Staff Directory

Debbie began teaching in Chilton House in 2008 and joined the Admissions team in 2017. Before EMS, she worked in college admissions at Emory University, and as director of college advising at Westover School in Middlebury, Conn., with lots of teaching in between. Debbie earned a master’s degree in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University and finds that people and stories are at the center of her work. Debbie enjoys traveling and cooking with her husband, Pete, and children, George ’08, and Elle ’13, and exploring with their 95-pound Berna-doodle, Ollie.

Laura joined the Communications and Marketing team in January 2020, after working for more than 11 years as a magazine editor for North Jersey Media Group. She has also worked for HarperCollins Children’s Books and Gannett newspapers. She enjoys making memories with her husband and their two children. Their favorite things to do are travel, spend time with family, relax at the Jersey Shore, and enjoy movie nights and dance parties in their living room.

Tugba previously worked in the special education field and was affiliated with various boards of education in New Jersey and multiple private companies before becoming a teacher’s assistant at EMS. She lives in Bergen County with her husband, two teen daughters, and her dog. Traveling, reading, and taking long walks with her dog are her favorite activities.

This is Gerard’s 10th school year at EMS! He began his time here as a middle school English teacher. In 2018, he became the Middle School Dean of Student Life, and this year, he is working as the Assistant Head of Middle School. Gerard enjoys spending time with his family, which includes his son Joseph, a student in Chilton House. Gerard loves to listen to human interest podcasts, cook, and travel.

Alycen joined the Communications and Marketing team in January 2021. Prior to her arrival at The Elisabeth Morrow School, her communications career led her to work at top universities including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia University. She enjoys cooking for friends and family, gardening, traveling, playing the saxophone, and learning to play the guitar. She lives in Washington Heights with her fiancé and large, orange cat.

Heather joined the Morrow House faculty in 2019. Prior to her arrival at EMS, she worked as a math teacher for 11 years in the public school system in New York City and New Jersey. Heather is an EMS parent to a son in Morrow House and a son in Little School. She loves hiking and playing board games with her family.

Marek is celebrating his 28th year in education. During this time, he has been a teacher and leader at the elementary, middle, high school, and college levels. He is also a frequent speaker at national conferences. Marek was raised in a family of professional musicians and enjoys playing the drums. While Marek grew up competing as a nationally ranked tennis player, he has now discovered a love of running and pickleball. This year, Marek will complete his third marathon at the NYC Marathon. More than anything, Marek enjoys spending time with his family and three dogs.

Valeria joined EMS in 2004. She has 23 years of language teaching experience, specializing in fifth through eighth grade. Valeria holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Spanish Language and Literature with minor studies in French and Business Marketing. Inspired by her first career in international banking, Valeria is passionate about teaching languages and culture to young learners as a path to developing world-readiness communication and intercultural competence. Valeria enjoys playing the piano, traveling with her husband, and spending time with her son, daughter, and baby grandson, Joey.

Jon has been teaching guitar, electric bass, keyboard, and ukulele at EMS since 2018, joining the music faculty in 2020. He’s taught music lessons since 2001, privately, at the JCC Thurnauer School of Music, and at after-school programs in Tenafly and New Milford. Jon loves all styles of music and has recorded, toured, and performed with a wide spectrum of artists since the early ’80s. He loves to draw faces, play frisbee, ski very fast, climb mountains in winter, and collect and play instruments from all around the world.

Prior to joining the faculty of the Elisabeth Morrow School, Christine was a chief program officer at the National Center for Teacher Residencies, collaborating with teacher educators from across the country to innovate teacher preparation. Christine taught English and history in both public and charter school settings in Chicago, New York City, and greater Boston.

Heather joined the EMS community in 2024. With more than 15 years of classroom experience, she is thrilled to share the knowledge she’s gained with her students. She recently relocated to New Jersey from Brooklyn where she taught at a pre-primary Montessori school that specializes in teaching children with a variety of learning styles and abilities. Outside of school, Heather loves to spend time with her friends and family, especially with her husband, Craig, and their two children, Eli and Ava. Other interests include travel, music, reading, and crafts.

Jenice joined the Communications and Marketing team in November 2022. Prior to her arrival at EMS, she worked in e-commerce and marketing for four years. She enjoys cooking for friends and family, traveling, reading, game nights, and movie marathons. She runs her own bakery business, FrostedbyJenice, on Instagram. Her favorite pastime is trying out new restaurants and eateries with her fiance.

Sybille has more than a decade of experience in both public and independent NYC schools and conducts research in cognitive science in education at Teachers College (Columbia University). With a background in special education, Sybille has served as a learning specialist and the director of learning research/student success at both public and independent schools, supporting students and families as they navigate the complexities of evaluations, disabilities, and support. Sybille grew up all over the world and, in a previous life, was a Shakespearean actor and director.

Millie joined the EMS community in 2004. She is the administrative assistant for Morrow House, as well as the administrator for the EMS Summer String Festival. Millie has three daughters — twins Chelsea (a teacher) and Tyler (a nurse), and Kassidy, who is attending law school and is an EMS alumna. Millie is also “MomMom” to her grandson JJ (Justin Joseph). Millie loves spending time with family and friends, cruising, the beach, antiquing, thrifting, and garage sales.

Jane joined the EMS community in 2024, after spending 18 years in various independent schools. Most of her professional journey has been spent as a Lower School science teacher, curating the curiosities of young scientists in Brooklyn, Houston, and most recently, Atlanta. Jane has been a teacher since high school, when she first discovered children have the most interesting minds, the most fun, and usually the best jokes. Outside the classroom, she finds joy in photography, cooking, writing, and consuming large amounts of fiction.

Cindy joined the EMS community as the Little School Librarian in 2015. Before EMS, Cindy worked for more than 20 years as a librarian/trainer in the pharmaceutical industry. She lives in Essex County with her husband, son, and two cats. Cindy enjoys cooking, board games, going to the beach, researching her family tree, frisbee golf, and exploring new places. One of her goals is to visit all the national parks.

Jenn joined the EMS community in 2023 after teaching for 16 years at an independent school in New York City. She taught kindergarten students for a decade, directed eighth-grade musicals, and provided literacy and math support to kindergarten through second-grade students. In her free time, Jenn enjoys reading, going to see Broadway shows, running, and improving her pickleball game.

Nurse Desere joined the EMS community in August of 2018. After becoming a nurse in 2011, Desere worked in the oncology department at Holy Name Medical Center. She then took some time off to raise her children, Delilah and Alexander, and be with her family. Her family has strong ties to EMS as both children are students in Little School and her husband, Alexander Diaz, is the theater director. She enjoys family time the most but also loves art, music, helping people, and coaching volleyball and softball.

Alexander Diaz joined the EMS community in 2015 as the theater director. Prior to joining the EMS community, Alexander performed, produced, and directed musicals and concerts all over the tri-state area. Alexander is the executive director of the Bergen Performing Arts Center and producer for American History Unbound, an organization that produces historical, multimedia shows at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and for the Boston Pops Orchestra. Alexander is the proud husband of Nurse Desere and father to Delilah ’29 and Alexander ’31.

Melissa joined the EMS community in 1998 after working for more than 9 years as a public school teacher in New York City. She is delighted that both her daughters are EMS alumni. Her hobbies include games, tennis, pickleball, kayaking, and reading.

Sarah joined the EMS Math Department in 2010. She has taught fifth through eighth grade, and she is currently teaching sixth-grade math, pre-algebra, and geometry. Prior to teaching math at EMS, she worked in investment banking. Sarah has lived in New Jersey with her husband and two kids since 2002, but now both kids are in college in Canada. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking, tennis, skiing, traveling, cooking, and walking her dog.

Joining the EMS music faculty in 2024, Katy is a saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist. She has toured with “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” Broadway Tour and “Chicago the Musical” Broadway Tour. Katy has taught in Wisconsin, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey. She enjoys living in New York City, where she continues to decorate her whole house with her all-time favorite color — yellow.

Trish joined the Advancement team in 2014. Previously, she worked in development for a small non-profit in Union County, and prior to that, she spent 17 years in corporate communications at Booz Allen & Hamilton. When not at EMS, Trish can be found in Westfield, where she’s lived for 25 years, with her husband and 1-year-old rescue puppy, Pepper. She loves planning adventures with her three grown and flown children, along with running, hiking, pickleball, book club, and pizza.

Joining the EMS music faculty in 2013, John, a percussionist and drummer, has enjoyed a varied career as a performer and educator in the New York area since 1987. Performing/recording has included symphonic, rock/pop/jazz, Broadway, film scores, and touring internationally with his own chamber groups. Other teaching posts include Manhattan School of Music, Princeton, and William Paterson universities. John lives in Fair Lawn with his wife, daughter, and their Yorkie, Toby, who they adore. John loves traveling, great movies, stand-up comedy, and being awe-inspired by others’ excellence.

Carissa joined the Chilton House faculty in 2018. Prior to her arrival at EMS, she worked as an early childhood educator in various schools, most recently at Tuxedo Park School. She is an avid reader, multiple marathon finisher, and an enthusiastic baker. She lives in Highland Falls, N.Y. with her husband, Andrew, and children, Henry and Aurelia.

Amelia is beginning her 32nd year at EMS! Her students win numerous awards and competitions; perform at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall, and opened up and performed live with amazing musicians. Amelia’s music programs are profiled in “The New York Times,” and “The Wall Street Journal.” A lifelong Englewood resident, Amelia resides with her husband, Dr. Brian Benson, and their four children, who attended EMS. They all study string instruments and perform as The Benson6. Amelia is also the founding director of our Summer String Festival and Eagles Arts Academy.

Emma joined the EMS community in 2023. She has been working with children since 2015 and has previous experience as a preschool teacher. In the summer she works as a swim instructor and swim coach at her local town pool. During her free time, she likes to read, cook, go to concerts, and spend time with her family in Maine.

Prior to joining EMS, Jackie worked in the legal field.

Amy joined EMS in 2017. She has been teaching for 16 years. Prior to EMS, she taught special education, Kindergarten, and first grade in various schools around the country and around the world. She taught in Nevada, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Thailand, Turkey, and New York City. Amy loves traveling the world, learning new languages, and eating delicious foods. She shares this enthusiasm for travel with her husband, Mike and their two daughters, Oona, 7, and Kira, 2, who attend EMS. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, surfing, running, and reading.

Victoria joined EMS in 2021. After studying fine arts, she worked as a digital effects artist in Barcelona, London, and NYC, before moving on to raise her two children. In 2012, she was asked to develop an art course for The Montessori House and enjoyed it so much that she has been teaching ever since. She finds great joy in encouraging each child in their unique creative work. Her free time is spent traveling with her family, walking her dog, and spending summers back in her hometown in the Pyrenees mountains.

Jieyu Gu is excited to join the EMS. This is her first year here, but her eighth year as an Early Childhood teacher. She has a master’s degree in education and an American Montessori Society Early Childhood credential. She lives with her husband, son, and their dog, Lele. Besides teaching, she loves cooking, reading, and spending time with her family.

Liza has been a member of EMS since 1992 while working in various roles as classroom teacher and now as Director of Auxiliary Programs. Liza is a proud mom of two children, Tyler ’22, and Dana ’25. In her free time, she enjoys crafting and spending time with her family in the Adirondacks and Finger Lakes.

Nina has spent 25 years teaching pre-K through fifth grade at independent schools in New York City. She loves fostering a love of learning through active storytelling and imagination. She particularly loves first grade because of the magical thinking and growing sense of self and others that children this age are capable of. When she is not in the classroom, she is loving up her 2-year-old son, Gordon, who keeps her and her husband laughing and on their toes. Nina also loves gardening, bike riding, singing, and crossword puzzles.

Elizabeth is a Korean bilingual speech-language pathologist and is also trained as a reading specialist and an ESL teacher. She joined EMS in 2019. Elizabeth has two daughters: one a K-Pop and hip-hop dancer and the other a student who loves math, art, and being on the stage crew in her high school drama department. Elizabeth has a background as a Waldorf teacher, and is passionate about dancing bachata, tango, kizomba, and tribal fusion bellydance.

Andrea joined the Technology department in June 2020. Prior to her start at EMS, Andrea served as the registrar & database manager at The Hewitt School for 14 years. Andrea continues to keep abreast of the latest technological advances in education. In her spare time, Andrea enjoys spending time with her husband, children, and her two dogs. She also loves to travel. Andrea is honored to be a parent of EMS alumna, Kayla, class of 2023.

Annie joined EMS in 2005 as a Kindergarten teacher. After teaching Kindergarten for 14 years, she moved up to being a first-grade teacher where she is currently teaching. Annie is also an EMS parent of three boys: an alumni, an eighth grader, and a fourth grader. In her spare time, she enjoys watching her children play football, basketball, and baseball.

Krisztina is excited to start her 12th year of education at EMS! This is her second year at Morrow House and as a Chilton House parent. She is passionate about ensuring students learn in a way that is engaging and filled with joy. Born and raised in Canada, she also speaks Hungarian and is active in the local Hungarian community. Krisztina loves camping, baking, and spending time with her husband and two kids.

Jinal spent the last six years working as an associate teacher in a private preschool. She’s also a proud parent of two: her older child is a freshman at Vanderbilt University, and her youngest is just starting high school.

James began as a violin teacher at the Summer String Festival in 2017 before becoming a part-time violin teacher in 2019, Arts Division administrator in 2020, and Assistant Director of the Arts in 2022. In addition to managing administrative tasks for the Arts, Summer String Festival, and Eagle Arts Academy, James also teaches violin, both during and after school. He also guest teaches at the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music, NYU, Montclair State University, and presents at international conferences. James lives in Jersey City and loves to travel.

Chris joined EMS in 2019 as a technology support administrator. He moved up to director of administrative technology in January 2022. Prior to working at EMS, he held many technology roles, including software engineer, head of software engineering, and IT director. He’s participated in amateur sports, including baseball, mountain biking, snowboarding, windsurfing, and tennis. In his spare time, Chris enjoys listening to and recording music, playing guitar, and doing home improvements. He hopes to play other instruments in the near future and looks to improve his carpentry skills.

This is Andrea’s second year at EMS. Previously, she worked at Riverdale Country School and Tuxedo Park School teaching pre-k and kindergarten. She loves spending time with her family outside, especially at the Jersey Shore. Andrea lives in Bergen County with her husband, daughter, and two stepsons.

Puja joined The Elisabeth Morrow School in 2020. Prior to this, she worked with children in different educational settings such as Montessori, as well as within the ​​International Baccalaureate. She enjoys spending time with her three children, traveling with her family, and making the moments count.

Prior to joining EMS, Rebecca was a preschool teacher at Bridge Community Playschool in New York City. In her spare time, she loves running, cooking, and traveling with her family. She lives in Orangeburg, New York, with her husband, two daughters, and a puppy.

Kelly joined the Advancement team in 2022. Prior to this, she worked in Diocesan fundraising, both for the Archdiocese of New York and Newark. Kelly lives in Jersey City with her husband, Tommy, and their two children, Tristan, 4, currently in Chilton House, and Noelle, 1. On holidays, they enjoy island hopping around the Philippines.

Jenny is excited to be teaching at a school with an outdoor campus. Jenny has taught science at independent schools in New York City for the past 12 years. Prior to teaching science, she was a design educator, applying her experience as a landscape architect to enrich the educational experience of K-12 students throughout NYC. Her first career as a landscape architect culminated at the Bronx Zoo, where she was a senior member of the design team for the Congo Gorilla Forest and many other incredible exhibits.

After graduating, Jerina worked as a pediatric RN at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, before moving on to raise her five children. Fifteen years ago, a friend asked her if she could help out at a local preschool. She enjoys working with this age group because the children are eager to learn. She finds teaching them life and academic skills a huge responsibility and very rewarding. Her greatest joy is being a mother and having a big family. She is passionate about playing competitive tennis, cooking, music, reading, and spending time on Martha’s Vineyard.

Lori Lowell became a Chilton House teacher in 1994, but EMS has really been a part of her life since the 1970s when her mother was hired by co-founder, Constance Chilton. Lori observed a beautiful campus, deep mutual respect within the community, and an atmosphere of joyful learning. When Lori had children of her own she enrolled them in EMS. Over the years, the school has become her home away from home. When Lori is not teaching, she enjoys being outdoors and hiking with her husband and friends.

Keanna is a recent graduate from Montclair State University with six years of experience working with kids of all ages. She has a passion for arts and crafts and loves working with children.

Lauren has been the Head of Early Learning since July 2019. Before that, she ran early childhood programs in New York City. Born in New York City and raised in Providence, R.I., Lauren identifies as both a New Yorker and a New Englander. When she is not working, Lauren is likely to be looking for antique typewriters to add to her collection, or spending time with her family.

David joined EMS in 2014. He has taught math to fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. He also coaches the co-ed soccer and girls lacrosse teams. Prior to joining EMS, he was a math teacher, department chair, and acting middle school head at Harford Day School in Bel Air, Md.; adjunct math and math methods instructor at Harford Community College; and alternative education teacher for Harford County Schools. When he is not at EMS, he is home to be at the beck and call of his dogs with his wife.

Lisa started at EMS in 2023, helping with Summer Explorations. Most recently, she worked at Dwight Morrow High School and has been substituting for the past 10 yrs at other schools in the county. She was a pediatric nurse at Englewood Hospital for more than 30 years. She has three grown sons and one grandchild. Her favorite activity is spending time with her family.

Samantha joined EMS in the fall of 2015. She is a Certified Apple Learning Coach, Google Certified Innovator, and a RaspberryPi Certified Educator. She has presented at international, national, and state conferences, and has written articles for magazines and contributed to books, newspaper articles, and TV shows. She is a globally-recognized educator for her work on digital storytelling and is known for multimedia creation, STEM/STEAM, makerspaces, 3D printing, and using technology to develop empathy. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling across the country.

Poon joined Morrow House in 2023. She has 23 years of both local and international teaching experience. Prior to teaching at EMS, Poon was a middle school math/science teacher and a Singapore Math specialist at Haddonfield Friends School in South Jersey, taught at Revo Academy in California, and was a homeroom teacher at an all-girls mission school for first grade through sixth grade in Singapore for 17 years. She enjoys hiking, visiting National Parks, traveling, and enjoying international cuisines with her husband and daughter, who is a student in Little School.

Stephanie joined the EMS community in 2014 teaching middle school science and working as the program coordinator for the EMS Summer String Festival. A marine and coastal geologist, Stephanie studied climate change, sea level rise, and storm impacts on coastlines before arriving at EMS. Stephanie coaches ski racing in the winter, and loves to row, read, play the violin, bake, travel, spend time with her family, and do ceramics in her free time.

Chelsey joined the EMS community in the fall of 2022 as a head teacher for the 2s program. Prior to teaching at EMS, Chelsey had many years of experience teaching and working with students in a variety of roles. Chelsey is energetic and loves to be silly. You can often find her singing, dancing, playing the ukulele, or roller skating.

Anna Osei is celebrating 10 years working as administrative assistant in different roles as a receptionist, admissions assistant, and, more recently, as a middle school assistant. She loves to spend her time as a volunteer on mentorship and community clubs. When she is not in school, she loves to decorate cakes and coordinate events.

Keila joined EMS in 2018. After 14 years in a corporate setting, she wanted to move to a completely different field where her work would make a bigger impact. When she isn’t at EMS she is spending time with her kids, reading, listening to music or watching horror movies.

​​Ashley has been working with children for six years. Although this is her first year teaching at EMS she has been a part of the EMS community working as a Summer Explorations counselor in 2019 and 2021. In her free time, she loves to read, bake, go on walks with her dog, Mimi, and spend time with her extremely large family.

Samantha joined the third-grade team at EMS in 2015. She loves working with children and has experience with first through fourth grades, including teaching in special education and gifted classrooms. Samantha enjoys spending time with her family and friends in her free time. During school breaks, she especially likes traveling, exploring new places, and trying new foods.

Giovanni is excited to be at The Elisabeth Morrow School. He spent the last 17 years teaching at the Calhoun School in New York City. He is passionate about civic engagement and preparing youngsters to think critically about the vital questions that face us as a community and a society. Giovanni, along with his wife, Melisa, are the proud parents of four children.

Alana is a bilingual Spanish-speaking psychologist and is excited to join the EMS community this year! Prior to EMS, she spent time working at an independent therapeutic school in New York City. She has experience working with children across a variety of settings, including hospitals, community clinics, and independent schools. Alana has training in a range of evidence-based therapeutic interventions and enjoys collaborating with teachers, students, and families to best support each child’s educational experience. In her free time, Alana enjoys spending time with her family, baking, and exploring the Berkshires.

Jackie has been at EMS since 1992. She first worked as an assistant first-grade teacher for two years and then moved to teach fifth grade. During the summer, she joins the Summer Explorations staff as a Kindergarten teacher. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching college football (Roll Tide!), exercising, and taking walks with her dog, Ellie.

Julia joined the Advancement team in August 2019, after a long career in the corporate sector, having worked at American Express and ALM: a media/publishing company. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling the world (she has visited Australia, England, Italy, France, Spain, and most of the Caribbean islands). She is looking forward to crossing off all the destinations on her bucket list. A native New Yorker, she and her husband moved to Bergen County 14 years ago.

Jim came to EMS in October 2014. Prior to that, he worked in environmental consulting, as well as both public and private school systems. He lives with his wife, Marion, and son, James, in the same town where they were all born and raised. Jim enjoys all things outdoors and is thankful to be on EMS’s beautiful campus throughout the year. When he is not working, he loves to be on the water fishing.

James joined EMS in the fall of 2021 as a technology support specialist. He had the opportunity to assist the organization in his high school and college years, working with both the facilities and technology groups. This year, he will remain in his role and continue to sharpen his skills with the help of his supervisor and colleagues. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with friends and family and occasionally building personal computers.

Claire joined EMS in the fall of 2014 as the Morrow House librarian. She is passionate about supporting in-depth, meaningful, and ethical research processes. She currently teaches Grade 5/6 Library class, 7/8 Latin, and assists various research projects and reading initiatives in the division. Supporting student-led clubs, coaching volleyball, and the PA’s Book Fair & Storytelling Festival are her annual highlights. In her spare time, she enjoys reading fantasy books with her cat nearby, camping with her husband, and spending time with her nieces.

Jessie is beginning his first year at EMS! Having spent the last five years teaching in Connecticut, he knows that no amount of charred, slightly burnt New Haven pizza will ever compare to a deliciously cheesy New York slice. He currently teaches Grade 5-6 STEAM and will lead an elective in robotics. He will also lead a robotics class for EMS’ after-school program. When he is not at EMS, he spends all of his time with his wife and 1-year-old daughter.

Theresa joined EMS in the spring of 2017 as a gardening teacher. Born and raised in Bergen County, she spent 30 years as a physical therapist and health care executive working in the federal sector. She transitioned careers, becoming a master gardener and horticultural therapist. She enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her family.

Christine joined the EMS community during the summer of 2022. She started at Summer Explorations and is now an associate teacher of 3- and 4-year-olds. She was a stay-at-home mom for 12 years. Prior to this time, Christine taught at a Special Education school in the South Bronx for nine years. She loves to go on new adventures with her husband, Paul, and their four children, Aidan, Amelia, Ariana, and Andrew. She enjoys traveling, music, sports, and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Before joining Morrow House in 2018, Nicole taught in several other independent schools, most recently the Town School in New York City. She and her family enjoy hitting the beach in the summer and skiing in the winter. Nicole is an avid reader and loves to travel. She lives in Glen Ridge with her husband and two daughters.

Julie joined the EMS community in 2020 and is a head teacher for the 3- and 4-year-olds. Prior to that, she was the director of a preschool program for 10 years. Julie, her husband, David, and their daughter, Margot, enjoy spending time together, cooking, working on jigsaw puzzles, and building Lego sets.

Jed has worked for 14 years in a number of independent day schools including Moses Brown, Riverdale Country School, Latin School of Chicago, and The Derryfield School. Before his teaching career, he spent too many years earning a Ph.D. in Philosophy. Jed enjoys watching his two children grow up. His favorite things to do are take his kids to The Bronx Zoo, travel, hike, and go swimming.

Rachel began teaching kindergarten at EMS in 2004. Before coming here, she taught at public, charter, and independent schools in St. Louis, Mo., Santa Fe, N.M., and The Bronx, N.Y., where she had students from 2 years through sixth grade. But her real joy is in Kindergarten. The magic that happens with our 5- and 6-year-olds never ceases to fill her with awe. When she is not teaching, she is reading, working on an artistic endeavor or home improvement project, or in pursuit of the perfect dessert.

Jackie has recently joined the EMS community in the summer of 2024! Before serving as an educational consultant for the past two years, she was the director of admissions and financial aid at the Speyer School. Prior to her role as director, she was the associate director of admissions and secondary school placement director. She also served as the secondary school placement director at The School of Columbia. Jackie enjoys the outdoors, studying weather patterns, and spending time with her children. She lives in New Jersey, where she co-parents three children.

Emily has been the Lower School music teacher since 2004. She is also the director of the third- and fourth-grade chorus, runs Chilton House’s weekly sing-along, and is the musical director of Kindergarten Circus, our Little School concerts, and the fourth-grade musical. During the summer, Emily is the early childhood coordinator for Summer Explorations. She is a proud EMS parent, with an eighth grader in Morrow House and an EMS alum in high school. She lives in Teaneck with Mr. Spaeth (aka “The Tie Dye Guy”) and her two dogs, Beaker and Dr. Henry Jones Jr.

Dorianne loves being a member of the humanities department at EMS. She has been teaching for almost 20 years in New York City area independent schools. She is truly passionate about working with middle school, both as a teacher and advisor. Dorianne also loves spending time with her family (husband, two daughters, and two cats). She enjoys cooking, reading, meandering around the city, and going to see live music.

Haley has spent time giving ESL classes to underprivileged children in Mexico, as well as working closely with students with disabilities. Growing up with two Spanish teachers for parents has truly inspired her and sparked a natural passion for learning and connecting with others. Outside of school, she has a big love for animals, food, music, and travel. You can often find her walking her three dogs, spending time with her husband, or enjoying various international cuisines.

Hong has been teaching for more than 20 years and joined the EMS community in 2006. She has worked in Chilton House teaching 4-year-olds and Kindergarten. She has also served as the Chilton House technologist for the past three years. She is excited to join Little School this upcoming year to teach computer science to Kindergarten through fourth grade. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys traveling and exploring new cities.

Briana joined EMS in 2020 as a second-grade associate teacher. Prior to that, she was a classroom assistant for five years, supporting Pre-K and Kindergarten students in the Englewood Public School District. In 2021, she taught special education to sixth- and seventh-grade students in the South Bronx, while taking graduate courses at The City College of New York. Briana enjoys getting to know her students and supporting them where they most need it. She spends her free time with her family and friends, reading, and trying new foods.

Prior to joining EMS in 2021, Dinka was a substitute teacher in Norwood for one year and then was hired as an instructional aid for two years. Dinka is an extremely dedicated and motivated teacher who is able to easily connect with her students. In her free time, she enjoys playing sports (badminton and cricket), spending time with family and friends, and traveling (she spent a month in India this summer).

Janis joined the EMS community in 1988, as did her children. She taught Kindergarten and first grade before moving to third grade. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially her three grandchildren. History and travel are her passions, which she combines as she travels the world during vacations.

Chris received a bachelor of science degree from the Beijing Institute of Technology and a master of science degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining the Admissions team at EMS in January 2022, she worked for three years at an educational consultant organization in New York with both local and international families. Chris loves the outdoors, mushroom hunting, heavy metal music, and volunteering at animal shelters.

Paige joined the EMS community in 2024. Previously, she taught in the public school system in New Jersey for the past seven years. Over the summer, Paige works with girls going into kindergarten at the day camp she went to growing up. When Paige is not teaching, she likes to enjoy quiet time with a good book, trying new restaurants with friends, and staying active at OrangeTheory!