Special Area and Support Staff
WHO ARE OUR SPECIAL AREA TEACHERS AND WHAT DO THEY DO?
Gina Kelly is our guidance counselor and she communicates with children about a wide range of topics. She leads small groups of students in conversations about bereavement, social skills and divorce. She also meets with children as needed to help them work out conflicts with classmates. Parents find her to be a helpful resource for addressing unique family circumstances. She also visits classrooms and conducts lessons with the teachers which are particular to their developmental needs.
Kristen Cagnard & Jessica Parekh work closely with our English as a New Language (ENL) students and their families. They help them learn the language and the routines of being an elementary student.
Eric Sutz & Alexandra Caprariello are our Math Resource teachers. They work with students who have difficulty with certain math concepts. They also co-teach lessons in the classroom.
Stephen Connolly is our general music and chorus teacher. He also assists with a few band instrument lessons.
John Akios is our band director and he teaches weekly lessons to those students who perform in the 4th and 5th grade band. He is also our orchestra director and teaches weekly lessons to those students who perform in the 3rd or 4th and 5th grade orchestra.
Marlene Ruskin is our Port Enrichment Program (PEP) teacher. Dr. Ruskin will be teaching whole-class enrichment lessons as well as the 4th and 5th grade core groups. She is at Salem on a part-time basis.
Dr. Diana Arrese-Tomei is our school psychologist. She oversees the students who are classified through the committee on special education. Parents sometimes call her after the classroom teacher if they believe a learning issue needs addressing beyond the classroom. She also provides counseling to some students.
Jill Corwin, Michelina Ditzel and Marie Sweeney are our reading teachers. They teach one-on-one and small group reading instruction to those children that need additional reading instruction beyond the classroom.
Jessica Kay & Kara Addeo provide one-on-one or small group instruction to those students that have academic needs identified through the committee on special education.
Jennifer Anicito and Amanda Sherwood work with students that are identified through the committee on special education. They also assist those in need of a short-term intervention who have communication difficulties that affect success during classroom activities, social interaction, literacy, and learning.