The Maple Street School

Staff

Dorcas Acevedo, Assistant Teacher – 2’s:
	Dory began as an intern from Kingsborough College in 2005. She has an AAS in Early Childhood and is working toward her BA in Psychology and Education at Touro College.

Nelcia Cadoo, Teacher – 3’s:
Nelcia began working part-time in the 2’s class six years ago. She is working toward a CDA from Bank Street. Nelcia says she loves and enjoys every minute of her day.

Wendy Cole, Director:

Wendy has a diverse background working with children and families in the fields of social work and education for over a decade. She joined the Maple Street School staff in April 2000. Wendy taught at the Maple Street School for several years before moving into a full time director position. She has a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota and is working towards a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership at Bank Street College. She continues to serve on the Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center advisory board.

Barbara Culbreath, Teacher - 3’s:

Barbara has been a teacher at MSS for over two decades. Her comfortable, patient and affectionate manner have calmed and welcomed generations of very young children to their first school experience, and the world is a better place for it.
Barbara grew up in Westbury, Long Island, “a country girl” in a family of storytellers. She attended Lehman College in the Bronx for a while, but it is her real life experience and instincts as a parent that have given her the wisdom and sense of humor that are both essential in teaching.

Michelle DeFosset, Business Manager:
	Michelle has been Maple Street’s Business Manager for two years. She graduated with a BA from Vassar College and holds a MBA from Columbia Business School.

Ann Marie Elley, Teacher - 2’s:
Ann Marie, mother of two grown children is proud that they are doing the things that they enjoy. I feels extremely blessed to be a teacher at MSS since 1999 and would never change anything regarding her profession. She loves and enjoys working, nurturing and caring for the children. They all inspire her daily.

Vernessa Felix, Teacher – 3’s:
	With a BA in Early Childhood Education from the College of Staten Island, Vernessa came to Maple Street in 2005. She has found her calling and is pursuing a joint MA/MSW at Bank Street and Columbia.

Peggy Francois, Teacher – 4’s:
Peggy began working at MSS while in high school seven years ago. She is now getting her BA in Education and Behavioral Science at Mercy College. She loves the closeness and the family feeling she gets at Maple Street.

Cecile Kidd, Administrative Assistant:

As the smiling face of Maple Street and the keeper of the gate, Cecile is not a typical administrative assistant. She handles the noise and lack of privacy with remarkable grace, and goes above and beyond the call of duty on a regular basis. She has bought lunches for kids whose parents forgot or didn’t have time to make them. She has run down to the corner to take kids to their parents so they wouldn’t get a ticket when they were unable to find parking. She has rocked children in her arms to comfort them when they have separation anxiety and held the hands of their parents, reassuring them that shortly after they leave the crying stops and everything turns out okay. It is difficult to imagine Maple Street ever existed without her.

Helen Kim, Teacher – 4’s:
Helen has a BS in Early Childhood Education and an MA in Literacy Education from NYU. She taught 4th grade, then decided she wanted to be part of those first years of learning. She says children have a real sense of wonder that is contagious.

Kimberly Morales, Teacher – 2’s:
	Kimberly began as a Kingsborough Community College intern in the 2’s room. She calls Barbara Culbreath one of her mentors in teaching music and art, and she continues to gain confidence as a teacher.

Kathrynn (KD) Diallo- Director, Maple Street Afterschool:
KD came to MSS as a parent of an “afterschooler”. This is her 2nd year as director of MSAfterschool. She has worked as a specialist for Maple Street’s Summer camps creating Global Dance Camp (’06) & Tap Camp (’08). She has also been an assistant in the 2’s class (’06-’07). She is proud to have had the afterschool program been quoted as “The funkiest pre-school on earth!”..

Habby Jacques, Assistant Teacher -3’s:
	Habby started as an afterschool assistant in 2003, at the age of 15. He came recommended by his cousin Peggy Francois. Habby’s sense of calm and patience are like the eye of the storm in the classroom, and the kids love him for it.

Marissa Walin, Assistant Teacher – 2’s, 3’s, 4’s:
	Marrissa is a Theater Major at NYU. This is her 2nd year at MSS. This year she been assisting teachers with assessing children through a United Way Grant. She brings to Maple Street her love of imagination.

Jeremy Zmuda, Music Teacher:
Jeremy has a degree in Music Education from the Berklee School of Music and has been teaching children since 1998. At MSS since 2005, he loves that children are eager to learn, have no inhibitions and will try anything.

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Staff