Randolph School Faculty

ALISA ALGAVA
Ever since 1977 when I started as a kindergartner at Randolph School, I seem to keep circling back. This time I am lucky to be in the exciting new role of Director. More info here.

DIANE BOUJIKIAN
I've been a teacher of the 3, 4, and 5 year old group since 1978. Randolph School is the place where I met my husband Mark, raised our son Noah, and truly learned about teaching. Discovering a child's passion for learning, noticing what inspires a child, what suits her/his learning style are some of my many delights with the dance of teaching and learning. It is so fascinating and rewarding to share a child's inner world. Observing and documenting children's work enables me to learn about and guide a person to the challenge that may give them an "A-ha, this is just right for me!" experience.

Sign language is one of my passions. Learning American Sign Language introduced me to the beauty, strengths and complexities of Deaf people. The ability to use movement and multiple senses to learn is vital to my teaching and to a child's learning with his/her whole body. Integrating sign language into the curriculum enhances literacy. Through songs and developing a small ASL vocabulary, our children learn an alternate communication skill.

Some of my favorite times at Randolph are our celebrations. From Harvest Feast to maple sugaring to rocket launch, our wonderful traditions are the times when the energy and enthusiasm of the community is richly celebrated and Randolph feels like home!

KATLYN LERNER
I am the Business Manager and one of the Co-Administrators at The Randolph School. My connection to Randolph began as a student in 1964 when my mother, Lee Tomlins, founded the school with two other teachers. After Randolph I went to high school at The Putney School, a progressive boarding school in Vermont, and then on to Bennington College. I received my BA in English from Columbia University in 1982.

When my son entered Randolph in 1989 I began doing bookkeeping and other part-time work for the school. In 1999 I started full-time at the school, the first non-teacher to join the full-time staff. I do everything from  answering the phone to planning the budget for the next fiscal year; from monitoring the water quality to helping plan the annual giving campaign. My job is to support the mission of Randolph by creating an environment where progressive education can flourish. I try to run the business end of the school grounded in the Randolph philosophy - with trust, compassion, and respect for the individual.

ANITA MERANDO
I believe that education is about being a researcher in your own life, learning, reflecting, and making sense of and connections to the world. Since 1983, I have enjoyed teaching children of all ages. My interest in teaching evolved while I was an artist-in-residence in West Coast schools, integrating music and storytelling into the teaching of language arts. As a pre-school teacher, I developed an in-home preschool for four and five year olds, basing the curriculum on exploring the sights and sounds of the Seattle area. After spending twelve years as an extended-day Kindergarten teacher, I received my teaching certification, Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth Grades, from Central Washington University, and my Professional Certification from Antioch University Seattle. I taught Kindergarten and was a Reading Support Specialist in Seattle Public Schools. My experience as a Fellow in the Puget Sound Writing Project, a branch of the National Writing Project, led me to work with the Seattle School District's Writing Curriculum Design Team. During this time, I also worked with city and county agencies, designing and presenting workshops for early childhood educators on transitioning children to Kindergarten and on developmental reading and writing.  In the summers of 2002-2004, I collaborated with printmaker, Laurie Brown, presenting integrated arts and storytelling workshops for children of all ages.

In 2006, I returned to my hometown, Cold Spring, and began teaching at Randolph School. At Randolph, I found a learning community that shared my view that learning is a life-long endeavor. I have taught humanities and creative writing in the Upper School program and Language Arts and Math in the Upstairs (Elementary) program. During this time, I completed a MAED from Antioch University and this summer I was a Fellow at the Hudson Valley Writing Project. I continue to present workshops for early childhood educators. When I am not teaching, I participate in two writing groups, and sing jazz standards at restaurants in the Hudson Valley. I also teach voice at C-Note Music School in Cortlandt Manor and have a private tutoring and voice practice.

Anita's Site

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CREEK IVERSEN
I have always loved tooting, tapping, and plucking on anything that might sing back as well as changing and arranging sounds.  But most of all I love to sing or play music with others at informal jams.  Since 1993, the Randolph School has been the perfect outlet for me to share and continue to grow into a love of music and music making.  While I'm teaching and playing music with the children, I'm enriched by the eclectic talents of the Randolph community of families and friends.  My daughter Luke attends the school and her mother keeps the parent's group hopping.  Many of the instruments I play were learned independently while living in places like Egypt, Norway and Sri Lanka.  The American folk guitar and banjo became my favorite instruments during several years crewing for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.  The joyful, spontaneous music there was carried on in our after-sloop careers in the form of the Harmonious Hogchokers, a folk trio in which I perform at various Hudson River festivals.  In 1992 the band helped organize a Living River Journey, a hiking and peddling exploration and celebration of the Hudson River from its source in the  Adirondacks to its mouth in New York Harbor.  My other music affiliations include the People's Music Network/Songs of Freedom and Struggle and the Children's Music Network.  When not lost in music, I spend time coordinating activities for senior citizens.  I also enjoy Native Americana, gardening, botany, making maple syrup, clowning and telling stories.

BRADFORD KING
I started teaching at The Randolph School in 1987. I have always tried to bring life and excitement to all of my classes.  I enjoy challenging the students with philosophical as well as academic conundrums.  "Math is everywhere!" I tell my students.  And then we explore our world to discover just how interwoven all our lives are with mathematics.  In science class we explore the interconnectedness of all life, and the principles that control our world.  The students are integral teachers with, and for, me.  I have taught Computer classes assisting the students with word processing skills and multimedia projects. The students have learned about home pages, researching, and communicating internationally on the World Wide Web.  As the photography teacher, I have included their photos onto their home pages.  Having taught for a short time in the Hartford public school system I have come to consider The Randolph School to be an oasis for teachers and students alike.  It is always exciting for me to have the freedom to be able to teach using new and interesting methods.  I enjoy the smaller groupings so that I can really get to know and understand each of my students.  It was very exciting watching my own son grow in his seven years at Randolph School.  I celebrated my 20th year teaching at Randolph Scool in 2007. I had a wonderful celebration with friends old and new, and received a wonderful gift from the parents, a trip to Alaska. You can see pictures here.

DEBBIE STONE
I have been a teacher for many years, enjoying my work with parents and teachers, with all ages of children, adolescents and adults. I have a tutoring and consulting teacher practice which takes me from my headquarters at High Valley, a center in Clinton Corners, all over Dutchess County and sometimes beyond. I am privileged to spend most days at the Randolph School. Here I focus on a particular student, or work with large and small groups, benefiting enormously from a chance to work with colleagues who share my enthusiasm for an integrated, alternative approach to teaching. This approach demands a great deal from teachers and students alike. Nothing is cut and dried; the challenges of cooperative learning are always demanding. But opportunities for discovery and creativity abound, and the satisfactions are beyond description. The Randolph community seems to provide an ethical groundwork that students and teachers can build on as they interact with the world beyond.

I grew up in Dutchess County and raised my son here. After graduation from Radcliffe College, I studied at Vassar College. A Masters Degree from Bank Street College of Education in New York City and NYS teacher certification in several areas came later, as well as recent course work in play therapy and in the teaching of reading. Besides being an educator, I have done writing, editing and critical reading of fiction and nonfiction books for a number of writers. I sometimes write poems, and I love to read all kinds of things, both to myself and aloud to others.

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ERIC TOMLINS
During the last 35+ years of my life at Randolph, I have learned that there is no end to what children can teach all of us. I am continually surprised and delighted by children's discoveries and insights. I started on this journey in the sixth grade when my mother co-founded the School. I grew as a student and later as an intern and teacher/administrator guided by the Randolph philosophy of respecting and valuing children. In the past decade and a half I have co-founded the hunger organization Harvest With Heart and its sister organization Kids With Heart. I have also co-founded and serve on the board of The Children's Media Project dedicated to helping children gain avenues of self-expression in media and to helping them better understand the role of media in their lives. I have recently become a board member of the Erick Hawkins Dance Foundation and helped produce a film about the company in 2003. My favorite activities at Randolph School include achieving the height of ridiculousness at Halloween, helping to build magnificent holiday piñatas, and tapping our maple trees each spring. I work primarily with Language Arts, history, drama and film making with the older children. Writing and the creative process have always been a central part of my life. I love helping kids open that place within themselves where their creativity is unhampered by fear of criticism or failure. See photographs and read about our first graduation and Eric's 30th Celebration.

CHRISTINE SIMEK
I am a mother, teacher, writer, and avid poetry fan. I believe that all children possess a deep intelligence and desire to learn, and that by engaging each child one by one, their unique voices and visions are able to spring forth and grow. I like to encourage children to learn through a combination of imaginary play, consistent exposure to the Arts, and an exploration of literature (LOTS of literature!), and I encourage my students to honor their own innate sense of who they are--both as individuals and as citizens of the larger world. I have taught preschool, kindergarten, and first grade in Boston and New York City, among other places, and recently earned my MFA in creative writing from Bennington College. I am working on a collection of essays (but spending more time writing bad poems that I hide under my bed). I am thrilled to be teaching at The Randolph School and am looking forward to an inspiring year!

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JANET PERLES
My experiences teaching and learning have enriched my life and serve as a constant reminder of my commitment to children and to the world of possibilities that each child represents. I wish to help children become well-rounded, thoughtful people who play an active role in their learning and communities. Students are not in the classroom to passively absorb information, so the elementary classroom can and should be a place where students' natural curiosity is developed and a community ethic is fostered. I am deeply committed to an anti-bias, inclusive curriculum that welcomes diversity and prepares children to be active citizens. To these ends I emphasize independence together with cooperative and inquiry-based learning in an effort to guide students toward becoming lifelong learners.

KRISY LAWLOR
When I first joined Randolph School in 2008, I was the After-School teacher and a frequent presence in the Downstairs. I am thrilled that I get to teach in the Downstairs! I love working at Randolph, because the structure allows me to learn about each child individually and to learn from each child. This equips my co-teachers and me to develop activities that are engaging as well as instructional. I also appreciate Randolph because it values each child's sense of autonomy and offers choices throughout the day.

As an educator, I have experience in a Montessori pre-school setting, as an adult ESL teacher, and as a TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) volunteer in Chile, where I taught 5-8th graders. Currently, I am pursuing a Masters in TESOL and a K-12 teaching certification at Teachers College at Columbia University. I enjoy Spanish language education and I hope to expand the amount of Spanish vocabulary, songs, and basic conversation in the Downstairs.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy reading and hiking, and I have traveled to five continents and over twenty countries. All of my experiences shape my work with children.  ¡Vámonos!   

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DAVID W. LARSON
I am excited to be coming to the Randolph School to join the K-2nd group.  After years of professional practice, I am impressed by the hard work and careful thought that young learners bring to their studies of language, mathematics, the world, and each other.  It seems that each child creates their own path and own knowledge; in a school environment that is rich in materials, ideas, and opportunities, we can witness children teach themselves and one another to do amazing things.  I am looking forward to working with the Randolph School community of learners, families, friends, and teaching colleagues to make this happen.

After living in many different places (including four overseas assignments) and teaching in many different settings (from Prekindergarten to Elder Hostel), it is very comforting to settle into life in the Hudson Valley.  I have every expectation of gardening, building, writing, reading, cooking, creating, and a whole lot more with the kids at school.

KAREN SZCZUKA TEICH
I am an assistant to Katlyn in the office since 2006. However, my connection with Randolph School began in 2001 when my son entered pre-kindergarten here. As an active parent in the Parent Group and a firm believer in the school's philosophy it was a natural fit for me to come and work here. I support the office, the Director and the teachers in any way I can.  I send out the school's press releases and also compile and send the school's Friday Note which is a weekly on-line magazine that highlights the week's lessons, activities and events and includes scheduling and other important information for the whole school. Before Randolph School, I worked at Archie Comic Publications in Mamaroneck, NY for seven years and later became a stay-at-home mom. I studied Broadcasting, Journalism and Speech at Buffalo State College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. 

GOLDY SAFIRSTEIN
I started teaching at The Randolph School in 2003 and have taught in both the elementary (Upstairs) and the Upper School (Carriage House) programs. During the summers, I've also worked with some of our Downstairs students. I honestly can't say that I prefer a particular age. All the age groups have wonderful characteristics but through all our age groups I see the happy results when students are truly respected. Our youngest students amaze me with the amount of knowledge they possess and with the insightful questions they ask. Our oldest students serve as a counterpoint to the stereotype of the American teenager, as they move through the years at Randolph they are ever more community minded and responsible. Our middle group, the Upstairs students, combine the best of all worlds - they are enthusiastic about any new adventure and eager to take on increased responsibilities and challenges.

Here are some of the characteristics I seek to encourage in my students: Confidence: knowing you can do what you set out to if you persist. Competence: a willingness to practice until you feel competent. Resilience: the ability to try again in a different way until you accomplish your goal. Interdependence: Knowing you can rely on your community for support and a willingness to suppost other in turn. Stewardship: taking responsibility for your environmnet and things. Curiosity: a willingness to keep asking questions, to find out what you want to know and to find resources. Self-awareness: The ablitiy and willingness to reflect on your own behavior, to know your special talents, to understand your challenges and to find ways to move forward toward your goals. Kindness: to yourself and others. Communication: finding ways to understand what others are trying to tell you and to make yourself understood.

I love teaching and feel particularly lucky to work with the team of teachers at Randolph and to have had the opportunity to "learn the ropes" in the Carriage House with Eric Tomlins. Randolph is more than just a school, it is a community of students, teachers, staff, families and alumni that embraces the individual while always seeking for the common good. My wife Kelly and I have two grown sons, William and Alex, who are Randolph alumni. We live with our canine and feline "family" in Poughkeepsie, including our cat Ari who appeared at Randolph School during the work days in August of 2008 and joined our household soon thereafter. In addition to teaching, I am an artist, amatuer historian, writer, reader, craftsperson, and an insatiably curious life-long learner.

EVAN CHADWICK

I have been an itinerant member of the Randolph downstairs for over two decades. I first discovered the wonderful world that young people at Randolph are invited to engage in as a student myself, where I learned lessons and formed friendships that have endured throughout my life. Fifteen years later, I found myself back in  the same block rooms and circles, but this time as an assistant teacher. This serendipitous chance to return to Randolph as a teacher during a break from college became an opportunity for me to fully grasp and articulate my intention to spend my life in education, and I have never looked back.

My passion for, and boundless interest in, natural systems and the living environments that surround us everywhere is a theme that has guided my life alongside my bottomless thirst for education. I have spent time living in the Hudson Highlands and the Berkshires, on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and on blue water sailing vessels, in Maine and California in pursuit of these interests. While I appreciate learning and teaching about nearly everything under the sun, it is when beholding a salamander, chasing a butterfly, or tickling a jewel weed seed pod that I am most wholly in my element. (Coincidentally, I spent much of my early education at Randolph catching amphibians and looking for creatures in the creek and not so much time coloring inside the lines.)

Since graduating college I have worked extensively as an outdoor educator, leading groups of kids of all ages and from all socioeconomic backgrounds in cooperative team building and environmental education experiences in the outdoors. I also spent last year living in Japan teaching English to junior high school students. I am currently pursuing a Master's in teaching and certification in secondary biology education at Bard College, and am very enthusiastic to be back at Randolph participating in an intentional learning community.

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MAUREEN MALONEY
Having had the privilege of being the art teacher at the Randolph School since 2000, I have grown in my convictions that students who are allowed the freedom to explore become more responsive, intelligent, and caring individuals. Randolph is an educational oasis. Not being tied to a curriculum based on preconceived notions that all children will learn and act alike and will be tested on that basis, has allowed me to let my students search for their individual visual voice. Projects are introduced based upon a topic or a particular medium, but my students are encouraged to branch off and find the meaning held within them for that particular endeavor.  It is often the journey and not the "product" that matters.

The art room is a place of acceptance, not of judgment. We discuss our personal lives, our environment and world (past, present, and future), and our imaginings- all equally important to the growing mind. By exposing a bit of themselves in a fun and safe space, they grow in confidence.

Once you are a Randolph student, you are always in the fold. My three children are all Randolphians. With a BS in Art Education from SUNY New Paltz, I am currently exploring ways to integrate art as a means of wildlife conservation and education. In my "spare" time I teach dance, paint, write poetry, drum, feed my many cats, ride horses, and enjoy the company of my family and many great friends.

JON RENBECK

I have worked at Randolph school since 2008, though I have been involved with progressive education for many years. I went to a progressive high school and in my senior year I interned at High Valley School for language delayed students. Their style and methods were quite progressive and innovative as well. I so loved working with the various ages, and in that format, that I stayed on for a year after graduation. I got my associates degree in Computer Science from Dutchess Community College and went to SUNY New Paltz for my B.S. degree in Mathematics.

At Randolph School I have been given the double pleasure of working in the Downstairs Program with the Pre-K children and with the High School teaching Calculus and Computer Programming. Every day I work with children, of all ages, I take pleasure in watching them discover something new. To me the gift of a Randolph’s education is about giving the student the opportunity for self-discovery, to find their own questions, and then for me to be a facilitator to help them to answer those questions.

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