We are very proud of our dedicated teachers and assistant teachers who are enthusiastic, caring and knowledgeable. We are fortunate to have excellent teachers with many levels of experience and different qualifications. Our teaching faculty members possess undergraduate and graduate degrees in Early Childhood Education, Humanities, Psychology, and related fields of education. Teacher Assistants possess the Child Development Associates degree (CDA). Many of our members are certified by the State of NJ in Early Childhood Education (P-3 Certification). In addition, many of our faculty members have attended educational seminars and workshops including Harvard University Project Zero Summer Institute with Dr. Howard Gardner and Bank Street College of Education Summer Institute. Our school employs highly trained administrators including a full-time nurse and family services director.

Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams has been employed at the Montclair Community Pre-K since May 1998. She has just completed her Masters Degree in Education Leadership / Administration and Supervisions from Montclair State University.  Abigail's responsibility is to keep the office systems and building running smoothly. Abigail handles maintenance, repairs, budgeting, payroll, tuition payments and deals with program supply and service vendors, fundraising, as well as editing and supervising the website. Ms. Adams has also been involved with planning, promoting and executing our yearly "Stars Come Out For Kids" fundraising events.  Abbie has an extensive business background. Her credentials include owning her own business and record label, called "Movin' Records". But, best of all, Abbie comes to us with value added - she has a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Boston College. She has obvious delight in young children and both parents and staff immediately sense how much she values them.

Lisa Alonso

Lisa Alonso has been employed at the Montclair Community Pre-K since 2006. Prior to joining the Pre-K, Mrs. Alonso managed her family's manufacturing business for nine years and prior to that she served as a Personal Assistant to a Fashion Designer and was also executive assistant to the Vice President of a major recording label.  Mrs. Alonso has been living in Montclair for 14 years and has two daughters that are in the Montclair Public Schools.  Mrs. Alonso's youngest daughter is an alumnus of the Pre-K center and both mother and daughter have very fond memories of her daughter's time there.  Mrs. Alonso has been very active in the Montclair Public School system having spent many years as a classroom volunteer and is an active member of the PTA having served as president for two years and co-chair of various fund raisers.  This experience has deepened her interest in children's education as well as broadening her understanding of the Montclair School system.  Mrs. Alonso feels working with children to be a very rewarding experience.  Where else can you go to work and get hugs everyday?  When Mrs. Alonso is not at the Montclair Pre-K she loves to entertain; she has a passion for food and loves cooking for friends and relatives and she loves to travel.

Luana Ashe

Luana Ashe has been employed at the Montclair Community Pre-K since 2006. She has a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in studio art and has had previous experience working in early childhood education. Luana moved to Montclair when she was only 5 months old and attended the Montclair Public Schools, ultimately graduating from Montclair High School in1999. Upon graduation, she initially attended St. Peter's College in Jersey City, N.J., for two years, and then transferred to Montclair State University earning her B.A. in 2005. Luana is happily married and is a proud mother of two beautiful boys, Jahsil and Justin.

LaShawn Austin

LaShawn Austin was born and raised in Montclair. She is a proud graduate of Montclair High School class of 2000. Straight from high school she began working at an Abbott preschool in Newark, NJ as a teacher assisant. She was employed over six years at the center. During that span she gained numerous skills and experience.  She has always had a passion for working with children. She enjoys children and will continue this path for many years to come. Ms. Austin obtained her CDA credential in 2005 and will continue to further her education. She is the proud mother of two children and has a strong support team of loving family and friends.

Mariaelena Brown

Mariaelena Brown worked as a Teacher Assistant at Watchung School in Montclair for two years before becoming a part of our staff in 1998. She previously did some training in child care while she was living in Okinawa, Japan with her family. Mariaelena also attended York College in Queens, NY for two years.  She received her CDA in 2008 through Felician College which also gave her an apprenticeship experience to help foster and develop skills to lead her own classroom.  She also completed The Infant and Toddlers Leadership Track Program with Programs for Parents, summer 2009. Her initial reason for joining the pre-k was to help ensure quality pre-k standards remained in the town of Montclair when it was dissolved as a state required grade level. She has fulfilled this goal with her solid record of team leadership as well as a parent/teacher focus that helps her to develop instant rapport, which helps build lasting relationships.

Susan Bryant-Gaither

Susan Bryant-Gaither is the Family Services Director at the Montclair Community Pre-K. Susan has been here at the Pre-K since our doors opened for the first time in September 1998. She was part of the start-up team. Susan conducted some of the initial interviews of the teachers that were hired for the Pre-K. Susan brings almost 20 years of working in early intervention and family counseling to this position. She taught autistic children at the Sawtelle Learning Center and the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center in NJ. Susan has a B.A. in Urban and Metropolitan Studies with an area of emphasis in Educational Program Development and Evaluation. She earned her degree from Michigan State University. Before teaching, she worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the State of Ohio. This required intensive interaction with community agencies and businesses as well as an ability to work sensitively with families. Right after graduating from MSU, she worked with high school special needs students at a vocational educational school (in Michigan) as a vocational evaluator. Susan is very involved in the Montclair School District. She has been the past PTA President for Northeast Elementary School and Mt. Hebron Middle School. She has also been Parent Co-Chair of School Review for Mt. Hebron. She serves on the Montclair District Leadership Team and for the last nine years she has been the Facilitator/Coordinator for the District School Review. Because of Susan's understanding of the Montclair school system and her ability to bring a positive outlook to the position, she quickly puts parents at ease and gets them involved in the Pre-K program. In June of 2009, Susan completed a two year post-graduate program and earned a certificate in Infant and Preschool Mental Health.  The program is a partnership between Seton Hall University and The YCS Institute for Infant and Preschool Mental Health. Susan is married to James and she has three children, Anika-21, senior at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland, J.B.-18, freshman at York College in Pennsylvania, and Chelsea-15, sophomore at Montclair High School.

Tiffany Caccavale

Tiffany Caccavale is a graduate of Felician College. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary Education along with a P-3 Certification. She also completed a minor in Sociology. Tiffany has had field experiences in various classroom settings, including early childhood and special education. She completed her student teaching in a public preschool setting, where she had the opportunity to participate in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation process. Tiffany loves the early childhood setting, and works well with children. She is very personable, and also enjoys working with her colleagues as well as parents. She looks forward to her future years here at Montclair Community Pre-K.

Ellen Cafarella

Ellen Cafarella is our part-time receptionist working the "late" shift from 2:30-6:30pm. Her job responsibilities are answering the phones and monitoring child release as well as light administrative duties. Ellen has had extensive experience in the real estate business, at George T. Bowes Realtor. She has worked in law offices and has been a secretary to a Patent Attorney. Ellen volunteers with the Friendly Visitors Program run by Clara Maas Hospital. She provides companionship, grocery shopping and telephone reassurance to homebound senior citizens.

Christine Caputo

Christine Caputo has been employed at the Montclair Community Pre-K since 2001. She has a BS from Bryant University in Smithfield RI. She also attended a study abroad program at Richmond University in London, England. She completed a master level teacher certification program at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. She holds a current NJ K-5 teacher's certification. She is an active parent volunteer in the South Brunswick township school district through her children.

Lamonica Carter

Ms. Carter has been a Teacher Associate with the Pre-K for 7 years and truly enjoys working with children. She has four children of her own, two of whom have attended the Pre-K.

Lisa Cataldo

Lisa Cataldo has worked at the Montclair Community Pre-K since 2005.  She started as a lunch aide/substitute.  During her 2007-2008 school year she became a full-time float teacher (in house substitute) as well as an extended day teacher.  It was then she realized her true love for working with young children.  She has taken clases on several topics:  Promoting Healthy and Social Development, Planning for the Individual Child, Guiding Children's Behavior Communicating with Hard-To-Reach Families, The Language of Clay, Multicultural Art, Portfolio Organization, Facilitating Inclusion in General Education Classrooms, and Creating a Center Based Learning Community just to name a few.  She also completed her Childhood Development Associate (CDA) certification in Early Childhood Education.  She is a proud mother of two beautiful boys.  Jeffrey is ten years old and in the fifth grade and Justin (a Pre-K alumni) is seven and in the first grade.  Being a mom and teaching are her true passion.  Her goal is to make an everlasting, positive, loving and trusting impression in the lives of children.

Melanie Constantino

Melanie Constantino has been working with children since she was 17. After graduating from Bayonne High School she began working with children in grades K - 8 for six years. She ran a summer camp in Chatham, NJ and afterschool programs in Morris County. She truly enjoys being with children.

 

Dianna D. Davis

Dianna D. Davis has been employed at the Montclair Community Pre-K since 2005. She is an alumnus of Seton Hall University from which she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and Spanish in 1995. She has taught in a variety of different school settings from parochial to public; suburb to inner city. In addition, she has had the chance to study abroad in places such as Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Spain, which has given her a better perspective on her teaching having had the opportunity to experience various student learning styles as well as teaching styles. She spent 6 years teaching Bilingual 6th grade as well as teaching summer school/programs in Hudson County and 3 years teaching 3rd grade in Essex County.  After that, she stayed at home to raise her beautiful son for 3 1/2 years who, of course, attended the Pre-K.  She enjoys reading to her now 6 and a half year old son, exercising, scrapbooking, living a healthy and holistic lifestyle, and spending time with her family.

Robin Dennis-Adefioye

Robin Dennis-Adefioye is a native of New Jersey and received her elementary and high school education in the city of Newark. Her love of children led her to take courses in Early Childhood Education at Essex and Middlesex Colleges. Robin obtained a Group Teacher Certificate through Essex County College. Robin has been at the Montclair Community Pre-K since it opened. Robin first started working at the Montclair YMCA in its after school program. Staff at the Montclair Community Pre-K quickly noticed Robin's diligence and many talents with young children. The following year Robin was hired full time at the Pre-K. Robin has an extensive background in Early Childhood Education. Work experience was first obtained at Babyland Nusery in Newark, NJ. Robin's dedication to children proved that she would be sensitive to the needs of battered and abused children and their families. Within months, Robin was promoted to work in Babyland's protective service program. Robin also worked for the Montclair and City of Orange Head Start Programs. Since Robin's employment at the Pre-K she has accomplished manys goals. She became certified as a Child Development Associate in October 2001 and takes professional development courses on a regular basis with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Robin is currently studying for her undergraduate degree at Bloomfield College. In her leisure hours she enjoys swimming, reading, bike riding and hooking rugs.

Carolyn DeVito

Carolyn DeVito is our Assistant Executive Director. Carolyn has been teaching for almost 30 years, all in the field of Early Childhood as a preschool and kindergarten teacher. She has been here at the Pre-K since its inception and was an integral part of our start-up team. During that time she has moved from a Master Teacher to the Assistant Executive Director and has moved out of the classroom to devote all her time to that position. In this capacity, Carolyn overseas the educational component of the program. She supervises the teaching faculty and assures that the Pre-K maintains the licensing standards outlined by the state of New Jersey. The Pre-K is one of a small percentage of centers in that state of New Jersey that is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Carolyn assures that these high standards are met on a daily basis. Carolyn has her BA and MA in Early Childhood Education from Kean University in Union, NJ. Previous to her employment here Carolyn was the Assistant Director of Bright Horizons Children's Center in Lyndhurst, NJ and the Program Coordinator for Hoffmann- LaRoche Child Care in Nutley, NJ. Carolyn has been fortunate enough to attend Project Zero: Teaching for Understanding at Harvard University. She has a special interest in the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy and has attended seminars in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Virginia regarding this world-renowned program. On a personal note, Carolyn is the mother of two wonderful girls. Alissa is a 7th and 8th grade Language Arts and Science teacher. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also a dance instructor with her certification from Dance Educators of America. Stephanie is attending Montclair State University where she is majoring in Justice Studies. You might see a DeVito "walking the beat" one day!

Marilyn Eaves

Marilyn Eaves is a Mentor teacher here at the Montclair Community Pre-K since 1998. She has a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from William Paterson University, and has  over 35 years experience in both public and private early childhood classrooms. She has taught either Kindergarten (for the Haledon and North Haledon Public Schools), or Pre-k. Before coming to Montclair she taught 9 years at the Wayne General Hospital Child Care Center.  Marilyn is still in touch with many of her students who have now graduated from college.  Here at the Pre-k she has had 3 siblings from several families. Marilyn has a song, an art project, or a finger play for every occasion. Marilyn has 2 children that are married and a grandson. She enjoys taking care of her grandson, reading, doing crafts and walking. Marilyn also teaches Sunday school and is involved in many of her church activities.

Nicole Galella

Nicole Galella has several years experience working in the field of Early Childhood Education. Prior to coming to the Pre-K she worked for The Work Family Connection in Chatham NJ, where she was a Kindergarten Teacher and Site Director for before and after school enrichment programs for grades K-8. Working with children has become such a rewarding and fulfilling part of her life. She attended New Jersey City University for two years and plans on continuing her education. In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking, going to the beach and taking her bulldog named Gus for long walks.

Lisa Germany-Wald

Lisa Germany-Wald came to the Pre-K Center as a substitute teacher after having spent many years volunteering in the classrooms of her three children. To her joy, she loved the kids and the kids loved her! That spring the Pre-K invited her on board as a permanent staff member. A native of Montclair, Lisa went through the Montclair public school system and graduated from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania with a BA in Psychology. Currently, Lisa is working toward a P-3 Certification in early childhood education. Lisa lives with her husband, Peter (also a native Montclairian), and their three children. Nicholas, a 2006 Montclair High School graduate, is attending Northeastern University majoring in Computer Sciences. Alexander is a junior in the Civics and Government Institute at Montclair High School and plays ice hockey and lacrosse. Heidi is a seventh grader at Glenfield Middle School and plays ice hockey, soccer, and lacrosse. Lisa, the only one in her family who does not play ice hockey, loves to read, bake cakes, and make art when she's not watching ice hockey!

Amarilis Hasani

Amarilis Hasani is a lead teacher here at the Montclair Community Pre-K. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Long Island University in 2004. She always knew that she wanted to be an educator and provide positive learning experiences for young children. After graduating college, she began working in Jackson Heights, NY, as a lead teacher in a Pre-K classroom. Later, she discovered the wonderful Montclair Community Pre-K where she has happily worked since 2006.  Mrs. Hasani (previously known as Miss Santiago) was married and had a beautiful wedding on October 25th, 2009. Upon her return from her honeymoon, her students adapted to and welcomed the name change!  Mrs. Hasani enjoys spending time with her family and close friends when she is not in the classroom.

Bria Hodges

Hailing from Montclair, Bria Hodges understands the customs and cultures of its residents. Bria attended Montclair Public Schools and upon her graduation she attended Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida.  After graduating with honors with a degree in Elementary Education, Bria realized there is no place like Montclair. She returned to New Jersey and worked as a substitute teacher in the Montclair Public schools for a year and later taught first grade in East Orange. She came to work at the Montclair Community Pre-K in 2004 and has enjoyed working with and fostering many relationships with the many Montclair Community Pre-K families.

Maureen Lombardi

Maureen has been with the Pre-K since 2007 as a lunch aide and she loves working with the children. After working at a doctor’s office for three years, she left to raise her son. When she was ready to return to work, Maureen decided to apply for a job here at the Pre-K. She has always enjoyed children and she is so happy that she was given a chance to work at the Montclair Community Pre-K.

Madeline Machuca

Madeline was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y.  She moved to New Jersey in 1997.  While living in Jersey City, she had the opportunity to work in a daycare facility for 9 1/2 years. During that time, she gained a lot of knowledge and experience as secretary, Assistant Director and then Director.  "It was a pleasure to help serve and contribute to the community and the children of Jersey City, " says Madeline.  Now it is our pleasure that Madeline has joined our family at the Montclair Community Pre-K. We hope she will be a long time member!  During her downtime, Madeline enjoys spending time with her husband and three beautiful children - Kaitlin, Zachary and Kiara.

Shelley Macklin

Shelley Macklin is a graduate of Old Dominion University with a B.A. in Relational Speech. Shelley has worked as a director/on site coordinator of after school activities at the Linden Avenue School in Glen Ridge. She was in charge of 35 students and 2 staff members. Her prior educational experience includes teaching children ages 3 and up computer literacy skills in area childcare/school facilities at the Urban Computer Academy. Ms. Macklin completed the P-3 Educational Certification Program in 2001 at Montclair State University. Ms. Macklin was fortunate enough to have attended Project Zero: Teaching for Understanding Seminar at Harvard University. She was the head reading teacher at the Saturday Reading Program at St. Peter Claver Church in 2001-02. She has also held the position of assistant director of St. Peter Claver's Lets Read Summer Technology Camp program in 2003-06.  When asked the question,  What do you do?, Ms. Macklin is known to say I get paid to play everyday with the world's best resources, young children. She is the mother of four, and enjoys traveling to St. Maarten for her birthday on occasions with her sister.

Susan Marro

Susan Marro is our Health Director and school nurse for the Pre-K, and also is the school nurse for the Developmental Learning Center (DLC) housed in the Pre-K building. A graduate of Marymount Manhattan College and Newton-Welsley Hospital School of Nursing (Newton, Massachusetts), she has been at our school since 2001.   As a registered nurse, her experience includes intensive care, occupational health, plastic surgery, dermatology, community nursing and school nursing. In addition, she is a published medical writer for a legal publishing company. Susan and her husband Charlie are enthusiastic supporters and residents of Montclair. Their two daughters attended Montclair Public Schools, and have both graduated from college.  She is a member of the National Association of School Nurses, and attends their conferences each summer.

Delores Monteiro

Delores Monteiro has worked with preschool children for over 10 years, first at The Children's Community in Upper Montclair, and later at Neighborhood Childcare Center, also in Montclair. Just before coming to our Pre-K program, Delores was an Associate Teacher at the Child Development Center at Giralda Farms in Madison, NJ. She is a strong advocate for coordination of home and school partnerships and feels that building a positive self- concept is the first step toward quality in the classroom. Delores has completed her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and is currently in school to obtain her B.A. degree.

Heather Muchineuta

Heather Muchineuta. has a Bachelors Degree in Sociology from Boston College and has been teaching pre-k children since 2001.  Prior to working at the Pre-K she was a Head Teacher at Bright Horizons Children's Center in Somerville, NJ. Heather loves working with four- and five- year old children watching them grow and learn. Each year is a new and exciting journey. She is also a parent of two great children; a son Ian, and a daughter Mya.

Nickol Muller

Mrs. Muller has wanted to be a teacher since she was a young girl, and has a true love for children. She graduated from Caldwell College with a degree in English and Early Childhood/ Elementary Education and is currently working toward her Master's in Education. Her enjoyment is being in the classroom, and watching her students learn and grow. She loves being part of the Montclair Community Pre K family, and enjoys getting to know her students and their families.

Lynda Noel Flowers

Lynda is a mother of two beautiful children and has been married for eleven years. Her husband has been with Montclair Public Library for many years and is a department head. Their son Timothy is no longer a Tim; he is now a Thomas or T after his dad and our daughter Melanie both are alumni of the Pre-K. She has worked and volunteered for the Montclair Community Pre-K since her daughter Melanie attended the school in 2000. For a number of years Lynda was the owner operator of Noel Child Care Services in her Montclair home. She has over 15 years of experience working with young children and has held a position of Teaching Associate for 4 years here at the Pre-K. She is in the process of continuing her education in the field of Early Childhood Development. Lynda believes that reinforcing skills, praising a child's positive behaviors and work, being encouraging, giving lots of support and having parents (as well as grandparents) get involved in a child's education makes for a great start to a child's early years and preparing them for kindergarten. She is a patient, loving and nurturing individual who enjoys working with young children. The way in which young children develop and grow is very amazing to watch and something she is glad to be a part of.

Randy Perez

Randy is a resident of Newark, New Jersey. He was born in the Dominican Republic. He is the single father of a three-year-old daughter named Leilany Elise. He loves working with children. Before Randy came to the Pre-K he worked in a day care center for two years. He has attended early childhood development training programs and teacher workshops provided by Montclair Community Pre-K. Randy came to the Pre-K in March of 2008 as an employee for our second shift as a teacher aide during lunch and extended care.

Luz Resto

Luz Resto's relationship with the Montclair Pre-k began some 11 years ago when her husband, son, and she moved to Montclair from Brooklyn. At only 3 years of age, she was worried about placing her son, and her trust, in a new school. It took a very short time before her worries had disappeared and every day her son returned to us with wonderful stories about his day and the new things he had learned about. Luz and her husband were so thrilled that it was an easy decision as to where their future children would attend. A few years later, they returned with their daughter and then again 2 years after that with their youngest daughter. Luz became part of the staff in winter of ‘09 and she's happy to be here. She has many years experience working with young children. She was an assistant teacher at the Northside Center for Child Development in New York City for over 5 years and worked at the Sunset Park Children's School in Brooklyn. Still, her most valuable experience comes from raising three amazing kids. She received a B.A. in Psychology from Ashford University last January and plan to continue with her studies and pursue a career in education. She loves children and is deeply grateful to be part of such a great school. Like the words of Haim Ginott: Children are like wet cement - whatever falls on them makes an impression. Her hope is that her experiences and dedication to the students she comes to meet have a positive impact on who they become later in their lives.

Eve Robinson

Eve Robinson (AKA “Miss Eve”) has been the Executive Director since July 1, 2001. Eve and her husband Tom Fraioli live in Montclair and have two daughters, Sophia and Olivia Fraioli. Miss Eve received her bachelor's degree in human development from the University of Wisconsin. She attained a master's degree in education with a focus on infant and toddler behavior and development from Wheelock College in Boston, Mass. Prior to her work at the Montclair Community Pre-K, Eve's career spanned several disciplines, including research, practice and teaching in child welfare, child abuse and neglect, community service and early childhood education. She participated in an the earliest federal study of child abuse and neglect at Harvard University, studying over 150 families and collecting vital information that later became the basis for child welfare practice. She has been a teacher and administrator in early childhood programs as well as an instructor in early childhood education for education students. Eve is recognized nationally for her expertise in child development, early childhood education and family support. She has taught undergraduate and graduate level courses at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, Bloomfield College and Montclair State University. In addition, she has worked as a consultant to public child welfare agencies in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Eve is committed to providing the highest quality educational environment for children, while also providing support and education for families; she believes in serving the whole community through her role as Executive Director.

Sue Rosen

Years ago, Sue Rosen was looking for a Pre-K program for her younger son, Jake. She decided to take a chance on the Pre-K even though when she signed up there wasn't even a building yet!  She feels it was one of the best decisions she ever made. After volunteering for two months while Jake attended school, she came on board that November as a teacher assistant. Jake is now in high school, while her older son Ben is college. She is currently a student at Montclair State University and will be completing her BA in English shortly. She is also in her final semester of an intensive child development course provided by Starting Points for Children. Her husband Stu, the boys and she love to play sports, read and watch movies. She also loves to cook and sing. At least her family loves the cooking part!  She feels rewarded daily as she teaches and helps young children.

Arlene Ruiz

Arlene was born and raised in Newark, NJ. She is the youngest of five children. She has worked with children for nine years. She has volunteered in churches and schools since high school. She has also worked with children who have special needs. She is currently attending Bloomfield College to obtain a degree in history and special education. There is a long line of teachers and principals in her family. She has seen, and truly believes, that one person or teacher can make a difference in a child's life. Arlene has been with the Pre-K since March of 2008. She was hired as a lunch aide and a teacher in our Extended Care Program. Since joining the Montclair Pre-K family, one year ago, she has learned so many things from the children and staff. She feels that the invaluable lessons she has learned at the Pre-K, she couldn't have learned in a classroom setting. The children and staff have taught her patience, compassion, and how to laugh with the children. This past year has been a fulfilling experience for Arlene and she hopes there are many more years to come.

Shelley Showell

Shelley Showell has been employed at the Montclair Community Pre-K since 1999. She has her BA in Psychology and an N-8 NJ Teacher's Certification. She has worked at the Montclair YMCA as a gym and swim instructor and was employed as an Assistant Teacher at a local Montessori School. She taught Basic Skills in the Glen Ridge Public school system and worked as an Inclusion teacher in the Summit Public Schools. Prior to her teaching career, she was employed for fifteen years as a graphic artist. In her free time, she enjoys water sports, gardening, animals and reading. Her two sons are graduates of the Montclair public school system.

Debbie Skowronski

Debbie has been with the Pre-K since 2004 as a lunch aide. She is a former Pre-K parent. Both of her children attended the Pre-K. When she decided to return to work, she knew she wanted the flexibility to have off during holidays and the summer to spend with her children. She knew the Pre-K would be a great place for her to work. She loves working and playing with the children at the Pre-K. She has enjoyed every year.

Marylyn Smalls

Marylyn is the proud mother of two wonderful children, a son (Jonathon) and a daughter (Aaliyah). Marylyn was born on the island of Trinidad and Tobago. She attended college in Trinidad and obtained advance levels in accounting and business management. In 1996 she came to the United States with her husband. She was hired as a babysitter and took care of the children of three different families. She truly enjoyed taking care of young children. After 12 years of being a babysitter, Marylyn decided to take a step further into the exciting careeer of early childhood education. She enrolled in Bloomfield College in 2007 and earned her CDA credentials. She feels very fortunate to be a part of the staff at Montclair Community Pre-K. Marylyn has been employed here since 2008. She is currently a Teacher Associate and is eagerly looking forward to furthering her knowledge of early childhood education.

Gloria Trabucco

Gloria has been an early childhood educator for several decades and is a founding teacher at the Pre-K.  She has taught all of the elementary grades in both private and public school settings and helped to develop and organize the Head Start Program in Newark during its initial years of operation.  Ms. Trabucco has done postgraduate work at Kean University and attended The Project Zero Institute: Teaching for Understanding at Harvard University.  Gloria is happy to see that early childhood education is finally taking its place in the limelight.  Her message; I've been an early childhood teacher for most of my professional career.  I've devoted a good part of that time to waving the banner of early childhood education as a viable and important part of child development and of early childhood teachers as skilled professionals.  Montclair Community Pre-K has helped me to validate that philosophy.
Ms. Trabucco is the Curriculum Director and a Master Teacher at the Pre-K.  It is her job to help teachers in the Pre-K and Extended Care Programs develop and improve curriculum and classroom management and to assist in supervision of the teaching faculty. In addition to writing curriculum, Gloria is in charge of the Enrichment Program and also mentors new teachers on staff for permanent certification who are participating in the New Jersey Provisional Teacher Program.  Ms. Trabucco participates in the Early Learning Institute and Pre-K teacher development workshops where she creates and teaches classes on incorporating the environment into curriculum and emergent literacy and math.

Nerissa Waugh

Nerissa comes from the beautiful island of Jamaica. A graduate of St. Joseph's College with a degree in Elementary Education, she has seventeen years of experience in public school. Her goal is to pursue a doctorate in Early Childhood Education. Prior to coming to the Montclair Pre-K, Nerissa worked as a substitute teacher at St. James Pre-K for two years. Her natural ability and passion for helping children to excel has laid the foundation for the success of her past students. Her philosphy is "children are our future, nuture them with care." Her vision is "to see our children being the best that they can be" and her mission is "to be actively involved in the training and development of young minds, helping them to maximize their potential." Nerissa recently completed the P-3 Educational Certification Course in Early Childhood Education through Bloomfield College. She participated in 4 classes in early childhood, including Child Development, Family Relationships, Curriculum Development and Special Topics in Early Childhood Education.

Hassiba Zoghbi

Hassiba is a wife and mother of two children. GeorgeMarie, high school student, is interested in chemistry and loves drumming. Angela, third grader, loves drawing and webkinz. Hassiba started her teaching career right after graduating from the Lebanese University with a degree in biology. She taught science in an elementary school for six years. When Hassiba and her family moved to the United States, in 2001, she began working with pre-k children at Family Day Nursery in Bloomfield where her youngest daughter attended. Hassiba also worked at ABC Day Care in Montclair and at Day Nurseries as a lead teacher. Hassiba earned her NJ Certificate of Eligibility for K-8. In the spring of 2008 she started working as a substitute teacher at the Montclair Community Pre K. In September of 2008 she joined the second shift staff as a lunch aide and she was so excited to be at the Pre-K everyday. Hassiba feels the Pre-K is a wonderful school which provides a rich, stimulating and warm environment for its students and staff.