Ms. Abreu is Franklin School’s ESL teacher. Ms. Abreu
graduated from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a B.A. in Forensic Psychology.
She received her teacher certification from Kean University, where she is
currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in English as a Second Language
Education. In addition to teaching, Ms. Abreu loves music, dancing and spending time with friends
and family.
Mr. Akbar is
one of Franklin's fifth grade teachers. He graduated from Connecticut University. Mr. Akbar loves to teach. He says, "It's great for someone to
learn!" His favorite subject in
school was history. He expressed,
"If someone doesn't know their past, they're never going to know their
future." In addition to teaching he
likes to coach sports like football.
Mrs. Andrews
graduated from Trenton State College with a B.S. in Elementary Education. She received a Master's Degree in
Administration and Supervision from Rutgers University. In addition to teaching, she enjoys traveling
and spending time with her family.
Mr. Antunes
graduated from Kean University with a B. A. in Elementary
Education and Psychology. He has since
received his Master's degree in Educational Psychology. He is currently
studying to be a Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant at Kean University and works part-time at Union County College.
Ms. Bentley
is a lifelong Rahway resident and a graduate of the University of Dayton in Ohio. She double majored in
elementary and special education. Ms.
Bentley currently teaches fourth grade.
Her interests include reading, camping, listening to music, and of
course, teaching and working with children. She also likes traveling,
especially to the Jersey shore.
Mrs. Blanchard
received a B.A. in Special Education and Elementary Education from Jersey City
State College, an M.A. in Teaching and Learning from NOVA Southeastern University, and attended graduate classes
at Seton Hall University. Prior to teaching in Rahway, she taught at the Scotch
Plains-Fanwood High School for 8 years. She has been part of the Franklin School staff since 1986, and is a
member of the school's Professional Development and Crisis Intervention
Committees. She also serves as member of
the Intervention and Referral Services team. In her spare time she enjoys
decorating, music, sailing and spending time with her family.
Mr.
Breitbarth started teaching Special Education in Rahway in 1990. He was graduated from the University of Akron. He taught middle school in there for three
years, and was then in the auto parts industry for twelve years before coming
to Franklin School. His
interests include photography, golf and old cars.
Mrs. Brugger
has been a teacher in Rahway since 1975. For the past eight years, she has been a
Reading Recovery/Early Literacy teacher at Franklin School. She graduated from Kean University with a degree in Elementary
Education. She has a Master's Degree in Reading Specialization and
certification in Early Childhood, as well as Administration and Supervision. In
her spare time she enjoys spending time with her extended family, traveling,
collecting pigs and teaching aerobics.
Mrs.
Buitrago began teaching first grade at Franklin School in 1999. She is very excited to be teaching at Franklin School because she has been a
lifelong Rahway resident.
Mrs. Buitrago grew up playing and coaching soccer in the Rahway Youth
Soccer Association. She received her B. A. in Elementary Education graduating
with honors. Mrs. Buitrago was the
captain of her Division I soccer team in college. In 2003 she completed her Master's degree in
Educational Technology, and has also completed her media specialist and administration
certifications.
Ms. Cardet
is a fifth grade teacher. She graduated from Kean University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree
in Elementary Education and Psychology.
In her spare time Ms. Cardet enjoys spending time with her dog 'Muggs'
and participating in water sports.
Mrs Campesi
(formerly Ms. Deegan) teaches fourth grade. She has received a Bachelor of Arts degree
from St. John's University in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology
and with a minor in Spanish. She also
has her Master's in Elementary Education from Farleigh Dickinson
University. In her spare time, Mrs. Campesi enjoys traveling, music, writing and spending time
with friends and family.
Mrs. Cesare
is a graduate of Seton Hall University with a Bachelor's Degree in
Elementary Education. She also has her Master's degree with a focus in Reading
and Literacy from Walden University. She is currently teaching kindergarten.
Mrs. Cesare enjoys scrap booking, reading and spending time with her husband
and son. Her Paraprofessional is Mrs. Lisa Crespo.
Mrs. Cilia
began teaching in Rahway in January of 1974, after having taught first
grade at St. Joseph the Carpenter School in Roselle for three years. After
spending twenty-one years in the classroom (twenty in first grade), Mrs. Cilia
earned her certification as an Associate Media Specialist and is now the
Librarian and Gifted and Talented teacher at Franklin School. She serves as the
Program Chair for Franklin's PTA and is a member of the
building Professional Development Team. She enjoys cooking for her family, and
in her spare time enjoys working on counted cross-stitch projects.
Mr. Crisafi
began teaching at Franklin School in November of 1999. He graduated from Governor Livingston High School in 1986 where he was a member
of the varsity football and wrestling teams.
He earned a B.A. in communications from Ramapo College in 1991, and became an
educator through the Alternate Route program. He has recently completed his Masters in
Education at St. Peter's College in Jersey City.
Mrs. Dunn is
a life long resident of Rahway and graduate of Mount Saint
Mary's College in Maryland. She currently teaches kindergarten. Mrs. Dunn is married and has two children.
Mrs. Fagan
is a fourth grade teacher. She received
a B.A. as a Teacher of the Hearing Impaired, and certification in Elementary
and Special Education from Kean University.
Mrs. Fagan earned her M.A. in Teaching and Learning from Nova University. She is married and has a daughter and a son.
In her spare time Mrs. Fagan enjoys reading and camping, especially in the Adirondack Mountains.
Ms. Farrar
was born, raised and educated in Rahway. She performed community service through Girl
Scouts and Rahway Hospital. She attended Rutgers University and graduated with a B.A. in
psychology. Her professional experience
includes music advertising, the teaching of autistic children, kindergarten and
other elementary grades. Ms. Farrar currently teaches fourth grade. She enjoys music, reading, and spending time
with family and friends.
Mrs. Gallo
received a B.A. in Elementary Education from Seton Hall University and a Master's Degree in Early
Childhood Education from Kean University. Prior to teaching Preschool, she taught in Rahway High School for a year and second grade
for three years in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Mrs.
Gallo is a proud member of the Rahway Foundation for Excellence in
Education. When not in school, she enjoys
spending special times with her two young daughters and her husband. She also enjoys playing softball and taking
many trips with her family.
Mrs. Gent
has been teaching in Rahway since 1974.
She received a B.A. in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in
Early Childhood Education from Kean University. Currently Mrs. Gent is a Basic Skills
teacher. Previously she taught first and
second grade. She was a Leader Teacher,
working with the Merck Institute for Science Education. In addition Mrs. Gent is a member of the Franklin School's Professional Development
Team and the Central Professional Development Team. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music,
reading, and traveling.
Mrs. Harris loves being a preschool teacher at Franklin school. Her dream to become a teacher was fulfilled
when she graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education and Psychology
from Kean University. Prior to her
teaching career, Mrs. Harris was a registered nurse for 20 years. As a nurse,
she worked in an intensive care unit, in a doctor’s office, and as a private
duty nurse. Mrs. Harris and her husband
have lived in Rahway since 1984, and are the parents of two college-age
students. Her hobbies include cooking,
gardening, photography, the theater, and traveling.
Mr. Hillegas
is a third grade teacher at Franklin School. He graduated from Kean College with a B.S. in Management
Science. He returned to school to
receive his teaching certification. He is
originally from Ohio, although he enjoys his residency in New Jersey. He enjoys the arts, theater, and reading.
Mrs. Hinton
came to Rahway in 2000.
She previously worked in New York for eighteen years and holds a
Masters degree in Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Mrs. Hinton enjoys traveling and dreams of
visiting Alaska in the near future. Mrs. Hinton is married to Roger Hinton and
together they have four young children.
Mrs. Jordan was raised and educated in Rahway. She is a graduate of Rutgers University with a B.A. in Economics and
African Studies. Mrs. Jordan also earned a Master's Degree
from St. Peter's College in Administration and Supervision. She has taught in Rahway since 1998. Mrs. Jordan has also taught in Newark, NJ and Atlanta, GA. In her free time she enjoys spending time on
the beach and with her family.
Mr. K.
teaches art at Franklin School and Madison School.
Mrs. Kennedy
attended Kean University and received a degree in Early
Childhood Education. She began her
teaching career in Rahway. She has
been a preschool, basic skills, and kindergarten teacher. She truly loves teaching kindergarten and
watching young children become excited about learning. Mrs. Kennedy has lived in Rahway for most of her life. She has been involved in many community
affairs. Her family consists of her
husband, Jim, the mayor of Rahway; her son, Sean, and her cat,
Elmo. In her spare time, she enjoys
reading, gardening, and politics.
Mrs. Kropoth
is a lifelong resident of Rahway and a product of the Rahway School system. She attended Roosevelt School and the Rahway Junior High School before being graduated from Rahway High School. Mrs. Kropoth has a B.A. degree from Rutgers University, where she majored in History
and obtained her teaching certification.
She was made a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society while at Rutgers. She taught social studies to seventh and
eighth graders. Mrs. Kropoth also holds
a law degree from Seton Hall Law School. She practiced law prior to returning to
teaching. Mrs. Kropoth has a Master's
Degree in Reading and Early Literacy.
She served as PTA President at Roosevelt School and is a PTA lifetime member. She has served on the Rahway Board of
Education and is presently the President of the Rahway Foundation for
Excellence in Education. She is married
with two children. Mrs. Kropoth enjoys
photography, art, the beach, and going to her children's hockey games and swim
meets. Mrs. Aurelia Guardada works with
Mrs. Kropoth as a paraprofessional. Mrs.
Guardado is married and has two daughters.
She loves working in Kindergarten!
Mrs. Lampert is one of Franklin School’s second grade teachers. She earned a B.A. in Psychology and Elementary
Education from Kean University and a B.S. in Business from Montclair State
University. She is currently pursuing a
Master of Education degree in Educational Technology Management from
Northcentral University. Mrs. Lampert
began her teaching career in
2000 as a student teacher in a 4th grade classroom at Roosevelt School.
She has also taught Kindergarten at Franklin School, as well as 1st
grade at Madison School. Mrs. Lampert is married and has one son.
Miss
Lerner is the Kindergarten Bilingual Teacher at Franklin School. She started as an English as a Second
Language Teacher for the district in 2003.
She received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Rutgers University. She received her ESL certification and
Bilingual/Bicultural Master's Degree from Kean University. After school, Miss Lerner spends her time
coaching a high school cheerleading team.
Mrs. Lopez recently graduated from the
Bloomfield College Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program. She was a student-teacher at Franklin School last year in Mrs. Kennedy’s kindergarten
class. Prior to moving to New Jersey, Mrs. Lopez lived in NYC, where she
attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and received a B.S. in
Marketing. She has been a Rahway resident for the past five years, along
with her husband, Ray, her son, Justice, and her daughter, Autumn. Mrs. Lopez is very excited to be teaching 3rd
grade this year!
Ms. Makowka
is a graduate of Monmouth University. She joined the Franklin School faculty in the fall of
1999. She is currently completing her
Master's Degree in Educational Psychology at Kean University. Ms. Makowka is a welcome addition to our
resource room and in class support program.
Mrs.
Maher is our nurse. Although, she has
been a nurse for 22 years, she just became a certified School Nurse this past
June. Prior to becoming Franklin’s
School Nurse, Mrs. Maher was the Director of the Emergency Department at Christ
Hospital in Jersey City, Manager of the emergency department at Newark Beth
Israel Medical Center in Newark, NJ and was also the manager of the emergency
department at Elizabeth General where she worked for 16 years. Mrs. Maher is attending Kean University and
working towards her Masters in Nursing degree. In her spare time, Mrs. Maher’s hobbies
include gardening, cooking and eating.
She is currently taking a class to learn how to knit and crochet. Mrs. Maher married and has 14 year-old twins
that just started high school this year.
Mrs.
Manguin-Ng is the speech-language therapist at Franklin School. She received
her B.A. in Speech and Hearing Science and M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology
from Kean University. She holds a
Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) and is a current member of the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Mrs. Manguin pursued a
career in speech and language pathology because she sees speech and
communication as a very powerful tool that many people take for granted. Mrs.
Manguin enjoys dancing, singing, decorating, and spending time with her husband
and her son, Kyle.
Mr.
Miklowcic is Franklin School's instrumental music teacher. He graduated from Ithaca College.
Mrs. Molloy
was born and raised in Rahway. She was graduated from West Liberty State
College, in West Virginia, with a B.A. in
Education. She has been teaching in Rahway since 1982. She is married to a New York City Police
Detective and has two daughters. She
enjoys spending time with her family, watching the girls play soccer, going to
the theater, the beach, and reading.
Mrs. Nicoll
(formerly Ms. Romano) graduated from Kean University with a B.A. in Teacher of
the Handicapped. Mrs. Nicoll is one of the advisors of the Blue & Gold Club
at Franklin School. She plans on starting graduate school in the fall to pursue
a Masters of Science in Curriculum, Instruction and Technology. Mrs. Nicoll is very happy to be teaching at
Franklin Elementary School!
Mrs. Oliver (formerly
Ms. Blanchard) graduated from Kean University with her B.A. in Teacher of the
Handicapped. She later completed graduate school from Nova Southeastern
University with a Master’s of Science in Curriculum, Instruction and
Technology. Mrs. Oliver also holds a graduate certificate in Public Speaking
and Presentation Coaching from Kean University and an MBA in Entrepreneurial
Business from Seton Hall University. She is a certified Children’s Fitness
Specialist and a Business Etiquette Consultant. Currently Mrs. Oliver is an
adjunct professor at Kean University in the Communications department and is
also a doctoral candidate at Seton Hall University to pursue her PhD in Higher
Education. Mrs. Oliver is one of the advisors
of the Blue & Gold Club at Franklin School, as well as the Dance Team
advisor.
Ms.
Prakapas is thrilled to begin her teaching career in Rahway,
the same district in which she went to school!
She graduated with honors from Montclair State University with her B.A.
in Family and Child Studies and Elementary Education. She has been a substitute
teacher in Rahway for the past two years and is now a fifth grade teacher at
Franklin School. When she's not
teaching, Ms. Prakapas loves reading, the Yankees, the beach, and dance. She
has been taking dance classes since she was five years old and has taught dance
for the past four years. Ms. Prakapas looks forward to a great year with her
students!
Mrs. Reeseg
is a second grade teacher and science mentor at Franklin School. She graduated from Kean College with a B.A. in Elementary
Education/Reading, and a M.A. as a Reading Specialist. S he lives in Rahway
along with her husband, Dave, her three children, Alison, Amanda, and Charlie,
and her cocker spaniel, Molly. In her
spare time, she likes to spend time with her family, read, and watch the
Yankees, and decorate her new home.
Ms. Richert
joined the faculty in 2002 as a basic skills teacher, and is now teaching second
grade. She graduated from Ramapo College
with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Elementary Education a
Master's degree in Educational Technology.
In her spare time she enjoys playing soccer, skiing, and going to the
beach.
Ms. Rose was
born and raised in Rahway. She
attended Roosevelt Elementary School, Rahway Middle School, and Rahway High School. Ms. Rose was graduated from Kean University with a Bachelor's Degree in
Elementary Education and English. She is
currently attending Kean University pursuing a Master's Degree in
Reading Specialization. In her spare
time, Ms. Rose enjoys surfing, going to the beach, reading, and writing.
Mrs. Schmitt
was born and raised in Rahway, and thoroughly enjoys
teaching the children of Franklin School. She has demonstrated lessons in
"Technology for Children" at the New Jersey Education Association's
Convention in Atlantic City. She has also served on numerous education
committees. Mrs. Schmitt received a B.A.
from Kean University. She received a Master of Art in Teaching and
Learning and also completed a Master of Science in the Education of Young
Children. She is now teaching children
in grade three. She enjoys spending her
free time with her family and friends.
Mrs. Scipioni
was born and raised in Rahway. She graduated from Montclair State University with a Bachelor's Degree in
Early Childhood Education. Mrs. Scipioni
taught first grade for six years and is currently teaching second grade. She is currently pursuing her Master's Degree
in Educational Administration at Kean University. Her husband is also in education teaching
physics at Westfield High School. In her spare time, Mrs. Scipioni enjoys
reading books to her two daughters Gabriella and Isabella.
Ms. Sims has
taught fourth grade and basic skills.
She attended West Chester University and earned a B.S. in
Elementary Education with a minor in Reading. She has since earned her Master's degree in
Educational Technology from New Jersey City University. Mrs. Sims is a member of the Intervention and
Referral Service team. In her spare time
Ms. Sims enjoys spending time with her two sons.
Mr. Stravato
is the Physical Education teacher at Franklin School. He spent many years teaching at Rahway Middle School.
Mrs.
Tavares is the 1st grade bilingual teacher here at Franklin School. She graduated from Kean University
with
certifications in Elementary Education, Bilingual/Bicultural
Education, English as a Second Language and a minor in Spanish. She has been a teacher in the Rahway School
District since 2004. In her spare time she enjoys spending time
with her family, watching a good movie and going to the beach.
Ms. Ward
received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers with dual certification in
Early Childhood and Elementary Education.
Ms. Ward taught fourth grade at Grover Cleveland School before coming to Franklin in 1989 to teach first grade.
Mrs. Wilmot
graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, and her Master's
degree in Educational Technology from New Jersey City University. She is the basic skills teacher for grade
five. She facilitates the computer lab
at Franklin School. She is
also Franklin School's computer liaison. She is part of the ACOT and web teams. Prior to her current position, she spent many
years teaching fourth grade at Franklin School.
Mrs. Yedlock
has been teaching first grade at Franklin School since 2000. She graduated from Kean University majoring in Elementary
Education and Mathematics. She has
currently gone back to college to earn her master's degree in Reading
Specialization and Basic Skills. She
enjoys every minute she spends with her first graders. When she is not at school, Mrs. Yedlock
enjoys spending her free time with her husband and lovable dog, Oreo.
Secretaries
Mrs. Savard
Mrs. Ryan
Paraprofessionals
Mrs.
Blankenship
Mrs.
Bouchard
Ms. Caldwell
Mrs.
Conte-McLeod
Mrs. Crespo
Mrs. Delaney
Mrs.
Guardado
Mrs. Harby
Mrs. Mancias
Mrs. Nadler
Mrs. Petraroia
Mrs. Price
Mrs.
Rodriguez
Mrs. Shelmet
Mrs. Soto
Ms. Thomas
Child
Study Team
Philip
Morvitz - Psychologist
Margaret
Singler - LDTC
Debbie
Haynes - Counselor
Gin Russo -
Counselor
Katherine DeVito – Social