Administration and Faculty
Administration
Dr. Richard Marotta, Headmaster (1991)
B.A. English, Fordham University; M.A. English, CUNY Hunter College; Ph.D. English, CUNY Graduate Center. Adjunct Professor at CUNY Queens College. New York State Association of Independent Schools Board of Directors.
Joan Zinner, Upper Division Head (1991)
B.A. English/Early Childhood Education, Finch College. Past President of NYSACAC, Delegate to NACAC Assembly, NACAC Fund Development Board, and recipient of the College Board’s Bernard P. Ireland Award (2006).
William Vogel, Lower Division Head (1977)
B.A. Mathematics/Secondary Education; M.S. Elementary Education; P.D. Educational Administration and Supervision; doctoral coursework in Administration, St. John’s University.
Mary Maisano, Director of Finance (1992)
B.A. Business Administration, CUNY Hunter College.
Lisa Sohmer, Director of College Counseling (1996)
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.
Mary Petruso, Administrative Assistant (2004)
B.A. Italian, CUNY Queens College; M.B.A. Finance, Fordham University.
Faculty
Kristen Ahlfeld, Kindergarten (1995)
B.S. Elementary Education, SUNY New Paltz; M.S. Special Education, CUNY Queens College.
Sonia Ambarsom, Mathematics and Computer Science (2001)
B.S. Computer Science, New York University; pursuing M.A. in Education of Mathematics, CUNY Queens College.
Lucila Astelarra, Spanish (2007)
M.A. Modern Foreign Literature, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; M.A. Latin-American Literature, Sorbonne, France.
Carmela Augello-Knopf, Pre-Kindergarten (1998)
A.A. Education, CUNY Queensborough Community College; B.A. Liberal Arts, CUNY City College; M.S. General and Special Education (Birth to Second Grade), Touro College.
Annastasia Berezowsky, Science (2007)
B.S. Biology with Chemistry minor, New York University.
Diana Bryant-Friedman, English Language Academy (1999)
B.A. Romance Languages, University of Virginia; M.A. French, Hunter College; M.A. Comparative Literature, New York University; completed doctoral work in French and Comparative Literature (NYU). Winner of 4 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowships for seminars and one NEH Fellowship for Independent Study in the Humanities. Grader for NEH fellowships and New York State Teacher Certification Examinations. Adjunct professor at Farmingdale State University.
Kevin Burgoyne, Language Arts and Social Studies (2006)
B.A. English/Secondary Education, CUNY Queens College; pursuing M.A. English Literature, CUNY Queens College.
Katie Butler, Music (2007)
B.A. Music Theater, Viterbo University; M.A. Music Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.
Mun Chung, Mathematics (2002)
B.A. Mathematics/Secondary Education, Manhattanville College; completed course program in Learning Dis/Abilities at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Marcia Elkind, English and History (1982)
B.A. and M.A., CUNY City College. Winner of a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowship for study of the works of Herman Melville.
Jessica Flanagan, After-school Coordinator (2007)
California Institute for the Arts, dance major; pre-school teacher at Forest Hills Presbyterian Day School (2003–2004); assisted in development of after-school program at P.S. 196 in Forest Hills (2005–2006). Founder, lead singer, and bassist of El Jezel (latest CD winter 2008).
Lucian Gherghi, Mathematics (1996)
B.S Mathematics, University of Iasi, Romania; M.S. Pure Mathematics, CUNY Queens College. Adjunct Lecturer at CUNY Queens College.
Gabriel Gomis, French (2005)
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.
Richard Grusky, Chair of History and Social Sciences Department (1969)
B.A. Catholic University of America, Washington, DC; M.A. European History, Manhattan College; further graduate studies at New School for Social Research.
John Hale, Science (1997)
B.S. Environmental Biology, Ohio University; graduate studies in Secondary Education, CUNY Queens College.
Nilla Ingravallo, Language Arts and Social Studies (2003)
B.A. History, Early Childhood and Elementary Education, CUNY Queens College; M.S. Literacy Education, Adelphi University. Adjunct Professor of Literacy Education at Adelphi University.
Jennifer Kinahan, Grade Three (2007)
B.A. Psychology and Elementary Education, Sacred Heart University; M.A. Curriculum and Instruction, Fairfield University.
Leslie Kohen, Physical Education (2007)
B.S. University of Massachusetts at Amherst; M.A. Teacher’s College, Columbia University; pursuing graduate courses in Physical Education, CUNY Queens College. Professional tennis instructor (2004).
Rich Kruczek, History and English (2002)
B.S. Finance, Boston College; M.A. American History, Fordham University.
Robert Kruper, Science (2007)
B.S. Physics, SUNY Stonybrook.
Dorothy Lokko, Registered Nurse (2005)
A.S. Nursing, CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College; currently enrolled in B.S./M.A. Nurse Practitioner Program, CUNY Hunter College. Certified in Basic Cardiac Life Support and Advance Life Support.
Sarah Macy Heinemann, Grade Two (2007)
B.A. American Literature, SUNY Purchase College.
Marissa Marchisella, Nursery (2003)
B.A. English, Dominican College; pursuing M.S. Early Childhood Education, CUNY Brooklyn College.
Nancy Massand, English and Dean of Grades 7–8 (1985)
B.A. English, Gordon College; M.S. Secondary Education/English, CUNY Queens College. Head of Short Story Workshop in the Garden School Writing Project. Winner of 3 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowships/Seminars.
Agustin Melara, Chair of Foreign Language Department (2000)
B.A. Spanish and French; M.A. French, CUNY Queens College. Adjunct Lecturer, CUNY Queens College (1996–2006).
James Pigman, Chair of English Department (1974)
B.A. English, University of Colorado; M.A. English Literature, New York University. Winner of 5 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Fellowships for seminars in the Renaissance, Women Writers of the Renaissance, Thucydides’ History, the Transcendentalists, and the Great Famine of Ireland. Director of the Garden School Writing Project.
Tiina Prio, Chair of Fine Arts Department (1995)
B.A. Fine Art of Graphic Design, The School of Visual Arts; M.S. Education, CUNY Queens College.
Jacquelyn Renner, Grade One (2001)
B.A. History/Secondary Education, Hofstra University; graduate courses in elementary education.
Eileen Reyes, Pre-Kindergarten (1986)
B.A. Early Childhood Education, CUNY Queens College; M.S. Multilingual, Multicultural Education, College of New Rochelle.
Stephanie Sarran, Librarian and Reading Specialist (2007)
B.S. Elementary Education and History, SUNY New Paltz.
Marlene Schultz-Dapice, Chair of Science Department (1989)
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.
Robert Shaw, Physical Education (2006)
B.S. in Education from SUNY Cortland.
Sarah Smith, History (1999)
B.A. History/Secondary Education, Towson University; pursuing M.A. History, CUNY Queens College.
Stylliani Stenos, Language Arts and Social Studies (1998)
B.A. History, M.A. American History, Fordham University; P.D. Educational Administration and Supervision, St. John’s University.
Bernadette Stiga, Kindergarten Assistant Teacher (1998)
Early Childhood Child Care Certificate, CUNY Queens College.
Ging Vann, Athletic Director (2004)
B.S. Physical and Health Education, SUNY Empire State College. Vice President of the Independent Schools Athletic League (ISAL).
Lilly Volpe, Nursery Assistant Teacher (2004)
LaGuardia College Business Program.
Yuping Yu, Mandarin Chinese (2007)
Changshu College, China; Undergraduate, English Education, Jiangsu Educational Institute, China.
Joan Weiss, Chair of Mathematics Department and Dean of Grades 9–12 (1983)
B.S. Mathematics, CUNY City College; M.S. Mathematics, Rutgers University; doctoral coursework completed at New York University. Member of Phi Beta Kappa.