Park Street Academy preschool in Montclair, New Jersey, prides itself on having a professional faculty that facilitates learning using a positive, multi-modal and hands-on approach. Our Team Teachers are NJ State Certified in Early Childhood or maintain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. All remain current with teaching methodologies by participating in continuing education courses and seminars.
Each teaching team works together to provide an exciting learning experience in all the content areas for our students. While each teacher has their own style, the goal is always to develop self-esteem and love of learning.
Directors
Lisa Raphael
Director
Lisa is the Owner and Director of Park Street Academy, founding the school in July 1996. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and is New Jersey State Certified in Special, Elementary & Early Childhood Education, through William Paterson University. Lisa is also a certified Wilson® Dyslexia Practitioner. She earned her National Administrator Credential from the National Child Care Association (NCCA) and is a member of the Learning and the Brain Society, the National Autism Association, the Association of Supervision of Curriculum & Development (ASCD) and the American Camp Association. In 2015, Lisa became a member and certified instructor with New Jersey Workforce, a statewide initiative implementing systems to enhance preparation and continuing education of early childhood and afterschool practitioners. She is a recognized Child Development Associate (CDA) instructor and Professional Development Specialist with the National Council for Professional Recognition. Lisa has earned her advanced certification as a Nurtured Heart Approach Certified Trainer. As Lisa’s first love is being in the classroom, she teaches PSA’s Fine Arts classes to our Pre-K and Kindergarten students.
Sandy Weber
Business Director
Sandy joined PSA in 2000 after years in the fields of women’s health administration, small business management, general medical administration, family planning research, and community organizing. She has worked as the Coordinator of Outpatient OB/GYN services at Kings County Hospital Center and as the Director of the Community Family Planning Council’s Mobile Clinic program in the boroughs of New York City. Sandy has a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Adelphi University and a Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University, where her focus was women’s and children’s health.
Christine O’Gara Mazzacca
Assistant Director / Freshman Music Teacher
Christine earned her BA in Fine Art from Montclair State University and has over 25 years of experience working with young children. After working here as a Freshman teacher from 2006-2010, she took a position at the Newark Museum running programs for children and families. She also served as the Assistant Director of a daycare in Florham Park and was Assistant Director of Nemnet Minority Recruitment, a national teacher recruitment agency. Fortunately, Christine rejoined our Freshman Team in 2015 and became our Assistant Director in 2020. Her exceptional administrative and organizational skills contribute greatly to the smooth functioning of the school.
Freshman Team Teachers
Alexa Davis
Freshman Team Teacher / Summer Camp Director
Alexa has been a vital member of the PSA staff since 2000 when she became a teacher on our Freshman team. She holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. She created and taught for more than 20 years, several of our afternoon clubs, including Kids’ Café before passing those torches on to other staff. Now, when not with the Freshmen, Miss Alexa can be found planning, organizing, and directing our spectacular summer camp program. One only has to see her lead camp “spirit days” to know that “we’ve got spirit, yes we do!!”
Brianne Gerne
Freshman Team Teacher / Professional Development Coordinator
The unflappable Miss Brianne joined our Freshman team in 2001 after attending Montclair State University and the Nursing Program at Mountainside Hospital. She holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Currently, she attends Essex County Community College toward an Associate’s degree in Social Sciences, after which she will pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Education. As our Professional Development Coordinator, Brianne connects our faculty to opportunities to maintain continuing education credits and to stay current on new research and techniques in early education. She also conducts orientation and training for new staff.
Grace Acheson
Freshman Team Teacher
Grace joined the Freshman Support Staff in September 2023 while attending Montclair State University, graduating In May 2025 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Family Science and Human Development. She transitioned to our Freshman Team Teaching staff in September 2025 and teaches Wiz Kids, our Wednesday afternoon science club as well as Make & Take, our Tuesday afternoon crafts club. Grace spends time as a Child Life Volunteer doing play and pet therapy with pediatric hospital patients, and volunteers at Comfort Zone Camp, a bereavement and grief organization for kids.
Freshman Support Staff
Lenka Schoonfield
Freshman Team Support
Lenka became part of the PSA family in 2020 as an afternoon teacher, before shifting to the Freshman team in 2021. She was an Assistant Teacher at the Early Learning Center in Fairfield, NJ, for 22 years, where she gained a wealth of experience and skills. We are thrilled that she was ready for a change, becoming a full-time, beloved member of our Freshman class. She is now working toward her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which she will complete in winter 2026. Lenka “speaks Freshman!”
Christina Miltner
Freshman Team Support
Christina is a student at Rutgers University where she majors in Criminal Justice. She will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in 2025. She joined our afternoon team in September 2020 and quickly became an integral member of our support staff. She is found with the Freshman class almost every afternoon. The skills she gained as a former coach in the North Arlington Recreational Cheer program have been put to good use as is the assistant teacher in our afternoon Gymnastics enrichment classes!
Jezely Yanes
Freshman and Sophomore West Team Support
Jezely joined our support team in November 2024. She is a student at Hudson County Community College where she’s studying Early Childhood Education. She had extensive experience as an in-home caretaker for young children prior to joining us at PSA. She is a delight to have on staff!
Sophia Velasquez
Freshman and Senior North Team Support
Sophia is a 2025 graduate of Nutley High School. Before joining our afternoon team, she had years of childcare experience babysitting and working as a camp counselor. She loves experimenting in the kitchen and plans to pursue a career in culinary arts. Sophia will divide her time between the Freshman and Senior North classrooms and may fill in as a sub when needed. We’re delighted to have her aboard!
Sophomore West Team Teachers
Amanda Rooney
Sophomore West Team Teacher
Originally joining PSA as a Senior South Team Teacher in early 2021, Amanda joined the Sophomore West team in July 2023. She has been an early childhood educator since 2005, teaching special education, Kindergarten, and 1st and 2nd grades, in several private schools and public-school districts. In addition, Amanda was the Center Director at Kiddie Academy in Florham Park for over three years. She holds a BA in Spanish with a Business minor from the College of Saint Elizabeth and has a K-8 Teaching Certification from Caldwell University. Amanda has the perfect touch for this young 3s class, rounding out a fantastic team!
Jessica Juhrden
Sophomore West Team Teacher / Social Media Manager
Joining us in summer 2021, Miss Jess realized her love of teaching while participating in a Future Educators of America program in high school, through which she led sports, science, art, and literacy activities for elementary school children. She holds an Associate degree in Early Childhood Education from Passaic County Community College and a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Jess has worked with disabled children at the Roberto Clemente School in Passaic and was a Lead Teacher at Lightbridge Academy in Millburn. In addition to team teaching in Sophomore West, Jess is responsible for creating our adorable and often hilarious social media posts on Instagram and Facebook. Check them out at Park Street Academy Montclair!
Rebecca (Becky) Bastien
Sophomore West Team Teacher
Becky joined PSA in 2022, immediately becoming a critical member of the Sophomore West team. She has worked with young children since she was 16, including positions as a Lead Teacher at the Goddard School in West Orange and The Learning Experience in South Orange. Previously she was an Assistant Teacher in the preschool at the Maplewood YMCA for ten years. She will complete her BA in Early Childhood Education Administration at University of Phoenix in 2025. Becky loves and excels at teaching art to her students!
Sophomore West Support Staff
Yerithzia Gallegos
Sophomore West Team Support
A student at Essex County College studying accounting, Yerithzia joined our support staff in 2024. She has worked with young children both as a babysitter, and at Build-A-Bear, which she described as great fun! Yerithzia has a warm smile and a gentle approach, and we are delighted to have her on our staff!
Sophomore East Team Teachers
Lisa Howard (aka “the other Miss Lisa”)
Sophomore East Team Teacher
Originally joining the PSA family as a parent, Lisa holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Pace University and had twenty years of experience working in finance and managing computer information systems prior to making a career change. Fortunately for us, it became clear that her heart and passion were in early childhood education. Lisa earned her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and joined our faculty in 2005.
Sabrina Hodgson
Sophomore East Team Teacher
Sabrina attended County College of Morris and Montclair State University, majoring in Early Childhood Development. She was a head teacher at Executive Kids in Cedar Grove for three years and holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. After working in our summer program, we drafted Sabrina into our permanent staff as a Sophomore Team Teacher in 2016. Sabrina is responsible for planning and teaching Kids’ Café, our super popular cooking club on Friday afternoons.
Daniela Wahlers
Sophomore East Team Teacher
Daniela joined our afternoon team in 2020 and has been a member of the Sophomore East Team since September 2022. She has an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education & Family Studies from the County College of Morris, as well as a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Prior to PSA, Daniela was a teaching assistant at First Mountain Preschool in West Orange and a camp counselor in the West Orange Summer Recreation Program. We are grateful Daniela brings her spirit and energy to PSA.
Sophomore East Support Staff
Ayanna Brantley
Sophomore East Support
Ayanna originally joined us as part of her Senior Option internship through Montclair High School in the spring of 2022. She was so terrific, we hired her as a full-time summer camp counselor. She now attends Montclair State University where she is majoring in Exercise Science. You can find her helping in the Sophomore East class most afternoons. She loves fitness and basketball and is a natural to assist in our afternoon Tennis and Super Sports enrichment classes!
Tahir Parrish
Sophomore East Support
Hard to believe that at 6 feet, 2 inches tall, Tahir was once a PSA student, but he’s a 2010 Pre-K alum! He graduated from Montclair High School in 2023, after joining us as a student intern in his senior year. He has been a fantastic full-time counselor in summer camp program since 2023. A student at Hampshire College studying film, Tahir has joined our afternoon team while taking a hiatus from his studies. He said that he loves the sense of teamwork at PSA and being in a comforting, community environment. We are delighted he’s back on staff!
Senior South Team Teachers
Carmel Mansfield
Senior South Team Teacher
Carmel was born in Southern Ireland, County Tipperary, and moved to the United States as a teenager. Employed as a nanny for a Montclair family for twenty years, she later attended Dover Business College and received her Patient Care Technician certification for nursing. Fortunately for us, Carmel redirected her career to early childhood education and earned her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential before bringing her Irish wit and wisdom, and incredible creativity, to the Senior South team in 2017.
Maya Roberts
Senior South Team Teacher
A Montclair native, Maya joined our afternoon staff in September 2021. After attending Teachers College of New Jersey (TCNJ), studying Early Childhood Education and English, she transferred to Montclair State University where she is a part-time student pursuing a Bachelors in Family Science and Human Development. Maya is credentialed as a Child Development Associate (CDA). With her experience as a substitute teacher in each of our classes, and as the teacher for Book Crew, our afternoon literature club, Maya became a Team Teacher in Senior South in September 2024. Her easy-going nature is loved by students and staff alike.
Dhara Vaishnav
Senior South Team Teacher
Dhara joined us in the fall of 2024, after working at MMO preschool in Montclair, first as an assistant teacher, and for two years as a Lead Teacher. Dhara has a Bachelors degree from Montclair State University, where she majored in Justice Studies with a concentration in Justice and Families. She also has a Paralegal Certificate from Ramapo College. Lucky for us, her career path took a turn to early childhood education. Dhara will achieve her CDA credential in the fall of 2025. Fun facts: In her spare time, Dhara is a wedding coordinator with a specialty in planning South Asian weddings, and studies semi-classical Bollywood dance! We are thrilled to have her on the Senior South team!
Senior South Support Staff
Karenna Azcona
Senior South Support
Karenna joined our support staff in the spring of 2024. She completed her first two years of college at Montclair State University after graduating from Cicely Tyson Performing & Fine Arts High School. She has had administrative experience in two small businesses and has proven to be a natural working with young children!
Senior North Team Teachers
Rose Marie Petrucelli
Senior North Team Teacher
“Miss Ro” graduated from Kean University with a BA in Early Childhood Education and has been a preschool educator since 1980. Prior to joining PSA’s Senior North Team in 2011, she was a teacher and director at Suburban Hills School, a teacher and director at the Essex County Child Care Center, and a preschool teacher in the Totowa and Caldwell public school systems. Miss Ro has expertise in teaching, management and curriculum development. She also has boundless energy and a creative spirit!
Inuka Ivaska
Senior North Team Teacher
Inuka Ivaska became a Team Teacher in the Senior North team in September 2023, having joined us the year prior as a support team member and substitute teacher. A graduate of Duquesne University, she has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. Inuka combined her passion for theatre with her love of children, working with numerous regional and off-Broadway theater companies, performing all over the world. Her work with Dance.Laugh.Learn. gave her the opportunity to bring yoga, music, and dance to children in New York City schools, so naturally, we enlisted her to teach our Thursday afternoon Performing Arts club! Inuka’s teaching experience includes working as an Assistant and Lead Teacher in several early childhood programs including Lightbridge Academy and Mighty Sprouts Montessori. She has her Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and has taken numerous classes toward a Master’s in Early Childhood Education. We are delighted that Inuka has brought her many talents to PSA!
Lucas McClendon
Senior North Team Teacher
Former staff member Lucas McClendon has returned to PSA in September 2025 to join the Senior North Team! Lucas (pronounced “Luca”) joined the Senior North support staff in 2020 and remained here throughout his college years. He graduated from Montclair State University in May 2025 with a degree in Early Childhood Education with a co-concentration in Mathematics, after completing his student teaching at the Montclair Community Pre-K. We are thrilled to have Lucas back, now as a full member of the Senior North Team. HIs energy and enthusiasm are a great asset to the team!
Senior North Support Staff:
Guadalupe Coahuilas
Senior North Team Support
A student at Essex County Community College, Guadalupe is in the nursing program studying to be an LPN. She joined our support staff in the fall of 2024. She worked as an Activity Assistant at St. Joseph’s Senior Home in Woodbridge, where she planned, organized, and led activities for senior residents. She is an important member of our afternoon staff, working primarily with the Senior North team.
Kara Jiang
Senior North Team Support
Kara joined PSA through the Montclair High School Career Internship Program (CIP) in May 2025, and subsequently joined us as a camp counselor and now as a Senior North Support Team member. They plan to pursue a career in child psychology, so they are appreciating this experience working with young children in our school.
Additional Staff:
Lissette Velasquez
Spanish Teacher for Senior North and Senior South
Proficient in Spanish, Lissette joined our faculty as a Senior North Team Support in January 2025. As of September 2025, she transitioned to teaching Spanish to our Pre-K and Kindergarten students each week. Lissette has worked as a head teacher in a toddler classroom at The Brunswick School, and as an in-class support teacher in the North Bergen School District. She’s also a certified yoga instructor, teaching in Nutley.
Maria Pena Batista
Custodian
Being responsible for the cleaning and sanitizing of a preschool is no small task anytime, let alone when she joined us at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. A native of the Dominican Republic, Miss Maria worked for several years as a Home Health Aide. She joined us in July 2020 and ensures that our facility and its contents are clean and safe. She knows all the children and loves to lend a hand to the Seniors during Fine Arts classes. Maria does an exceptional job, and we are grateful to have her in the PSA family!
