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Team Specialist- Rachel Abraham
Rachel began at Bowen Elementary School as the Special Education Team Specialist in September 2013. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Westfield State, a Master's Degree in Behavior Analysis from Simmons College, and Graduate Certificate in Special Education from Simmons College. In the past 10 years, Rachel has worked with students ranging from ages 3-14 with a variety of learning profiles. She has loved learning new strategies to help students make progress, sharing in student successes, and collaborating with families and colleagues. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters.
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Inclusion Facilitators- Marla Yanovitch and Tiffany Hancock
Marla Yanovitch has been a member of the Newton Public School's community for over 15 years. She has worked in a variety of special education positions during her time in Newton including being a paraprofessional, Learning Center Teacher, and Inclusion Facilitator. This school year she is excited to take on the part-time role of Reading Interventionist, along with the Inclusion Facilitator role. One of her greatest enjoyments within her career is teaching children how to read and to help them develop a love of learning. When Marla is not at Bowen she is busy spending time being a mom to daughters Abby, 12 and Piper, 5. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling to Vermont, and visiting local museums.
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Speech Therapist
Speech Therapist Assistant - Shirley Pike
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Learning Center- Sharon Lipman and Joanne Grigoli
Sharon has worked at Bowen for the past 12 years. Originally from New York, Sharon moved to the Boston area for graduate school at Boston University. She spent two years interning for Newton Public Schools, which eventually led to her current job here at Bowen. As a learning center teacher, Sharon gets to work with students and families in K-5. She enjoys getting to know and work with all of her students and their families. In her spare time, she enjoys working out, hiking, and reading.
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Occupational Therapist- Amanda Caramanica
Amanda joined Bowen Elementary School in September 2015. Prior to working for Newton Public Schools, Amanda worked in a private behavior therapy clinic with children ages 18 months to 22 years old. She also worked in geriatrics at a rehabilitation center for people over the age of 65 and as a kickboxing instructor at a martial arts studio in Waltham. In addition to working for Newton Public Schools, Amanda works for Spaulding Rehab Hospital and Children’s OT Connections. She received her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Worcester State University. When she is not working, Amanda enjoys spoiling her two nieces, spending time with her Grandmother and traveling with friends or family.
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School Psychologist- Pam Marco
Pam joined the Bowen School team as the school psychologist in the Fall of 2015. Prior to working for Newton Public Schools, Pam worked as a clinical psychologist in a therapeutic high school program in Marblehead, MA. She received a Doctorate in Psychology from William James College and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rhode Island. Outside of school, Pam enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and trying out new local restaurants.
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English Language Learners- Joanne Cudkowicz, Caryn Chapler, Wanda Bender, Allison McDade
Joanne has been teaching English Language Learners for over 15 years. In 1990, while studying abroad, Joanne was asked to tutor college students in English and quickly recognized this as her path. Joanne returned to Boston University and included a minor in Education to her undergraduate English degree. After several years of teaching, Joanne moved into the world of camping where she was the Assistant Director of Camp Ramah for four years. Missing her ELL students, Joanne decided to increase her expertise and studied at The School for International Training and received a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Since then, Joanne has taught adult refugees at the International Institute of Boston, college students at Harvard University summer school and extension school, and Kindergarteners through graders in a variety of public schools across the United States. After taking off time to raise her family, Joanne was thrilled to join Bowen in the Fall of 2013. At Bowen Joanne especially enjoys helping her students acculturate and access content in their mainstream classrooms. Joanne lives in Newton with her husband and son and when not teaching can be found running, practicing yoga, cooking and enjoying her son’s soccer games.
Email Joanne Cudkowicz
Caryn Chapler grew up on Long Island, New York. After attending college at the University of Delaware, she moved up to Boston and pursued her Master's in Education at Wheelock College. She began her career as a special education teacher for Boston Public Schools and then transitioned to Newton where she has been teaching first grade at Bowen since 2006. When she is not teaching, she enjoys reading (mostly mystery books), being active and playing tennis, and spending time with her friends and family.
Wanda Bender came to Bowen over 20 years ago as an ESL aide, helping to start the ESL program at our school. Since the beginning, it has been Wanda’s pleasure to work with students who speak a language other than English at home, and to support them and their families. Over the years the program has grown to over eighty students being serviced by five staff members. Recognizing that our strength lies in the richness of our diverse population, it has been a consistent goal of Wanda’s to do her best to ensure that each of us values the culture and language of our families. When Wanda is away from school she enjoys spending time with her family, caring for her two year old grandson, and visiting with friends.
Email Wanda Bender
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Metco Counselor- Daniel Arroyo
I am honored to be a part of the Bowen community as the METCO counselor. Along with working with kiddos at Bowen Elementary I am also stationed at Memorial Spalding Elementary, Countryside Elementary and Oakhill Middle School. After earning my Masters Degree of Social work from Boston College in 2012, I began my counseling career with Brookline Public Schools as a high school coordinator and advisor for a non-profit working to eliminate the cycle of poverty. Prior to working at Brookline High School I worked in each of the Brookline K-8 schools as a long term sub and after school program director for Steps to Success at the William H. Lincoln School. When I'm not working I enjoy spending time with my son. We tend to visit all the playgrounds in Brighton. When I have free time I enjoy playing basketball, football and ultimate frisbee. I am always looking to learn how to cook new delicious meals and a fun share is I was born on Christmas and I love creating scavenger hunts as fun hobby.
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