Agassiz Baldwin Community » People

Emily Lapean, Preschool Teacher

psinclair — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:09:55 +0000

Emily Lapean graduated in 2010 from Lesley University with a bachelors degree in Child and Family Studies. Emily very much enjoys teaching, and many days feels like she learned just as much as the children did! Her favorite aspects of working in the preschool are creating art and science projects with the students and hearing their thoughts on various activities.

Elly Humphrey, Assistant Preschool Teacher

psinclair — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:01:20 +0000

Elly Humphrey is an assistant teacher in the preschool program and currently working toward her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Lesley University. She brings five years of experience working with preschool-aged children, and is certified by the Department of Early Education and Care. Elly is enthusiastic about expressive arts in the classroom and loves to sing, dance, make art, and explore with the children.

Ellen Kramer, LWN Volunteer

psinclair — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:42:12 +0000

Dr. Ellen Kramer volunteers with the Kindergarten Afterschool as part of Living Well Network’s Cooking With Kids program. Dr. Kramer wants the students to learn that making your own food is fun, yummy, and something every kid can do. While slicing, stirring, grating, sautéing, and tasting, Dr. Kramer and the students enjoy many opportunities to talk about where food comes from. They also make occasional outings to the nearby community garden to see foods growing. Dr. Kramer is a registered dietitian with over thirty years experience in the fields of nutrition and epidemiology, as a consultant, lecturer, and researcher.

Annette Needle, LWN Volunteer

psinclair — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:51:04 +0000

Annette Needle loves to cook and share her love of cooking and good food. A retired social worker and health care consultant, Annette spends her time with her three granddaughters, supporting her husband Peter’s financial planning practice, and traveling. Through cooking, Annette relaxes, creates, and takes care! Annette brings to Cooking With Kids lessons she has learned in cooking classes in France, Italy, Vietnam, and right here at home, along with her experimental and creative approach to creating simple, but good food. Annette loves how excited the kids become when a dish that the kids expected to be a disaster because of the ingredients turns out to be a true winner!

Matt Grzecki, Homework Specialist

psinclair — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:59:54 +0000

Matt Grzecki is excited to be the homework specialist at the afterschool. Monday through Thursday, he leads two sessions of homework help/study time. He graduated from Harvard in 2010, where he majored in English and was president of the Harvard Lampoon. He has interned at 826 Boston and Granta Magazine. In addition to his role at the afterschool, Matt works as a Boston-area tutor, specializing in English and Latin.

Peter Holland, Afterschool Taekwondo Specialist

psinclair — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:56:55 +0000

Peter Holland has been training at the Jae H. Kim Taekwondo Institute since 2003 and began teaching children’s classes there this past spring. Peter shares, “When I see a child learn a new technique, I feel a sense of accomplishment as if I myself have learned something new. It is this feeling that makes me want even more experience, more challenges. My current goal is to offer the highest level of instruction that I can, while also making the class time fun.” Peter was promoted to second-degree black belt in January 2011, (there are nine degrees total), and was named captain of the competition sparring team in August 2011.

Juan C. Lozada, Afterschool Spanish Specialist

psinclair — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:54:09 +0000

Juan C. Lozada moved from Colombia, South America to the United States eighteen years ago to embark on a new adventure. He has a degree in veterinary and animal science, and has worked with all kinds of animals. Currently he owns a technology business and teaches ESL for adults in a community schools program. He loves sports, art, music, and spending quality time with his two daughters and wife. He is passionate about teaching children and adults, not just Spanish but a culture close to his heart. Juan loves to spark creativity and imagination in others so they can live life freely and fully.

Kayla Harkness, Afterschool Dance Specialist

psinclair — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:51:36 +0000

Kayla Harkness began her dance training in Houston, TX. She has been dancing for twenty-four years, professionally for ten. Kayla studied Psychology Pre-Med at Georgia State University, focusing on dance medicine, and was accepted to further study with Linni Diehl, M.Ed., BC-DMT in Long Island, New York. A graduate of the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts, Kayla has worked on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and performed around the world with productions of A Chorus Line, 42nd Street, as well as appeared in national print ads and Tyler Perry films.

After five years as a dance instructor with the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education in Atlanta, GA, Kayla moved to Boston to work as a dancer for the Boston Celtics. In addition, Kayla joined Boston Ballet’s Citydance program and is enjoying working with 3rd grade classes in the Boston community She enjoys giving back and is eager to expand her knowledge of dance education, as well as discover innovative ways to make a difference in the community through the arts.

Mickey Pearlstein-Gluck, Kindergarten Afterschool Teacher

psinclair — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:49:24 +0000

Mickey Pearlstein-Gluck has worked with children of many different ages in a variety of settings. He holds a bachelor’s degree in human development from Cornell University and a master’s of education from U-Mass Boston. A creative person, Mickey plays music and writes plays in his spare time. Other passions of his include science and theater. He hopes to incorporate all of these interests as he continues to work with children.

Christie Villaume, 1st-2nd Grade Afterschool Teacher

psinclair — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:45:02 +0000

Originally from scenic, northern New Jersey, Christie Villaume holds a B.A. in Mandarin Chinese from Hamilton College and a M.S. in the Sociology of Education at Syracuse University. Her background includes teaching ESL in Beijing, performing in main stage musical theater with the Hamilton College Choir, and community organizing in Utica, NY. One of her most memorable experiences in Utica was serving as a founding board member of the Underground Café, a teen-run coffee shop and arts-based, after-school center.

After moving to the Boston area in August 2008, Christie substitute taught and worked as a special educator at the elementary level. Her passion for education and philosophy that schools play an intricate and vital role in any healthy community lead her to the Agassiz Baldwin Community. In her spare time, Christine is an outdoor enthusiast whose hobbies include wellness through nutrition, caring for pets and plants, reading and collecting books, cycling and spinning, hiking and camping, and cooking beautiful, wholesome cuisine.