Faculty & Staff
2008-2009
Steven J. Cash
Head of School
B.A. and M.A. in English, Sonoma State University, California
Mr. Cash began his professional career as an Assistant Instructor at Santa Rosa, California, Junior College. He then moved to Florida, spending 15 years in a variety of progressive positions at the Florida Air Academy. He served three years as an English Teacher and Department Chair, three more years as an Academic Dean, and ultimately nine years as Headmaster of the Academy, as well as 14 years as head boys’ basketball coach. After leaving Florida, Mr. Cash spent the next 10 years as Headmaster of the Le Mans Academy in Rolling Prairie, Indiana. From 2003 to 2007 he served as the Head of School at All Saints’ Episcopal School in Morristown, Tennessee, before coming to Mizzentop. In addition to these positions, Mr. Cash has also served as: Executive Director of the Catholic Boarding Schools Association; a member of over 26 accreditation visiting teams (13 as team chair); a member of the Evaluation Review Committee for the Independent Schools Association of the Central States; a member of the Air Force JROTC Advisory Committee; member of the Board of Directors of the Chambers of Commerce in La Porte, Indiana, and Morristown, Tennessee; Vice-Chair of the La Porte County Industrial Recruitment Board; a member of the Hamblen County Health Council, member of the Executive Board of the Pawling Chamber of Commerce; secretary of the Pawling Rotary; and a member of a variety of other boards and committees. Mr. Cash’s wife of 24 years, Debbie, is a health care professional. They have two sons, a 22-year-old senior at East Tennessee State University and a 19-year-old intelligence specialist in the U. S. Navy.
Carney O’Brien
Assistant Head of School, Director of Admissions & Secondary School Placement
M.A. Educational Psychology, Marist College
B.A. English, Vassar College
Mrs. O’Brien continues her roles as Assistant Head of School and Director of Secondary Placement along with Director of Admissions. She most recently chaired the self-study for our successful NYSAIS accreditation. She has been at Mizzentop since 2002 when she joined the faculty as the Librarian/Drama and Pre-K Art Teacher. Mrs. O’Brien created and has taught the Public Speaking and Debate curriculum. Mrs. O’Brien was the Special Area Division Head from 2003-2006. Her two oldest daughters have both graduated from Mizzentop and her son and youngest daughter are current students. Mrs. O’Brien has also been a presenter for two years at the SSATB Annual Conference. Before coming to Mizzentop, Mrs. O’Brien chaired the Poughkeepsie area’s Alumni Admissions Program for Vassar College, helped to develop curriculum for and taught “Museum Babies”, Toddler, and Pre-school educational programs at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum and has performed in a variety of theatrical competitions and plays over the years.
Wendy MacKenzie
Director of Advancement & Communications, Business Manager
Bachelor of Arts, St. Lawrence University
In her role as Business Manager, Mrs. MacKenzie coordinates all financial matters for the school, including payroll, accounts receivable and payable, prepares financial reports, oversees facilities and grounds, handles Human Resource issues, and supervises all non-academic support staff. In her new role as Director of Advancement & Communication, she is responsible for cultivating donors, organizing fundraising events, and handling all media-related communications to promote the school and its mission.
Prior to MDS, Mrs. MacKenzie amassed fifteen years of business experience overseeing financial and administrative functions for a local insurance company. Before that, she worked in college guidance for a private secondary school and as an admissions counselor for a four-year liberal arts college. She has two daughters, one a recent graduate of MDS, and the other a Sixth Grade student enrolled at Mizzentop.
Bernadette Rossetti Shustak
Assistant to the Head of School
Mrs. Shustak administratively supports the Head of School and all senior administration. In addition, Mrs. Shustak helped to develop and maintains the school’s Website. She created and is the Editor of Mizzen-topics, the school’s weekly newsletter at www.mizzentop.org.
She is a former newspaper editor and journalist. She has written magazine articles on food, medical issues, and family; and her columns on family life made her the recipient of a first place award from the New York Press Association in 1995. Mrs. Shustak is a published children’s author and the recipient of a 2006 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award.
Loretta Pecora-O’Hara
School Nurse
B.S. Nursing Science, Pace University
A.A.S. Queensborough Community College
Mrs. Pecora-O’Hara coordinates all student Health and Safety programs and provides nursing services to the faculty, staff, and students. An R.N. since 1977, her positions before Mizzentop include Staff R.N., Head Nurse, In-service Coordinator, Clinical Instructor, and private duty and home care nurse. In collaboration with other professionals, she implemented and set up several renal units in New York.
Janet Andrew
Receptionist/Admissions Assistant
B.A.
Bennington College, Bennington, Vt.
Assistant Teacher Certification
After a year of assistant teaching PK4 at The Kiwi School in Mahopac, substituting at MDS and other local schools, Mrs. Andrew will be entering her second year as the first point of contact at Mizzentop.
Both an accomplished dancer and choreographer, she has performed in NYC and throughout the United States. Although no longer performing professionally, she continues to teach movement/art classes throughout the area. If you are lucky, you might catch an impromptu performance by Janet and her daughter, Marlon, who is a second grade student at MDS.
Elizabeth Vorolieff
Pre-School Teacher (3-year-olds)
B.A. Creative Writing and English Literature, Ohio University
In addition to leading our 3-year-olds Pre-School program, Mrs. Vorolieff has served as editor for our “School Culture” self-study committee. Mrs. Vorolieff joined Mizzentop in 2003 as an assistant in our Pre-School Program.
Before joining Mizzentop, she was an assistant teacher in the nursery school at Chapel School in Bronxville, NY, and worked as a substitute teacher. Her background also includes 13 years in the book publishing industry where she was a literary agent representing authors of both fiction and non-fiction work.
Barbara Foley
Pre-School Assistant (3-year-olds)
In addition to Mrs. Foley’s steady and valuable assistance in the Pre-School Program, she is a regular volunteer in the library and for Parent Council events. She has also worked at MDS as Assistant to the Head of Nutrition, and as a classroom substitute. Before joining the Mizzentop Staff, Mrs. Foley attended State University of New York at Brockport. After pursuing a career in banking and insurance, she assisted her husband in building his own business by handling many of the clerical responsibilities.
Dianne Choate
Pre-School Teacher (4-year-olds)
M.S. Education, University of Bridgeport
B.S. Education, CW Post, Long Island
Before teaching the Pre-School Program, Mrs. Choate taught our Kindergarten Program. She has also taught for 10 years in Brookfield, CT in a transitional format, and substituted in other districts in Grades K-3 for 10 years. Mrs. Choate specializes in Reading, Early Intervention, and assisting children with learning difficulties.
Francesca Florio
Pre-School Teacher (4-year-olds)
B.S., Childhood Education, SUNY Oneonta
Francesca Florio worked as a substitute teacher for a year, and most recently taught 5th Grade and 1st Grade Reading at Morgan Elementary School in the Bronx. Last summer Francesca served as a facilitator at the People to People Leadership Summit in Palo Also, California. She is a welcome addition to our Early Childhood Division teaching staff.
Evelina Simoes
Pre-School Assistant (4-year-olds)
In addition to Mrs. Simoes’ unflappable assistance in the Pre-School 4-year-old class, she has also worked as a clerk in our library and as a substitute teacher at MDS.
Mrs. Simoes gained experience working with young children as a Pre-School Assistant in a private Catholic school in Queens, NY. Prior to working with children, she was employed by J.P. Morgan and Company as a stocks and bonds consultant.
Wendy Wilson
After School Coordinator /Pre-School Assistant
Southern Seminary Jr. College, Buena Vista, VA
Living Values Education Training, Hains Falls, N.Y.
Mrs. Wilson is happy to bring her playfulness and dedicated spirit back to MDS for the fifth year. She has enjoyed being an assistant in Kindergarten and in the pre-school. Mrs. Wilson directs the MDS’s After Care, Summer Recreation, and Extended Care Programs, utilizing her Living Values training. In addition Mrs. Wilson is a substitute at Mizzentop and The Astor School.
Before joining the Mizzentop Staff, Mrs. Wilson managed a stable in North Salem for 16 years. She is currently enrolled in an Early Childhood program.
Laura Olson
Kindergarten Teacher
B. A., History and French, University of Virginia
MEd., Elementary Education, Western Connecticut State University
Laura Olson is rejoining our staff; she taught at Mizzentop for seven years and served as Lower School Division Head before moving out of the area. She has returned, and we are thrilled to have her back. An avid hiker and camper, during the summer months since 1997 Mrs. Olson has worked as a lifeguard.
Dori Mitzi
Kindergarten Assistant
Flagler College, St. Augustine FL
Education for Parenting Leadership Training, Yonkers NY
Formerly in the customer service and credit analyst professions, Dori became a stay-at-home mother once her daughter Elena was born (who is now in her second year at MDS in the Second Grade). Craving more, she began training for leadership in an Education for Parenting program created to implement the results of research in infant and child development. She taught that program for two years at her parish. Her other training includes a focus in Spanish and Deaf Education at Flagler College.
When she’s not assisting an MDS classroom, you might just find Dori with her hands in a turtle or fish tank, giving a hand in the lunch room, or handing out chocolates….please say “Hola” as you pass by!
Dana Mullen
First Grade Teacher
B.S. Elementary Education/English
Certification: Elementary Education, New Jersey
Mrs. Mullen will be in her second year in the Lower School team teaching First Grade this year. Previously, Mrs. Mullen taught First and Second Grades in New Jersey Public and Charter Schools where she was trained in Responsive Classroom, and was responsible for teaching Guided Reading, Writer's Workshops, Everyday Math, and inquiry-based Science units. Mrs. Mullen also coached a primary Odyssey of the Mind team and was involved in several extra-curricular activities including Science Night, The Literary Festival, and a Professional Book Group studying Units of Study for Primary Writing: A Yearlong Curriculum. We are fortunate to receive the benefits of Mrs. Mullen's excellent training and experience. Mrs. Mullen lives at the Millbrook School with her husband, Dave.
Kathleen Masterson Green
First Grade Teacher
Masters, Elementary Education, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY
B.S. Elementary Education/Philosophy, SUNY, Geneseo
Certification: Elementary Education Pre-K-6.
After spending a year supporting our Reading and Writing programs in First through Fifth Grades, Teaching Library and Research Skills, and coordinating all student services and tutoring at MDS, Mrs. Green will be teaching First Grade this year. She comes to us from Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, CT where she taught in the early childhood program. Previously, she was the Assistant Director of Education at the Huntington Learning Center in Yorktown.
Angela Thomes-Klug
Second Grade Teacher
M.S. Education, Elementary Certification (CT K – 6) and (NY 1– 6), University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT
B.A. Psychology, Elementary and Special Education, LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA
Mrs. Thomes-Klug returns for her third year of teaching Second Grade at Mizzentop Day School.
Previously, she was a Second Grade enrichment tutor at Northville Elementary School, New Milford, CT where she developed activities in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. She student taught Second Grade at Stadley Rough Elementary School, Danbury, CT. Her responsibilities included Literature Circles, Connecticut Mastery Test Review, and Writer’s and Reader’s Workshops. She was an intern at Great Plain Elementary School, Danbury, CT where she provided instructional support to Grades K-5, Bilingual K-3, Special Education, and Specials. She also worked as a Case Manager at Family and Children’s Aid in Danbury.
Rachel M. Kellogg
Third Grade Teacher
B.A. Elementary Education/Minor in History, Canisius College
Mrs. Kellogg has been teaching 5th Grade and coaching varsity basketball at Mizzentop since she joined the faculty in 2001. Before teaching Fifth Grade at Mizzentop, she taught our combined Fifth/Sixth Grade. She has coached our varsity soccer team as well. Mrs. Kellogg is currently leading the expansion of the MDS Community Service Program and coordinates community outreach efforts at the school. This year, Mrs. Kellogg is coaching basketball and continues to lead our Knitting Club.
Before coming to Mizzentop, Mrs. Kellogg taught Seventh and Eighth Grade History and ESL at Trinity-Pawling School from 1995-2000. She also coached at Trinity-Pawling and Pawling Middle and High Schools. Mrs. Kellogg played four years of Division I College Basketball.
Maria I. O’Mahony
Fourth Grade Teacher
B.A. English, Marymount College
Currently working towards her M.A. Education
Mrs. O’Mahony assumed the position of Fourth Grade teacher in Sept. 2006. Mrs. O’Mahony joined Mizzentop’s faculty in Sept. 2003, where until June 2006 she developed and taught MDS’s Science Program for Grades 5-8 in our newly constructed Science Lab. During this time, Mrs. O’Mahony also taught Writing to the Fifth & Eighth Grades, held weekly Science Labs for the Fourth Grade, and served as a Middle School Advisor.
Before joining Mizzentop Day School, Mrs. O’Mahony worked for Brewster Central Schools as a substitute teacher in Grades K-5 in the areas of General and Special Education. During her last year with Brewster, she taught exclusively in a self-contained Fourth and Fifth Grade classroom, where she modified core curriculum for students with disabilities. Mrs. O’Mahony’s son, Andrew, is a 2007 Mizzentop graduate.
Marie King
Middle School Literature Teacher
M.A. Education, New York University
B.S. Education, New York University
Permanent Certificate, NYS Board of Education; Teacher License, NYC Board of Education; Teacher Certificate, NJ State Education Department In addition to teaching middle school literature at Mizzentop, Ms. King also facilitates the Fantasy Book Club.
Before coming to Mizzentop, Ms. King taught for 30 years in both private and public schools in New York and New Jersey. She has taught at the Walden, New Lincoln and Dalton Schools in NYC, as well as at the Albany Academy in Albany. She served as the Gifted and Talented Consultant to the Pine Plains School District, and taught at Dutchess Day School in Millbrook. Ms. King has edited and published The Voyage of the Hougoumont, Life at Fremantle: The Life of an Irish Rebel and John Devoy’s Catalpa Expedition.
Marge McMahon
Middle School Language Arts Teacher
B.A., Psychology/Writing, St. Lawrence University
M.S., English Education, East Connecticut State University
Marge McMahon joins our staff teaching language arts and writing in our Middle School Division. Her 20 years of teaching experience includes 15 years of high school English at Montville High School in Connecticut and, most recently, middle school English at The Melrose School. Mrs. McMahon has also served as a curriculum coordinator. Her daughter Marissa will be joining our Fourth Grade class.
Daniel Thomes-Klug
Middle School Social Studies Teacher
B.S. Anthropology, Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, CT
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
New York Sate Teacher Certification
Connecticut State Teacher Certification (K-6)
Mr. Thomes-Klug, now in his second year at MDS, will be teaching middle school Social Studies, Health, and Guitar this year. Previously, he taught Fifth Grade in the Arlington Central School District, Kindergarten at Grand Concourse Academy Charter School in New York City, and was a Special Education Tutor at Sarah Noble Intermediate School in New Milford, CT. He has been a social and educational mentor to 18-21 year old students with disabilities at WCSU, and has been a one-to-one tutor for a student with autism using Applied Behavior Analysis. Mr. Thomes-Klug has also organized and coached intramural sports for 4th & 5th Graders, directed a number of musical ensembles, and participated in the Philadelphia Marathon.
Jane Justo
Middle School Science Teacher
B.S., Psychology/Biology, Western Connecticut State University
M.S. (in progress), Pace University
Jane Justo, who spent several days in our science lab this past spring getting to know our students and our curriculum, joins us to teach Science to our Fifth through Eighth Grades. In addition to previous teaching experience in an independent school, Mrs. Justo has worked as a certified arborist and in the business world. She also serves as a Cub Master in the Boy Scouts of America.
Karin Shultz
Middle School Math Teacher
Bachelor of Arts, Hofstra University
Joint Degree: Elementary Education, Pre K-6 and Mathematics Master of Arts in Education, Western Connecticut State University
45+ Continuing Education Graduate Credits
New York State Permanent Teaching Certification in Elementary Education
Mrs. Shultz begins her third year at Mizzentop teaching middle school mathematics. Before coming to MDS, Mrs. Shultz taught at Ardsley Middle School in Westchester for eight years. Working her way through a compacted, advanced curriculum, Mrs. Shultz taught students of all ability levels in Grades Five through Eight. In addition to her teaching duties, Mrs. Shultz was the yearbook advisor for eight straight years, and continued in that role even when she was on childcare leave. She also developed a summer program for struggling students, was a member of the Principal’s Planning and Leadership Team, worked with her department to align the math curriculum with the NYS Math, Science and Technology Standards, and served on the Ardsley Interview Committee.
Clare Knapp
Middle School Math Teacher/Special Support
B.S. Business Administration/Marketing, Marist College
Ms. Knapp will team-teach middle school math with Karin Shultz and will provide other student support services as well.
Ms. Knapp spent three years teaching 8th Grade History and English at MDS before moving into a supporting role in the Kindergarten and Middle School. She has been the Varsity Soccer Coach and Student Government Faculty Advisor. In her early years at MDS, Ms. Knapp assisted in the First and Fifth Grade classrooms teaching Writing and History.
Prior to joining Mizzentop, she taught creative and expository writing to high school students through the University of Colorado at Boulder. She also taught at various summer programs including the Vassar College Summer Strings Program, Brendon Montessori School and her family’s farm, Crosswinds Equestrian Center. She continues to direct Crosswinds’ summer program and teaches riding lessons to people of all ages and abilities.
Paula Boeglin
Computer Teacher and Technology Coordinator
B.S. Computer Information Systems and Marketing, Manhattan College
Mrs. Boeglin has been teaching Computer and Information technology skills at Mizzentop since 2003. She is responsible for the coordination of the school’s Website, Intranet, and school-wide technology. Before running the computer lab, Mrs. Boeglin worked as an assistant in our Pre-School, Kindergarten, and First Grade classrooms. She also served as a one-on-one tutor with a variety of grade levels.
Prior to joining Mizzentop Day School, Mrs. Boeglin was an Assistant Vice President with a benefits consulting firm. She also assisted in teaching English as a Second Language in the public schools.
Donna Hanson
Athletic Director, Physical Education, and Health Teacher
B.S. SUNY Cortland, Recreation Education
Mrs. Hanson has been teaching Physical Education and Health, and directing the Mizzentop Athletic Program since 2000. In addition to her many teaching and organizational responsibilities, she coaches the Girls Field Hockey team.
Before joining the Mizzentop faculty, Mrs. Hanson developed and taught Pre-school Music and Movement programs at the YMCA, directed a summer day camp, and worked in the health care field as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. Outside of Mizzentop, Mrs. Hanson competes in local races for charities, plays softball, and enjoys outdoor activities.
Michele Morin
French Teacher
M. Ed. Counseling Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston State B.A. Psychology, Hunter College
Madame has been offering native French instruction for Mizzentop Day School students since 2000. She has developed a multi-media Foreign Language Program and is currently teaching Fifth through Eighth Grade French at MDS.
Madame taught French K-6 at The Montessori School in Wilton, CT, and also taught high school French at The Conservatory for the Performing Arts in New Milford, CT. She has provided French after school programs for a number of schools and community organizations as well as private French lessons for adults. For twenty years prior to teaching, Madame owned and headed a multi-lingual search firm in Manhattan.
Kristi Brien
Art Teacher
Masters of Art in Museum Education, 2005, Tufts University
Certificate in Museum Studies, 2004, Harvard University
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Art History Minor, 2001, Hamilton College
Mrs. Brien will be in her second year teaching Art to students in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. She comes to MDS after being a Museum Educator at the Museum of Fine arts in Boston since 2005. She has served as an Education Department Intern at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge, and has also taught at the New England Center for Children in Southborough, MA. Mrs. Brien brings a wealth of new and creative ideas to our Art Department.
Mary Lee Shanahan
Spanish Teacher
B.A. Spanish, SUNY New Paltz
A.A. Arts and Sciences, Suffolk Community College
Mrs. Shanahan has been teaching Middle School Spanish at Mizzentop since 2004. Most recently, she has been working with a Foreign Language consultant to develop new programming for our Middle School Spanish Program along with an introductory curriculum for Grades K-4, and will be implementing these innovations in the fall of 2006.
Prior to joining Mizzentop Day School, Mrs. Shanahan substituted for Grades K-6 in the Webatuck Central School District for 5 years and provided Homebound Tutoring. In the spring of 1999, she presented a five week Spanish program to Grades K-6 at Webatuck. The following year she worked as Long Term Substitute in the Resource Room. She has served as a volunteer English as a Second Language tutor and literacy trainer for the Northeast-Millerton Library. She was also a Co-Director and Lifeguard for the Summer Recreation Program in the Town of Amenia. Mrs. Shanahan is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts in Teaching at SUNY New Paltz.
Mary Gray
Music/Drama Teacher
B.A. Music Education, College of Wooster, Ohio
Master of Education, Fine Arts Education, Fitchburg State College, MA
Mrs. Gray has taught in public schools in Ohio, Florida, Arizona, and Massachusetts, and at Miss Hall’s School in Mass. She is certified in Music and Early Childhood Education in NY and Mass, and has continuing education credit in Gifted Education, Web-based instruction, Multi-cultural Storytelling, and Special Education. Mrs. Gray joins Mizzentop as our Music and Drama teacher. She has produced two operas and has extensive experience with other dramatic productions.
Robin Dapolito
Director of Food Services
Mrs. Dapolito comes to Mizzentop as an experienced caterer. She is self-employed and has catered for Mt. Kisco Seafood. She has worked as a manager and waitress in a variety of restaurants throughout the area. Prior to entering the restaurant and catering industry, Mrs. Dapolito worked at several banks in Connecticut and Texas.