Sharma is an expert educator with over 15 years experience working in early childhood education. Sharma knows our region well and has previously worked in the Dover-Sherborn and Natick school districts. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from East Carolina University and has experience working in PreK, kindergarten, second, and third grade. Sharma embodies the mission and values of Charles River School and incorporates joy of childhood, curiosity, and academic excellence into her curriculum.
The interdisciplinary focus at CRS is especially meaningful for students to engage deeply and have agency in their learning.
Before joining the CRS in the spring of 2022, Sarah was a first-grade lead teacher at Schofield Elementary School in Wellesley, where she developed curriculum in math, science, reading, writing, and phonics. She previously worked as the middle school pilot program intern at Open Circle where she conducted research on the SEL needs of middle school students. Outside of CRS, Sarah works as a dance instructor for both kids and adults. She loves to incorporate physical movement and creativity into traditional classroom settings. Sarah earned a BA in Geosciences and a Teacher Certification Program for Elementary Education from Wellesley College. She recently completed the Learning and Teaching Master’s Program at Harvard Graduate School of Education, earning her master’s in May 2022.
Rosa Elena combines her love of language and music and brings high energy to her teaching. Over the course of her career, she has taught at many schools and programs, including Joyful Music, Mystic Valley Music Together, Music Together Belmont, River of Song, Music and Movement of Newton, and in the Cambridge and Somerville public school systems. She has used the Canta y Baila Conmigo curriculum for many years and also has extensive experience as a voice instructor, dance and movement teacher, and program director. Rosa Elena is a talented opera singer with a long list of solo recitals, performances, and musical productions to her name.
Before joining the CRS commnity, Ayan co-taught a combined Grades 3/4 classroom at the Mission Hill School in Boston. Among many of her classroom techniques, she helped develop students’ self-esteem by fostering critical thinking and communication skills. Prior to that role, she spent time as a Kindergarten and Preschool teacher, where she used play-based strategies to provide diverse approaches to learning. Ayan uses curriculum to design lessons and activities, both in and out of the classroom, to promote sensory, academic, and social-emotional development. She received an AA in Early Childhood Education from Fisher College and earned her B.A. from Lesley University.
Recess might be my favorite time of day at Charles River School because it shows the value of community and the joy of childhood that CRS pursues. Watching kids from every grade play together, especially when the middle school students make time for the PreK/K students, warms my heart and reminds me that we all have so much to learn from each other at every age and stage of life.
Sarah joined Charles River School in 2020 and quickly fell in love with the CRS community and our approach to learning and teaching. As a co-teacher of the seventh and eighth-grade MultiArts curriculum, she recognized an opportunity for younger students to learn performance, presentation, and communication skills and developed a new class called Communication-Presentation (Comm-Pres). Sarah designed the curriculum to help students in grades 3-5 build the public speaking skills and confidence necessary to share their ideas with the world. In addition to MultiArts, Sarah directs the eighth-grade musical every year, a beloved tradition at CRS. She teaches the Growth Education curriculum for the seventh and eighth grades, focusing on a holistic approach to well-being, health, and growth. Sarah also serves as an advisor to seventh and eighth-grade students and runs Early Birds, the before-school care program.
Before CRS, Sarah worked as an actor and director in theatre, television, and commercials. She received her BFA in Theatre Arts from Elon University, where she was also selected to be an Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellow, completing an intensive four-year study and practical application of leadership.
At CRS, Billy has coached our girls soccer and boys basketball teams, and served as a substitute PE teacher, an after-school sports teacher through the Extended Day Program, and a team-building teacher. He has held a variety of sports instructor and coaching roles, working with children ages 5-14 through FC USA/UK Elite, the Nor’Easter North Soccer Club, and Be Ahead of the Game. Billy also served as the head soccer coach at Shady Hill School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Mount Ida College, where he played on the varsity soccer, football, and volleyball teams, and trained with the men’s basketball team.
