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Our Team of Instructors

Aimee Keller began her career teaching 11th Grade Inclusion at Three Village CSD five years ago. She has experience co-teaching in all core academic areas of the 11th grade curriculum. Aimee has experience within the Resource Room setting as well, supporting students in grades 10-12. She also has experience with Multi-sensory Reading techniques and programs for students with special learning needs. Aimee is currently pursuing her School District Leadership Certificate at Stony Brook University.

Alesia Holewinski is currently an American Sign Language Teacher, in the LOTE Department at Smithtown High School. She holds her Masters from Columbia University in Teaching ASL as a second language, and a BA from St. Joseph's College in Elementary and Special Education. She has been teaching in the public and non-public schools for over 14 years.

Amanda Harvey has ten years teaching experience using Character Education as her basic foundation towards educating children. She is currently completing her ninth year as a first grade teacher in the West Islip School District. Amanda has recently completed her administrative SDA & SAS from C.W. Post University.

Amy Wachholder is currently a special education teacher for the Connetquot School District. She has experience teaching in a variety of special education programs: inclusion, special class and resource. Amy has experience on the elementary and secondary levels and is certified in elementary education, special education, and reading.

Andrea Kempster has been a special educator in the Connetquot School District since 1982. She is currently the Special Education Coordinator and has taught on both the elementary and secondary levels. She has experience in special class, inclusion, resource,and Academic Intervention Services. Andrea is certified in elementary education, special education, and as a school counselor.

Barry Kaufman is currently with the Long Island Rail Road as Superintendent of Quality Assurance and Administration. He has 25 years of management experience. Barry was on the Smithtown Central School District Board of Education for nine years. He currently teaches leadership courses for Dowling College.

Carrie Yuli has been a second grade teacher in the West Islip School District for six years. She has enjoyed using reading and writing workshops as well as integrating technology in her classroom. Her instruction experience includes working as an ABA Teacher in the homes of autistic pre-school children, designing and maintaining her school’s website, and coaching girls’ soccer.

Chryse Sacco is a Spanish teacher and coach in the Patchogue-Medford School District. She also serves as an interpreter, and is often called upon to translate for other teachers, parents, and administrators for a variety of educational issues.

Dawn Duffy has been a science teacher for the Three Village School District for the last eight years. She has experience teaching life, physical and earth science to 7th and 8th grade students. For the past six years she has worked with the Inclusion program presenting differentiated instruction to students of all learning abilities.

Elyse Weisman has been teaching secondary English for ten years. She taught at W.T. Clarke HS and MS for eight years. There she worked extensively on creating a reading/writing workshop with portfolio assessment for her ninth and eleventh grade classes. She also served on several curriculum committees including several years service on an interdisciplinary committee, which worked closely with block-scheduled English, Art and Social Studies teachers to implement joint studies of writing and research in the classroom. She attended many conferences throughout her years of teaching, including several NCTE conferences and several conferences involving interdisciplinary learning, research and the changing NYS Standards. Currently, Elyse is a teacher in Connetquot High School, where she teaches ninth and tenth grade.

Erin Connolly has been a guidance counselor in the Three Village School District for seven years at Murphy Junior High School. She has coached the Murphy Cross Country and Track teams for the past five years.

Jessica Rowe is currently a special education teacher for the Connetquot School District. Her instruction experience in this area includes: severely mentally retarded, pre-school through 12th grade, children with autism, learning disabled and physically handicapped. In addition, she has been a varsity girl’s track coach.

Jessica DePasquale is currently an Intermediate Literacy Coordinator for the Three Village School District. She teaches in her third grade class, as well as providing staff development and collegial coaching about Literacy Collaborative. She has an advanced certificate in administration, a masters degree in instructional technology, and her undergraduate degree in special education. Jessica has also taught 5th and 6th grade as well as inclusion.

Jim Fargione is the District Teacher Leader for Instructional Technology for the Three Village Central School District for grades K-12. Jim has been an educator for 27 years, teaching business and computer software applications at Ward Melville High School. Jim has also done staff development for Copiague Public Schools and Dowling College. He has an MBA from Hofstra University and School District Administrator certification from Dowling College.

Joan Casabona O’Hanlon had been an English/Language Arts Teacher at Half Hollow Hills High School East for thirty-four years, as well as a consultant in English/Language Arts for Western Suffolk BOCES. She represented Half Hollow Hills in writing curricula for the BOCES Sliver Grant. Currently, her three passions are teaching teachers, researching, and tutoring for national and state tests.

Joseph V. Burger, Ph.D. has been a professor of teacher pre-service and in-service education for nearly 30 years, a classroom general and special education teacher, a family therapist for 35 years, and a New York State certified Impartial Hearing Officer, mediator, and child advocate for 20 years. He is a recognized trainer for Violence Prevention, Bullying and Harassment Prevention, Child Abuse Prevention and Addiction Prevention. An international speaker on these issues, as well as ‘youth at-risk intervention’, community relations, and conflict mediation, Dr. Burger has also written several dozen published articles, and delivered hundreds of presentations to audiences of professionals, parents, and students. His professional degrees are in Psychology, Human Relations, Counseling/Special Education and Comparative Religion/Cultural Studies.

Kerri Glynn taught high school English and theatre for 32 years in the Smithtown School District. In 1983, she was named “One of the 100 Best Teachers in America” by Vassar College. In 1995, the New York State Council of English Teachers designated her an “Educator of Excellence.” In 2002, Theatre Three selected her as their “Performing Arts Educator of the Year”. In addition to her teaching and directing career, she is also a published author.

Kerrin Welch is the Director of Instructional Technology in the Three Village School District. She has worked in the area of instructional technology for the past 13 years and has been an educator since 1987. As a teacher leader and curriculum specialist, she has been involved in the district wide implementation of professional development and training for teachers and district staff in using and integrating technology.

Kevin Keller began his career teaching Earth Science in Connetquot seven years ago. He also has experience teaching Life and Physical Science to 7th and 8th grade students. He helped develop and currently teaches a Natural Hazards class to 11th and 12th grade students as well. For the past three years he has been involved with the special education department as the inclusion Earth Science teacher. In addition, he has been the boy’s freshman basketball coach for the past seven years.

Lisa McEvoy teaches 4th grade inShoreham-Wading River. She has been teaching for 13 years at the elementary grades K, 2, and 4. She was a Fellow with the Center for the Study of Teaching and Learning (CSETL) and has facilitated several workshops and courses for teachers in assessment, curriculum development, and literacy.

Loree Lazzaro is currently a fifth grade teacher in the Three Village School District. Her teaching experiences include kindergarten, first grade, second grade inclusion and reading. She has been trained in literacy and has conducted parent workshops to promote reading at home.

Lori Lawrence is currently teaching American Sign Language at Howitt Middle School in Farmingdale. Lori holds her MA from Columbia University in teaching ASL as a Foreign Language and a BS in Elementary Education. She is currently working towards her second Masters in Special Education. Lori also teaches at Hofstra University.

Margaret Conover, Ph.D. teaches Botany at the New York Botanical Garden and has taught classes for teachers at Stony Brook University and St. Joseph's College. She was an invited participant at the first congress of the Partnership for Plant Based Learning, April 2004.

Pamila Pahuja started her career seven years ago in Islip School District where she taught Regents Biology, Living Environment and Earth Science as well as General Chemistry and Marine Biology. She has been at the Three Village School District for the last 3 years where she has taught 8th Grade Physical Science, Regents Earth Science and Honors Biology.

Patricia Anzalone is currently a reading teacher in the Commack School District. She has taught reading at the intermediate, middle school and high school levels. Patricia is certified in elementary education and special education and holds a masters degree in reading. She is also certified in the Wilson Reading Program to help struggling readers. She is a member of the literacy committee and has helped to facilitate staff conference day. In addition Patricia has had experience working as a resource room teacher and has also enjoyed teaching Italian during summer school.

Phil Medina teaches Earth Science at R.C. Murphy Junior High in the Three Village School District. He has been involved in integrating technology into effective lessons since he started teaching nine years ago. Currently, he is developing wireless laptop and computer projector lessons for his classes. He maintains his own website which includes his entire curriculum, class notes, worksheets, activities, teaching tips and student grades.

Rene Hickey is currently a general education teacher in second grade in the Three Village School District. She has also taught first and sixth grades. Over the past six years, Rene has enjoyed integrating technology, sign language, and multiculturism into the curriculum.

Richard Acritelli has been a teacher for five years. He first started in Hicksville and has been teaching economics/social studies in Rocky Point for the last 3 years. Rich has three stories published in the Long Island Historical Journal entitled “Long Island Prisoners of War”. Other works also include a 150 page paper on General George S. Paton. Rich has done extensive research at West Point and the Modern Military Archives in College Park, Maryland. He is an active member at Rocky Point High School, coaching cross country, baseball, wrestling, and is the senior class advisor.

Richard Haase teaches 8th grade English and Public Speaking at Candlewood Middle School in Half Hollow Hills. Presently in his seventh year in the district, he is a national grant recipient, Disney’s American Teacher and New England League of Middle Schools’ Promising Practitioner nominee, and has received two independent awards for his class website. He sits on five district and Teachers’ Association committees, including staff development, technology, and three on the Achievement Gap. He has also led such curriculum initiatives as English/SS integration and Backwards Design.

Robert DiTolla has been an English teacher at JFK High School in the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District for the past eight years. His teaching experience includes 7th, 9th, 10th, and 12th grades. He has been trained in Reading and Writing Workshops and has an MA from Teachers College. For the past seven years he’s taught “Myths and Heroes,” a 12th grade literature elective.

Robert L. Scutellaro recently retired after 34 years in the classroom teaching mathematics and computer courses on many different levels. In addition, during that time Mr. Scutellaro taught in-service, adult education and continuing occupational education for many years in his home district of Longwood, Western BOCES and elsewhere.

Scott J. Schoenig has been a secondary special education teacher in the Connetquot School District for the past 15 years. Over the last 5 years he has been involved in the inclusion program. Scott chairs the C.S.E. (Committee on Special Education) both during the school year and for annual review. He is a co-advisor for Peer Leadership and trains staff and students in peer mediation. Scott runs all aspects of the schools Dukane video distribution system. He is N.Y.S. certified in Special Education (K-12), Reading and Elementary Education.

Tina Grippa has been a special educator for over 18 years. She has experience working with pre-school through secondary levels. The last six years have been devoted to working with the PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) spectrum student. This includes Autistic and Asperger’s youngsters. She currently teaches middle school at Western Suffolk BOCES, 5th-8th grade PDD students.

	Courses Mailing List Locations Discounts General Info. Advisory Board Credo Instructors Chapman Univ. Reg. Form home > instructors Our Team of Instructors Aimee Keller began her career teaching 11th Grade Inclusion at Three Village CSD five years ago. She has experience co-teaching in all core academic areas of the 11th grade curriculum. Aimee has experience within the Resource Room setting as well, supporting students in grades 10-12. She also has experience with Multi-sensory Reading techniques and programs for students with special learning needs. Aimee is currently pursuing her School District Leadership Certificate at Stony Brook University. Alesia Holewinski is currently an American Sign Language Teacher, in the LOTE Department at Smithtown High School. She holds her Masters from Columbia University in Teaching ASL as a second language, and a BA from St. Joseph's College in Elementary and Special Education. She has been teaching in the public and non-public schools for over 14 years. Amanda Harvey has ten years teaching experience using Character Education as her basic foundation towards educating children. She is currently completing her ninth year as a first grade teacher in the West Islip School District. Amanda has recently completed her administrative SDA & SAS from C.W. Post University. Amy Wachholder is currently a special education teacher for the Connetquot School District. She has experience teaching in a variety of special education programs: inclusion, special class and resource. Amy has experience on the elementary and secondary levels and is certified in elementary education, special education, and reading. Andrea Kempster has been a special educator in the Connetquot School District since 1982. She is currently the Special Education Coordinator and has taught on both the elementary and secondary levels. She has experience in special class, inclusion, resource,and Academic Intervention Services. Andrea is certified in elementary education, special education, and as a school counselor. Barry Kaufman is currently with the Long Island Rail Road as Superintendent of Quality Assurance and Administration. He has 25 years of management experience. Barry was on the Smithtown Central School District Board of Education for nine years. He currently teaches leadership courses for Dowling College. Carrie Yuli has been a second grade teacher in the West Islip School District for six years. She has enjoyed using reading and writing workshops as well as integrating technology in her classroom. Her instruction experience includes working as an ABA Teacher in the homes of autistic pre-school children, designing and maintaining her school’s website, and coaching girls’ soccer. Chryse Sacco is a Spanish teacher and coach in the Patchogue-Medford School District. She also serves as an interpreter, and is often called upon to translate for other teachers, parents, and administrators for a variety of educational issues. Dawn Duffy has been a science teacher for the Three Village School District for the last eight years. She has experience teaching life, physical and earth science to 7th and 8th grade students. For the past six years she has worked with the Inclusion program presenting differentiated instruction to students of all learning abilities. Elyse Weisman has been teaching secondary English for ten years. She taught at W.T. Clarke HS and MS for eight years. There she worked extensively on creating a reading/writing workshop with portfolio assessment for her ninth and eleventh grade classes. She also served on several curriculum committees including several years service on an interdisciplinary committee, which worked closely with block-scheduled English, Art and Social Studies teachers to implement joint studies of writing and research in the classroom. She attended many conferences throughout her years of teaching, including several NCTE conferences and several conferences involving interdisciplinary learning, research and the changing NYS Standards. Currently, Elyse is a teacher in Connetquot High School, where she teaches ninth and tenth grade. Erin Connolly has been a guidance counselor in the Three Village School District for seven years at Murphy Junior High School. She has coached the Murphy Cross Country and Track teams for the past five years. Jessica Rowe is currently a special education teacher for the Connetquot School District. Her instruction experience in this area includes: severely mentally retarded, pre-school through 12th grade, children with autism, learning disabled and physically handicapped. In addition, she has been a varsity girl’s track coach. Jessica DePasquale is currently an Intermediate Literacy Coordinator for the Three Village School District. She teaches in her third grade class, as well as providing staff development and collegial coaching about Literacy Collaborative. She has an advanced certificate in administration, a masters degree in instructional technology, and her undergraduate degree in special education. Jessica has also taught 5th and 6th grade as well as inclusion. Jim Fargione is the District Teacher Leader for Instructional Technology for the Three Village Central School District for grades K-12. Jim has been an educator for 27 years, teaching business and computer software applications at Ward Melville High School. Jim has also done staff development for Copiague Public Schools and Dowling College. He has an MBA from Hofstra University and School District Administrator certification from Dowling College. Joan Casabona O’Hanlon had been an English/Language Arts Teacher at Half Hollow Hills High School East for thirty-four years, as well as a consultant in English/Language Arts for Western Suffolk BOCES. She represented Half Hollow Hills in writing curricula for the BOCES Sliver Grant. Currently, her three passions are teaching teachers, researching, and tutoring for national and state tests. Joseph V. Burger, Ph.D. has been a professor of teacher pre-service and in-service education for nearly 30 years, a classroom general and special education teacher, a family therapist for 35 years, and a New York State certified Impartial Hearing Officer, mediator, and child advocate for 20 years. He is a recognized trainer for Violence Prevention, Bullying and Harassment Prevention, Child Abuse Prevention and Addiction Prevention. An international speaker on these issues, as well as ‘youth at-risk intervention’, community relations, and conflict mediation, Dr. Burger has also written several dozen published articles, and delivered hundreds of presentations to audiences of professionals, parents, and students. His professional degrees are in Psychology, Human Relations, Counseling/Special Education and Comparative Religion/Cultural Studies. Kerri Glynn taught high school English and theatre for 32 years in the Smithtown School District. In 1983, she was named “One of the 100 Best Teachers in America” by Vassar College. In 1995, the New York State Council of English Teachers designated her an “Educator of Excellence.” In 2002, Theatre Three selected her as their “Performing Arts Educator of the Year”. In addition to her teaching and directing career, she is also a published author. Kerrin Welch is the Director of Instructional Technology in the Three Village School District. She has worked in the area of instructional technology for the past 13 years and has been an educator since 1987. As a teacher leader and curriculum specialist, she has been involved in the district wide implementation of professional development and training for teachers and district staff in using and integrating technology. Kevin Keller began his career teaching Earth Science in Connetquot seven years ago. He also has experience teaching Life and Physical Science to 7th and 8th grade students. He helped develop and currently teaches a Natural Hazards class to 11th and 12th grade students as well. For the past three years he has been involved with the special education department as the inclusion Earth Science teacher. In addition, he has been the boy’s freshman basketball coach for the past seven years. Lisa McEvoy teaches 4th grade inShoreham-Wading River. She has been teaching for 13 years at the elementary grades K, 2, and 4. She was a Fellow with the Center for the Study of Teaching and Learning (CSETL) and has facilitated several workshops and courses for teachers in assessment, curriculum development, and literacy. Loree Lazzaro is currently a fifth grade teacher in the Three Village School District. Her teaching experiences include kindergarten, first grade, second grade inclusion and reading. She has been trained in literacy and has conducted parent workshops to promote reading at home. Lori Lawrence is currently teaching American Sign Language at Howitt Middle School in Farmingdale. Lori holds her MA from Columbia University in teaching ASL as a Foreign Language and a BS in Elementary Education. She is currently working towards her second Masters in Special Education. Lori also teaches at Hofstra University. Margaret Conover, Ph.D. teaches Botany at the New York Botanical Garden and has taught classes for teachers at Stony Brook University and St. Joseph's College. She was an invited participant at the first congress of the Partnership for Plant Based Learning, April 2004. Pamila Pahuja started her career seven years ago in Islip School District where she taught Regents Biology, Living Environment and Earth Science as well as General Chemistry and Marine Biology. She has been at the Three Village School District for the last 3 years where she has taught 8th Grade Physical Science, Regents Earth Science and Honors Biology. Patricia Anzalone is currently a reading teacher in the Commack School District. She has taught reading at the intermediate, middle school and high school levels. Patricia is certified in elementary education and special education and holds a masters degree in reading. She is also certified in the Wilson Reading Program to help struggling readers. She is a member of the literacy committee and has helped to facilitate staff conference day. In addition Patricia has had experience working as a resource room teacher and has also enjoyed teaching Italian during summer school. Phil Medina teaches Earth Science at R.C. Murphy Junior High in the Three Village School District. He has been involved in integrating technology into effective lessons since he started teaching nine years ago. Currently, he is developing wireless laptop and computer projector lessons for his classes. He maintains his own website which includes his entire curriculum, class notes, worksheets, activities, teaching tips and student grades. Rene Hickey is currently a general education teacher in second grade in the Three Village School District. She has also taught first and sixth grades. Over the past six years, Rene has enjoyed integrating technology, sign language, and multiculturism into the curriculum. Richard Acritelli has been a teacher for five years. He first started in Hicksville and has been teaching economics/social studies in Rocky Point for the last 3 years. Rich has three stories published in the Long Island Historical Journal entitled “Long Island Prisoners of War”. Other works also include a 150 page paper on General George S. Paton. Rich has done extensive research at West Point and the Modern Military Archives in College Park, Maryland. He is an active member at Rocky Point High School, coaching cross country, baseball, wrestling, and is the senior class advisor. Richard Haase teaches 8th grade English and Public Speaking at Candlewood Middle School in Half Hollow Hills. Presently in his seventh year in the district, he is a national grant recipient, Disney’s American Teacher and New England League of Middle Schools’ Promising Practitioner nominee, and has received two independent awards for his class website. He sits on five district and Teachers’ Association committees, including staff development, technology, and three on the Achievement Gap. He has also led such curriculum initiatives as English/SS integration and Backwards Design. Robert DiTolla has been an English teacher at JFK High School in the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District for the past eight years. His teaching experience includes 7th, 9th, 10th, and 12th grades. He has been trained in Reading and Writing Workshops and has an MA from Teachers College. For the past seven years he’s taught “Myths and Heroes,” a 12th grade literature elective. Robert L. Scutellaro recently retired after 34 years in the classroom teaching mathematics and computer courses on many different levels. In addition, during that time Mr. Scutellaro taught in-service, adult education and continuing occupational education for many years in his home district of Longwood, Western BOCES and elsewhere. Scott J. Schoenig has been a secondary special education teacher in the Connetquot School District for the past 15 years. Over the last 5 years he has been involved in the inclusion program. Scott chairs the C.S.E. (Committee on Special Education) both during the school year and for annual review. He is a co-advisor for Peer Leadership and trains staff and students in peer mediation. Scott runs all aspects of the schools Dukane video distribution system. He is N.Y.S. certified in Special Education (K-12), Reading and Elementary Education. Tina Grippa has been a special educator for over 18 years. She has experience working with pre-school through secondary levels. The last six years have been devoted to working with the PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) spectrum student. This includes Autistic and Asperger’s youngsters. She currently teaches middle school at Western Suffolk BOCES, 5th-8th grade PDD students.

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