We welcome several new faculty members starting in the fall of 2012. 

Our new Private Lesson Coordinator and Music Instructor is Alex Wise, a working musician, teacher and theatre producer who obtained a Masters in Music from the University of Bristol; he has served as a music teacher, tutor, accompanist and musical director (including for Grease last year in New Jersey at the real Riverdell High School.)

Our new Primary French Teacher, Kate Vignola, obtained a Masters of French Literature from Arizona State University; she has been teaching, tutoring, and working using her French language skills for 17 years. Most recently she comes to us from Chester Academy Middle and High School; before that she worked at many other institutions including the French American School in Mamaroneck, NY.

Emily Bryk is our new Primary Science Teacher. The Williams College Graduate has one Masters degree and is in the process of earning a second: one from Rutgers University in Oceanography and another from Brooklyn College in Middle Childhood Education and Earth Science. She taught science most recently at Claremont Prep in New York City and has served as a Regional Coordinator for the National Ocean Science Bowl.

Our new Director of Academic Technology, Charlie Vergara, received a Ed.M. In Education Leadership from The Klingenstein Center at Teachers College at Columbia University; he has an MA in Communication and Education from Teachers College, and a BA in English from UW Madison. Mr. Vergara has served most recently as the Technology Integrator for Ethical Culture Fieldston Lower School. He also leads professional development workshops for school administrators across the country. Charlie will help expand our iPad program and integrate technology in developmentally appropriate ways in our classrooms.

Chef Joseph Bonomi joins us from Flik with considerable experience at such schools as the Windward School and The School at Columbia University. Chef Bonomi is a locavore who favors farm-to-table dining and he is excited about integrating our new garden offerings into the menu, and continuing Flik's cultural immersion meals (such as last year's "Step Into India.")

Our new Director of Development, Venta Cantwell, has been working the past few years for a small grant-making foundation. She will also be drawing from her experiences at Trinity-Pawling School and as a Raiser's Edge consultant where she was focused on working with educational institutions. She earned her BA in Writing & Literature from Eugene Lang College in New York City.

Todd Schietroma, our new Band and Instrumental Music Intructor, is an accomplished composer, musician and music educator with a Bachelors of Music Education degree from the University of North Texas. He has conducted national orchestras as well as Latin and Jazz ensembles and has composed music for the Olympics, national commercials as well as co-creating the sound for the XBOX360.