I can’t imagine teaching anywhere else. Co-teaching is an incredible thing, every day you have someone to bounce ideas off and someone to help you grow as a teacher and a person. The student/teacher relationship at CRS is unique. The relationships you can build with students and parents are ones that can last a lifetime.
Rachel joined CRS in 1999, working in both fifth and sixth grades, transitioning to the fifth-grade co-teacher a few years later. Prior to teaching at CRS, Rachel worked in the Cambridge Public Schools and at Belmont Day School. Rachel has a passion for helping students understand the many ways in which different curricular topics connect, not just to each other but also to the wider world. Fostering curiosity is an important aspect of the fifth-grade experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Connecticut College, a graduate diploma from the New England School of Art and Design, and a master’s in education from Lesley University with an emphasis on integrating art into the curriculum.
I love that CRS children are given the opportunities to engage in hands-on activities that promote exploration, creativity, investigation, deep thinking, hypothesizing, and questioning. Watching their faces light up and hearing them say: “I get it!” or “How can that be?” are some of my favorite moments at CRS because it demonstrates authentic learning and understanding of their knowledge which they are then able to apply to a new situation.
Theresa has been teaching at Charles River School for more than 30 years. She has held a variety of teaching positions in the early childhood and elementary programs and currently co-teaches Grades One/Two. Prior to CRS, Theresa was the lead Kindergarten teacher and team leader at Green Acres Day School. Theresa has a passion for curriculum development; she believes in meaningful, experiential learning where children are naturally engaged, and in fostering students’ social awareness and emotional intelligence. Theresa received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Fitchburg State College and has completed graduate courses in early childhood education and reading.
The energy on campus is so positive, so optimistic, so collaborative, and so joyful. CRS is the type of school I wish I had gone to as a child. I believe in the progressive approach that is taught throughout CRS and the authentic way the children learn through hands-on experiences that engage them and allow them to apply what they are learning to the world around them.
Annie joined CRS more than 20 years ago, and her current role includes science teacher for Grades 3-5. She has also coached girls field hockey and lacrosse teams and served as an Admissions Associate. Annie is passionate about integrating her students’ work in science with the thematic curriculum at each grade level. She works to interest her students in protecting the environment. As part of her curriculum, Annie undertakes citizen science projects with her students, where they collect and report real-life data to scientists; this work provides an opportunity for students to do both community service and science. Annie’s other passions include photography and sports. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from St. Lawrence University.
Kristin began teaching at Charles River School in 1990, and has been committed to its mission and evolution as a school ever since. Previous to CRS, she taught PreK/K at the Dandelion School in Cambridge and art in an after-school program at the Heath School in Brookline. She is creative, artistic, and skilled at developing and teaching an integrated and thematic curriculum. Kristin cares deeply about creating a classroom where each child is known, respected, loved, and challenged. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts, and a master’s in education from the University of Massachusetts.
I love that my students get to show their understanding through large-scale collaborative projects. I also love that I get to infuse and reinvigorate my own sense of wonder with learning and exploring the world around us as it interacts with those of my students.
Jordy joined CRS in 2010 and has served as a co-teacher for Grade One/Two, and also Grade 4. Prior to CRS, he taught English as a foreign language for three years in Madrid, Spain, and spent a year as a student teacher in the second and fifth grades at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass. Jordy believes in creating a joyful, creative learning environment that inspires exploration and discovery, and is also committed to building a strong social curriculum around each class. Jordy earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and his master’s in elementary education from Lesley University.
Before arriving at CRS, Sarah served as the Lead Remote Learning Teacher for Early Kindergarten through Grade 4 and an Assistant Teacher for Grades 3 & 4 at the Laguna Blanca School in Santa Barbara, California. In this role, she planned and taught remote students, while tailoring the curriculum in math, reading, social studies, and science to her students’ individual needs. Sarah provided support and connection to families while their child was learning at home. She also provided diversity, equity, and inclusive instruction in third and fourth grades, and aided teachers in the integration of this material. Prior to those roles, Sarah was the Lead Teacher for Grades 3 and 4 at Mackintosh Academy in Denver, Colorado. There, she crafted math lessons, taught writing skills, and developed lessons for each six-week unit of thematic inquiry.
It’s a treat and a challenge to assist students at all stages of their creative development. At each stage, every student requires something different; it’s exciting to find new ways to motivate and inspire while witnessing their growth.
Aaron was an art instructor at the Charles River Creative Arts Program (CRCAP) for over a decade before joining the CRS faculty. While the development of technical and observational skills is a rewarding process, Aaron says his primary goal as an educator is to help students develop creative problem-solving skills while instilling artistic mindfulness that they can utilize in all aspects of their lives and studies.
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 Clancy joined Charles River School in 2020 as an all-school substitute and an associate teacher. She co-teaches seventh- and eighth-grade MultiArts classes, including directing the eighth-grade musical. Sarah is developing the Communication and Presentations class for grades 3-5 with a focus on the five communication styles as well as public speaking, performance, and interpersonal communication skills.
Prior to joining Charles River School, Sarah worked in theatre, television, commercials, and voiceover as an actor and director. Sarah directs for Open Fields, a local community theatre for children ages 7 to 18. She has served as the Associate Director for Brave Arts, a summer musical theatre program since 2012.
Sarah was selected for Elon University’s BFA Acting program, one of the top BFA programs in the country. She was also chosen as one of 25 students for the Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellows, a four-year program focused on leadership at the global, community, and personal levels. She graduated cum laude with a BFA in Acting and a minor in Communications.
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.
Sarah Antinoro is an experienced educator who has worked as an elementary ESL teacher in the Hopkinton School System, an Auxiliar de Conversacion in Spain, and as a nanny. Sarah enjoys engaging with students using creative mediums, such as art and writing. In one of her previous positions, she held a leadership role in increasing diversity, inclusion, and representation in her workplace community. At CRS, Sarah has served as an EDP teacher, a 5th Grade Co-Teacher, and a long-term substitute in Grade 3. She plans to write and illustrate a children’s book one day.
Sarah holds an M.Ed. in Community Engagement from Merrimack College and recently completed a post-baccalaureate licensure program in Early Childhood Education from Framingham State University. She student-taught in Sherborn, Hopkinton, and Milford.
