)

Johnny Quizphi

Social Studies Teacher & Classroom Assistant (2020)

Jaclyn Ramirez

Pre-K for All Teacher (2021)

B.A. History / Secondary Education, Hofstra University; M.S. School Building Leadership, St. John’s University.

Jacquelyn Renner

Social Studies Teacher (2001)

Jorge Rodriguez

Bus Driver (2020)

Cheyenne Romero

Staff (2020)

Mariela Romero

Pre-K for All Assistant Teacher (2021)

B.A. Philosophy and the Liberal Arts, St. Joseph Seminary College; B.A., Philosophy, K.U. Leuven; M.A. English, Southeastern Louisiana University; M.A. Philosophy, The New School for Social Research; Adolescent English (Advanced CertiTcation), CUNY Hunter College (in process)

Anthony Greig Roselli

Chair of the English Department (2016)

B.S. Education / Special Education, SUNY College at Geneseo; M.S. Education / Early Childhood Education, CUNY Queens College; graduate coursework in Curriculum & Instruction, CUNY College of Staten Island and Long Island University.

Joanne Simeone-Vogel

Nursery Teacher (2014)

Will Steinberger

Visual & Performing Arts Teacher (2021)

Selina Sultana

Pre-K for All Teacher (2014)

B.A. Early Childhood & Elementary Education, Queens College; M.S. Early Childhood & Special Education, Touro College

Vanessa Trujillo

Pre-K for All Teacher (2019)

B.S. Economics, California Polytechnic State University; Art History, Mass. College of Art and Design and Harvard University School of Continuing Education.

Rachel Vidal

Third Grade Teacher (2017)

LaGuardia College Business Program.

Calogera Volpe

Nursery Assistant Teacher (2004)

B.A. Early Childhood/Childhood Education and Psychology, Hofstra University; NYS CertiTed Birth-Grade 6; M.A. TESOL, Queens College.

Lauren Yandow

Kindergarten Teacher (2014)

B.A. Chinese Language and Literature, CUNY Hunter College.

Jie Yang

Mandarin Teacher (2011)

B.A. Psychological Science, University of Vermont; M.Ed Secondary Mathematics Education, Vanderbilt University.

Owen Zach

Mathematics Teacher (2020)

Garden School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, ethnicity, age, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation in its hiring and promotion of administrators, faculty and staff, and in its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and financial aid programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.