Staff Bios
Administration | Student Support Services | English | Math | History | Science | Specialized Instruction | Arts | School Support
The word “Founding” means that the staff member was present when the school opened in September of 2006.
Administration
Mr. Bowen (Founding Principal) attended Brown University and majored in Art and Architectural Studies. He moved to New York as a member of Teach for America's corps. '93 and taught 4th grade in Harlem. While teaching he studied theater and eventually was a board member of the Harlem Theater Company and later started a theater company called "Rising Circle". Before becoming a principal, he was a teaching artist and Program Director for DreamYard. He has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in print making from City College, a Masters of Science in Education Administration and Supervision degree from Pace University and is a proud member of New Leaders for New Schools' cohort 5.
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Ms. Wargo (Assistant Principal- Founding Faculty) holds a B F A from Tyler School of Art and an M F.A. from Rutgers University. As a collaborating artist, she has designed sets, sewn costumes and created installations for dance and music performances. Her work has been widely exhibited across the United States, most recently at the Bronx River Art Center and Platform Gallery in Seattle. Ms. Wargo has recently completed Bank Street's Educational Leadership Program with a focus on School Leadership in the Arts where she has earned a Masters of Science in Education. Ms. Wargo completed Bank Street's Educational Leadership Program with a focus on School Leadership in the Arts where she earned a Masters of Science in Education. This is her third year as Assistant Principal.
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Student Support Services
Ms. De Guia (College Adviser - September 2010) grew up near Los Angeles, California and has resided in Brooklyn since 1999. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Development Studies and City and Regional Planning. She also has a M.S. in Management and Urban Policy from The New School University. She most recently worked at Esperanza, an alternative to incarceration program for youth. She also worked at New Settlement Apartments in the Bronx as the program director for the Bronx Helpers program and as a College Explorers Facilitator at The College Access Center. She loves working with youth and is excited to help DreamYard Prep students get into college.
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Ms. Grant (School Social Worker - Founding Faculty) is a licensed certified social worker with over seventeen years of experience. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Pace University and a Masters in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work. Over the past seventeen years, Ms. Grant has worked with various organizations in different capacities including but not limited to Life Skills Coordinator, Independent Living Skills Coordinator, Family Consultant and Program Director. She has a wide range of experience in working with various populations however her expertise is in adolescent behavior.
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Ms. Vasquez (Guidance Counselor/Dean of Character Development- Founding Faculty) was born and raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn. She was the Project Coordinator for the Girls Incorporated Latina Initiative, and worked at the Momentum AIDS Project and the Hispanic AIDS Forum Inc. She continues to serve People with AIDS (PWA) as a part-time Volunteer Site Coordinator at a church in the West Village. She is a co-founder of La Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. at New York University where she also earned her Bachelors of Science. Ms. Vasquez atttained her Masters of Science in Counseling & Guidance from the College of New Rochelle. Ms. Vasquez has also completed her School Building Leadership training from College of Saint Rose (CITE) Educational Leadership & Administration Program.
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Mrs. Perkinson (Guidance Counselor - September 2007) has worked in the New York City school system for over 14 years, and primarily as a teacher and most recently as a high school counselor. In addition to working in a traditional school setting, She has past experience working with the Department of Juvenile Justice. Ms. Perkinson is both city and state licensed, and received her formal education from College of New Rochelle, CUNY, Mercy College and Columbia University. She is pleased to have this opportunity to work with the DY Prep staff, students and their families.
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Mr. Jouas (Physical Education Teacher - September 2007) is the Physical Education teacher as well as the Dean of Discipline here at DreamYard Prep. Sports and recreation have had a tremendous positive influence in his life. Through these positive experiences, it has helped lead him down the career path in becoming a Phys. Ed. Teacher. Now, as a Phys. Ed. Mr. Jouas can share the joys that he has experienced through sport.
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Ms. Tara Ryba (Dean - July 2010) Tara Ryba joins us after four years of dedicated service at another small high school in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn where she taught Social Studies; served as an Advisor and was appointed Co-Dean of School Culture & Discipline. Ms. Ryba is from Eastern Queens. She's a proud graduate of Adelphi University, from which she earned a BA in Social Science and a MA in Adolescent Social Studies Education. Ms. Ryba is passionate about urban education and school reform. She's committed to Peace Education and is an avid proponent of taking a holistic approach to enhancing school culture and increasing student achievement. As an active member of the DY Prep team, she intends to maximally collaborate with faculty, students, their families and community resources to achieve those goals.
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English Department
Ms. Cronan (English Teacher - September 2008) grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She attended Princeton University where she majored in English. While at Princeton, Ms. Cronan also studied Visual Arts and History. Ms. Cronan recently
moved to New York City and is enrolled in Lehman College, where she is working towards her masters in education.
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Mr. Holman (English Teacher - September 2008) graduated from The University of New Hampshire with a BA in Theater and Sociology. He then went to Binghamton University and earned an MFA in Acting. While at Binghamton, he met and became engaged to Adriana Suarez, a concert pianist from Cuba. The couple moved to the Bronx and Adriana started working as a teacher while Thomas pursued various acting jobs. While working as a part time actor, Thomas earned his teaching license and eventually stopped the part time acting to become a full time teacher. Since his father was a teacher, the job was an easy fit and Mr. Holman worked for ten years at Walton High School in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx. With the closing of the big schools under the Bloomberg administration, Mr. Holman has worked at two other small schools before arriving at Dreamyard Preparatory Academy. He and his wife of sixteen years are the proud parents of triplets, and they live in Peekskill, New York.
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Mr. Moore (English Teacher - September 2009)
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Ms. Scott (English Teacher - September 2009) is a life learner and prides herself on her commitment to developing independent life learners. Her undergraduate degree in English Literature is from SUNY Stony Brook. She completed a Masters degree from New York University's Department of Music and Arts Profession's program in Educational Theatre. She is the author of A Selling Art. Ms. Scott has been successfully educating New York City children since 2000.
Math Department
Ms. Guiles (Math Teacher - September 2009)
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Mr. Strommer (Math Teacher - February 2007) is a New York City Teaching Fellow in his first year of service to the NYC DOE. He attended Washingtonville High School in New York's Hudson Valley after moving there from the very neighborhood which houses DreamYard Prep. He successfully completed the rigorous Naval Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Florida and has worked in the Information Technology industry as well as the banking industry for nearly twenty years. He graduated from Dominican College cum laude and is presently attending City College where he is in the process of earning a Masters of Science in Teaching.
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History Department
Mr. Wooden (Social Studies Teacher - September 2009) was born and raised in New Rochelle, NY. He knew that he wanted to become an educator since the 5th grade. He attended Iona College where he majored in History and Secondary Education and received a Bachelors of Science. Mr. Wooden returned to Iona College for his graduate level studies and graduated Cum Laude, receiving a Masters of Science in Education. He started his career working for KAPPA III in the Bronx for 4 years, and is now happy to make a home at DreamYard Prep.
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Mr. Blum (Social Studies - Spring 2011) is a Queens’ native, who started his teaching career as a substitute teacher at a Bronx charter school. He graduated Cum Laude from CUNY Queens College with a Bachelor of Arts in History, and he returned to his alma mater to pursue a graduate degree in Secondary Education. Mr. Blum has been working with youth for eight years, including those with autism and special needs. Working as both a basketball and baseball coach for teens, he was recognized by the Queens Courier newspaper for his volunteer work in this area. Mr. Blum would like to continue inspiring youth – on the field, on the court, and now in the classrooms of DreamYard Prep. E-Mail Mr.Blum
Science Department
Ms. Balay (Science Teacher - September 2008) grew up outside
of Minneapolis, Minnesota. She attended the University of Wisconsin-
Madison where she majored in Genetics. While in college Ms. Balay
conducted research on the sensory neuron pathways in drosophila,
worked for the WI teen crisis network, and the Boys & Girls Club. As a
student she enjoyed playing lacrosse and is an avid traveler. In 2010 she received a Masters of Science Education from Lehman College. Ms. Balay is currently a leader of the DYP National Honor Society and the DreamYard designing science after school program.
Ms. Walters (Science Teacher - September 2009) grew up just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, where she studied chemistry and biology. She conducted research on green chemistry with a microwave and building model compounds of the Hydroxylamine Oxidoreductase enzyme (HAO). She also was involved with Chem Club, Relay for Life, and traveled to Honduras to work with the Pronino Honduras organization. She has completed two half-marathons and enjoys running and dancing. Ms. Walters is currently attending Fordham University, where she is working toward her Master of Science in Education.
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Specialized Instruction
Mr. Blanco (Special Education Teacher - September 2009) was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the U.S. at the age of 4 where he was raised in Queens. He attended Wheaton College in Norton, MA as a Posse Scholar and graduated with a BA in Sociology. While in college, he was President and Founder of the group Students Organized Against Racism (SOAR); as well as a Latin Dance instructor who taught Salsa, Merengue and Bachata to students who needed additional Physical Education credits. Prior to teaching, he worked as a Compliance Specialist within the Human Resources industry for banks such as Morgan Stanley and Lehman Brothers. This fall, he will be attending City College in pursuit of a Masters Degree in Special Education
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Ms. Marte (ESL Teacher - September 2007) is a native New Yorker. She was born and raised in the Washington Heights/Inwood area of Manhattan. She currently resides in the Bronx. Johanna graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor or Arts in History and a Creative Writing Minor in December 1998. She is an alumna of the New York City Teaching Fellows (Cohort 5). She currently holds a Master's of Science in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from The City College of New York. Johanna was accepted into the Bilingual/ESL Teacher Leadership Academy (BETLA) at the Bank Street College of Education in September 2007.
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Ms. Mitchell (Special Education Teacher - September 2009) grew up in Jamaica, West Indies and moved to Brooklyn, New York at the age of 16. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Hunter College, and went on to achieve a Masters of Science degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. Prior to becoming a New York City Teaching Fellow, Ms. Mitchell worked in the field of Human Resources Management and simultaneously enjoyed a career as a professional theater and television actress. It was during this time that she worked as a teaching artist with Dream Yard Drama Project. Ms. Mitchell is currently enrolled at City College where she is working towards a Masters degree in Education.
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Ms. Ulferts (Special Education Teacher - September 2007) teaches 9th and 10th grade English and a 10th grade honors history Regents prep course as the primary teacher in DY Prep's Bridges program, which provides support for exceptional students. She is a native of California and attended the University of California, Los Angeles, from which she graduated in 1995 with a B.A. in Political Science. Ms. Ulferts also has a Master of Fine Arts in Writing and Literature from Bennington College in Vermont and is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Urban Education from Mercy College in the Bronx. Prior to becoming a teacher through the New York City Teaching Fellows Program, Ms Ulferts spent a decade as a newspaper writer in Florida, where she specialized in covering issues involving health care, education and natural disasters.
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Ms. Castillo-Arzeno (Spanish Teacher - September 2009) is a native of the Dominican Republic. She immigrated with her family to the USA in 1994 at the age of 11. After graduating from a NYC public school, she attended The City College of New York, where she earned her B.A. in Foreign Languages and Literature. While at CCNY she was a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. She has studied in Spain, and has conducted research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the Archivo General de la Nación in Mexico City. She is currently working towards a Master's degree in Secondary Education at Hunter College
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Ms. Then (Spanish Teacher - September 2007) was born in the Dominican Republic. She went to George Washington High School. She obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Spanish with a minor in Secondary Education from City College. In the summer of 2007, she began City College's graduate masters degree program in ESL from grades K-12. She was accepted to the TESOL Stream A program. She is excited about teaching and having a positive impact on the lives of her students.
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Arts Department
Ms. Wargo (see Above)
Ms. Watson (Poetry Slam Coach - September 2008) Renée Watson is the author of the children’s picture book, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen (Random House, June 2010). Her middle grade novel, What Momma Left Me debuted as the New Voice for 2010 in middle grade fiction by The Independent Children's Booksellers Association. Renée’s one woman show, Roses are Red, Women are Blue, debuted at New York City's Lincoln Center at a showcase for emerging artists. Her articles on using poetry and theatre to teach about social justice issues have been published in Rethinking Schools.
One of Renée’s passions is using the arts to help youth cope with trauma. She has facilitated poetry and theatre workshops with young girls coping with sexual and physical abuse, children who have witnessed violence, children coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and children who relocated to New York City after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Renée graduated from The New School, where she studied Creative Writing and earned a certificate in Drama Therapy. E-mail Ms.Watson
Mr. Gonzalez (Theater Arts Teacher - September 2007) is a playwright/director originally from Puerto Rico. He holds a BA from the University of Puerto Rico in Theatre and French and an MFA in Directing from Columbia University. He is the co-founder of theatrewagon, an international artist collective based in New York. His work has been presented at Classic Stage Company, Dance New Amsterdam, The Chernuchin Theatre, Uncle Ming’s, The West End Theatre, Dalton School, Araba Theatre, the D-Lounge Cabaret, Taller Cé and The Kraine. He is the author of seven original plays and adaptations. Having taught all throughout New York and Puerto Rico, he currently teaches at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning and DY Prep, where he teaches Theatre Arts Integration and runs the after-school Theatre Company.
Ms. Williams (Dance Teacher - September 2007) is a singer, dancer, actress and teaching artist. She received her BA in African American Studies at the College of Wooster and is a current MA candidate in Performance Studies at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She has studied various forms of dance from ballet, modern, and jazz, to African, Dunham technique, hip-hop, and Brazilian. She has received training from Howard University, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Florida Dance Festival, University of the Arts, and University Federal of Bahia/Brazil. She strongly believes that the arts serve as a site for social change and is committed to every child's ability to dream through the arts.
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Ms. Salas-Vazquez (Visual Arts Teacher - September 2011) is a visual arts teacher and artist. Her work often combines painting, printmaking, calligraphy, and mixed media sculpture that is always informed by personal experience as well as her Dominican heritage. Haymee considers her work with young people extremely rewarding, as she attempts to engage them in explorations of a multitude of art media as well as delve into their sense of identity and understanding of the world around them through the study of visual arts. Ms. Salas-Vazquez has a Bachelor of Fine Arts for The Cooper Union and a Master of Arts Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Elana Bell (12th Grade Creative Writing - September 2011) was selected by Fanny Howe as the winner of the Walt Whitman Award for 2011. Her first collection of poetry, Eyes, Stones, will be published by Louisiana State University Press in 2012. Elana is the recipient of grants and fellowships from the Jerome Foundation, the Edward Albee Foundation, and the Drisha Institute. Her work has recently appeared in Harvard Review, CALYX Journal, Bellevue Literary Review, and Storyscape. Elana has led creative writing workshops for women in prison, for educators, and for underserved high school students in Israel, Palestine, and throughout the five boroughs of New York City, as well as for the pioneering peace building and leadership organization, Seeds of Peace. In addition to teaching the 12th grade creative writing majors at DYPrep, Elana serves as the writer-in-residence for the Bronx Academy of Letters and sings with the a cappella trio Saheli.
Mr. Magid (Music - September 2011) is an NYC-based music director, pianist, and vocal coach and is thrilled to be returning to DY Prep this school year.Credits include Off-Broadway: Where's Charley? (City Center Encores!), Stro! A Gala Celebration (Vineyard), and Tomorrow Morning (York). Regional: Band Geeks!, Radio Girls, James and The Giant Peach, Annie Get Your Gun, and How to Succeed (Goodspeed). Before moving to the East Coast,Brandon conducted the Joseph Jefferson winning remount of FIORELLO! at TimeLine Theater Company and the midwest premiere of A VERY MERRY(UNAUTHORIZED) SCIENTOLOGY PAGEANT, both in Chicago. He has served as an accompanist/coach for various schools and training programs including Northwestern University, LaGuardia Community College, and Interlochen Center for the Arts. Currently working on the Broadway revival of GODSPELL. Proud Honors grad of Loyola University of Chicago.
School Support Staff
Ms. Bonilla (School Clerical Aide - April 2008)
Ms. Delgado (School Secretary - September 2007) was born and raised in the Bronx. She has worked for the ISC (former District Ten office) for 10 years at the Arts and Suspension Department. She has a Pupil Accounting Secretary license, and worked for small Elementary/Middle School last year.
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Mr. Jabbie (School Safety Aide - October 2007) is a School Aide responsible for providing assistance to teachers and students. Along with promptly providing copies and stationary to school staff, he also helps maintain a peaceful environment by assisting students in engaging and productive extracurricular activities such as lunch time tournaments and coaching them in making better decisions. It is a motivating experience that definitely gives him the opportunity to gain the learning experience he needs to extend his goals of becoming a certified teacher (Educator). In September, he plans on restarting classes on a part-time program at the City College of New York, pursuing a degree in economics.
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Mr. Shivcharron (School Safety Aide - September 2008)