Our Team

DIRECTOR/HEAD TEACHER

mnelson@vanriperschool.org

Maggie Nelson became the director at VRECS in 2017.  She is thrilled to take on this adventure!  She joined the VRECS family in 2014 as a Pre-k4 teacher.  She then moved on to teach Transitional Kindergarten before she took on the role of Director.  Maggie studied at Montclair State University and received her BA in Child and Family Studies with a concentration in Early Childhood Education (preschool-3^rd grade).

ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER

rnayda@vanriperschool.org

Rebecca Nayda began at VRECS in 2000 as a volunteer and was hired in 2001.  Before working at VRECS, Rebecca worked in Marketing and Advertising for a corporate office.  She is an active member of the VREBBC.  With her many experiences in Life she believes God molded her specifically for her position at VRECS. 

FINANCE MANAGER

eziegler@vanriperschool.org

Ellen Ziegler joined our staff in 2012.  Ellen has her BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and her MSW from Columbia University.  She considers VRECS her home away from home.  Her daughter and son are both proud graduates of the VRECS preschool program and she has a son in the Pre-K3 for the 19-20 school year.  She has also been a part of our After Care program.

VREBBC PASTOR

vrebbcpastor@aol.com

Pastor David Boone, Pastor of the Van Riper Ellis Broadway Baptist Church, has been a pastor since 1984, serving churches in Ohio, West Virginia, Delaware, Georgia and New Jersey.  Pastor David served as a bi-vocational pastor for many years and retired at the end of 2015 as a Juvenile Detective for the Fair Lawn Police Department.  Justice and mercy are important parts of his ministry as he shares the love of Christ.  He is a 3^rd generation pastor who strives to “Live the Life, Love the People, and Preach the Word.”

TEACHER

Lisa Bates has been with VRECS since 2007.  She earned her BA in Early Childhood Education from William Paterson University.  She has been working with young children for over 20 years.  Lisa thinks that incorporating Christian values is an important and enjoyable part of education here at VRECS.  Seeing children grow and learn how to read gives her great joy.  She is very involved in her church, having taught Sunday School and running Bible Club for many years.  She is currently teaching in one of our Pre-K4 classrooms.

GROUP TEACHER

Elizabeth Eckford joined VRECS in 2018 and has taught Pre-K4 and now Transitional Kindergarten.  She earned her BA in Sociology with a Social Service Concentration and a Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing in Elementary Education in 2012.  She was a student teacher as well as a practicum teacher during the time when she earned her degree.  She has worked as an Assistant as well as a Teacher at the Cerebral Palsy Treatment Center for 6 years and has also been the Director of a Daycare Program.  She firmly believes in Proverbs 22:6 to “Train the child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  She believes all children can be taught with patience, compassion and the love of Jesus Christ.

TEACHER

Maria has her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Communication and the Arts. She also experience teaching science, robotics and art classes and has served as a Children’s Ministry Intern in Wyckoff.  As an empathetic person, Maria considers social-emotional learning an important aspect of teaching. She believes that teaching children social skills and how to name and manage their emotions will add to their academic success. Maria is a creative person who is passionate about music, acting, and art. She believes that incorporating art, music, and imaginative play into the classroom can help children express their creativity and stay engaged in their learning. Overall, Maria wants to create a classroom environment where children can have fun and learn about their world while feeling safe, loved, and free to express themselves creatively. She is excited to join our team!

VIRTUAL LEARNING TEACHER

Annmarie DeMarzo earned a Master’s Degree in Teaching in 2016 from Montclair State University, and is certified to teach preschool-3rd grade. She is also a certified teacher of students with disabilities (preschool-12th grade). She has been teaching for over 5 years, and comes with experience in both the public and private preschool settings. Along with a wealth of knowledge and experience in early childhood development and education, Mrs. DeMarzo is also a proud mom of two boys. Prior to beginning her teaching career, Mrs. DeMarzo worked for CNN as a production assistant. Mrs. DeMarzo’s philosophy of education is rooted in the belief that, “education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” She believes that preschool must provide a fun and engaging start to every child’s academic career, and should ignite a lifelong passion for learning.

TEACHER’S ASSOCIATE/BEFORE CARE

Lorraine Fallacaro joined VRECS in 2010.  She has her Associates degree in Merchandising from LIM.  Her love for children brought her into the preschool classroom.  Lorraine believes in an enriched environment for young children; one that will benefit their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.  She is passionate about helping children develop characteristics which will affect their lifelong love of learning.  She works to foster a nurturing, active, and challenging environment that encourages curiosity, active learning, values, problem solving, and a positive self-image.

TEACHER’S ASSOCIATE

Blaise Barrientos-Knapp joined VRECS in 2017.  She has a BA from the University of Hartford and brings her experience as a mom of two.  She started with VRECS as a lunch aide and substitute.  She is now a Teacher’s Associate in one of our Pre-k4 classrooms.

TEACHER’S ASSOCIATE

Pamela Dawson joined VRECS in 2012.  Before joining our staff, she managed a home daycare for 18 years which served newborn through 3 year olds.  She has always loved being around children, and it gives her pleasure to teach.   Being a part of that moment when a child gets ‘that look in their eyes’ when they learn something new gives her joy. 

BEFORE CARE/AFTER CARE

Jeanne joined our staff in 2018 as an After Care Instructor.  She has served as a Lunch Aide in one of our Pre-K3 classes during the day.  She is also going to be working with our Before Care children starting in September 2020.  She is an amazing substitute as well!  She has been working with children on and off for 15 years now.  She has worked as a Special Education Preschool Aide, a Lunch Aide and an After Care Aide. She loves helping children to learn and grow.

AFTER CARE

Claudia joined our staff in 2019 as a Lunch Aide.  She has also served as a Teacher’s Aide in one of our Pre-K3 classes.  This year she will be working in our After Care Program.  She also works in Member Services at the YMCA in Ridgewood.  When she’s not here, Claudia is actively involved in the lives of her 5 children.

AFTER CARE

Kimberly joined our staff in 2019 as a Lunch Aide.  She is currently working in our After Care Program.  She runs the Fair Lawn Football Association Cheerleading program.  She is married and she has one child.  In her spare time, she enjoys going to the Jersey Shore.

TEACHER

Michelle Bravin has been at VRECS since 2004 and started as a Teacher’s Assistant.  She is currently a Pre-K3 Teacher.  She has a BS from Ithaca College and was formerly a buyer for a major retail store.  She worked at the Ridgewood YMCA as an assistant in a 2 ½ year old class for 5 years before joining our team.  Her teaching philosophy is that preschoolers learn through play, and everything has to be interactive and hands-on.  She loves watching kids in discovery, helping them to absorb and understand new information.

TEACHER

Bernadette Flood joined VRECS in 2018 as a Pre-k3 Teacher.   She earned her BA from Rutgers University.  She has an extensive background working with Preschoolers.  She is a compassionate, creative hard worker who has experience with curriculum development and classroom management.  She also founded a local kids art club.  She has experience working with adult mental health day programs, children’s special needs programs and senior day programs.  She strongly believes that children are active learners, explorers, experimenters and artists.