Susan Stropnicky
Director
Susan has been a member of the CCDS team since 2001. Prior to becoming an early childhood educator, Susan was an Associate Managing Director in Human Resources/Corporate Training at a major NYC bank. She managed over 200 team members in key support and operational areas. Susan started her teaching career as an Associate Teacher in the Fives classroom, earned her Master’s degree from Bank Street College of Education in 2003 and became the Head Teacher of the Fives in 2005. Susan also has been trained in the Responsive Classroom approach, Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT) and Learning Without Tears. After an extensive search process, Susan was selected to be the Director of Christ Church Day School starting in July, 2019. Susan truly enjoys watching children discover the world around them, become good friends to each other and learn about themselves. Susan is passionate about partnering with parents and collaborating with her faculty and staff. She grew up and lives on the Upper East Side and enjoys spending time at the beach, doing yoga, traveling, reading and listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Susan feels extremely grateful to have such a rewarding and satisfying job surrounded by people who are so caring and joyful.
Paula Wallace
Associate Director
Paula is a seasoned educator with over thirty years of experience in the field. She possesses a collaborative mindset and a passion for fostering positive learning environments for children and families. Born in Santiago Chile and raised and educated in New York Paula has taught at various independent schools in the metro area. She recently worked as a Senior Admissions Associate and has held various teaching positions, including Head Teacher in Prek, Kindergarten, Dual Language Kindergarten and Camp Director. She has also been involved in curriculum development and instruction at local community centers. Paula holds a Masters in Elementary Education from Hunter College and a Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Maryland. She has completed numerous professional development courses and training programs, including Orton Gillingham and Beyond, NYSAIS Admissions and Placement Directors Conference and Continuing Professional Studies at Bank Street. Paula enjoys quality time and organizing events with her family such as skiing, hiking, cooking, exploring new destinations, and staying active at Orangetheory Fitness.
Jill Katz
Educational Director
Jill has been working at Christ Church Day School since 2000. She has a Master’s degree in Early Childhood/Special Education from Bank Street College and a Doctorate in Child/School Psychology from New York University. Jill started her teaching career in a therapeutic nursery. After she got her degree in child psychology, she worked for the Bank Street Community Outreach program and in a private practice for young children and their parents. Because she missed being part of a school community, Jill eventually found her home at CCDS, first as a part time consultant and later as the Educational Director. Jill lives in Maplewood, New Jersey with her husband and two children, where she enjoys the suburban tranquility, cooking, gardening and her small herd of guinea pigs!
Rachel Appleby
Administrative Coordinator
Rachel joined CCDS in 2023 after spending nine years as a stay-at-home mom to her two daughters. Prior to that, she worked in human resources at startups and in recruiting at J.P. Morgan. Rachel holds a bachelor's degree from NYU. In her free time, she enjoys picnicking in Prospect Park, reading as many new books as possible, and traveling the world with her family.
Dawn
Lead Teacher, Morning Twos
Dawn joined the Twos program at CCDS in the fall of 2007. She is originally from Queens but currently resides in Long Island with her husband and three young children. Dawn holds a Master’s degree in Health Education from Teachers College at Columbia University and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College. Dawn’s background includes a variety of educational experiences, including writing a national K-5 health education curriculum and teaching Greek folk dance to children of all ages. In her spare time, Dawn enjoys volunteering at her children’s schools and spending time with her family.
Bethany
Associate Teacher, Morning Twos
Bethany has worked with young children aged 2-5 since 2008, and joined the Christ Church Day School faculty in 2013. She received a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies and Theatre from SUNY Fredonia. She began her career working with children by teaching dance at a sleep away camp one summer during college. She hasn’t looked back! While teaching at various independent preschools in NYC, Bethany earned a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College. She loves to see children grow, become independent and take ownership of the classroom. A native of Woodstock, NY, she now resides in Jackson Heights, Queens. She is also the very proud parent of a CCDS alumna! Outside of school, Bethany keeps herself busy cooking, taking tap dance classes and trying new foods from around the world.
Alina Babaian
Associate Teacher, Morning Twos and Group 2R
Alina followed her mother's path into childhood education, driven by a deep passion for nurturing young minds. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Psychology and Education, which laid the foundation for a rewarding career. Over the years, Alina has had the privilege of working with children in Armenia and Holland. After emigrating to the United States, she continued her work with children aged 2-5 in well-regarded preschools in New York. Alina is continually inspired by the honesty, kindness, creativity, resilience, and energy of children. She values the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with the families she works with, fostering a supportive and engaging environment for both the children and their parents. For nearly three decades, Alina has called Roosevelt Island home, where she lives with her family, including her two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys the simple joys of spending time with her family, caring for her dogs, Mickey and Lola, exploring new places, and cultivating her love for growing houseplants.
Tanisha
Lead Teacher, Group 2T
A proud Bronx native (Go, Yankees!), Tanisha spent much of her childhood surrounded by cousins, sisters, and scores of other children whom she took under her wing. These instincts were put to good use when she attended the University of Virginia and became a mentor for preschool children throughout the city. (Fun fact: Tanisha was AmeriCorps Team Leader of the Year as a fourth year student volunteer!) This passion led her to the hallowed halls of Teachers College, Columbia University where she obtained her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education with an added focus on working with students with special needs. She has since worked at private and public institutions on both coasts and has been lucky to call CCDS her work home since 2019. When not with the children, she can be found taking long drives throughout the Hudson Valley, constructing complex Lego sets, and contemplating deeply existential issues.
Eva
Associate Teacher, Group 2T and Group 3N
Eva joined Christ Church Day School in 2021. Eva has an extensive background in education with many years of experience as a preschool, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teacher. For over a decade, as an instructor and coach at Sokol New York and Chelsea Piers Field Houses, she has helped children develop new gross motor skills and achieve mastery in gymnastics and other sports. Eva was born in the Czech Republic and has lived in the United States for the past twenty years. She resides on the Upper West Side with her daughter Natalie. They are both dog lovers and volunteer their time helping dogs find new homes at dog adoption events around New York City. Eva is a former triathlete and still enjoys running, swimming and other outdoor activities.
Rebekah
Lead Teacher, Group 2R
Rebekah joined CCDS in 2024. Growing up with six siblings and taking care of many children throughout her teen years gave her a passion for making a difference in kids' lives. She pursued and obtained her bachelor's degree in elementary special education at the State University of New York at Fredonia. After teaching a third grade special education class in the public school system, Rebekah was given the opportunity to work at a private preschool. Rebekah assisted in the Twos program for five years, and was a lead teacher for a Fours classroom for two years while she pursued her Master’s in Early Childhood Education at Hunter College. As an educator, she is passionate about being part of each child's development during such crucial years of growth, and looks forward to the classroom community that is fostered throughout the school year. Outside of the classroom, Rebekah enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with her loved ones.
Naoko
Lead Teacher, Group 3N
Naoko joined CCDS in 2006. She has a degree in Early Childhood Education and is completing her Master’s in Early Childhood Education at Hunter College. Prior to CCDS, she worked for 3 years at another preschool in New York City. Naoko was born and raised in London and emigrated to Queens in 2000. She has a daughter Hana who is currently attending SUNY Oswego. Apart from her work at CCDS and Hunter College, Naoko also leads a regional area of Soka Gakkai International, a Nichiren Buddhist organization in Queens, where she gives faith-based guidance to over 3000 women. Naoko also volunteers for a non-profit called Drama Club. Drama Club’s mission is to consistently care for youth who are incarcerated and court-involved by creating space for them to thrive, using improv as their guide.
Khalea
Associate Teacher, Group 3N
Khalea joined CCDS in 2019 as a floating teacher and has since become an Associate Teacher. Along with her experience as a teacher, Khalea has worked in various child care professions for several years. Khalea has a BA in Cultural Studies from Chatham University which influences her pursuit of ways to interpret how children interact socially with the world around them. Khalea loves to use storytelling as a way to create community in the classroom. She believes in a “lead by example” approach, always offering children her own childhood experiences as a mirror for new perspectives. Khalea is a native New Yorker who loves exploring all that the city has to offer. She sets a goal each year to visit every museum across the five boroughs.
Tracy
Lead Teacher, Group 3T
Tracy has been a teacher at Christ Church Day School since 1998. She strives to uphold the long-standing core values upon which CCDS was founded so many years ago. She has a Bachelor of Science from SUNY Albany and attended The Art of Teaching program at Sarah Lawrence College. Born in New York, Tracy spent her childhood and adolescent years in Florida and Ohio before establishing her roots in New York City. Tracy wants her classroom to be one of the first places where small children can experience a love of learning. She is a firm believer that “small moments have the potential to make a big difference.” As a result, Tracy is grateful for all of the small moments that she has already experienced at CCDS and looks forward to many more!
Alake
Associate Teacher, Group 3T
Alake began her career journey in 1989, studying at Livingstone College to become a social worker. During this time, while interning at a Head Start program, she fell in love with teaching. Alake also loves music and was offered a recording contract in the early 90’s with her vocal group. While working as a professional vocalist, Alake also was involved in various programs for children as an artist/mentor/program director and early childhood educator. She began teaching at Head Start in 1998 and joined the faculty of CCDS in 2001. Alake loves having a career that allows her to bring her creativity into the classroom and that also supports her ability to engage in artistic projects in her personal life.
Kai
Associate Teacher, Group 3T
Kai has taught at Christ Church Day School since 2003 and has worked with ages ranging from two to five. She has a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She enjoys baking and doing writing activities with the children and finds their endless joy and curiosity inspiring. She loves seeing their first friendships grow and watching their personalities develop. She is a proud parent of a CCDS alumna. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, writing, doing yoga, cooking and traveling. She has done volunteer teaching and caregiving projects in schools and hospitals in the Dominican Republic, Romania, South Africa and Argentina.
Vicky
Lead Teacher, Group 4
Vicky has over 17 years experience in early childhood. She began working at CCDS in the fall of 2013 as an Associate Teacher in Group 5 and was promoted to Lead Teacher of Group 4 in the fall of 2020. Prior to joining CCDS, she was the Head Teacher of the Threes and Fours programs at an uptown preschool. Vicky earned her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College and a BA in English Literature from New York University. She was a Marketing and Project Manager for over a decade before deciding to change careers. She is committed to developing class curriculum centered on students’ interests because she has found that this is the most dynamic and successful way to facilitate learning in this age group. She enjoys watching children’s excitement as they play and learn! Vicky also loves collaborating with her team, as well as with the children and their parents, to create a special and unique learning experience for each group. After growing up in New York City, she currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three sons. She enjoys traveling, reading, cooking and spending time with her many friends and family.
Lenka
Associate Teacher, Group 4
Lenka joined Christ Church Day School in 2021. Lenka is from the Czech Republic. She received her M.S. degree in Elementary Education from UJEP University in Czech Republic. Before coming to CCDS, Lenka spent nine years as an Associate and Head Teacher in private preschools in New Jersey and Manhattan. She is also currently a part-time teacher at the Czech and Slovak language Center in Astoria, Queens. For the past 18 years she has lived on the Upper West Side with her husband and daughter Ella. Lenka is bilingual in English and Czech and also speaks Russian and German. She is an avid cyclist and animal lover. She genuinely loves helping children to learn, grow and thrive socially and academically. She also enjoys sharing what she has learned about other cultures from her travel experiences throughout Europe and the United States.
Juliet Tallmer
Associate Teacher, Group 4
Juliet holds an M.S.Ed. in Childhood Education with a Concentration in Math and Science from CUNY Hunter College and a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from the College of Charleston. Juliet joined CCDS in 2024. With over 15 years of experience in early childhood education, she has worked in a variety of private school settings. Juliet is passionate about nurturing young minds and finds great joy in experiencing the world through children’s endless wonder. She is dedicated to creating a classroom environment where every child feels valued and encouraged to explore and discover. Outside of the classroom, Juliet enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Libby and Teddy, baking cookies, and listening to music.
Alisa
Lead Teacher, Group 5
Alisa has been working at Christ Church Day School since 1994. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University, a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Hunter College and an Advanced Certificate in Teaching Literacy from Mercy College. Alisa has taken extensive special education coursework, trained in the Responsive Classroom approach, Handwriting Without Tears, Sounds In Motion, Teacher-Child Interaction Training, and in American Sign Language as well as the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood learning. Alisa lives in Forest Hills, Queens with her husband Joel, their twins Charlotte and Henry and their Mini Goldendoodle, Penny. She enjoys kayaking, boxing, practicing the flying trapeze and making teepee forts in Forest Park with her family. She works as a climate activist in her free time.
Becca
Associate Teacher, Group 5
Becca joined CCDS in 2021 and has been teaching children in New York since 2012. She holds a Master’s of Science in Education in Early Childhood Special/General Education from Bank Street College. In addition to teaching, she has a background in photography, psychology, and communications. Becca finds nothing more rewarding than seeing a child grasp a new idea or concept, and she deeply appreciates the diverse ways children learn and express their understanding. A lifelong New Yorker, Becca grew up in Manhattan and treasures the uniqueness of the city, with no plans of leaving anytime soon. In her free time, she enjoys working out and swimming in the ocean. She currently lives in Williamsburg with her fiancé Jonathan and their white mixed cat Sammy.
Rosa
Associate Teacher, Group 5
Rosa was thrilled to join the CCDS family in 2022. Prior to joining the CCDS team, she spent nine years working for an uptown preschool. Although she had several roles, her main roles included Head Teacher for the Twos group and the Playgroup program. With over 20 years of experience working with young children, Rosa earned her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from City College. As an educator, she is passionate about forming positive relationships with children and their families, and finds joy in a child’s natural curiosity about the world around them. Outside of the classroom, Rosa enjoys listening to music, and loves spending time with her husband and two young boys. She is excited to be part of the CCDS community!
Courtney
Art Specialist & Librarian
Courtney earned her Master’s degree in Art Education from the School of Visual Arts in 2010. She has been teaching early childhood art ever since. In 2019 she joined the faculty at Christ Church Day School where she loves teaching art to the children. In 2015 after the devastating earthquakes in Nepal, Courtney raised money to travel there to teach art to a group of children. She also had an amazing opportunity to teach art off the coast of Africa where she raised money for them to have basic art supplies. She loves creating experiences for children to explore and navigate the world around them using all sorts of materials. In Courtney’s spare time, she loves to go running in Prospect Park, to take photographs, to play guitar and to go on road trips.
Lea Abraham
Movement Specialist
Lea’s love of movement developed from a desire to reconnect with herself. After leaving the high-tech industry, she found that movement and meditation gave her a sense of purpose. Since 2019, Lea has been teaching mindfulness, movement, and breath-work to people of all ages across New York. She joined CCDS in 2024. In her classes, Lea aims to create inclusive spaces to support children in the holistic development of their physical, cognitive, and social-emotional abilities. She holds a Master’s degree in Physical Education from Brooklyn College, is a licensed Yoga teacher, and has a certificate in Nutrition and Healthy Living from Cornell. Outside of movement, Lea enjoys reading, knitting, and birding on the weekends with her partner Dave.
Laca Tines
Music Specialist
A Tennessee native, Laca holds a B.A. in Voice from Rhodes College in
Memphis and a Master’s in Voice from Oklahoma City University. After
completing her Master’s, she continued her vocal training in Houston and
then moved to New York in 1999, where she’s been living happily ever
since. Laca joined CCDS in 2024. She has been licensed in all levels of Kindermusik, completed Music Together training, Orff-Schulwerk Level 1, Kodály Level 2, and multiple years of Dalcroze study. Continually energized and inspired by young children, she has served on the faculty of Oklahoma City University’s Performing Arts Academy, Kindermusik of the Woodlands (Texas), Larchmont Music Academy, Downing Street Playgroup, and Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Music Center. Laca lives on the Upper West Side with her feisty cat, Joseph. When she’s not teaching, you’re likely to find her at a Broadway show, in Central Park, or FaceTiming with her beloved niece and twin nephews.