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Tara Caglione
Hello! My name is Tara Caglione and I have been a Speech-Language Pathologist for over 20 years. I received an undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Loyola University in Baltimore, MD and achieved my graduate degree from Marywood University in Scranton, PA. My career in the field of speech-language pathology began in the New York City public schools working with students with Autism, developmental and emotional delays. I came to Bedford Central School district in 2001, working with our CPSE (preschool) students at Bedford Hills Elementary and in the STAR program at WPES. I have also worked at PRES in the collaborative class, FLMS as well as MKES. I currently service special education students at WPES and enjoy collaborating with staff and families to best support our students!
Kathleen Keenan
Greetings to the WPES community! This is my first year on the tiered support team after teaching 4th grade for 24 years! I am thoroughly enjoying my work with the entire building focusing on remediation and enrichment. My enrichment classes include "Purposeful Poets and Painters", "Time Travelers" and "Geo Rockers".
Alison Muller
Hi everyone! Mrs. Muller here. I am one of the Tiered Support teachers here at WPES. I started my career 23 years ago at West Patent teaching multi-age grades 1 and 2. After 16 years, I moved to 4th grade. Four years later I was lucky enough to begin my role in Tiered Support. This position allows me to work with every grade throughout the school and teach school-wide enrichment classes as well. I love teaching and I especially enjoy WPES! Feel free to contact me is you have any questions. amuller0384@bcsdny.org
Hello! My name is Jamie Marro and I have been practicing as a Speech-Language Pathologist for 15 years. I received my Bachelor's in Science Degree in Communication Disorders at Towson State University in Maryland. I continued my education at Mercy College where I received my Master's Degree in Communication Science and Disorders. My career in the field of speech and language pathology started at a private practice in Bronxville, NY working with preschool and school-aged children with various profiles. From Bronxville, I entered the Yorktown School District working with students in a self-contained program on a part-time basis. I started my BCSD career in 2011, primarily working with the SAIL program. I continued my work with the program for 10 years at BVES. Alternative Augmentative Communication and helping students' voices be heard are a passion of mine. I love learning and incorporating evidence based practice into my work with students. I feel grateful to collaborate with the fun-loving staff at WPES!
Dennis McGovern
My name is Dennis McGovern and I am a Physical Therapist at West Patent Elementary school. I have been working in the district since 2020. I really enjoy working with the students and helping them improve their skills. I am lucky to work with such a great team, which makes each day enjoyable.
Hi there! My name is Kaitlin Harris and I'm lucky to be one of the Occupational Therapists (OT's) here at West Patent Elementary School. I earned my Master's Degree from Columbia University and lived in NYC for several years before joining BCSD in 2020. In my role, I work with children on their fine motor skills, activities of daily living, and sensory skills to name a few! I love being on the special education team at West Patent helping our students grow and thrive.
Kristen Mascaro
Welcome! My name is Kristen Mascaro, and I am one of the Learning specialists here at WPES. I have a degree in Elementary and Special Education and Early Childhood Education, and have completed post graduate coursework in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). In addition, I am a certified Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner. I have worked in the district for the past 16 years. In my role, I evaluate and work with children who have various learning profiles. I create and utilize multi-sensory strategies and curriculum to teach students, while actively engaging them in the process. There is no better reward than watching a student achieve a goal that may have once felt unattainable. It is in these moments that I am reminded of why I love my profession!
Jackie Smith
My name is Jackie Smith and I am a learning specialist at WPES. My professional career is divided into before kids and after…before kids, I received my undergraduate degree from Colgate University and my MBA from Syracuse University. I was a systems analyst, designing computer systems for BCBS CT.
I was fortunate to be able to stay at home when my children were younger, especially since my two boys were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. They received special education support during their pre-K through college years, and I have seen first-hand the power of special education services and early intervention. This motivated me to return to school when my children were older, to earn a Masters of Professional Studies, with certifications in Childhood Education and Special Education, so that I could help other children the way my sons have been helped.
In addition to the dual certifications, I am a certified Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner and have been trained in PAF. I look forward to getting to know the students, families and staff of WPES, and having an engaging and academically successful school year!
Dr. Helayna Pace
School Psychologist
Hello! I worked as a School Psychologist in Connecticut for two years before joining BCSD in 2017. I have worked in several schools across the district. I truly love what I do and I am passionate about working with children and their families. I feel fortunate to be a member of the WPES team. and BCSD community. At WPES I am a member of the RULER Implementation Team. Please feel free to reach out with any social-emotional or behavioral concerns regarding your child! I am always happy to share tools and resources with parents. For more information regarding the role of a School Psychologist, please see https://www.nasponline.org/about-school-psychology/who-are-school-psychologists.
Dr. Elissa Lesser
School Psychologist
Hello! I am a very proud member of the WPES community! I have worked as a full-time psychologist at WPES since 2005. Prior to working in Bedford Central School District, I also worked in New Rochelle and Yonkers Public schools’ districts. I love working with students, families, school staff, school and district administration. I take pride in my ability to work collaboratively. I am a trained evaluator for state and national schools of character, and I worked diligently in helping facilitate the process which brought WPES to receive a National School of Character designation in 2017 and re-designation in 2022. I am also a member of the WPES RULER Implementation team. RULER is BCSD social-emotional learning curricula. I am always proud of WPES students as they all quickly learn that “Be kind every day is the WPES way” is not just a saying but a belief we live by every day.
Bilingual: English-Portuguese
New York State Certified School Psychologist and New York State Licensed Psychologist
Doctorate degree from the Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University (1998), Garden City, NY
Training included: internship at the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical Center (1997) and a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in Rehabilitation Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology at the Mount Sinai Hospital (1998-2000)
Meridith McDowell-Choate
Occupational Therapist
mmcdowellchoate2196@bcsdny.org
My name is Meridith and I am an occupational therapist here at BCSD. I have a BA in Psychology from University of Buffalo and a MS and BS in occupational therapy from D'Youville University. I have been an occupational therapist for 22 years and absolutely love my job. I am very grateful for the BCSD teams I work with where the child and their special strengths drive everything we do in moving them towards their goals.
Elizabeth Smith
ESOL Teacher
English to Speakers of Other Languages in the Bedford Central School District
My name is Elizabeth Smith, and I am the ESOL teacher here at West Patent. I hold a B.A. in Psychology and Elementary Education, as well as a master’s in TESOL. I began my career with the district 25 years ago when I was hired as an ESOL Instructional Assistant for WPES. In 1999, I accepted an ESOL teaching position here and have continued to be a member of the Bedford team. Working with my students and accompanying them along their academic journey gives me great joy. I’m so grateful to be working at WPES where students benefit from a supportive learning environment that focuses on fostering a love of learning.