Dina Hamaoui MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT (2s Lead Teacher) holds two baccalaureate degrees in the disciplines of English Literature and Film Studies from the University of California, Irvine, and a master's degree in Art Therapy and Creative Development from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. She is registered and board-certified by the American Art Therapy Association and licensed in the state of New York. Dina has worked with children for more than seven years in both educational and residential settings, including a therapeutic pre-school with 2- to 5-year olds, a residential facility for pre-adolescents with emotional and psychiatric disorders, and with K-5th graders in the New York public school system. She has worked extensively with children ages 5-21 with developmental disabilities ranging from autism to cerebral palsy, engaging them in therapeutic art making as well as twice exceptional learners. Dina has been with Blue School since 2006, joining the team as an assistant teacher in the 2s before moving into her role as the founding Studio Teacher for the School. From 2007-2011 Dina developed the Studio program, working with all the age levels as the School has grown. She is excited to be making the move back into the 2s classroom and bringing her knowledge and love of art and materials exploration to Blue School's youngest. Dina grew up in California and has lived in New York City for nine years.

Lindsay Harrison (2s Teacher, Admissions Assistant) received her BS Degree in Communication Studies from New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, and recently earned a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education from NYU's Steinhardt School, graduating with honors. During her graduate studies at NYU, Lindsay completed four student teaching assignments throughout NYC working with children as young as infants to those in the 1st grade within a variety of settings. Lindsay is making a career change to follow her passion for working with children and is excited to have the opportunity to inspire and guide young learners.  She is thrilled to be part of the creative and stimulating environment at Blue School where she will have responsibilities in the classroom and on the admissions team.

Tara Holmes (Associate 2s Teacher, Movement Teacher) has just relocated to New York City from the New England area. She recently received her M.Ed with a concentration in Integrated Arts from Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. She also holds a BA in Dance Performance Studies and Secondary Education from Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. Prior to joining Blue School, Tara worked with toddlers- Kindergarten-age children and was an Adjunct Dance Professor at Colby Sawyer College. Tara has choreographed for the Educational Theatre Collaborative and Kearsage Arts Theatre Company where she had the opportunity to work with a wide range of ages. She is thrilled to be a part of the Blue School community and looks forward to working with the children.

Katie Traynor, MPS, ATR (3s Teacher) is happy to be starting her fourth year with Blue School. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Studio Art at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Katie completed her Masters Degree in Creative Arts Therapies at Pratt Institute. While studying at Pratt, Katie earned her second year’s practicum hours here at Blue School as an art therapy intern. Katie has seen first hand how valuable a supportive, creative and imaginative learning environment are to a child’s social and emotional growth. Katie is thrilled to continue to work with the staff, families, and children of the Blue School.

Valerie Anderson Killen (3s Teacher) has been with Blue School since the beginning. The first fulltime teacher and administrator at the school, she served as the Associate Director of what was then called the Blue Man Creativity Center and helped the Founders create, develop and implement the school's founding principles, educational approach and organizational infrastructure. Subsequently, Val was also the first Associate Director of Admissions at Blue School, co-constructed and taught in the first 2s program, and was the first Music Specialist. Additionally, she taught in and helped build the first two Out of the Blue Summer Programs. A singer and songwriter, Val has recorded songs and voiceovers for Blue Man Group, and has been a lead singer in the Blue School All-Star Band. Valerie has been an early childhood teacher and administrator for over thirteen years. Prior to Blue School, she helped to launch Citibabes in Soho as their first Director of Children's Programming. Val was a Head Teacher and the Adult Programs Coordinator at the Diller-Quaile School of Music for seven years. She holds an AB cum laude in English and American Language and Literature from Harvard University, and is working towards a combined MA in General and Special Education at the Bank Street College of Education. Originally from Boston, Valerie has lived in NYC for over 17 years, and currently resides in Brooklyn with her husband, Stefan, and their son.

Ashley Lyon (3s Teacher) is thrilled to join the innovative learning community at Blue School. At Notre Dame Australia, Ashley completed a Bachelors of Marketing and Public Relations and a Masters of Teaching (Early Childhood). In her home city of Perth, Australia, Ashley taught at St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls. For the past year Ashley has worked in Reggio Emilia inspired school, Gan Yeladim Preschool in Stamford, Connecticut. Over the past five years Ashley has gained experience teaching three- and four-year-olds. Ashley is fortunate to hold dual American/Australian citizenship so she has thoroughly enjoyed experiencing American lifestyle since moving to the USA. In 2009 Ashley travelled to Reggio-Emilia, Italy to study the Reggio Emilia Approach. Ashley found the experience was extraordinary and it has strongly shaped how she teaches and continues to ignite her passion for teaching. Ashley values that children are natural inquirers and that it is her role to facilitate a warm and creative environment for children to wonder, ask questions, play and develop their inquiring minds. As a new resident to the Upper West Side, Ashley has loved exploring the streets of New York. Ashley enjoys interior design, creative textile projects, travelling and entertaining good friends in her spare time.

Lindsey Lienert (3s Teacher) is originally from Denver, CO. She has a BA in theater performance from Marymount Manhattan College, and a MA in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Early Childhood from The University of Colorado and The Boulder Journey School, where she extensively studied the Reggio Emilia approach to Early Childhood Education. From a family of musicians and educators, Lindsey has been teaching young children theater, art and yoga for the past ten years. For the past three years, Lindsey has taught two, three and four-year-olds at the Zabar Nursery School at the JCC in Manhattan. As an early childhood educator, she to strives to create a warm, fun and exciting classroom environment that encourages children to explore, ask questions and develop a life-long love of learning. Lindsey is also a certified yoga instructor and currently teaches Ahbyasa Yoga Center in Brooklyn. When she’s not teaching, Lindsey enjoys vegan cooking and baking, reading and crafting.

Mara Pauker (4s Teacher) is starting her fifth year at Blue School. She was a Co-Lead Teacher in both the 3s and 4s classes her first year at Blue School and has been a teacher with the 4s program each year since. Before coming to Blue School she attended the University of Vermont where she studied Early Childhood Education, Human Development and Family Studies. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree upon program completion. During her time in Vermont she completed two full-time student teaching experiences. For the first, she worked at the University of Vermont Campus Children's Center with three and four-year olds.  The second was with kindergartners at Georgia Elementary School in St. Albans, Vermont.  In addition she volunteered as a reading mentor at Edmunds Elementary School in Burlington, Vermont. She has worked at Temple Sinai as a camp counselor to three- and four-year-old children and at the Dalton School Summer Camp with four- and five-year- olds.

Elizabeth Abramson (4s Teacher) earned her BS in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Psychology and English from the University of Vermont. She completed two full-time teaching placements while completing her studies at UVM. Her first practicum consisted of working with infants at the Campus Children’s School in Burlington, Vermont, as well as teaching in a Kindergarten classroom at Essex Elementary School in Essex, Vermont. Additionally, she worked at the Campus Children’s School during the summer and volunteered at Essex Elementary School, concentrating her efforts in their kindergarten reading groups. Elizabeth enjoys being with her family in Virginia, spending time outdoors and riding horses. She is elated to join the Blue School community and surround herself with individuals that share her passion for open-ended learning and playful interactions.

Shelly Gargus (4s Teacher) is continually amazed and inspired by the the collaborative process between children and teachers. She has taught for the past five years at Beginnings, a Reggio inspired pre-school in New York City, where she developed a passion for an emergent, thoughtful approach to teaching. On the heels of a visit to Reggio Emilia, Italy where she was immersed in their approach to early childhood education, she is thrilled to be able to continue her practice at Blue School. Shelly is dedicated to life-long learning and has attended many conferences and workshops on topics ranging from occupational therapy to the design of educational documentation. Through her work at Beginnings, she had a mentoring relationship with the University of Vermont's Campus Children's Center over the course of several years, and in 2008 attended the University of British Columbia's Summer Institute for Early Childhood Education and Research. She is currently a student at the City College of New York, with plans to pursue a dual Master's Degree in Special Education and Social Work. She lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn and in her spare time cares for her two senior dogs, writes, reads, plays guitar and rides her bicycle.

Yeshnaya Dougherty (4s Teacher) is excited to be returning to Blue School for her second year as a Fours teacher. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, she has found great joy in becoming a member of the Blue School Community. She received her first B.A. from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Environmental Social Science and her second B.A. in Environmental Education from Lesley University. As a graduate student at Shady Hill School’s Teacher Training Course in Cambridge MA, she worked alongside mentor teachers in both progressive and public schools as a kindergarten, first and second grade teacher. Yeshnaya holds a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University and is passionate about working with young children. In particular, she enjoys exploring and learning from children’s day-to-day curiosities and interests.

Nancy Simko (Kindergarten Teacher) grew up in a family of teachers. After graduating from the
Pennsylvania State University with a BA in Speech Communications, she moved to New York City to experience the corporate worlds of advertising and graphic design. A brief move to Hawaii provided an opportunity to change direction, and an introduction to teaching young children.  Returning to New York, Nancy completed a Masters Degree in Education at Bank Street College of Education, and began an 13-year career in early childhood education. She has worked in several private schools and currently is thrilled to be continuing her career at Blue School.  In 2009, she was awarded the New York City Early Childhood Professional Development Excellence in Teaching Award.

Ngina Johnson (Kindergarten Teacher) graduated from New York University and is currently enrolled in a masters program at Leslie University. She is excited to be joining the Blue School faculty this year. She comes as a seasoned progressive educator having taught pre-kindergarten and kindergarten in New York City private schools for the last 9 years. She is also a certified chef, a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Culinary School of New York. Ngina loves cooking and believes strongly in sharing the importance of knowing where our food comes from and the benefits of seasonal healthy eating. Ngina is also a water lover and enjoys spending her time at the beach. She extends an open winter invitation to join her in Coney Island for weekly swims with her and the rest of the Coney Island Polar Bears.

Richard Jenkins (Kindergarten Teacher) received his BA from The New School University in Creative Writing and English Literature. Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Rich is an avid reader, writer, hiker and a passionate naturalist – his expeditions have taken him from the Appalachian Trail to the wilds of the Canadian Yukon. Rich joined Blue School in 2010 after teaching at Beginnings: A Toddler Program, a Reggio-inspired pre-school. He currently lives in Manhattan with his girlfriend Chelsey and cat Leo.

Molly DeGesero (Kindergarten Teacher) earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Sarah Lawrence College and completed her Master of Science in Early Childhood Education at Bank Street College. In 2009, Molly joined the Blue School team as a kindergarten teacher. She is passionate about sensory learning and finding multiple modes of expression in the classroom. Molly is native New Yorker and lives in Harlem with her dog Uno and husband Randy.

Kathleen Falvey (First Grade Teacher) earned her BA from Villanova University and her Ed.M from The Harvard Graduate School of Education with an emphasis on Arts in Education. At Harvard she had the privilege to study under Steven Seidel and The Making Learning Visible research project. There she focused on the values and insights derived from the documentation of student learning. Kathleen has been involved in the field of education for over 13 years in administrative, leadership and teaching roles. She has been a lead first grade teacher for 9 years. Kathleen is excited to begin her third year teaching first grade at Blue School.

Anne Hardingham (First Grade Teacher) grew up on a farm in a small town in Pennsylvania. She received her BA in Art with a minor in Education from Bucknell University and then moved to NYC in 2004 to work in the Education Department at the Brooklyn Museum. Anne continued her teaching career by earning her MA from Bank Street College of Education and New York State certifications in Early Childhood, Childhood and Special Education. Anne taught for several years both at P.S. 9 and P.S. 6 before joining Blue School. She believes that teaching first graders is the most exciting job on the planet, and she’s constantly inspired by the way that children discover the world around them. When not in the classroom, you’re likely to find Anne sketching in a park or running along the East River.

Shanon Greenfield (First Grade Teacher) is thrilled to return to the classroom after working at the NYU Child Study Center as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for the past three years for ParentCorps, a school and family intervention to help young children attending urban public schools succeed.  Prior to her clinical work, Shanon taught in the NYC school system for seven years. For six of those years, she was a looping K/1 teacher at PS 234, a progressive school in Tribeca, as well as a summer teacher to 2nd and 3rd graders in diverse communities.  Shanon received her BA in Education and Psychology from Manhattanville College and her MSW from NYU. Shanon considers Blue School to be an extraordinary environment and is looking forward to learning from and collaborating with the school community.

Rachel Weis (First Grade Teacher) has been teaching in kindergarten, first, and second grade classrooms at PS 6 on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for the past four years. During that time, she also completed her MA in Educational Theater at New York University. Her time at NYU culminated in a three-week summer program in London, where she taught in the British Elementary schools and attended master classes and workshops with leaders in the field of Drama in Education. Rachel earned her BA in English and Elementary Education at Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA). She has directed, choreographed, and interned on several theatrical productions, ranging from storybooks to Shakespeare, with students aged 4-17 years old. In her spare time, Rachel loves to write, read, watch and participate in theater of all kinds, and cook! She is thrilled to be joining the Blue School team, and cannot wait to share, learn, and collaborate with the families, students, and staff.

Dot Portella (Second Grade Teacher) is excited to enter her 2nd year at Blue School! Dot received her BFA from Marymount Manhattan College in acting, and after several years as a professional actress, fell in love with teaching. Dot later earned her MA from the Steinhart School of Education at NYU and taught middle school drama before becoming an elementary school teacher. When she is not teaching, Dot enjoys exploring the options on Netflix and trains Muay Thai at The Wat in downtown Manhattan. Dot enjoys bringing her sense of humor and love of dramatic activities to the classroom and community.

Randi Reinhold (Second Grade Teacher) is the oldest of 12 grandchildren and loves spending time with her family. Being around so many kids over the years inspired her to work towards two career goals: teaching and writing. She earned her BA in creative writing at The College of Staten Island in 2001, and is working to complete her Masters in Childhood Education at Hunter College. Over the past three years, Randi has taught first, second and third grade at The Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School. She enjoys drawing, writing short stories, poetry and song lyrics and hopes to become a children's book author and illustrator. Some of her other hobbies include singing, dancing and making people laugh. Randi is extremely enthusiastic about joining the Blue School Community.

Cynthia Bogdanovich (Third Grade Teacher) left her home in St. Louis, Missouri to come to New York and be an artist. After operating a design studio, she turned to more creative pursuits, teaching. She earned her Masters in Education from Bank Street College and has been an elementary teacher for more than ten years, teaching at The Ethical Culture Fieldston School, The School at Columbia University, and Staten Island Academy. Cynthia believes in an education that honors the spirit of the child. She is committed to creating a teaching model that nurtures independent thinkers and problem solvers that are fully equipped to navigate their way through a constantly changing world. When not teaching, she spends her time lap swimming, gardening, and creating in her studio in Pennsylvania.

Ana Younghusband (Third Grade Teacher) has just moved to New York from England and is having fun exploring and making New York her home. She has worked in education for fifteen years with experience in both State Schools and International Schools in England and Italy. She loves the challenge of getting to know each child, watching them as they grow and develop into well rounded individuals. She is looking forward to working in Blue School where she will encourage each child’s creativity and enthusiasm for learning. Ana is excited about joining the Blue School community and working in such a stimulating environment.

Shira Newmark (Floater Teacher) has a Bachelors degree in education and a Master of Arts in education with a specialization in special education.  She has worked as a Special Education Itinerant Teacher for such agencies as The Bank Street Family Center, The Stepping Stone Day School and Los Ninos Services, at places such as Beginnings Nursery School, Chelsea Day School, the Purple Balloon and West Side Montesorri.  Shira has also been the leading teacher for Varying Exceptionalities classrooms at the Herbert G. Birch School and Easter Seals.  Shira had an incredible summer working at Camp Zeno Mountain Farm, helping support adults with disabilities.  Shira enjoys writing her movie, creating music and free movement dancing in her spare time.

Lauren Monaco (Studio) While working toward her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Sculpture, Lauren discovered her interest in constructivist teaching at Kent State University’s Child Development Center. There she was introduced to the work of the infant toddler centers and preschools of Reggio Emilia, and a new passion was born. After graduation, Lauren held the position of Studio Teacher/ Atelierista for the World Bank Children’s Center in Washington, DC for 6 years. She is honored to be a contributing author to In the Spirit of the Studio, one of the first books dedicated to this unique role. Her desire to continue her professional development in the field of education led her to pursue a secondary degree. She completed her Master of Arts in Teaching from Kent State University in 2006. Since then, Lauren has worked as a kindergarten teacher, mentor teacher, and Adjunct Instructor at Kent State University. Some of Lauren’s passions and interests include playing ukulele, illustration, and book collecting. Lauren is currently illustrating a nutritional cookbook for young children. Lauren is delighted to join the Blue School community.

Courtney Kaiser (Music Specialist) studied classical voice, piano, and cello in high school at Interlochen Arts Academy, holds a Bachelors degree in World Vocal Music Perfomance from Indiana University, and a Masters degree in Elementary education. Courtney has also studied non-traditional vocal styles and instruments such as the Hindustani style of Indian Classical music, harmonium, Bulgarian singing, mbira, and southern African folk. She taught music for several years at the Brooklyn Heights Montessori school her focus being on integrating classroom studies with teaching music. Courtney has taught general music (ages 3 to 13), group piano and guitar, songwriting, and chorus. Courtney has a career as a professional singer and musician. She has had a solo career as well as plays in the duo Kaiser Cartel. She has lent her talents on tours and sound recordings for artists such as John Mellencamp, The Wallflowers, Sean Lennon, Petra Hayden, Yuka Honda, and Tracy Bonham.

Pamela Scherr (Dramatic Play Specialist) grew up in New Orleans where she studied the performing arts from an early age, dancing and acting in community theatre and school productions. She continued her studies at the University of Southern Mississippi where she received her BA in Theater Arts. After graduating, Pam moved to New York and furthered her involvement in the arts, working backstage at Blue Man Group and volunteering as a dance teacher at Groove With Me, a non-profit organization offering free dance classes to girls in Harlem. This inspired her to work with children in other creative and therapeutic ways. In 2006, she helped launch a puppetry and theater arts program at Blue School and has continued to work at the school ever since. Pam is a co-founder of WonderGround, an organization that teaches music to young children. She also works at Moomah, a creative arts center for kids, as a puppeteer. Pam is currently a graduate student in the Early Childhood Education Program at Hunter College.

Arabella Lopez (Spanish Language Specialist) is a native of the Dominican Republic.  She received her Bachelors Degree in Education with a specialization in Early Childhood from the Catholic University of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. In 2005, she began her career in education by teaching Spanish in the European Academy of Santo Domingo. Arabella is a passionate and dedicated teacher who loves the time in the classroom with her students and connecting Spanish language to a variety of disciplines.  She is excited to bring this approach to Blue School.