Essex Elementary School

Taylor Clary: 4th Grade Teacher

Taylor comes to us from Marblehead Public Schools, where she has spent the past eight years as an elementary inclusion teacher. She received both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from Endicott College. With her dual certification in elementary education and moderate disabilities, she brings with her a unique and valued set of skills to the classroom. 

Jessica Clemons: Special Education Liaison

Jessica is joining Essex Elementary after serving as an elementary special education teacher in the Hamilton-Wenham District for the past eleven years, bringing with her invaluable experience and expertise. She holds an undergraduate degree in English from University at Albany and her graduate degree in Education from Salem State University. 

Kate Donovan: Elementary Library Assistant (Essex and Memorial)

Kate is a very familiar face to many of the students and families of Manchester-Essex, having served as an elementary substitute teacher for several years. She holds her undergraduate degree from Salem State University. This upcoming school year, Kate will be working at both elementary schools, partnering with the school librarian to ensure that the libraries are available to both students and teachers throughout the week. 

Meg Dyer: Special Education Teaching Assistant

Meg is joining us as a teaching assistant this year after previously working in the Beverly Public School District. She is a graduate of North Shore Community College and will be bringing her passion for helping elementary students to our ACE Program this year! 

Sanford “Sandy” Freiberg: Math Interventionist

Sandy is an experienced educator who is joining us from Beverly Public Schools. He attended Cornell University for his undergraduate degree and holds his Master’s degree from Hofstra University. Over his career, Sandy has worked in both private and public schools in New York and Massachusetts, bringing with him a broad base of experience and a passion for teaching math. 

Kim Provost: Principal

Having served in the MERSD District for the past twelve years as a special education teacher and middle school Dean of Students, Kim is excited to begin her principalship at Essex Elementary. She holds her Master of Education from Simmons College and her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Administration from American International College. 

Manchester Memorial Elementary School

Krista Anderson: Student Teacher

Krista will be joining MMES as a student teacher this fall.  She is studying elementary education at Endicott College and will do her student teaching in Mrs. Papagni’s classroom.

Katie Blouin: PK Teaching Assistant

Katie joins Memorial as a recent graduate of Endicott College who will be joining our PK team.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Elementary Education.  She has experience working with elementary school students in grades K, 1, 2, and 4.   

Sophie Collins: PK Teaching Assistant

Sophie is a familiar face at MMES who is returning to a new position this Fall!  She will be joining our PK team as a teaching assistant in Olivia Esoldi’s classroom.  Her dynamic and positive approach to working with children is a huge asset to our school, and we are looking forward to having her back with us in a new role!

Madison Crateau: Special Needs Teaching Assistant 

Madison will be joining the MMES team as a special education teaching assistant after working at Essex Elementary School.  At EES, she supported children with various disabilities as they navigated the physical, social, and academic world.

Marissa Dery: Student Teacher

Marissa will be joining MMES as a student teacher this fall.  She is studying elementary education at Endicott College and will do her student teaching in Mrs. Morgese’s  classroom.

Kate Donovan: Elementary Library Assistant (Essex and Memorial)

Kate is a very familiar face to many of the students and families of Manchester-Essex, having served as an elementary substitute teacher for several years. She holds her undergraduate degree from Salem State University. This upcoming school year, Kate will be working at both elementary schools, partnering with the school librarian to ensure that the libraries are available to both students and teachers throughout the week. 

Alexandra Flodman: Student Teacher

Alexandra will be joining MMES as a student teacher this fall.  She is studying elementary education at Endicott College and will do her student teaching in Mrs. DiTullio’s  classroom.

Jennifer Good: Special Needs Teaching Assistant 

Jennifer or “JJ” as she is affectionately known, will be joining the MMES team as a special education teaching assistant.  She has most recently spent a number of years working with children with various disabilities at Essex Elementary School.

Holly Landry: SAIL RBT Teaching Assistant

Holly joins our SAIL program from the Marblehead Public Schools where she has extensive experience as a Therapeutic Tutor and ABA tutor.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Merrimack College.  We are excited to have her experience and skill joining our school!

Natalie Loisou: PK Teaching Assistant

Natalie joins Memorial after working in Hamilton-Wenham as a teaching assistant.  She worked with students in PK-4 in Hamilton-Wenham and also has experience working with students on the Autism Spectrum in specialized school settings.  She will be a great addition to our strong PK team!

Jaclyn Morrisey: School Nurse

We are excited to welcome Jaclyn Morrisey as our new school nurse to Manchester Memorial Elementary School! With a decade of experience in home health care and hospice nursing, she brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to our community. She has previously served as a Registered Nurse at Care Dimensions and also served at Addison Gilbert Hospital, honing her skills and providing exceptional care to her patients.

Jaclyn graduated with a degree  in Nursing from Laboure College and will be furthering her education at Southern New Hampshire University this fall.  We look forward to the positive impact that Jaclyn’s caring approach will have on our students' health and well-being. 

Ashley Sartell: Special Education Teacher

Ashley will be MMES this year after spending years serving the children of Essex Elementary School.  She will be putting her extensive knowledge and experience to use with our students who have complex disabilities that impact them physically, socially, and academically.  We are so fortunate to have her knowledge, skill, experience, and dedication at our school this year.

Manchester Essex Regional Middle School

Jennah Alwardi: ACE Teacher

Jennah joins the middle school as a teacher in our ACE program. She has several years experience as an ABA therapist. She has also worked at the SEEM Collaborative in Wilmington, MA as a paraprofessional and a classroom teacher. Her most recent experience was with the Danvers Public Schools as an Intensive Learning Center Teacher. Jennah holds a Master of Science in Psychology and Applied Behavior Analysis from Salem State University. 

Micheal DeSalvo: School Adjustment Counseling Fellow

Michael joins the middle and high school as a School Counseling/School Adjustment Counseling Fellow. He is a current student of Salem State University pursuing his Masters and licensure as a School Adjustment and SchoolCounselor. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Salem State University. 

Joe Janack: Middle School Dean of Students: Having served in the MERSD District for the past nine  years as our middle/high school music teacher and band director, Joe is excited to begin to transition to the role of Dean of Students. Joe holds an Associate of Applied Science degree from Schenectady County Community College, a Bachelor of Music from UMass Amherst, a Master of Music Education from UMass Lowell, and a Master of School Administration from UMass Lowell. 

Elizabeth Keane: Nurse (MS/HS)

Elizabeth joins the middle/high school as our school nurse. She has been working as a nurse practitioner for the past fifteen years. Elizabeth holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Simmons College and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of New Hampshire Durham.

Jackie Maher: Academy Teacher

Jackie joins the middle school as our Middle School Academy teacher. She has worked for several years as an English, Social Studies, ESL and inclusion teacher at the middle school level. Her years of experience include teaching in Boston Public Schools and, most recently, at the Miles River Middle School in Hamilton, Massachusetts. Jackie holds a Masters in Teaching from Simmons College and a BA in English from Trinity College. 

Megan Peura: Library Teaching Assistant

Megan joins the middle/high school as our Library Teaching Assistant. She has several years of experience as a library aide and librarian. Most recently, she worked as a school librarian for the Medford Public Schools. Megan holds a Master of Library Science from San Jose State University, a Bachelor of Science in business from Southern New Hampshire University, and an Associate of Business from Middlesex Community College.

Anya Saben: Ace Program Teaching Assistant

Anya joins the middle school as a teaching assistant in our ACE program. Anya is a recent Salem State graduate with extensive experience working with children in camps and after school programs.  She also has a strong academic background and brings creative arts skills, including a BFA in Theatre Performance to the ACE program.

Marine Simon: Ace Program Teaching Assistant

Marine joins the middle school as a teaching assistant in our ACE program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication, administration, and management of cultural events from IUT Chambery in France and a bachelor’s degree in special education and social work from IRTS PACA-Corse in Marseille, France. Her experience includes work as a Montessori teacher, a social worker in an emergency housing center, and a special education professional working in a center in Saint Mande’, France.

Shanelle Taylor: School Psychologist

Shanelle joins the middle and high schools as our School Psychologist. Most recently, Shanelle served as a School Psychology Intern with the Ipswich Public Schools. She holds a Masters and postgraduate certificate of advanced study in school psychology from Tufts University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Salem State College. 

Harry Wagg: Band and Music Teacher

Harry joins MERSD as the middle school band and music teacher and the high school band director. He worked for several years as the High School Instrumental Director and K-12 Fine & Performing Arts Coordinator for the Lynnfield Public Schools. Harry holds and M.Ed. with a music concentration from Boston University and a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music. 

Manchester Essex Regional High School

Matthew Graves: Teaching Assistant

We are pleased to have Matthew Graves join the MERHS team as a teaching assistant.  Matthew holds a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Boston University.  Matthew has a strong background in coaching and as a referee, and will be helping out the boys’ soccer team this fall.  

David Kaufman: Computer Science Teacher

David joins us after spending much of his career at Revere High School, where he taught and developed the computer science curriculum.  David earned a Masters of Education from Lesley University,  A Master of Science in Informational Technology at Endicott College, and a Doctor of Education from Boston University. 

Elizabeth Keane: Nurse (MS/HS)

Elizabeth joins the middle/high school as our school nurse. She has been working as a nurse practitioner for the past fifteen years. Elizabeth holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Simmons College and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of New Hampshire Durham.

Andrew Lucas: Art Teacher

Andrew is joining us full time after becoming our long-term substitute art teacher last year.  Andrew earned a Master of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.  Before joining us at MERHS, Andrew worked in the Lowell and Sharon school systems.  Andrew is also a professional photographer and has been featured in books and other publications. 

Samantha Pindara: Director of School Counseling

We are excited to welcome Samantha Pindara as our next Director of School Counseling. Samantha holds a Masters in Counseling from Rivier College and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from Salem State University.  Samantha spent seven years prior to joining us in a school counselor role, primarily at Lynnfield High School. Samantha also brings experience from outside counseling, and has coached several high school sports.  

Gabriella Pope: Teaching Assistant

Gabriella joins us as a teaching assistant for our Ace Program at MERHS.  She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Salem State University, and worked as a student instructor there as well.  

Harry Wagg: Band and Music Teacher

Harry joins MERSD as the middle school band and music teacher and the high school band director. He worked for several years as the High School Instrumental Director and K-12 Fine & Performing Arts Coordinator for the Lynnfield Public Schools. Harry holds and M.Ed. with a music concentration from Boston University and a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music. 

Manchester Essex Regional School District Central Office 

Michelle Cresta: Director of Finance and Operations

Michelle Cresta recently joined the Manchester Essex Regional School District as the Director of Finance and Operations. A certified school business official since 2010 and a Merrimack College graduate, Michelle brings over a decade of experience in education finance to her role. Her career in school finance includes leadership positions as Assistant Superintendent for Finance & Operations at Marblehead Public Schools, Director of Finance and Operations at Triton Regional Schools, and Director of Finance at Stoneham Public Schools. Prior to her work in education, Michelle spent 15 years in municipal finance.

Beth LeDoux: Literacy Instructional Coach (Essex & Memorial)

Beth has significant experience as a Literacy Instructional Coach from Arlington and Needham Public Schools. Beth’s experiences include roles as literacy specialist and classroom reading and writing teacher. Beth holds and undergraduate and Master’s degree from UNH with an additional Masters in Reading from AIC. She brings positive energy and depth of knowledge to this position.

Hana McGowan: Mathematics Instructional Coach (Essex & Memorial)

Hana is an experienced Math Instructional Coach joining us from Stratham, NH schools, and Brookline Public Schools before that. She attended Vassar College for her undergraduate degree and holds her Master’s degree from Lewis and Clark College. Hana has worked as a classroom teacher, math specialist, and math instructional coach and brings rich experience and excitement to this new role.