"Mrs. Heba"

I was born and raised in Egypt , but I was always told that I behave and think like Americans.

I was an engineer before switching to teaching, however , I love being a teacher way more .

I love traveling ,exploring new places ,learning about various cultures and meeting people to learn from their own experiences.

EMAIL: habu@cpsd.us

"Ms. Rosanna"

I am a mom to two teenage daughters who are also in CPS schools. I enjoy playing tennis, walking my two hairless dogs, reading fiction, and traveling near and far. I am originally from the Boston area but have also lived in Colorado and Vancouver, Canada.

EMAIL: rbabbage@cpsd.us

"Ms. Benzan" or "Ms. B"

Mrs. Benzan is the vice principal at VLUS. She has loved working with kiddos for over 25 years. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, listening to music, painting, and hanging out with her 8th grade twins.

"Ms. Kim"

*I live in Boston

*I am the oldest of 3 sisters

*My favorite things to do are playing with my dog, hanging out with my 7 year old nephew and going to concerts friends and family.

EMAIL: kbarenholtz@cpsd.us

"Ms. Beltran" or "Ms. B"

1. I love teaching because I learn so much from my students.

2. I'm enthusiastic, sweet, kind and teaching in the classroom is a joy.

3. I love sports, especially soccer and basketball.

EMAIL: clbeltran@cpsd.us

"Mr. Tim"

This will be my second year working at VLUS, and I couldn't be more excited to get back to school! I also love anything sports-related, and I am one of the coaches for both of the VLUS basketball teams! I'm also a big Star Wars and Harry Potter fan, and am always ready to chat about books or movies - just don't ask me about any other pop culture, because I don't know anything about it.

EMAIL: tbobrowski@cpsd.us

"Mr. Borenstein" or "Mr. B"

I recently moved from Philadelphia to Cambridge. I have always been interested in science and love sharing my curiosity of the world with students.

EMAIL: dborenstein@cpsd.us

"Ms. Bowman"

I love to play volleyball, garden, and eat interesting foods. I had my first child in January, his name is Jesse and we try to go hiking together as much as possible. I became a teacher because I remember feeling alone in middle school and my goal is to always be a trusted adult for you to talk to.

EMAIL: tbowman@cpsd.us

"Ms. Brightman"

I love exploring new places and taking lots of pictures, especially close-ups showing lots of detail. Sharing things that interest me is my passion and I hope to share with you. I have four beautiful children who are a big part of my life.

EMAIL: ibrightman@cpsd.us

"Ms. Burbank"

I LOVE math puzzles and games, especially ones that stump me just the right amount.

My idea of a perfect day is having waffles for breakfast, and then bringing a good book, a dog (which I desperately want but do not have), and some friends to a pond that's warm enough for swimming.

I love Boda Borg and really appreciate good pranks.

EMAIL: kburbank@cpsd.us

"Mr. Burgess" or "Mr. B"

I have been a college hockey coach for the last 18 years. I am a son, brother, father and grandfather. I am also one of the Directors of Tomorrow Stars Clinics.

EMAIL: jburgess@cpsd.us

"Audra" or "Ms. Audra"

This is my ninth year teaching in Cambridge and my fifth at Vassal Lane. I love reading, swimming, cooking/eating, hiking, and biking. Lately I've been spending a lot of time outside with my daughters, who are one and four.

EMAIL: aburns@cpsd.us

"Ms. Carlow"

I've been teaching math in Cambridge for 10 years with the English Learner department. I love to learn from and laugh with the young people in my classroom. I get excited to explore new places and live in amazing East Boston with my kids, husband and dog.

EMAIL: acarlow@cpsd.us

"Ms. Obi"

I was born and raised until the age of 9 in Brooklyn NY. I have a 7-year-old daughter I LOVE being a Mother too. At times, I wish I was an actress in a Soap Opera. It's been a while since I've gone bowling but I really enjoy it because I am pretty good at it.

EMAIL: ocarrion@cpsd.us

"Ms. Chester"

This is my 6th year teaching at VLUS. I live in Cambridge with my husband and l have two sons who attended the Cambridge Public Schools. When l’m not in school, l like to spend time making jewelry, sewing, and cooking gourmet meals! I look forward to getting to know you this year!

EMAIL: lchester@cpsd.us

"Mr. C-N"

I have been a teacher and social worker since 1997 and I came to VLUS in 2016. I love working at VLUS and proud to be the principal here. I live here in Cambridge with my wife and two daughters. When I'm not principal-ing, I love to cook, bake, play the guitar, listen to music and do crossword puzzles. I also really, really like watching TV and movies.

EMAIL: dcoplon-newfield@cpsd.us

"Mr. Cross"

I love my students and think of them as an extended family. I believe that arts education makes you a more confident and creative member of society. I love my family, my students and colleagues, the U.S Coast Guard, and performing music.

EMAIL: dcross@cpsd.us

"Ms. Oksana"

I'm originally from Cuba. I've lived in Cambridge since 1997. I have two children; Zaida & Victor and two cats; Micha & Ava. I'm passionate about teaching, traveling the world, and connecting with people

EMAIL: odeinak@cpsd.us

"Sean"

I was raised in Cambridge my whole life. I love sports, working out, and nature. I have an identical twin brother!

EMAIL: sdillon@cpsd.us

"Mr. Dunkel"

I'm a loving dad, a curious learner, and a joyful educator. I support Black Lives Matter, immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ justice, climate justice, and more -- because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. I believe young people are BRILLIANT, and I love working in schools where we get to build a better world together.

Email: mdunkel@cpsd.us

"Ms. Elio" or "Ms. E"

This picture shows a lot about who I am. That’s me down in front, in the middle, with my two sisters and one of my four brothers. I love my family - they are the center of my world. I think of my students as my family too and hope that we get to build equally important relationships. Let’s rock this school year together!

EMAIL: telio@cpsd.us

"Sarah"

Since I'm the literacy coach, books are a big part of my life at school and at home - I LOVE to read! I'm lucky to live with the people I love most - my partner Josh, my son James (age 14), and my Bengal cat Serena (age 2). When I'm not reading, I feel the most joy when I'm sitting quietly (sometimes called meditating), riding my bike, or walking on Old Orchard Beach in Maine.

EMAIL: sfoleno@cpsd.us

"Bill"

Bill is a creative soul who writes, sings, cooks, speaks in silly voices, and dances to the beat of his own drummer. He is the eldest of three siblings and the father of three boys—and he is usually trying to do fifty things at once. Bill has a passion for social justice and loves teaching 8th graders how to be active, engaged, responsible citizens.

EMAIL: wfolman@cpsd.us

"Ms. Jill" or "Jill"

I have lived in East Cambridge my whole life and I love it. Things that are important to me are family, music, sports, and shopping. When I am home I spend time with my 15 year old son (Brayden), my partner (Sally), 2 cats (Prince and Harley) and a turtle (named Turtle).

EMAIL: jgorski@cpsd.us

"Miss Melissa"

I’m a Vassal lane (Tobin school before the name change) and CRLS alumni. I’ve coached gymnastics for 7+ years in Cambridge. I went to college at Lesley University college of Art + Design.

EMAIL: mgrajeda@cpsd.us

"Ms. Gutierrez"

I have been creating and loving art my whole life but I also really love science, math, and engineering. I love collaborating and creating art with people and love seeing the curiosity and creativity students bring into their artwork. I have lived in Mexico, California, New Mexico, and now I live in Arlington with my husband and 15-year-old son.

EMAIL: hgutierrez@cpsd.us

"Robin"

I live in an apartment in Jamaica Plain and grew up in Malden + went to Malden Public Schools. Outside of being a teacher @ VLUS, I am an artist/photographer, a cat parent, a sibling, a nature lover who loves to hike and camp, a lover of kareoke, and a fashion loving, social justice oriented, person who is an extroverted introvert. And I believe in this quote: "We must love each other and support each other; We have nothing to lose but our chains" Assata Shakur.

EMAIL: rhalperin@cpsd.us

"Mr Hernandez"

Hello! My name is Mr. Hernandez and I am the Orchestra teacher here at Vassal Lane Upper School. I am a multi-instrumentalist and string specialist; some of my favorite instruments are the double bass and the guitar. I am Mexican/Guatemalan-American and a proud first generation college graduate!

"Kim"

I moved to Cambridge from Colorado last year with my daughter, our cat, and our giant dog. I am fascinated by the relationship between language and cognition; each affects the other! I believe mornings are for coffee and contemplation.

EMAIL: khumphreys@cpsd.us

"Ms. Larose"

This is my thirteenth year teaching in Cambridge, and I feel so lucky to get to know families and kids from all over the world. I live in Arlington with my husband (Phil), three kids (Ellen, Bobby and Sam), and my pet bunny (Hopster). I love reading, hiking, practicing yoga, and watching Star Wars with my family.

EMAIL: elarose@cpsd.us

"Ms. Lee"

I am from Texas and moved to Massachusetts 3 years ago. In my free time, I like to bike and explore new places. When I was a kid, my family moved many times, and I was always the new kid at school.

EMAIL: dlee@cpsd.us

I have a brand new pair of roller skates

You have a lot to learn

Let's work on the things we need to

There's lot of stuff to discern

OR

Former Mainer, current Somervillian, recently espoused, Virgo, voracious reader, socialist. We are so many things. I'm so excited for this year!

EMAIL: alining@cpsd.us

I teach ELA and I love reading and writing and sixth graders!

I grew up in Iowa on a little farm (think goats, sheep, kittens, apples, mosquitos...).

I’ve been working on anti-racist teaching and schools for a long time.

I have two teenage daughters who laugh at me all the time.

I am a terrible soccer player (see above), but, if my kids let me, I love to play.

I have a dog named Cosmo--he likes to attend online classes with me.

EMAIL: amarsh@cpsd.us

"Ms. Heidi"

As a school psychologist I believe in the power of a growth mindset and love to see our students take pride in how far they come in the span of three years! Prior to Cambridge I worked in Hawaii and Chicago. Outside of school you can find me playing pretend with my four year old, snuggling my six month old, and going on afternoon walks with our three dogs.

EMAIL: hmunoz@cpsd.us

"Ms. O'Brien"

Fun fact: I travelled 3000 miles to be your ELA teacher! I grew up in Oakland, California, but made Cambridge my home once I met the students of VLUS. When I’m not teaching ELA and advising the 8th Grade GSA, I like to read, see live music, play on my Nintendo Switch, hike, and kick it with my 16-year-old cat, Joey.

EMAIL: cobrien@cpsd.us

"Mrs. O'C"

I enjoy time with family, friends, my dog Rosie. I love travel, cooking, sports (Celtics, Red Sox) biking, swimming, scuba, snorkeling, yoga, and the ocean. Enjoy meeting people and learning from their life experiences! It's a big world out there....

EMAIL: tkoconnor@cpsd.us

"Mrs. Pace"

I'm Mrs. Pace and I love teaching science! I believe that science is everywhere! I'm also a big fan of Marvel (movies, comics), though I will read some DC comics from time to time.

EMAIL: cpace@cpsd.us

"Ms. Peloquin"

1. I love to craft and am relatively decent at knitting and embroidery.

2. My favorite kind of weather is cold and rainy. (I love sweater weather)

3. I am excited to experience the unique school year we will have together as a community.

Email: speloquin@cpsd.us

"Wislande" or "Ms. Wislande"

My name is Wislande and I teach math lab in small groups to students in grades 6 to 8. This will be my 4th year teaching at VLUS. My family is from Haiti and I speak Haitian Creole fluently. I love Starbucks iced coffee, snowstorms, and dancing :)

EMAIL: wpierre@cpsd.us

"Mx. Q-N (Mx." is pronounced "mix"!)

Things I love: my kids, Harper (age 8) and Elijah (age 6); my wife, Melissa; walking around Cambridge; hiking and swimming; reading YA books; whales; chocolate. Things I hate: rodents; talking to strangers on the phone; biking uphill; basements.

EMAIL: jquest-neubert@cpsd.us

"Chris"

I grew up in Oklahoma City, studied in California with one semester in Berlin, and moved to the Boston area after college. This marks my 20th year as a teacher, with most of the first half happening at Graham & Parks and the last half here at VLUS. My wife and I live in Framingham with our 5th grade son and 3rd grade daughter; our family loves playing games, exploring the woods, and watching sports and Star Wars together.

EMAIL: crettig@cpsd.us

"Ms. Riley"

I love working with students to help them find: the perfect book, reliable information, and the humor in any situation. My sarcasm sometimes gets me in trouble. I love a good nap!

EMAIL: lriley@cpsd.us

"Mr. Sadowski" or "Matt"

I am originally from Agawam, MA- where Six Flags is! I am an avid Boston sports fan and I play/coach volleyball, tennis, soccer, and softball. I just got a new kitten named Micha and she will probably be making some appearances during advisory and class meets.

EMAIL: msadowski@cpsd.us

"Ms. Angie"

I was born and raised in Boston. This is my 5th school year working at VLUS. I love spending time with my family and being outdoors.

EMAIL: aseoane@cpsd.us

"Ms. S"

I have been working in Cambridge for almost 10 years and teaching for close to 15 years. When not at work I enjoy spending time with family, friends, and my two cats. I also like to stay creative and active, I enjoy taking dance classes and going on walks around my neighborhood.

EMAIL: kseverino@cpsd.us

"Sarah"

I grew up in a small town in northern Vermont. When I'm not teaching, I'm usually with my three little kids, Nora, Danny, and Joanie, who like to pop in to Google Meets and say hi. I like to cook and bake all kinds of food, and I really like it when other people teach me how to make new dishes (so feel free to share ideas!)!

EMAIL: sshaw@cpsd.us

"Mr. Skelton"

I am a Cambridge public school alumni.

My nephew attends this school.

My favorite sport is basketball, Go Celtics !

Email: gskelton@cpsd.us

"Mrs. Smart"

I am proud to be from Flint, MI. Family means the world to me. A dream Saturday would be outside on a sunny day surrounded by all kinds of art.

EMAIL: ksmart@cpsd.us

"Madame Laura"

I enjoy nature and gardening. I love to explore francophone culture through reading, watching French films and travel. I live in Boston in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood.

EMAIL: lsylvan@cpsd.us

"Ms. Gaby"

I was a student teacher at VLUS last year, and am lucky to be back this year! Most recently from Michigan, I came to the Boston area for graduate school and decided to stay. I am the eldest daughter in a family of "7", with two younger brothers and 2 adorable dogs and I believe that the foundation of teaching and learning is love!

EMAIL: tuckerg@cpsd.us

"Ms. V"

Charismatic

Dependable

Eager for Learning

EMAIL: mviola@cpsd.us

"Ms. V" or "Ms. Viaud"

EMAIL: aviaud@cpsd.us

"Mrs. Weiner"

I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. I love 6th graders and teaching Math. I have a beautiful daughter and two awesome grandsons.

EMAIL: sweiner@cpsd.us

"Elsa"

Elsa grew up in a small town in New Hampshire and moved to the Boston area to go to college and get out of the woods! She still enjoys time in nature on hikes, bike rides, and swims, and she also enjoys the more dynamic life a city like Boston has to offer. Elsa is excited to teach 8th grade math to this year after 8 years teaching 7th grade math!

EMAIL: ezeigler@cpsd.us