Two-Three Year Old Teachers

Carly Blazinski
Working with children has always been a passion of mine. I studied Early Childhood Education at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania where I received my Bachelors Degree. I have experience in preschool through fourth grade classrooms as well as special education. Prior to joining the TBS community I was a nanny in Needham for many years. (I also was a nanny for a few TBS families!) As an educator, it is important for me to provide children with a safe, nurturing, and warm classroom environment. I strive to give children the opportunities to explore, create and engage in play-based learning experiences. Being able to guide children this way and offer support when needed gives them the opportunity to learn and grow in their own way. I am so excited to be at TBS and expand my experience and knowledge as a teacher!
Jennifer Reiling 
I graduated from Smith College with a degree in Psychology and I have been teaching preschool for 18 years. Prior to coming to TBS I taught at Explorations, a preschool in Medfield and at Dover Nursery School. I am passionate about working with children and creating a nurturing, rich environment in which children can grow and learn.  A strong sense of community and building relationships with the children and their families is a very big part of that environment. Learning begins with play and I believe in being on the floor right along with the children. As the children share with me I like to share with them and I try to bring my love of reading, art and the outdoors into the classroom.
Sarah Pultz

At the core of my educational philosophy, I truly believe that “it takes a village.” I am committed to developing strong relationships with the children, families and staff of our school working together to create a safe and supportive atmosphere.  Children are innately curious about the world and learn through a variety of experiences and access points.   By encouraging children to interact with their environment, ask questions and try new things, we enable children to learn in a meaningful and authentic way. I have an interdisciplinary approach to teaching which brings many subject areas together and encourages self-expression.  I am a certified, licensed Elementary School teacher with a Bachelor of Visual Arts from UMASS Amherst and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Simmons College. I have over 10 years of teaching experience with children from Infants through 5th Grade. 
Gitta Garrity
Originally from Sweden, I bring over 25 years of experience in early childhood education. I taught preschool in several local schools for about seven years before becoming a nanny (including for several TBS families!) I have  also been a substitute teacher at TBS. In those roles I worked with a variety of different curricula and with children from various backgrounds and learning needs. 
Renee Rull
My degree in art education helps me to nurture the creative spirit of each child. I am also an experienced teacher of children with special needs, having taught one on one and small groups at the elementary level with children with special needs. I first came to Temple Beth Shalom as a substitute teacher and since then have taught many age groups, from age two through five. 
Sophia Brescia
I developed love for children while engaging in various positions anywhere from mother’s helper to working at a daycare center. I am an early child education major at American University and working at TBS Children's Center allows me the hands on experience I’d like to gain. I strongly believe that all children should get equal learning opportunities and care to strive in the world. Working with children I love being a part of their lives, watching them grow and flourish. 
Karen Cohen
I love to help Judaism come alive for children and to support families in their Jewish explorations. I have led Tot Shabbat and High Holiday services for around 15 years at both Temple Aliyah, Needham and Temple Emanuel, Newton. Some of my favorite activities with children are reading with small groups, baking and cooking projects, immersive art experiences and helping the children negotiate the social dynamics as they move about the classroom. Two of my four children have attended TBSCC and I have been inspired to teach here as a result of seeing the benefits of the positive child-centered environment. I have a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania as well as a Master’s in Jewish Communal Service  and Certificate in Jewish Special Education from Gratz College. 
Erica Cohen 
I have a Masters in Early Childhood Education and Bachelors in Education and Sociology and over 12 years of experience teaching young children. Before arriving at Temple Beth Shalom I taught two to five year olds at Soule Early Childhood Center in Brookline. I also taught at Gan Yeladim JCC Early Learning Center, the Hills and Falls Nursery School. and in the Newton Public Schools, where I worked with children with special needs.
Brianna Batard-Pierre
I have a BA from Fisher College and before coming to TBS I worked at the Boys & Girls Club of MetroWest where I supported students with on-the-job youth development training and helped to run programs and events.
    Elise Mashimo
    ​    As the oldest sibling, my passion for being an educator stems from my own childhood, in which I took on the role of a caretaker for my younger brothers. Throughout my own educational experiences, I have discovered ways to incorporate a variety of learning strategies, and that has encouraged me to fulfill a career in early childhood education. Prior to teaching at TBS, I have worked directly with families with children of different learning capacities for the past 10 years. From these experiences, I have learned the importance of creating a rich and unique learning environment and providing a multitude of development opportunities so each individual child can prosper. My goal is to form a connection with each child and their learning habits so that I can facilitate their growth and development. I also know the importance of keeping families involved with their child's learning process, so I intend to incorporate parental suggestions and feedback. In my classroom, each child will be given a safe place to initiate and embark on their own learning journey and feel comfortable being able to express themselves.
    Michelle Voskov 
    I graduated with my Masters in Literacy and Language Education from Boston University. Before joining the Temple Beth Shalom community, I was a lead teacher at the Early Childhood Learning Lab at BU. I believe in fostering children’s love of learning by providing rich play based experience and strive to build strong connections with children and their families. ​
    Liz Stoll
    ​I have taught children of all ages as well as parents in a variety of settings including preschool, summer camp, JCC, Jewish day school, and local parks. In all cases, I aim to make learning active and fun, while engaging and nurturing the whole child. I love how observant and curious preschool aged kids are, especially when they are outside in nature. I have a bachelor’s degree in biology from Brown University, a master’s degree in education leadership from Columbia Teachers College, and a master’s degree in Judaic studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Celebrating Jewish holidays has always been joyful for me and my family, and I love making Judaism relevant, meaningful, and joyful for other families too. At TBS, I look forward to connecting with old and new friends and sharing my appreciation of nature and Jewish holiday traditions with the community. When I’m not teaching, you can find me experimenting in the garden and kitchen, hiking, swimming, and eating tasty vegetarian food with my husband and our two sons.
    Stephanie Derkautsan
    My Jewish education began when I was thirteen, and I begged my parents to join a temple so I could have a bat mitzvah. Since then I went on to study Judaism at Gann Academy,  Sociology and Anthropology at Roger Williams, and then continued to get my masters in Jewish Early Childhood Education at Hebrew College. I began teaching five years ago and have had the opportunity to work with children of all ages from twelve months to fifth grade. I believe the purpose of education is to support each child developing their best self. It has been a privilege being a member of the Jewish community and it is my hope to share that joy with my students. ​​
    Elsa Maldonado
    I have an extensive teaching background and have taught preschool and kindergarten for the past 20 years. Before arriving at TBS, I taught at the Kindergarten Center at Sudbury Extended Day and at Little Red Wagon in Newton. I grew up in Peru and studied Early Childhood Education at Century College in Vancouver, British Columbia. I love to learn and frequently take classes in early childhood education, bringing new ideas and skills to the classrooms. 
    Gabi Soble
    It is a privilege and an honor to work in a school environment that is child-focused, warm, caring, safe, educational and geared towards the individual development of each child. I continue to be inspired by teachers’ focus on the students while we create a creativity-inspired learning environment. I love teaching in a Jewish school. Shabbat is a favorite time each week, enabling me to share my own love of Shabbat and Judaism with my students. 
    Skyndy Suffron
    I feel in love with early childhood after spending the summers assisting my mother in her role as a kindergarten teacher. I have always been amazed by how a child’s brain works. When I took my first class in human development, I was hooked! Before coming to TBS I taught toddlers at the Rock & Roll Preschool in Cambridge and The Institute for Pan African Cultural Education in Boston. I love the way toddlers ask questions and notice so many things that the adults around them never stop to see. I have an Associates of Science in Early Childhood Education from Urban College of Boston and am currently earning my Bachelors in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University.