Ashley Toxtle – Support Teacher – Bayou Room
Ashley Toxtle has her BA from John Jay College and recently received her master’s degree in social work from Fordham University. She is happy to join the Bayou Room as she completes requirements for her LMSW certification. Ashley loves advocating for and communicating with children of all ages and her ultimate goal is to do social work within a school setting. When not working or studying, she enjoys spending time in the park with her daughter, Adeline.
Betsy Henritze – Lead Teacher – Garden Room
Betsy is thrilled to be working with 2’s and 3’s again. She was born and raised in Park Slope, Brooklyn but has lived in London as well as Lesotho, Africa where she trained Early Childhood Educators in the Peace Corps. Betsy received her Master’s degree in Early Childhood/Special Education at Bank Street College and has worked for over fifteen years as a preschool teacher. Recently, she ran a small learning pod out of her house in Park Slope. Betsy is the mother of three middle and high-school aged children and in her (limited) spare time, she loves to read, do arts and crafts, and do all types of puzzles. She brings her great love of literature and art to her work with children.
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 – Supporting Teacher – Garden Room
We spotted Daisy’s teaching talent when she was a student teacher at Open House. Daisy finished her Bachelor’s Degree in early childhood education at Brooklyn College, and has begun the master’s program. 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 last year 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 – Assistant Teacher – Garden Room
Jennifer started working at Open House in 2005 as a summer program assistant. In 2008 she began working in the three’s program. She received her bachelor’s degree in behavioral science and is currently pursuing a 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 and hopes to also work as a special education itinerant teacher (SEIT). 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 class. 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 first joined Open House as a student teacher back 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 and preparing for the day ahead, but she also loves dancing and music and travel. When she’s not at Open House, look for her in Mexico, the Dominican Republic or maybe some warm spot in Europe.
Maleeha Khan – Supporting Teacher – Meadow Room
When Maleeha came to us as a student teacher from Brooklyn College, she immediately recognized our then Meadow Room teacher, Meira, as her PreK teacher from when she was a small child! Of course, we instantly knew it was destiny that brought her to us. She has joined the Meadow Room bringing her generosity and thoughtfulness to share with everyone she meets. Maleeha recently earned her bachelor’s degree and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Brooklyn College. Maleeha is drawn to the warm, flexible and nurturing environment at Open House and loves being a supportive part of a child’s growth.
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.
Simone McPherson – Assistant Teacher – Savannah Room
Simone began working at Open House as a camp counselor during the summer of 2008 and then was invited to join Open House full-time in the winter of 2018 as an associate teacher in the Garden, Savannah, and Pond Rooms. Simone earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Brooklyn College and is now pursuing her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Simone loves bringing her cooking talents into the classroom and sharing her recipes for home-made ice cream with the children. When not at Open House, she enjoys traveling to England and Jamaica to visit her family and spending time with friends on the weekends.
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.