Christina Reaves – Lead Movement Teacher
Christina came to us as a movement specialist in 2017, bringing her unique and entrancing mix of dramatic play, exploration, and dance language to our children. In 2019 she added working as an assigned associate teacher in the Nest and Pond Rooms to her dance specialist teaching schedule. We found her unceasing enthusiasm, creativity, and focus to be infectious. Christina now teaches each classroom every day, in all different kinds of weather, and her movement class has become an indispensable part of the Open House curriculum. Christina has a BA in Vocal Performance from Georgia State University and an MFA in dance from NYU Tisch School. When she is not working with children in Open House, she teaches dance to other young children and serves as the artistic director / founder / manager / choreographer of her own professional dance theater company, ChristinaNoel & The Creature, and her own pre-professional youth ensemble, The Ephyras.
Daisy Rosas – Assistant Teacher – Garden Room
We spotted Daisy’s teaching talent when she was a student teacher at Open House. Daisy received her Bachelor’s Degree in early childhood education from Brooklyn College, and is working toward completing her master’s. When not teaching or in class, Daisy enjoys every moment with her new daughter. We are so happy to have her gentle nature and warm smile in the Garden Room.
Harry Adams – Supporting Teacher – Savannah Room
After several years of working as an Open House Summer Program Counselor, Harry joined the Open House staff in 2013. Harry is a graduate of St. Francis College and Open House and enjoys running and reading graphic novels.
Isaiah Mathieu – Supporting Teacher – Nest Room
Born and raised in Queens, Isaiah comes to us through his father, our art specialist Harlan. A graduate of City College with degrees in creative writing and mathematics, he has been a valuable and kind addition to the Nest classroom.
Jamie Schaadt – Lead Teacher – Bayou Room
Jamie received her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education and Speech Therapy from Teachers College of Columbia University in 2001. Since then, she has further developed her thoughtful and compassionate teaching style during 20 years of teaching practice. She has worked as an early childhood teacher in classroom, community, and home settings. Her undergraduate degree is in psychology, and she has always had a particular interest in child development. Jamie truly enjoys working with children and facilitating their growth as unique individuals. Jamie became a full time staff member in 2022 after working as speech therapist within the Cobble Hill and Open House community for over 10 years. We are thrilled to have her as a lead teacher in the Bayou Room.
Jennifer Torres – Lead Teacher – Garden Room
Jennifer started working at Open House in 2005 as a summer program assistant and is excited to now lead the Garden Room this year. In 2008, she began working full time in the three’s program. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in behavioral science and is finishing her Master’s Degree in special education from Mercy College. In addition to being a classroom teacher, Jennifer is also drawn to working with children with diverse learning needs. Jennifer is proud of the community involvement plan she created during her master’s program and really enjoys watching children discover themselves and bloom in her classroom. In her free time she enjoys traveling.
Jessica Tam – Assistant Teacher – Nest Room
Jessica came to Open House in 2003 as a student teacher. She stayed on to join our staff as an associate and has been with us ever since. She is beloved throughout the school, bringing her gentle manner and voice wherever she is needed. Many of our children have had the luck to have her as a caregiver in the afternoons and evenings, as well. In her spare time, she likes to shop, try new foods and watch movies. She finished her BA in Early Childhood Education at Brooklyn College.
Lori Chipman – Lead Teacher – Savannah Room
Lori Chipman joined Open House as a student teacher in 1984. She started out in the Blue room, working with the Twos and Young Threes and became the Lead Teacher in the Savannah Room in 2003. She received her Masters in Early Childhood and Special Education from Brooklyn College. She loves teaching young children and preparing for the day ahead in the classroom. She also loves dancing, music and travel. Lori has been diagnosed with a visual impairment which does not stop her incredible ability to work with children! Lori’s unique visual circumstance helps us all appreciate the school’s ethos of creating a supportive learning environment for everyone, which recognizes and celebrates each person’s individuality and provides a loving and accommodating community. We are lucky to have Lori as a mentor and guiding light for our Open House community. When she’s not at Open House, look for her in Mexico, the Dominican Republic or maybe some warm spot in Europe.
Morgan Semine – Support Teacher – Meadow Room
From the day Morgan first walked into Open House as a prospective parent, she’s been drawn to the warm and supportive community here. She spent most of her career teaching hands-on cooking classes to thousands of children at public schools across NYC and the country. Morgan has a BA from Princeton University and is culinary school graduate She has recently completed a DIR Floortime 101 course that reinforced her love of child-led learning through play and connection. Some of her favorite things to do are reading, puzzling, and cooking with her family.
Robin Arble – Support Teacher – Bayou Room
Robin recently moved to Brooklyn from Massachusetts where she graduated from Hampshire College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Writing and Creative Writing. In addition to work as a substitute, she has most recently worked one-on-one as a paraeducator with kindergarten students in the Northampton school district. Robin joined Open House this summer, helping the Dolphins room. Her favorite game to play as a young child was “Hide & Seek”. We are so happy to have her with us in the Bayou Room as a support teacher. Welcome, Robin!
Rosy Brown – Co-Teacher – Savannah Room
Rosy received her BA from Barnard College, and went on to pursue a career in early education. After working in a small community school in the North Fork of Long Island, she moved to Boulder, Colorado to complete an MA in Education. From there, Rosy moved to beautiful San Diego to teach parents & toddlers, 2s/3s, and 3s/4s. After moving back to NYC, she joined Barrow Street Nursery School in the 3s/4s, where Rosy taught for three years and also began work as a private SEIT. Along with her work at Open House, she leads social skills groups with PlayGroup NYC. Rosy holds a certificate in DIR Floortime, and centers neurodiversity-affirming and child-led practices in everything she does. Outside of teaching, Rosy loves snuggling her puppy, Nessie, sewing, cooking, and hanging out in the park.
Safia Mohammed – Lead Teacher – Nest Room
We are so happy to have the wonderful mix of calm, patience and a fun-loving energy that Safia brings to the Nest Room. Safia joined Open House in 2014 as an associate teacher, after moving to New York from Trinidad to pursue her degree in education. Through persistence and hard work she has achieved her goals and earned her bachelor’s and then her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Touro University. She then became a lead teacher in 2016. She loves supporting and working with children and their families during this very exciting time of life. After school and on weekends, she enjoys exercising at the gym and participating in the great New York tradition of window-shopping.
Skye Grimsted – Support Teacher – Garden Room
Skye grew up in Brooklyn, where she spent a year at Open House as a young child! She later went onto Hampshire College, majoring in Political Psychology and Education and completing projects in nature-based learning and restorative practices for elementary-aged students. She has worked as an arts camp counselor, nanny, and tutor. After receiving her certification in Early Childhood Education, she spent two years teaching toddlers at the Wild Garden of Childhood school in Northampton, MA. In her spare time, Skye enjoys cooking, reading, visiting art galleries, and trips to Prospect Park. She has recently moved back to Brooklyn and is very excited to be joining the Garden room as a supporting teacher this Fall!
Teresa Maryniak – Assistant Teacher – Bayou Room
Teresa was teaching kindergarten in Poland and working on her Master’s degree there when her family decided to move to the US. She started studying again at Brooklyn College and became a student teacher at Open House in 2003. She stayed on to work with the Fours and has been here ever since. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading and going to jazz concerts with her musician husband.
Veronica Trevino – Lead Teacher – Meadow Room
Veronica is excited to be moving into the Meadow Room at Open House. Veronica began working at Open House while she was a student teacher at Brooklyn College almost 20 years ago. After earning her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education she became a lead teacher and has worked with every age group at Open House. She spent many years working with threes and has been working with pre-k students since 2020. She is a passionate educator who is always looking for new ways to grow. She enjoys hands-on learning activities that stimulate children’s natural curiosity about the world. You can find her hands-deep in dirt, helping children plant and identify herbs, or leading children around the school, interviewing community members and caring for the school fish. You can see her passion blossom in our rooftop garden area that her classroom plants and tends to, making pesto from summer basil and planting fall chrysanthemum and spring flowers. She formerly ran the after-school program at The Brooklyn New School where she completed her student teaching in the project based learning Kindergarten classroom. Her latest joy in life is for her new baby daughter who is both a source of inspiration and an occasional VIP visitor to her classroom.
Yvette Ducos – Meadow Room Co-Teacher
Yvette began subbing at Open House back in 1984 and then jumped in to work full-time with the Fours. She says that the philosophy of cooperation and learning through discovery immediately struck her as wonderful, and she feels the same way today. She continues to find the Fours, with their curiosity and excitement about the world, a very gratifying age to work with. When she’s not here exploring the world with our “seniors,” she loves cooking and taking long walks, snapping photos, and sightseeing.