Manhattan School for Children Newsletter September, 1999

Rachel Carr - Fifth Grade: Hi, this is my third year at MSC. I have the pleasure of being the fifth grade teacher. It has been a wonderful experience so far, and each year gets better. I have enjoyed meeting the children and families of the MSC community, as well as working with my colleagues.

I completed my undergraduate studies at Stanford University and my graduate work at Bank Street College of Education. I became interested in education as a result of some counseling work I did in a high school in San Francisco. I later became part of Teach For America and (after student teaching in Los Angeles) was given the opportunity to teach in New York.

During the last nine years in the field I have worked with grades Kindergarten through five. Part of this experience included coordinating the kindergarten through second grade after school segment of Decatur-Clearpool's Extended Day Program. Each aspect of my profession work has served to help me value the importance of community in implementing effective education for children.

Debi Sandella - Fifth Grade: Hi. I am very excited to be a part of the Manhattan School for Children this year. Although I am a recent graduate of City College, I bring my 12 years of experience as a parent in the public schools with me. In addition to working at River East Elementary in District Four last year, I have spent time substituting at several alternative schools throughout Manhattan. I am thrilled to be working with the fifth grade this year, and have taken specific science and math programs over the summer to make our explorations together as exciting as possible.

On the personal side, I live with my husband Vinny in Brooklyn Heights. We have three daughters, ages 16, 13 and 6. I love to read science fiction, and cook for lots of people and take walks on the beach. I like to study nature and the world around us, and love listening to a variety of music. What I like most, though, is meeting and getting to know new people, something I will be spending a lot of time doing this year.

Phil Bildner - Sixth Grade Humanities Core: I'm going to be teaching sixth grade core. I'm thirty-one years old and have been teaching in the New York City public schools for the last five years. I took a rather roundabout route to arrive at MSC and would love to tell you about it. I grew up on Long Island and then I went to the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where I received my degree in political science. I the attended New York University School of Law and received my JD in 1993. After law school, I went to work for a large New York City law firm, but it didn't take me long to realize this was NOT what I wanted to be doing. I always enjoyed working with children so I decided to make a change - it was the best decision I ever made. In 1994, I began teaching at the West Farms School in District 12 in the Bronx where I taught for the last five years. I also went back to school at night and received my Masters Degree in education.

Now for the good stuff. I love to have fun. I play most sports, especially baseball, basketball and running - I've run the NYC marathon twice. In the winter, I love to go snow boarding, though I'm still learning, and in the summer I love doing anything outdoors. I enjoy music (everything from Dave Matthew to Lauryn Hill to Garth Brooks) and was even able to incorporate music and song lyrics into my classroom curriculum. Finally, I love to write. I've written several children's picture books and young adult novels, and my first one will be published this year.

Mariam Salari - Sixth Grade Humanities Core: I am teaching sixth grade core and a test prep class. This is my first year at MSC and I am excited about working with everyone here. I moved to New York City two years ago from Louisiana and completed my masters at Teachers College in 1998. Last year, I taught ninth grade at Richard Green High School of Teaching. Currently, I live on the Upper West Side and am pursuing a doctorate degree in communications at Columbia University. I enjoy swimming, watching movies, and trying new foods. I am looking forward to meeting all of the parents and students.

Buck Creamer -- Sixth/Seventh Science Core: Hi. My name is Clyde Howard Creamer, but everyone calls me Buck. I grew up in the Los Angeles area, got married in St. Louis and completed my undergraduate work in music. I completed my Masters in Education in Cleveland Ohio. I have two grown children. I have taught first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades as well as all grades in Middle School. I was the co-director of the Brooklyn New School for 2 years. I'm looking forward to working at MSC as the 6/7 grade science teacher.

Kara Imm - Sixth/Seventh Grade Math Core: Hello there!
My name is Kara Imm and I will be teaching sixth and seventh grade math this year. I grew up in Minneapolis, MN (where my family still lives), and have also spent several years in the San Francisco Bay Area before coming to New York.

I arrived in New York in July 1998 as a graduate student at Bank Street College's Early Adolescence Program. After completing my master's project, I will receive my master's degree this spring. When I am not teaching you might find me in the swimming pool, on the tennis or racquetball court, cooking or baking a little something in the kitchen, or doing some artwork.

I am delighted to be teaching and learning in this vibrant community that we call Manhattan School for Children. You should know that I think of "my" classroom (419) as "our" classroom, and look forward to your visits this year.

Narayha Jolly - Seventh Grade Humanities Core: This summer I completed my Masters at the Bank Street College of Education. I have spent the past year student teaching at the Manhattan School for Children, the Academy of Environmental Science and the Bank Street School for Children in sixth, seventh and eighth grades respectively. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1993, I moved to Vermont where I worked for several years as a resident organizer developing housing cooperatives for mid-low income families. I then moved to South America for a year where I spent time in the temperate rain forest of southern Chile and taught English in Argentina. Upon returning to the United States I worked with the YWCA studying the effects of various community programs nationwide on pregnancy prevention and risk behavior in early adolescents. Back in New York City, my hometown, I feel committed to public education and advocating for our middle school children. My passions include West African dance, movement, acting and social justice. I am looking forward to teaching English/Social Studies Core to 7th graders at the Manhattan School for Children in the fall.