Peck Welcomes Faculty/Staff for 2021-2022

Faculty
A New Jersey native, Amy Cohen is returning to the Garden State after working for the last 20 years at the Country Day School in Costa Rica, where she worked with students in grades 2 through 12, as a homeroom teacher, as a middle school teacher, and most recently, in high school as the Learning Support Teacher and Coordinator. Amy earned a bachelor’s at Brown University and a Master of Education from Framingham State College.  Before beginning her career in education she worked as a paralegal and research assistant on the landmark Title IX legislation, earning a host of awards, including A Woman of the Year from Ms. Magazine, The 20 Most Influential Women in Sports from Women’s Sports and Fitness Magazine, and induction into the local Columbia High School Hall of Fame. Amy was also awarded Teacher of the Year at Morrell Park Elementary in Maryland.  Joining the Peck community as our Upper School Learning Specialist, we are so very excited about all that Amy will bring.

We are excited to welcome Maddison Davey as our new Grade 6 science teacher. She comes to us from Rutgers University, where she worked as a graduate research assistant in the department of biology. She holds a master’s degree in Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, as a dual bachelor’s in Kinesiology and Health, as well as Criminology. In addition to classroom experience, Maddison has worked with athletes of all ages through the Center for Health and Human Performance. We are excited to welcome her to the team.

Sebastian Guerrero joins Peck as our new Upper School Music Teacher. Sebastian has 23 years of music education experience, and, since 2015, he has served as the Director of Music at Hamilton Park Montessori. In addition to his teaching experience, Sebastian has played percussion for numerous Broadway shows and has performed on tour with numerous performers, including Cyndi Lauper and the Culture Club. Sebastian wowed all of us during the interview, and we’re excited for him to align the Upper School program with the foundations established in the Lower School.

Dawna Lopez Serrato comes to Peck with 16 years of teaching experience in grades K-5 with many of her years teaching in fourth and fifth grade. Most recently she worked at The Bank Street School in NYC, where she taught math and science to fifth-grade students. She has designed and implemented differentiated lessons using interest-based learning, student choice, and flexible grouping. She has a dynamic teaching style and a passion for achieving student success through creative instruction. We are delighted that she will be a part of the fourth grade team, and her expertise and training will benefit Peck in many ways.

We are excited to welcome Chantal Rivers as our new Upper School Spanish teacher. Chantal has spent the past nine years at Saddle River Day School where she began as their PreK-6 Spanish teacher and is now teaching middle and upper school Spanish. She comes to Peck with glowing references, great ideas for the Spanish classroom, high expectations for language learning, and a tangible excitement to join our community.

We are excited to welcome the following teachers to our Lower School Associate Program:

Camryn Bindra joins our kindergarten team as an associate teacher having most recently worked at Featherbed Lane School as a lead Pre-K teacher, where she implemented an age-appropriate and engaging curriculum that encouraged physical and social development. For multiple summers, she has acted as a counselor and Team Leader at summer camps in Maine and West Virginia. Her energy and enthusiasm will be a major asset, and we are excited to welcome her to the Peck team.

Janeen Burke joins the third-grade team as an associate teacher and brings a strong background in education, having earned a master’s in elementary education from Farleigh Dickenson University and a certification in special education from the College of St. Elizabeth. She has experience as an assistant and substitute teacher at Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child. As a mother of two young children, her background and experience is welcomed, and we are excited to welcome her to the Peck community.

Christine Goddard comes to Peck as a new second-grade associate teacher. With a master’s degree in Elementary and Special Education, and specific experience in kindergarten through grade 2, Christie’s enthusiasm and passion to work collaboratively in second grade will be an asset to the team. 

Gabriella Lopez joins our third-grade team as an associate teacher with a diverse background, having served in communications with CBS sports and at Walt Disney World as an intern before becoming a teacher’s assistant at the Lake Drive School for the deaf.  She has also worked as a long-term substitute teacher in grades K-4 for the Bridgewater Raritan School District. Among many talents, Gabby is creative and fluent in Spanish. Gabby is enthusiastic and excited to pursue a career in education, and we are thrilled to welcome her to Peck.

A recent graduate from the Mason Gross School of the Art at Rutgers University, Matt Sakasitz earned his master’s degree in music with an emphasis in Instrumental Conducting and Wind Band.  He has gained teaching experience in a variety of settings—as an Instrumental Music Teacher at the Academy for Urban Leadership Charter School, as a Brass Instructor at Princeton’s Bushwackers Drum and Bugle Corps, and as a Teaching Assistant in the elementary grades in Hunterdon County. We are thrilled to welcome Matt as both our part-time Instrumental Music Director and as a fourth-grade associate teacher. 

 
We are very excited to welcome Sam Vogel as a fourth-grade associate teacher. Sam comes to Peck with a passion for environmental studies and outdoor education. Some of his experiences include serving in the Peace Corps in Jamaica, leading educating groups of middle and high school students in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and working as a trip leader for Wilderness Ventures.
 

Administration and Staff:

Henry Bottigliere will serve as Peck’s Assistant Director of Facilities. Henry joins Peck with over 20 years of field experience in facilities management at both Madison School District and Livingston Township, both in New Jersey. In addition to years of experience working within schools, Henry has owned a general contracting & electrical contracting business working in the public and private sector for many years. Among his multiple licenses and certifications, he is a licensed electrician,  licensed certified facilities manager with the department of education and is currently awaiting his license for HVAC. He enjoys spending time with his family, martial arts, and watching old movies. A fun fact about Henry: he briefly studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in NYC. 

 

Sarah Quinn Clausen will serve as Peck’s next Director of Advancement. Sarah brings years of Advancement experience to the position and deep knowledge of Peck, independent schools, and the Northern New Jersey area. During the interview process, Sarah’s expertise and strategic thinking were evident as was her warmth, charisma, and excellent communication skills.  Prior to moving to independent schools, Sarah started her career as a Fundraising Manager at the United Way before serving as a Corporate Philanthropy Analyst at Lehman Brothers. In 2009, Sarah moved to Kent Place School where she served as the Associate Director of Annual Giving and Special Events, a position she held until 2016.  After three years as Chatham Day School’s Director of Advancement, Sarah has spent the past two years as Gill St. Bernard’s School Associate Director of Advancement. Through her experience in a wide variety of organizations, she has obtained a strong grasp on all aspects of institutional advancement, from annual funds, to major giving, to planned giving, to capital campaigns, to alumni engagement, to event planning, and to parent support. Sarah was born and raised in Morristown, and she currently lives in Mendham with her husband and two children. 

Having recently graduated from Montclair State University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, Brielle Runyon will join the Strategic Communications & Marketing Department as Digital Marketing Associate. Brielle studied consumer behavior and non-profit marketing operations specifically, and brings great energy and enthusiasm to the role. She’s also an avid reader and lifelong learner.

In addition to the new faculty and staff joining our team, here are a few other changes for the year ahead:

In addition to helping support the woodworking program as well as the Upper School, Christina Dietz will run our Afterschool, PEP, and summer program offerings. We are excited about the energy and creativity she will bring to each.

After 16 years leading our US Spanish program, Molly Donnelly will be moving to the Sports Department and will serve as a PE Teacher and Coach. 

Shannon Roth joined Peck this past year as a fourth-grade associate teacher in 4A. Shannon will be moving to the Upper School for the 2021-22 school year and will serve as a fifth-grade science teacher.

We are excited to announce that Kathy Kennedy, our Lower School science teacher, has been named the K-8 Science Department Chair; similarly, Adriana Sykora, our Lower School Spanish teacher, has been named the K-8 Global Language Department Chair. 

Following the departure of Jenny Hogan (who accepted a new position considerably nearer to her family in the Mahwah school district), Upper School Math Teacher Jess Angelo will become Peck's new K-8 Math Department Chair. As the math department transitions, Ms. Hogan will continue to provide support in the Lower School by assisting teachers with planning and pedagogy.