Our People

Our team of talented professionals brings passion, commitment, and enthusiasm to Manitou.

Maria Stein-Marrison is the Director and a Managing Partner of the Manitou School. She previously ran the Manitou Learning Center, a bilingual preschool program in Garrison, NY.  She has been the Director of the Manitou School since it began in 2014.  Formerly, she was a management consultant with over fifteen years of experience in strategy, process, and change management. She has worked with organizations in the US, Europe, Asia, and Central America. Most recently, she had been consulting to an elite K-12 private school in Panama City, Panama on their overall strategy, organizational structure, and curriculum effectiveness.  Additionally, for the last ten years Ms. Stein-Marrison has been developing and teaching a curriculum of language learning for Spanish instruction. Her bespoke approach uses music, movement, arts and crafts, and games to teach basic vocabulary and grammatical structure, as well as develop speaking and early literacy skills.  She serves on the board of the Boscobel House and Gardens, as well as being a founding Board member of the Philipstown Hub, and most recently, a founding Board member of Bhutan Mindfulness.  She holds a B.S. from the Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania, where she graduated magna cum laude. She lives in Garrison with her husband and two children, who are happy alumni of the Manitou School.

Rajay Bagaria is a Managing Partner of the Manitou School.  Mr. Bagaria has worked at several Wall Street firms including Goldman Sachs and Apollo Investment Management, where he spent eight years most recently as a Partner and Investment Committee member. In 2013, with backing from a prominent family office, Rajay established the credit hedge fund Wasserstein Debt Opportunities, which he manages as the fund’s President and Chief Investment Officer.  Mr. Bagaria received a BA from New York University with studies at the London School of Economics. Mr. Bagaria is passionate about education and about contributing to his community. He currently sits on the board of the Masters School, as well as being the founder of the non-profit Bhutan Mindfulness. He lives in Garrison with his wife Dr. Rajni Singh, and their two children Arjun (Manitou Class of 2020) and Amalie, a happy student of the Manitou School.

Daniela Benitez is excited to teach Spanish and the Learning Seminar class this year. She is a seasoned educator with eighteen years of experience in a wide range of educational roles. A native of Quito, Ecuador, she brings a global lens to her teaching practice. Daniela holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Alma College and a Master’s degree in Urban and Multicultural Education from the College of Mount Saint Vincent. Her career encompasses both collegiate and K-12 settings, with a primary focus on fostering the academic and social-emotional growth of students. Prior to joining our school, Daniela served as a Learning Specialist and Elementary School Counselor at Colegio Americano de Quito, where she honed her expertise in student development and support within a bilingual education setting. She served as a district translator for the Croton Harmon Public Schools highlighting her commitment to building strong school-home partnerships. Additionally, she worked in grades 2-5 in the Peekskill City School District’s bilingual program. Daniela strives to create learning environments where respect, curiosity, and creativity thrive.

Jodie Brenner is thrilled to join the Manitou School community as a Learning Support Specialist. She comes with 12 years of extensive experience teaching Kindergarten through 7th grade in NYC and Westchester. In that time, she was called upon to design curriculum, develop new grades, and mentor other teachers. Her passion has always been co-creating classroom communities with an emphasis on social-emotional learning. By developing meaningful and personal relationships with each student, she fosters an environment where each individual feels valued. Jodie lives in Beacon with her wife, Kelly, and 2 sons, Noah and Drew. She has most recently been home raising her kids, and is excited to re-enter the educational field at Manitou. In her free time, she enjoys singing, camping, and crafting.

Alexandra (Allie) Abetti is delighted to be teaching on the lower elementary team this year. Over the past thirteen years, Allie has been able to teach a variety of topics and ages in a number of locations. Allie spent four years in Washington, D.C., primarily teaching Physical Education and Health to Pre-K through 8th graders with Center City Public Charter Schools. After spending nearly a year in Cairo, Egypt, where she volunteered as Program Coordinator and Camp Director for character-building sports camps through WellSpring Egypt, Allie returned to New York City where she taught 2nd Grade for Democracy Prep and then transitioned to Brooklyn Prospect Charter Schools where she taught 2nd and 3rd grade. After moving with her husband and son to the Hudson Valley, Allie continued to work for Brooklyn Prospect as their K-5 ELA Curriculum Specialist as well as work as an Adjunct Writing Instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. While she enjoyed teaching at the college level, Allie was eager to return to the elementary classroom and thrilled to join the Manitou Team last year. In her free time, Allie enjoys reading, writing, theatre, film, hiking, breaking a sweat, laughing with friends, and jumping into any body of water she can dip her feet in. She lives in Beacon with her husband, Jonathan, her sons Arlo and Jonas, and her pets – Burrito the Cat and Fiona the Dog.

Conor Austin is the Co-Teacher in the Chickadees Stepping Stones.  He is a graduate of Juniata College with a B.S. in PreK-4 and Early Childhood Education. He has experience working with children of many ages, as well as teaching in many different Pre-K and elementary classroom settings. He ran an after-school program through his college for two years, and is delighted to be part of the after-school team at Manitou. Conor has taught abroad as well, including spending a semester in India, where he did field work at a matriculation school. He recently returned from six months in the Dominican Republic, where he taught English to young children and their teachers in an impoverished community in the rural outskirts of Santo Domingo, where his Spanish improved radically. He is a Cold Spring native and graduate of Haldane School. He plays guitar and writes songs, and likes to bird-watch, having worked for a summer at Constitution Marsh Audubon Sanctuary. He is thrilled to running Manitou’s very popular Dungeons and Dragons club!

Yrma Avellaneda is our Stepping Stones Spanish Teacher, as well as teaching Spanish in other grades. For the past 12 years, Yrma was the assistant Director at Stacey’s House, a local preschool in Garrison.  Yrma is originally from Lima, Peru, where she studied at the Universidad Ricardo Palma.  She is delighted to be pursuing her true passion here in the United States, to teach wonderful children Spanish!

Olaya Barr is our Middle School ELA teacher. Olaya is a bilingual teacher, photographer, and writer living in New York. She was awarded the De Alba Fellowship for excellence in fiction writing as an MFA student at Columbia University, as well as a grant to attend artist residency Obracadobra in Oaxaca, Mexico. She has been lucky enough to live in Spain, Argentina, and Mexico. As an educator, her interests are centered on immigrant communities, bilingual speakers, and those affected by autism. She writes about food, biculturalism and the multifarious identities that fall within hispanic culture, and she loves to photograph cities, food, and street litter.

Tom Butler is one of our Drama teachers at Manitou. Before moving to the Hudson Valley, Tom was based in New York City working as a freelance actor, theater director, and drama teacher. Tom received his BA in Theatre Arts from Brown University and an MFA in Fine Arts from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program. He also has an MA in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. Tom is the proud parent of Manitou middle schooler Brooks Maguire. In his spare time, he enjoys creative writing, hiking, and all things history. 

Liza Chambers serves on our Administration Team as head of Finance and HR.  She brings decades of management expertise to her role at Manitou. Most recently, Liza was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Soliya, a  non-profit organization that works to transform communities, pairing the power of technology and the science of dialogue to activate meaningful change.  Liza was named one of the world’s “Best Emerging Social Entrepreneurs” by the Echoing Green Foundation for her work with Soliya. She led Soliya through many phases, from an impoverished start-up to an established and stable organization with offices in the US, the Middle East and Europe, and she is loving being part of the fabulous Manitou Administrative Team as Manitou approaches its 10th year!  Prior to her work with Soliya she managed and led conflict resolution dialogue and education programs for youth and adults from the US, the Middle East, South Africa, Cyprus and the former Yugoslavia.  She holds a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University, and a BA from Brown University.  She is also the parent of two happy Manitou students, Sammy and Lily, and loves reading, swimming and hiking. 

Kim Chase is our Bridge Class teacher. She has over 15 years experience teaching in a variety of settings from independent schools to institutions like the Bronx Zoo and the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. She received her Masters in environmental science education from Antioch New England Graduate School after majoring in studio art at Colorado College. Also a musician, Kim formed a band with her husband while living in Brooklyn, New York, recording albums and touring the North East. Kim started at Manitou teaching after school programs in art and wilderness survival skills.  Kim is very excited to be teaching the Bridge Class this year, sharing her love of nature, science, music and art with her students.

Erica Costalonga is a Spanish Teacher at the Manitou School, across the Elementary and Middle School grades.  Erica was born in Argentina, where she obtained her Bachelor’s in Pedagogy.  Later, she moved to New York, where she attended CUNY. She received an Associate degree in Science, becoming a radiology technologist.  Erica attended Pace University for another two years while working at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan.  As a health care professional, she provided her patients with her best professional and emotional support. She also provided services as a Spanish-language interpreter. Fifteen years ago, she moved to Beacon, NY, and had a daughter.  Having a child brought back her old passion for working with children. She became a volunteer for Wee Play in Beacon, organizing activities for children, and is delighted to be working at Manitou for ten years now! Erica is passionate about her work with children, their curiosity, and their enormous capability for learning new things. She believes play and fun are essential components in a successful learning process. She lives in Beacon with her daughter, cat, dog, ferret, guinea pig, and Mr. Fish.

Scherrie Williams Donaldson is thrilled to be part of the Manitou team as a Special Education Teacher and Diversity and Inclusion specialist. She recently moved to the Hudson Valley from Brooklyn, where she worked for the past 15 years doing a combination of inclusion classroom teaching, curriculum development, student assessment, and DEI work. Scherrie is a member of the CUNY-IIE (Initiative on Immigration & Education) School Leadership Team and holds certificates in Trauma Responsive Educational Practices and Implicit Bias Awareness.  Additionally, she was a New York City Teaching Fellow, where she earned her Special Education certification.  She earned a Masters of Science in Education from Pace University and has a BA in Africana and Caribbean Studies from CUNY Medgar Evers College.  She is an avid crafter and yoga and mindfulness practitioner.  Scherrie lives in the Hudson Valley with her spouse and three children, two of whom are happy Manitou Students.

Esther Espinosa is our head Spanish teacher and director of Spanish Curriculum at Manitou. Together with Ms. Stein-Marrison, she is responsible for developing and teaching the Spanish curriculum throughout all grades.   Prior to working at Manitou, Ms. Espinosa was the Director of Academics and Curriculum Development for Elementary at “La Paz,” a private school in Mexico, where she also taught preschool and Elementary.  She holds a BS in Pedagogy from the Universidad Pedagogica Nacional of Mexico.

alexander florez is a bilingual educator and will be supporting the middle school students and teaching mathematics. He has a Bachelor in Mathematics and a Masters in Literacy Education and has taught and tutored in private and public schools for 10+ years. In the last decade, alexander has developed and implemented interdisciplinary curricula for middle and high school math and literacy, social-justice related statistics, empathy through theatre, improvisational story-telling, play-based self-care, stand-up comedy, and mediation through mindfulness. He exemplifies life-long learning through his hobbies and projects including, but not limited to: comedy theatre, radical activism, board games and RPGs, podcasting, live-streaming video games, ultimate frisbee, running, and being a dad of two delightful and devious cats. Feel free to ask alexander about his passions!

Terese Giammarco is a Teaching Assistant and part of our Admin Team at Manitou.  Terese has decades of teaching and administration experience.  She was a co-founder of The Garden Road, a progressive, independent school that operated for 10 years in Westchester.  She is also the Theater Director for Music For Life Creative Arts Therapy, where she works with children and adults of varying skills and abilities using theater and music as a way to help people build skills, improve their lives and form meaningful relationships.  She is passionate about connecting with and supporting people and children by meeting them where they are, always with a smile!

Elizabeth Greenblatt is our Life Skills teacher for fourth graders and up. Elizabeth has been teaching about health and sexuality for over 25 years. Elizabeth believes in creating safe and comfortable spaces for young people where they can fully share themselves and facilitate critical conversations about issues in their lives. She found her passion at 14 years old, when she helped to organize fellow Hudson Valley students to expand their school’s sex education curriculum beyond abstinence-only. After graduating with a specialized major in Human Sexuality from Ithaca College, Elizabeth continued working as a community health educator and education manager at Planned Parenthood in northern California for 12 years, earning her MPH from San Francisco State. Elizabeth provides ongoing classroom education, workshops, professional development, program and curriculum development, and other health and sexuality services through Sex Savvy Hudson Valley. Outside of her work as an educator, Elizabeth is a singer and has performed with various bands, at weddings, in Annie Bacon’s Folk Opera, and is currently a member of the Beacon Rising Choir. Elizabeth lives in Beacon with her husband Karl, children Louise and Howie, and two cats Rhubarb and Pebble. 

Lisa Hall is excited to be leading Student Mentoring, Inquiry & Research in our Middle School. Lisa started her teaching career here in the Hudson Valley over ten years ago. While earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education from SUNY New Paltz, Lisa worked in the food and farm industries. She taught in various public school settings before moving to NYC to become part of the foundational team at Academy for Young Writers, a small public high school in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. It was at AFYW where Lisa developed her love for writing curriculum. According to Lisa, each classroom community should develop its own curriculum reflecting the heritage, interests, ideas and learning styles of every member. As a teacher of history, Lisa focused her attention on literacy and understanding content through Habits of Mind. In 2013, just three days before her son Nico was born, she received her Masters degree in Adolescent Literacy from Hunter College. She recently participated as a fellow of The Good Work Institute, a fellowship of community leaders committed to thinking differently about how to do business and make connections in the Hudson Valley. She has been an integral part of the Manitou Middle School team for the past 5 years. This year she joins us in a part time position as she continues to run Marbled Meat Shop, her family business, with her husband Chris and son Nico, who is a happy Manitou Student.

Jessica Kimelman is excited to join the Manitou School as the part-time Library Media Specialist. Jessica has worked in education for almost 20 years. She fell in love with teaching in college, where she received a Hewlett Foundation grant to teach 10th grade math in Lesotho, a small country in southern Africa. After graduating from Grinnell College with a BA in History, Jessica worked as a technology coach in several NYC Archdiocesan and charter schools for 5 years, developing tech-based lessons and projects in K-8th grade, training teachers to use educational websites and software to support the core curriculum, and teaching students in grades K-8. Jessica then worked as a product manager for several leading educational software companies, including Amplify and Scholastic, designing a variety of software products for reading and math. Realizing that she missed the classroom, she decided to combine her technology background with her love of teaching, reading, and organizing to become a Library Media Specialist. Jessica has a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from Fordham University and a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the Palmer School at LIU, and holds a NYS Library Media Specialist Teaching Certificate for grades K-12. Jessica lives in Garrison, NY with her husband, Tommy and daughter, Isla, who is a happy Manitou student.

 

Andrea Latvis is excited to re-join the Manitou team this year as a Social and Emotional Learning Specialist. Andrea is a Licensed Creative Art Therapist with 5 years of experience in the field. She earned a Masters of Science in Art Therapy and Counseling from College of Mount Saint Vincent (formerly College of New Rochelle) and has a BA in Fine Arts from Amherst College.  Andrea is humanistic, relational and strength-based in her approach and utilizes a blend of polyvagal theory, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. Her therapeutic specialties include teens and adults, parenting and family dynamics, and chronic pain treatment. Prior to becoming a therapist, she was a beloved Art Teacher here at Manitou! She loves cooking, tinkering with interior design, and being creative everywhere she can.  Andrea lives in Cold Spring with her two children.

Clarissa Lega is the Spanish teacher in the Bridge Class, as well as running the Nap Room for Stepping Stones. Ms. Lega is thrilled to bring her passion for art, creativity, and performance into teaching Spanish in the Bridge Class.

Erin Mahollitz teaches in the lower elementary at Manitou. Erin is an international environmental educator specializing in hands-on, inquiry-based, child-centered teaching. Originally from Washington State, Erin has a Masters in Teaching from Seattle University. She began her career teaching environmental stewardship at River Bend Nature Center. At the International School of Estonia, Erin taught students how to become empowered and compassionate global citizens. In San Francisco she taught at Alta Vista School, integrating STEAM principles and Design Thinking into the classroom. In Oakland she taught at Redwood Day School, training in diversity, equity, and inclusion in order to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment for all students. Erin is an artist, an avid reader, a budding herbalist, and a graphic designer. In her free time, you can find her singing and dancing, playing games, reading Tarot, hugging trees, cooking, and laughing with her family. Erin lives in Lagrangeville in a multigenerational homestead in the woods with her husband, their twins, and her parents.

Kelly McKeown is excited to join the Manitou School as part of the Administrative and Admissions team. Kelly comes from a strong background of working with children and young adults, particularly in the development and implementation of programming and community events. She has developed programs for various ages, interests, and developmental levels in the library, camp, and after-school setting.

Kelly attended Green Mountain College, majoring in English and Creative Writing, where she cultivated a deep appreciation for communication and storytelling, skills that have proven invaluable in both educational settings and her previous work in the television industry. She is excited to contribute to the vibrant community at the Manitou School.

Kelly lives in Carmel with her husband and their dog Dolly.

Donna Mikkelsen is our Art Teacher at Manitou. Donna has been an elementary school teacher and teaching artist for over 25 years.  She founded and directed The Garden Road, an arts-integrated independent school, for 10 years, before shifting her focus to teaching art in institutions around the Hudson Valley.  She is an ambidextrous artist and has been developing her method of SPONTANEOUS SYMMETRY drawing as an artistic daily practice and teaching tool.

Dawn Miller is a Head Stepping Stones Teacher at The Manitou School, in the Bluebirds classroom. After receiving her undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont, she went on to earn a dual Masters degree from Bank Street College in Early Childhood and Special Education. She has worked to support teachers to incorporate project-based learning, play, differentiated instruction, and mindfulness in their curriculum. She works with the students and parents in her class to build a classroom community based on kindness and empathy, where all children feel valued and accepted. Dawn enjoys the outdoors, running, and nutrition. She lives in Putnam Valley with her husband and daughter who also attends Manitou School.

Terence Murren is Manitou’s Music Teacher, as well as running Manitou’s Summer Program. Active as a teaching artist since 2000, Terence has taught through Creative Music Programs, the Harlem School of the Arts, and the 92nd Street Y where he was also author of curricula for its Musical Introduction Series used throughout New York City.

In addition to being a founding member of the indie rock band Relations, Murren performs with Megafortress, The Combine, and as a soloist.  He has played with Jon Gibson (Philipp Glass Ensemble),  Bobby Previte, Butch Morris, Billy Bang, Tomas Fujiwara, Mike Gamble, Matt Bauder, Josh Kaufman and Otto Hauser.  Murren is based in Beacon and can be heard performing regularly in the Hudson Valley and New York City.

Christi O’Donnell is excited to be coordinating Curriculum Design and Implementation for our Elementary School this year, alongside teaching Middle School Humanities. From preschool through 12th, Christi has taught every grade but 11th in school settings ranging from public to private, urban to suburban, inclusion to dual language and even international. Immediately after graduating with a Bachelors Degree from Sarah Lawrence College, Christi was accepted into the 6th cohort of the New York City Teaching Fellows Program where she worked as the general education teacher in an inclusion setting for 3 years before becoming an English teacher at the German International School New York in White Plains. Christi holds a Master’s Degree in Education as well as NYS Teaching Certificates in General Education pre-K to 6 and English Language Arts 7 to 12. In addition to her work in the classroom, Christi is a published author and has written for the Westchester edition of the award winning website, Mommy Poppins. She lives in Peekskill with her partner and child and a small herd of reptiles and cats.

 

Adam Osterfeld is a Kindergarten/First Grade Teacher at Manitou. Adam became a teacher after a career in children’s educational programming. He was a designer of Nickelodeon’s Blues Clues and Art Director of Bill Cosby’s Little Bill. Adam is NYS certified to teach classroom grades 1-6 and Visual Arts K-12. He holds a BFA from Pratt Institute and MST from Fordham University. Since becoming a teacher, Adam has taught in districts throughout the Hudson Valley. Most recently, he taught Art for Mill Street Loft in the Poughkeepsie public schools under the NYSED 21st Century grant. He lives in Cold Spring with his wife and two sons. His passion is using the Arts to enrich learning.

Sakura Ozaki, our Middle School Math and Science teacher, has over 18 years of teaching experience. She began her teaching career at a public high school in San Francisco, CA in 1999, and ever since she has enjoyed the challenges of teaching at all levels. Her most recent teaching experiences include authoring and implementing a series of hands-on science courses for younger elementary school children, co-teaching mathematics at the higher elementary level, as well as providing individual home instruction to her children in all subjects from Kindergarten through grade 6, including Latin, pre-Algebra and Organic Chemistry. Ms. Sakura has lived in 4 countries, on 3 continents and in addition to English, she speaks Japanese, German and Italian. She looks forward to combining rigorous knowledge acquisition and enjoyable hands-on learning in her teaching of mathematics and science at the Manitou School!

Javier Piñón is an assistant teacher and Art Teacher in the Stepping Stones classroom. Javier is a Cuban American, born in Miami and now lives in Stormville with his wife and son who attends Manitou. He is a graduate of The University of Texas where he received his BFA in Painting and Art History. He then went on to The Rhode Island School of Design where he earned a Masters degree in Teaching. Javier has worked as an art teacher in public schools and as an arts educator at The New Orleans Museum of Art. After many years of pursuing his artistic career as a collage artist in NYC, Javier made a return to teaching by hosting after-school art classes in his studio as well as more recently in Manitou’s own after-school program. In the summers Javier runs an Art and Nature summer camp in Stormville, NY. Javier loves to sing and play music on his trusty Ukulele.

Tamara Reynolds is on our Advisory Team and heads the Financial Aid Committee at Manitou. She brings decades of management experience to our team, as well as extensive  background in Design, which shapes the aesthetic experience of our school.  Her two children are happy Manitou students.

Eliza Hartley Romanyschyn is a Head Stepping Stones Teacher at The Manitou School, in the Chickadees classroom. Before beginning her career in education, Eliza earned a BFA with a concentration in Printmaking and Art of the Book from the State University of New York at Purchase College. After graduation, she moved to New York, where she started a small business teaching cooking classes to preschool and elementary school aged children. That experience introduced Eliza to her love of teaching and led her to Bank Street College of Education where she received a dual masters degree in Early Childhood and General Education. She spent seven years as a teacher at City and Country School in Manhattan. She taught three, four and five-year-olds and designed and instructed workshops teaching fellow educators about progressive education and block building in the early childhood classroom. After twelve years of living in Brooklyn, Eliza and her family decided to move to the Hudson Valley. Eliza is so pleased to be breathing the fresh country air and share her love of nature, cooking and art with the youngest children at Manitou. Eliza lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband and son.

Connie Rotardier is thrilled to be entering her 7th year as assistant teacher in the Bridge Class. Connie is a NYC native who spent her early career as a dancer touring the world as a member of The Dance Theatre of Harlem. She has lived in the Hudson Valley for 18 years and has enjoyed teaching ballet and jazz to the children of this community. She is also an avid animal lover and has had a thriving pet care business.

Nicole Rowley is excited to teach on the lower elementary team this year. Nicole has focused her teaching career on developing peace education curricula in tandem with core academics.  Nicole has her Master’s degree from Columbia University, Teachers College focusing on International Transcultural Education.  She created a Peace Education position at P.S. 1 in Brooklyn where she taught K-5 for 5 years. Nicole has also worked as both a second and third-grade teacher, and has had experience teaching abroad in India.  In recent years Nicole has developed Peaceful Beginnings, a mommy and me class at the Fishkill Rec center and has been the read-aloud specialist at the Blodgett Memorial Library.  Nicole holds her NYS Teaching Certificate in General Education pre-K to 6.  She lives in Fishkill, NY with her husband, 3 children and 7 chickens.  Nicole enjoys all that the Hudson Valley has to offer and is excited to share that with your children!

Eric Saiet is Manitou’s Drama Teacher. As an actor, Eric has guest starred on many TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Damages, the Good Wife, ER, Scrubs and just about any version of Law & Order you can think of. He has popped up in films like Groundhog Day, Murder by Numbers, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Eric is also a screenwriter. He has written feature screenplays for major studios like Disney, Amazon and Blue Sky, and was a writer on many episodes of the PBS shows Super Why! and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. All the while, Eric has been teaching children’s theater classes across the country, with an emphasis on improvisation, theater games and playwriting. He holds a BA in Theater from Northwestern University, and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild.

Elisa Santiago is a bilingual educator, excited to join the Manitou team as a Spanish teacher. During the previous 4 years, she was a substitute teacher, getting to know the Manitou community. Originally from Spain, with a background in choreography and performance art, she moved to the Hudson Valley 8 years ago.

She has taught in Beacon at Hudson Hills School, as well as at Compass Arts and Common Ground for art based learning and summer camps.

 Other teaching experiences in Brooklyn include a Co-op Preschool as an assistant teacher, and at The Painted Cloud, an art and play based space, where she led a morning play school for 3-5 year olds, and developed after school programming and art camps for kids 5-10 years old.

Elisa studied Early Childhood Education at The West Side Montessori School in NYC.

She enjoys working with young curious learners, exploring cognitive and somatic processes, with a focus on empathy and independence.

Danielle Spaeth is our Aftercare and Enrichment Coordinator. Danielle began her teaching career in The Briarcliff School District and transitioned to The Armonk School District as a third-grade teacher for a total of 10 years. Danielle has a Bachelor’s degree in General and Special Education (La Salle University) and a Masters in Reading and Writing (Manhattanville College). All three of her children attended Manitou –  Lucy (2022), Seth (2023), and Danica, and she and her family recently moved to the heart of Cold Spring. Danielle is thrilled to be working at The Manitou School this year, especially because it has always felt like home! She looks forward to meeting the newest members of Manitou and reacquainting herself in a different capacity to the seasoned friends of Manitou.

Ash Starnes leads our admissions process and marketing/communications projects. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Linguistics and has over a decade of experience teaching creative movement, ESL, and the language arts. Prior to joining the Manitou team, Ash served as the Marketing and Communications Manager for a nonprofit in Atlanta. She is also a former Fulbright scholar and taught English at Gaziosmanpasa University in Tokat, Turkey.  As a multi-disciplinary artist and educator, Ash brings a heart-centered approach to all she does and is honored to serve the Manitou community.

Jen Steiner Tonks is our Director of Administration and Special Initiatives at Manitou. Jen brings years of experience in management, systems design, research, and program development to our team, as well as a deep appreciation for the expertise of the Manitou teachers. Prior to joining the Manitou team, Jen has led and scaled international edtech startups and an educational non-profit. In addition, Jen has taught at New York University and the University of Michigan.  Jen started her career as an elementary school teacher at Central Park East Elementary Schools (East Harlem’s progressive public schools). There Jen became fascinated with using design-based research to support the work of progressive educators. Working at Manitou brings Jen’s career full circle and back to her primary passion. Jen has a Masters in the Art of Teaching from Sarah Lawrence College and PhD in Learning Technology from the University of Michigan.

Anthony Trimboli is thrilled to be teaching upper elementary at Manitou this year with Mx. Carolin! This is Anthony’s fourth year at Manitou after moving to the United States from Australia. Anthony gained his bachelor’s degree in Elementary/Middle School Education in South Australia before teaching in his home country for three years. Before this, Anthony was studying Education while working for an Enrichment School Program for four years, developing their curriculum and community culture plans. Permanently residing now in Rockland County, New York, Anthony is excited to share his skills and passion with our community. He has a determination to make class relatable, fun and rich in opportunities for the children. Anthony is also an avid sport lover who both plays and coaches soccer. It was soccer that led Anthony to travel and play in various countries including the Philippines, China, Italy as well as the United States. He also loves to read, run, study history, be at the beach and learn the Spanish language.

Carolin Trott is teaching upper elementary at Manitou this year, along with Mr. Anthony. Originally from Erfurt, Germany, she has been teaching for over ten years in a variety of settings from public school in England to private and non-profit education in the US. Her teaching style is founded on inquiry-based instruction and project-based learning. Carolin believes that learning is both an individual process as well as a group experience—where everyone in the classroom learns from each other, including the teacher learning from their students. Her goal is always to create a learning environment where children can academically excel, problem-solve together, and apply skills they have learned in order to become successful lifelong learners. Carolin also teaches German language skills to children, teenagers, and adults through the Goethe Institut, where she has also led the effort to develop a standardized German Language children’s curriculum to be implemented across North America, Canada, and Mexico. Carolin holds a Post/Graduate Certificate of Education from Edgehill University Ormskirk, England and a bachelor degree in early childhood education from the University of Erfurt, Germany.

Sasha Van’t Hul is the Mindfulness teacher at Manitou. Her passion for Meditation and Yoga sprung out of her dance career, where she sought relief from chronic injuries and a shift from the competitive nature of the field. Yoga and meditation became foundational in transforming her relationship with both her body and mind. Sasha has over two decades of experience and has dedicated herself to teaching both adults and children. She has founded numerous mindfulness programs in schools and has led countless professional development workshops to help educators incorporate mindfulness into their classrooms. For nearly a decade, she served as the in-house Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor at Fork Films in Manhattan and continues to provide on-site yoga instruction at a prominent hedge fund in the city. With a lifetime commitment to fostering mindfulness through meditation and movement Sasha is thrilled to be continuing her journey through joining the Manitou community.

Nubia Wilchez is a a Spanish teacher across many grade levels. She was born in Colombia, and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Bilingual Education at Colombo Americana University in Bogota. She has a Masters degree in Neuropsychology and Education and has completed studies in Neuroscience and Pedagogy: The Brain and Learning. Prior to working at Manitou School, Nubia worked as an English teacher at Nueva Granada School in Bogota, where she developed and implemented curricula for English as a second language. Subsequently, she worked for seven years at Gran Bretana School, a highly regarded international private school, where she held the position of Spanish teacher. In addition to the regular classes, her work included teaching children with special needs. Most recently, Nubia taught Spanish at the After School Program to children from three elementary schools in Beacon, using contemporary, innovative academic techniques. Nubia lives in Beacon with her wonderful 11 year old daughter. She enjoys spending quality time with her family.

Jennet Wildy is our Learning Specialist, serving students from all classes in Reading, Spelling, and Math. She began teaching in Colorado, receiving elementary education and ESL/ELL certification from the University of Colorado at Boulder and CU-Greeley. Her other certifications include Early Child Development and a Masters of Education in Literacy and Leadership. Literature, theater and storytelling, the gift of words and expression, are at the heart of her teaching. Her fascination with how we learn and communicate led her to deep studies of children’s development. Between teaching in Colorado and New York she also served as a Children’s Librarian in Athens, Tennessee, and by weekly storytelling improved her understanding of children, from babies to young adults. Following her ongoing interest in human development and best educational practices, she has studied many educators, from Marian Diamond to Rudolf Steiner to Nanci Bell. She strives for child-centered, inspiring, and meaningful learning.

Kelley Amadei co-created our Mindfulness curriculum and served for ten years as our Mindfulness teacher.  Founder of SparkShift, Kelley brings together over 20 years of experience working with people in all walks of life, a deep meditation practice, and extensive research and practice in psychology and neuroscience.  She continues to advice our team.

Julisa Rincon Tomizawa is our Curriculum Advisor and a Founding Member of Manitou.  Ms. Tomizawa has been an Instructional Coach for the Greenwich (CT) Public and Private Schools, where she provided policy consultation at all grade levels and designed and implemented teacher training, including helping general education teachers adapt classroom practices to meet the needs of students with special needs and second language learners. In her former role as Data Specialist in a New York City public school, she supported teachers in the collection and use of student performance data to develop effective teaching strategies, design curricula that meet the needs of a diverse student body, and provide professional support to teachers (new teachers to veteran teachers) within a K-5 school.  Ms. Tomizawa earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education and a Master’s degree in Urban and Multicultural Education from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, as well as a Master’s Degree in School Administration from Bank Street College of Education. She currently serves a Secretary of the Little Stony Point Citizens Association, and a Board Member of the Friends of the Butterfield Library.