Faculty & Staff

Classroom Teachers
Music
Specialists
Administrative Staff Contact Us
Classroom Teachers

	Jennifer Gionfriddo, Co-Teacher, Kindergarten, is originally from the northwest hills of Connecticut. She received her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from The University of Connecticut in May of 2006. She then attended Saint Joseph's College and received her elementary education certification in December of 2007. Jennifer is very excited to start her teaching career at CLCS and hopes to be a significant addition to the team.
	Christina Marasco, Co-Teacher, Kindergarten has a Bachelors degree in childhood/special education and a Masters degree in early childhoood/special education and literacy from NYU. This is her fourth year teaching kindergarten and her second year at CLCS.
	Jovanne Buckmire, Co-Teacher, First Grade, is new to CLCS this year.
	Shalem Kaufer, Lead Teacher, First Grade , holds a Masters in Elementary Education from Lesley University. She lives in the Brighton area and has been teaching both Kindergarten and First Grade at CLCS for four years. She loves to travel and have a passion for children and education.
	Michelle Marzi, Lead Teacher, Fifth Grade, comes to CLCS after teaching in both Connecticut and New York. Ms. Marzi earned her BA from Hofstra University and taught in the New York City school system while doing so. She earned her Masters from Central Connecticut State University. In Connecticut she taught fourth grade for one year and third grade for five years thereafter. After earning an MA in Reading last May, Ms. Marzi taught in a preschool program and then joined the staff at CLCS. Ms. Marzi also loves ballet and was a dancer for 25 years.
Music Teachers
	Pampa Rotolo, Learning Through Music Coordinator began working at CLCS in August 2007. Most recently, she was a classroom teacher at Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, DC. She has a B.A in Music from Oberlin College and plays various instruments including piano and guitar. As a chorister with the Cathedral Choral Society, she regularly performed at the National Cathedral and the Kennedy Center.
Specialists
	Craig Keefe, Social Work Consultant, has been part time at CLCS since 2002. Craig is the Clinical Director at The Academy of Physical and Social Development in Newton and maintains a private practice, which is also in Newton. Craig also keeps very busy serving on The Board of Directors for The Watertown Boy’s and Girls Club and is a part time Faculty member at Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. Craig earned his BA in psychology from Wheaton College and his Masters degree in social work from Boston College. He often regrets not learning an instrument at an early age but currently has been trying to find time to resume taking saxophone lessons.
	Lisa Lopez, ELL, has been teaching English Language Learners for eight years in many different places, including Puebla, Mexico, San Diego, California, and Framingham, Massachusetts. She loves to listen to many different kinds of music, and as a child she played the oboe.
	Janice Wood, SPED Coordinator, has a B.S. from Wheelock College, is certified to teach K-3 and young children with special needs. She has a Masters in Education from Cambridge College and is currently pursuing a certificate in Moderate Special needs at Wheelock College. As a young child and into adolescence, Janice was a member of a marching band, even though she did not play an instrument. She was a flag in the color guard, and enjoys finding the beat to music and remembers routines to go with that music.
	Dana Pulda, Sports4Kids Coach, known to the students as Coach Dana, is originally from Worcester, MA. Dana is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in Communications. She also was a division 1 athlete at Umass, serving as a coxswain on the Women's Rowing team for all 4 years of college. She is currently serving as an Americorps volunteer through the organization Sports4kids, which offers students the opprotunity to learn healthy play, conflict resolution, and community development through sports and play. This is Dana's first year at the CLCS and enjoys the tightknit community, as well as the music ringing throughout the halls. .
Administrative Staff
	Diana Lam, Head of School, brings over 35 years of experience as an educator to her role. Ms. Lam has held many positions in schools across the country - from teacher to superintendent. Wherever she works, she strives to help underserved children, and is excited to be leading the Conservatory Lab Charter School into its next stage of development as an innovative charter school.
	Annie Sevelius, Assistant Principal, recently received her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership at Lesley University. Before moving to Boston to work and study, she directed the arts programs for Alameda County Public Schools, including Berkeley and Oakland, in the California Bay Area. She has also taught language arts, English as a Second Language, and reading in both California and Japan. Her undergraduate degree, received at Indiana University, is in English Literature. She is an amazing whistler and plays the Charlie Brown theme song on various instruments.
	Cynthia Goncalves, Business Manager comes to CLCS with 20 years of experience in small business management. Cindy is a graduate of Cambridge College and holds a Masters of Management as well as a graduate certificate in Information Technology. Most recently Cindy worked as a finance and operations business manager for a large private pharmaceuticals firm.
	Leigh Creighton Kelter, Director of Development, has worked in arts administration for nine years. She was previously the executive director of Project STEP, a program that provides talented minority children with comprehensive training on orchestral string instruments. Mrs. Kelter studied at Tufts University and UCLA, and holds an M.A. in ethnomusicology. She enjoys listening to musical styles from around the world, jazz and R&B/hip hop, and is a member of the Agbekor Society which studies and performs percussion and vocal music from Ghana, West Africa.