We've Expanded Our Programs!
Now Accepting Applications:
Spring Semester 2025
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Toddler: 15-36 Months
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Early Childhood: 3-6 Years
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Elementary: 1st-6th Grades
(518) 533-9838 SE HABLA ESPAÑOL
JOIN OUR TEAM!
Employment Opportunties
Castle Island seeks prepared, positive and productive professionals for employment in the following positions anticipated for the 2024-2025 Academic Year:​​​​​​​​
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Volunteer Guest Presenters:​
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chess
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gardening
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cooking
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yoga
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etc
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Send resume and cover letter to: ​
Diane M Nickerson, School Director
DIANE M NICKERSON
School Director
Diane holds an AMS (American Montessori Society) Administrator Credential from Center for Montessori Education | NY, a Masters Degree in Educational Policy Studies & Administration from UAlbany, and NYS certifications: Elementary, ENL, Spanish and Administration (SA/S). She has been a board officer of the NYS Montessori Alliance since 2020 and represents PK-12 Montessorians at the NYS Education Department's Commissioner's Advisory Council for Religious & Independent Schools.
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She knows that the kind of environment adults provide for children matters. Diane believes that how children spend their days directly impacts the who they become as they grow into adulthood. Having researched best practices for pedagogy, she found that the Montessori method provides the best comprehensive approach to foster children's development toward their potential and joy. She is proud of the young men her four sons are becoming and of every child she's had the honor to observe grow throughout her more than thirty years in education, especially those lucky enough to have attended a Montessori school.
CYNTHIA CHESBRO
Elementary Lead Guide
Cynthia holds a Bachelor's Degree in Human Development from SUNY Albany and is excited to be starting her elementary Montessori training at the Center for Guided Montessori Studies this academic year. She has worked with children in schools, childcare centers, and private homes for over 10 years. She also has experience living and teaching abroad both in Honduras and Spain, where she taught English and actively worked to improved her Spanish language proficiency. Cynthia grew up in the Albany area, and is looking forward to taking part in the community here once again.
Cynthia enjoys guiding children towards knowledge and seeing both the productive effort as they work towards understanding, and the proud look of accomplishment from mastering a challenging task. She loves learning, and looks forward to the new learning opportunities this year will bring for herself as well as her students.
CLAUDIA DILIBERTO
Claudia holds a Bachelor's Degree in Law from USMP College in Peru. She has worked, as a volunteer, with children with special needs in schools and private homes for over 9 years.
Claudia enjoys developing personal relationships with students. In doing so, this helps her students build confidence in their own abilities. Her hopes are to guide them to reach their optimum potential and become lifelong learners.
She enjoys reading, playing soccer and teaching Spanish.
LUCY AVILES
Early Childhood Lead Co-Guide
Lucy holds a NYS Teaching Assistant Certificate with more than six years of experience as a teachers assistant for bilingual, ENL and special education programs at North Elementary School in Brentwood, NY.​ She discovered her passion for working with children during her teen years and decided to study early childhood education, and in addition to working with elementary children, has also worked with SIFE students for over years.
Lucy finds working in both bilingual and ENL classes to be one of the most beautiful experiences as she guides their transition from being monolingual to becoming bilingual children - reminding her of her own experience when she first arrived to the United States from Venezuela. Lucy is enthusiastic to begin her journey at Castle Island working with children and being able to observe their learning and development as they grow into to their fullest selves.
MARIA ARROYO
Early Childhood Lead Guide
Summer & Care Camps Co-Coordinator
Maria holds a PAMS (Pan-American Montessori Society) Early Childhood Montessori Teaching Credential from the Learning Collaborative, formally Kennesaw State University, Georgia in 2016.
She loves working with children of all ages and began her career as a speech therapist with a Bachelor's Degree from Santa Paula University. She first started working with children when during her college years as a preschool assistant, and in the process of this work was when Maria fell in love with the Montessori methodology. The way that children learn at their own pace and in a practical way and by manipulating each of the materials appealed to what she already knew about how children learn. She observed how the children can acquire knowledge easily and always seem to be inspired to learn more. In addition to supporting their achievement and promoting their independence, it was in that learning environment that she made the decision to pursue Montessori teacher training. Since 2016 she has worked as a guide for children ages 3 to 6 years old in Costa Rica before beginning work here in 2022.
LUISA PUENTE
Early Childhood Assistant Guide
Luisa has an Associate's Degree in Office Management and has worked in her country of origin of Ecuador as a teaching assistant to preschool children at the private school, "Academia General Carlos Machado." Luisa has been an assistant teacher at Castle Island since 2016.
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Her interest is to contribute to the integral development of children by becoming a guide that provides an appropriate working environment for the children. By taking care of the specific classroom materials, helping them when they need it, and encouraging their all efforts, she aspires to assist in the development of the children's cognitive skills within an atmosphere of joy, respect, and community. Luisa believes that the children's freedom to choose promotes respect and potential for their abilities, allowing them to develop their own learning and cognitive skills.
MONIQUE ALKEMADE
Toddler Assistant Guide
Monique has a Bachelor of Science in Holistic Nursing from the Netherlands, and a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) from Cambridge. She has spent her
life living and working in different countries, and is delighted to finally settle down in Albany with her husband and two cats.
In the past Monique has enjoyed teaching English to children as young as two, and is now happy to spend her mornings being surrounded by the toddlers of Castle Island. She is determined to let
the children have as much freedom as they possible can, and to make sure they have fun while they are learning practical, cognitive and emotional skills at their own pace.
TOM MURO
Elementary Mentor Guide
CGMS Instructor
Substitute Guide
Tom holds an IMC (International Montessori Council) Elementary (ages 6-12) Credential from the Center for Guided Montessori Studies (CGMS.) He also holds a Masters of Science Teaching Degree in Elementary Education and is a certified Elementary Education teacher in New York State. Before retiring in June of 2021, he taught 20 years for the Kingston City School district, 12 of those years as an Elementary (6 -9) Montessori teacher at the GW Montessori School, a Title I public Montessori school.
Tom is enjoying his retirement, but is also working for CGMS supporting and teaching new Montessori teachers. Tom has been supporting the Castle Island Montessori Elementary Education teachers and students since 2021. He also works as a camp teacher at Catskill Montessori School, and a volunteer teacher at May Sands Montessori School in Key West and Paz Montessori in Oaxaca, Mexico.
PAT LAFLEY
Early Childhood Mentor Guide
Born in Niskayuna, NY, the youngest of four children, Pat has lived lived in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Sleepy Hollow before settling in
White Plains, NY. Pat graduated from Lafayette College in PA with a BA in English, and completed graduate courses at the New School in NYC and UNH before attending the Northeast Montessori Institute, near Boston for her Early Childhood Montessori Teacher AMS Credential in 1991. Though NEMI was an AMS training program she had the benefit of working with Martha Monahan, an AMI trained Montessori teacher and a proponent of closely following the philosophy Maria Montessori laid out for future Montessori teachers.
Pat worked in publishing for five years at Rodale Press in Pennsylvania publishing magazines such asnPrevention, Organic Gardening, Bicycling, and New Shelter as well as books. Once her children were born Pat's interests changed becoming intrigued by Montessori and through her training she interned at The Cornerstone Montessori School in Stratham, NH, at the school her children were attending, before serving as the lead
teacher for five years at The Children’s House Montessori School.
In 1995, she founded ChildLight Montessori School in Maine in a house with an acre of land used for gardening, raising chickens, sledding, and learning a lot about nature. In 2001, ChildLight began a long, extensive fundraising campaign to build a new solar building for our school. The school community enjoyed new classrooms, that also provided space for parent activities, bone marrow drives, a plein air artist gathering, etc. She has collaborated with other schools and educational leaders serving with groups and on committees
evaluating projects done by children and guiding children to transition from Montessori to conventional school programs.
She retired from ChildLight Montessori School in 2018 when it closed after serving the community for more than tweny-five years. Pat looks forward to learning about Castle Island Bilingual Montessori during the coming months.
ANNA MAYTA
RUHE-SCHOEN
Movement with Music Guide
Parent-Toddler Guide
Anna Mayta is a dance artist, movement educator, and director of Mayta Fusion Dance. She graduated from Empire State College in June 2001 with a BA in Dance Education. Anna also practices and teaches yoga. In 2008, Anna earned a teacher certificate in yoga from Svyasa Swami Vivekananda Yoga University in Bangalore, India. She has been teaching, performing, producing multidisciplinary performance events, directing shows and choreographing for about 18 years. Having grown up in Chile to American parents and is bilingual English/Spanish.
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Anna fell in love with Maria Montessori's educational philosophy in 2001 when she was first hired to offer her movement programs in a
Newburgh, NY Montessori school. An aspect of the Montessori method that she especially appreciates is that movement is a big part of the classroom experience; children learn as they move around the classroom. Through movement, they grow academically and also develop body control. Anna has been teaching her movement programs at multiple Montessori schools around Dutchess, NY. She is so excited to be a part of Castle Island to share her Spanish language-based and multicultural movement programs here.
GRACIE LINEHAM
Music Composition & Performance Guide
Creative Visual Arts Guide
Gracie holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Industry (Piano & Songwriting) from The College of Saint Rose. She has performed as a member of the Silver Arrow Band with both Piano and Vocals, with the Vocal Angels Gospel Choir, at various piano recitals and for small combo gigs including at the Rochester Jazz Festival.
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She has been teaching for 10 years, working with musicians of all levels from beginner through advanced students and of all ages. She is adept at tailoring lessons to each student's needs, understanding that everyone learns differently. She likes to teach musical concepts in ways that are easy to grasp for every child.
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Gracie guides children to be creative while practicing for refinement with visual arts skills and various medium. The children learn to access and maintain the art studio with confidence and independence and the elementary students develop an annual art portfolio to showcase in the school's gallery.
At Castle Island Gracie personalizes lessons, and guides the children to prepare for the Talent Show, the Bilingual Play Production and the Feria de Español!
KRISTOPH DiMARIA
Theater Arts Guide
Kristoph is a parent, partner, musician, clown, theatre maker, writer, activist, and educator. They are the Director of Development, Musical Director, and a founding member of Will Kempe's Players Cooperative. They are an Associate Artist with Troy Foundry Theatre. They are also a founding member of the Social Justice Artists Collective under the direction of Creative Action Unlimited. Their original adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (writer, musical director, Ruben van Taffeta) premiered last autumn in Troy, NY and now Anansi has its first staged performance here in Albany specially written for Castle Island Montessori School.
Their education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from SUNY Albany, an Associates Degree in Theatre and Music: Vocal Performance from Schenectady County Community College, and Ethnomusicology training at Skidmore College. They have also received training in Pochinko clowning from Donna Oblongata and released two full-length albums with The Lucky Jukebox Brigade. They have worked in collaboration with other artists educating at the Albany Free School, Robert C. Parker school, and most recently performed at Woodland Hill Montessori School.
Credits include The Climb (actor/deviser, Creative Action Unlimited), George in North Country Pastoral (Siena College), Touchstone in As You Like It, and Iago in Othello (Will Kempe’s Players). Directing credits include: Comedy of Errors (Will Kempe's Players), Destination: Nowhere! (Siena College) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Will Kempe’s Players). Performs as Ragliacci. They offer workshops, commissioned work, and other good trouble.
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SARA E MERCADO
Administrative Coordinator
Sara holds a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Information Systems Management from York College in Queens, New York, and has more than 15 years of experience providing IT solutions to faculty, staff, and students at three local colleges in the Capital Region. Her prior experience in help-desk settings includes providing hands-on technical solutions, facilitating training seminars, writing documentation and creating and maintaining websites (including this one!) Sara speaks Spanish fluently, originally from Nicaragua, has been living in New York since 1982, and has been working at Castle Island since 2019.
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Sara is the one who greets parents and visitors in the afternoons; in addition to keeping the books, she works to support school's institutional development. And, the children are so pleased when she can fill in to substitute in After Care!
TAYLA PORTER
Communications & Outreach Coordinator
Tayla is a graduate of UAlbany and holds a Bachelor’s of Art degree in Psychology and Communication. She currently serves as an AmeriCorps VISTA and is a program coordinator at a nonprofit in Cohoes, NY. Tayla’s admiration of the school’s mission pushes her to dedicate her extra time to volunteer here in addition to her full time position! Tayla plans to grow her marketing and Spanish skills while assisting the school.
SOPHIA DEVITO
Family Counselor
Sophia earned their Master of Social Work at the University at Albany's School of Social Welfare and is a NYS Licensed Master Social Worker. Sophia's master-level coursework focused on care of children and families and they have worked as a therapist in local agencies serving children and families such as Northern Rivers and St. Anne Institute. Before becoming a social worker, Sophia spent over a decade as a youth worker and educator supporting children of all ages in an array of settings including after school programs, summer camps, private family homes, a self-defense program, and The Albany Free School where they were an intern and teacher for three years.
Sophia believes that our relationship with the children we care for is the most crucial factor in guiding their growth toward becoming their very best selves. Sophia also knows that supporting these relationships means supporting caregivers in having the skills, tools, and resources to bring their best to their relationships with their children. Sophia is thrilled to be an additional resource and support for the amazing caregivers in the Castle Island community.
