More about Henal coming soon!

More about Josefa coming soon!

More about Sarahi coming soon!

Rhina Bueno is a dynamic and hardworking person who is very passionate about children. Rhina is currently studying Early Childhood Education at Union County College. She had previously worked with children as an assistant in a pediatrician's office and it was a successful experience. She is very excited to be a part of this wonderful team and eager to provide all the knowledge and support necessary for student growth and development.

Before joining the TOA team, Dionna worked for Bright Horizons for two years before leaving, receiving her CDA certificate in July 2019. After that experience, Dionna worked for the East Orange Headstart program during which she began her journey to Grand Canyon University, where she is studying to recieve her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education

Dionna is the oldest of three and currently resides in Somerset, NJ. In her spare time, Dionna loves to listen to music, paint, and do yoga. Dionna is excited to be joining the TOA family and can’t wait to see what's in store this upcoming year!

Danielle is excited to join the TOA team, and is a welcomed addition who shares our vision in developing successful young learners.

Danielle is a graduate of NYIT where she earned a BFA in Graphic Design. After having a successful corporate career in marketing, she decided to make a career change and raise her young children. Her creative background and love for children provided the perfect opportunity to instruct an arts and crafts class at P.E.P Club, a mommy and me enrichment program. She then worked at The Sundance School where she spent five years in the preschool program as both assistant teacher and Group Leader for the three-year-old class. With her patience and dedication she provided a nurturing environment where all her students could thrive.

Danielle resides in Warren with her husband and 3 children. She and her family have a love and passion for athletics and the game of lacrosse. Danielle has been apart of the Warren community for 22 years where she has volunteered her time with the lacrosse youth organization and is a current member of the high school lacrosse booster association.

Genna is excited to be a part of the TOA@MTS family – she has always had a passion for working with young children! Genna acquired her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from Raritan Valley Community College in 2019. She has over 8 years of experience in a variety of settings, including in classrooms, volunteering with various organizations, and babysitting!

Outside of working with children, Genna loves to bake homemade bread, in particular soft pretzel rolls. She is a lover of cheese pizza and loves reviewing different pizzerias around NJ and NYC! Genna also loves honing her skill as a trained performance clown, which allows her to think of fun out of the box ways to make children smile! Finally, Genna is a trained puppeteer which brings a new modem of learning to preschool classrooms!

Genna says, “I can’t wait to help your children grow and learn in a super fun and engaging way this year!”

More about Michelle coming soon!

Ruth has over 25 years of experience in early childhood and elementary education. She has studied Early Childhood Education and is certified in Technical Teaching and Child Development via San Martín de Porras university in Peru, NJCCIS, and CCEI. Her interest is in creative and STEAM education which have allowed her to incorporate real-life exploration in her lessons.

She loves working with children and enjoys fostering a secure and exciting learning environment where the students can achieve their full potential. She had the opportunity to teach abroad and work with a wide array of student ages and populations. She is committed to creating a fun, safe, and inclusive learning environment for all students — with the goal of encouraging curiosity and thinking in new or different ways to sharpen their learning and critical thinking.

Beyond the classroom, Ruth loves to spend time and travel with her family and discover new places. She also loves to explore the outdoors with her grandchildren and tackle new crafting projects. She is very excited to be part of the wonderful team at the Orchard Academy and to support each student’s growth.

Kathleen has her B.S. from Rutgers University and has over 13 years of preschool experience. Kathleen began her early childhood venture by student teaching three year old children at Davidson Hall Psychology Daycare Center at Rutgers University. She also student taught at The Employees Center for Young Children at Merck Pharmaceuticals. Kathleen also has a tutoring business for children in grades 2 – 12.

“Children have the capability to be like little sponges—they take in as much education as presented to them. They learn and express the basic essentials of being kind, social, and loving so effortlessly. My passion inevitably lies in making sure I open up a new world of learning for young children, while establishing great teacher/parent partnerships.”

Perla is thrilled to be a part of the Orchard Academy. She has spent her life studying and working with children, including past years at TOA and summers formerly at Camp Harmony. She has years of experience babysitting children of ages, including long-term family relationships. Perla loves taking care of children and making sure they have positive experiences. Creating a trust between her and the children is key, ensuring their surroundings are always enjoyable and safe.

More about Bryce coming soon!

Yvonne Estrada has over 15 years of experience in education, working with all age groups and having gone to school to study Early Childhood Education. She worked for the New York City Board of Education for over 10 years along with an all-girls figure skating after school program for over a decade. Her love for watching and being part of her students’ growth and learning experiences is very rewarding. As she says, “Forming those bonds and trust with my students and their families is a major key in their education.”

Beyond her time at TOA, Yvonne is a mother of two adult children, a wife, and a grandmother to a beautiful baby girl. Her love for the outdoors includes camping, BBQs, going apple picking, and spending time with family and friends. Most of all, she loves spending time at the beach and vacationing with the summer and fall seasons being her favorite times of the year.

Martina Falgares has immersed herself in child care and early childhood education for over 21 years, holding assorted roles in school and home-based settings.  For the last 14 years, Martina has been an preschool educator and classroom head teacher, working with a wide array of student populations and subject areas including 2, 2 ½, 3 and 4 year old students.

Beyond the classroom, Martina has developed and facilitated both Mommy & Me and Toddlers in Transitions classes and has taught cooking and science-based enrichments.  For the past 10 years, Martina has spent her summers at Camp Harmony as a Group Leader for three years olds (Blueberry I), where she also holds the distinction of being a LiFER.

Martina holds her Certified Child Care Professional (CCP) accreditation from the National Early Childhood Program (NECPA) and her Au Pair Certification from Au Pair Homestay U.S.A, one of the nation’s leading approved Au Pair agencies.

Beyond the classroom, Martina and her husband Marc have two children of their own - their 18-year-old daughter, Alyssa, and 14-year-old son Anthony.

Kira is thrilled to be a part of The Orchard Academy team! With over six years of experience in childcare, Kira is passionate about hands on learning and creativity in the classroom. 

Kira is a 2022 honors graduate from Raritan Valley Community College and has been painting and drawing for as long as they can remember! Kira believes the best way to help every child shine is through their creativity. Kira is determined to make the classroom a fun, safe and nurturing place to let their students grow to their fullest potential! 

Kira currently resides in Bridgewater and enjoys creating art, taking care of their three cats, and traveling. They are excited for all this year has to offer and can’t wait to make the best of it! 

More about Olivia coming soon!

Rachelle is very excited to be joining the talented team of The Orchard Academy. She is currently going to Raritian Valley Community College for early childhood education and has been teaching for 4 years. She is certified in CPR and First Aid and has studied extensively about challenging behavior in an early childhood classroom setting. She also coaches high school field hockey at an all-girls academy. Rachelle is extremely passionate about working with children.

Rachelle feels there is nothing more satisfying than to see her students learning, especially by embracing creativity throughout her classroom. She loves waking up every day and going to school to see the kids' smiling faces. Rachelle also believes that children should be able to learn through hands-on experiences and especially by thinking outside of the box.

Rachelle’s on-going love for education and passion for working with children is fulfilling beyond words. For her, there is nothing better than being able to teach young minds in a positive way. She’s excited to start her first year at TOA@MTS!

More about Andrew coming soon!

More about Nick coming soon!

Jeime Martell is excited to be spending her days with her Orange Blossoms!

Having received her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education, Jeime has worked for the past seven years in preschool classrooms, holding roles as both an assistant and lead teacher. Jeime is a proud mother of three beautiful girls, Briana, 10, Mia, 4 and Amelia, 16 months and fell in love with early childhood education when she first became a parent. “I began to see how curious about the world my Briana was. I wanted to give her the tools for her best possible development during her childhood and so I made my decision to go to school and began my career as an educator.” Once she started working in a school setting, her passion grew stronger as she saw firsthand the influence that a teacher can have in the development of a child.

Jeime’s focus in her classroom is on creating hands-on, sensory based activities that allow children to grow naturally – a perfect fit for the TOA community.

More about Maggie coming soon!

Look for Melman hanging out in the halls, at special events, and dressed up to always join the fun!

More about Brenda coming soon!

More about Colin coming soon!

More about Alexis coming soon!

Kelly is a long-time, hard working and caring member of the TOA@MTS team.

Kelly has a bachelors degree in Psychology from Montclair State University and has spent a considerable amount of her career working with children. She is passionate and dedicated towards her students’ growth and development. She loves watching little personalities come into bloom.

Kelly looks forward to a happy and fun year!

More about Fatima coming soon!

Look for Roger hanging out in the halls, at special events, and dressed up to always join the fun!

More about Mayra coming soon!

More about Denise coming soon!

More about Lauren coming soon!

Marsha comes to The Orchard Academy with 26 years of teaching experience in early childhood education. She began her career as a computer programmer. After having children, she decided working in an office was not for her. She was asked to teach at a local preschool and fell in love with teaching early childhood. She became a Certified Early Childhood Educator through the National Child Care Association.

In her most recent position, Marsha was able to apply her passion for connecting children to nature, by developing a science curriculum for pre-k and kindergarten classes. She also taught physical education and sports, finding new and creative ways to help children develop their gross motor skills while having fun. She was responsible for creating school wide events such as Winter Olympics and Field Day for over 150 children. In her many years working in local preschools, Marsha has held many leadership roles, creating and coordinating a variety of enrichment programs and events. She is excited to bring her sensory approached learning style to our Sprouts program.

She has developed warm and lasting relationships with the families she has worked with and looks forward to continue this with the families here at Orchard. The highlight of her summers is working at Camp Harmony, where she has spent the last 11 summers.

Marsha loves to spend her free time in nature, hiking and kayaking, and volunteering in her community. She also loves spending time with her 5 grandchildren. She and Alex, our Property Manager, live with their 2 dogs, Bruiser and Emmitt.

Karen has been teaching dance, gymnastics, theater arts and early childhood movement for over 40 years. She has been an award-winning Choreographer The Central Jersey Dance Company for the past 36 years and has dedicated her life to working with and bringing movement to children.

Karen worked at the Sundance School for 30 years and, while there, created the “mat room” physical education program and co-created their “stage” program. For the past eight summers, Karen has been working at the Sundance theater camp, another program that she co-created and directed to success.

Karen is very excited to be part of the TOA family! She is looking forward to a fun creative year and, among her inventive programs, will be directing and choreographing two shows in the winter and spring!

Maureen is very excited to be part of The Orchard Academy family. She encourages a love of art in young learners and provides a natural forum for expressing creativity in a cross-curricular fashion. Her educational philosophy and innate warmth make her a perfect fit for the TOA@MTS program.

Maureen has been enhancing the minds of young children for over thirty years. As a previous member of the Sundance School, there is nothing Maureen didn't do! In addition to being a classroom teacher and Science and Art Specialist, she worked on stage set design and hallway displays.

Infusing literature into the art curriculum and integrating Math and Science concepts into STEAM adventures for the children has been a great success that she has culminated over the years. Patient, kind and so much fun, Maureen sees the best in every child and encourages each individual to try new things to grow, explore, and experience. Maureen lives in Fanwood. She has one daughter Amie, who lives in Maine and runs a Yoga studio with her fiance and adorable granddog, Harry. Maureen loves the outdoors and exploring local parks and trails on the weekends. She is looking forward to bring her love of the outdoors into the classroom.

Colleen Grundfest joined the staff of TOA in 2015 bringing with her six years’ experience working as a Kindergarten and First Grade Teacher Assistant. Previous to that Colleen taught Mommy and Me classes for eight years at PEP Club, Inc. in Warren, Long Hill and Bernardsville, and helped launch their New Providence site. Colleen was also an active member of the PTO at both Woodland Elementary School and Warren Middle School here in town.

Colleen has lived in Warren for 27 years with her husband Bob. They have two children, Josh and Abby. When Colleen is not at school she enjoys spending time with her family, acting, writing material for her stand-up routine, reading, swimming and watching TV.

After over eight years as a Classroom Educator, Math & Literacy Specialist, and Curriculum Coordinator at The Orchard Academy, Alison is looking forward to supporting our amazing teachers with inventiveness and experience. As the Assistant Director, Alison is motivated and energized to work closely with the staff as a resource to infuse creativity and uniqueness of lessons and to capitalize on teachable moments.

While focusing her field study on developmental psychology and working as a full-time assistant manager in retail sales, Alison graduated from Rutgers University in 2004 with a BA degree in Psychology.

Following graduation, she began working at The Sundance School for over 10 years as a preschool Group Leader where she maintained a strong parent/teacher partnership in order to develop and implement educational strategies tailored towards individual students’ needs. Creating a productive, hands-on, age-appropriate, play-based learning environment for young children and introducing them to a group environment is of Alison’s utmost significance, all while aiding in their comfort and safety as part of a community.

While still a student, she enjoyed working as a summer counselor for both Rutgers Boys Soccer Camp and Edison Township Recreational Soccer Camp. More recently, Alison succeeded as an assistant varsity and head junior varsity/freshman girls volleyball coach for the Edison Township Board of Education.

She loves to travel internationally and enjoy everything including the mountains, the lakes, and the shores of the northeast with friends and family. Alison resides in Metuchen with her husband of 15 years, Patrick, who has 25+ years as an AP English teacher and is a three-season varsity coach.

Sally has been an educator/childcare provider for over 30 years. She graduated from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL with a Bachelors in Education. She worked in the infant toddler room at Summit Childcare; taught first grade at Holy Cross School in Harrison, NJ; taught in a bilingual Title 1 preschool in New Brunswick; and then left the classroom when she had her first child. Sally went on to be an in-home child care provider, where she has cared for the children of a pediatrician for 8 years, a Camp Harmony Director, & a Monmouth University professor of Education.

During the summers, Sally worked at the sleep away camp in the Adirondacks that she attended as a child, as a camp counselor and then was promoted to Unit leader. It was there that she met her husband (of Camp Harmony fame) "Pete Pioneer." She is very excited to be a part of the amazing staff at The Orchard Academy at Mountain Top School.

Jen Wojie has been an early childhood educator for 16 years, in almost every capacity. She taught pre-K at a campus lab school after college. After moving back to CA (where she is from) she began a Master’s Degree program in early childhood education and worked with one of her professors to open a preschool in the East Bay, where she was the program director and taught 2-5 year olds over the next five years.

Jen and her husband moved to Warren after a short but exciting period overseas. She became the Executive Director of a state-funded program in Passaic, NJ, with 25 classrooms in four locations serving the pre-K population. She taught Preschool-3rd grade certification classes at Montclair State University for 2 years during this time. Later she served as a Regional Director for Catapult Learning, supervising, providing support and writing curriculum for preschool and wrap-around programs in several cities. When her second child was a toddler she took a break from work to focus on and enjoy her own children, who are now 8, 7 and 5 years old.

Time has flown by and she is so excited to join a program as innovative and enriching as The Orchard Academy!