New Colleagues 2022-2023

List of 21 members.

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  Christopher Armstrong 

  Middle and Upper School Mandarin Teacher

  Phone/Extension: 4185

  Bio

  Christopher Armstrong, Middle School Mandarin Teacher, hails from Philadelphia and has a bachelor's degree from Temple University. In 2007, he made the decision to move to China to teach English and study Mandarin. Upon returning to the Philadelphia area, he studied Advanced Spoken Mandarin at the University of Pennsylvania. Before joining Shipley, he taught Mandarin at Belmont Charter School and The Baldwin School for six years apiece. He has introduced hundreds of students to the Mandarin language and Chinese culture. He enjoys teaching with immersion techniques and taking students on field trips to Chinatown. Additionally, he has participated in Fulbright courses in China and National Security Agency teaching programs at The University of Hawai’i, The University of Minnesota, and The University of Nebraska. He currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two young daughters.
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  Ellen Bair 

  Upper School Advisor, Coach, Sustainability Coordinator

  Phone/Extension: 4189

  Bio

  Ellen Bair, MS SEED, Admissions, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator, and Varsity Girls Basketball Head Coach, has spent the last three year as the Varsity Girls Basketball Coach at Linden Hall, an all-girls boarding school, located in Lancaster, PA. During her tenure, she has developed the basketball program into one that is well-recognized and high achieving including three consecutive PIAA District championships, and two trips to the Elite 8 and Sweet 16 of the Pennsylvania State Tournament. She is devoted to the development and growth of her players and has sent numerous girls on to all levels of college basketball. Ellen will also be on the Middle School and Upper School Volleyball coaching staff. 
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  Deanne Battle 

  Upper School English Teacher

  Phone/Extension: N/A

  Bio

  Deanne Battle, Upper School English, is a teacher and writer from Queens, NY. Most recently, she taught middle and upper school English at the Thaden School in Bentonville, AR. She enjoys film, theater, current events, and learning new languages. Deanne possesses a BA in English Literature and MA in Cultural Studies & Creative Writing from Dartmouth College. Additionally, she is a recent graduate from Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in Fiction. She is working on her first novel, The Righteous Siege of Brockton Grove. Deanne is excited to join the Shipley faculty this fall. She lives in King of Prussia with her dog, Xena.
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  Dominic Benacquista 

  Assistant Director of Squash

  Phone/Extension: 4677

  Bio

  Dominic Benacquist, Assistant Director of Squash, joins us from City Squash in Brooklyn, a charity outreach program that offers education and squash to children of NY. Dominic headed the squash and exercise program there for the past few seasons and brings his 10 years of coaching knowledge and experience to Shipley. Originating from the east coast of Australia he has a great depth and knowledge of squash and exercise physiology and will be applying his passion and insights into the boys MS and Upper school program this year. 
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  Roberta Brandao 

  Upper School STEAM/Makerspace Teacher

  Bio

  Roberta Brandão, STEAM Department Chair, is a digital media designer and STEAM educator. Roberta is passionate about helping others become producers of technology. Her computer graphics animation work has earned numerous awards - including a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy and a Broadcast Designers Association award - and has been shown at museums and festivals worldwide, including The Centre George Pompidou and ACM SIGGRAPH. Since 2010, Roberta has been working in K-12 schools to help implement STEAM programs that foster design thinking and computational thinking, as well as designing maker spaces centered around empathy, risk taking, and iteration to help students develop invention literacy.
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  Alyssa Clinkscales 

  Lower and Middle School Art Teacher

  Phone/Extension: 4738

  Bio

  Alyssa Clinkscales, Art Teacher, will be teaching PreK-3rd grade and two 6th grade sections next year before assuming full responsibility for the Lower School art program in 2023-24. Alyssa joins the art department at Shipley from Germantown Academy, where she served as both an associate and lead art teacher in the Lower School. Alyssa previously taught primary and PreK-8th grade students as an art teacher at St. Barnabas, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Gladwyne Montessori Schools in addition to her work as a teaching artist at the Main Line Art Center. After completing her BS in Visual Arts from Lincoln University of PA, Alyssa earned her MAT in Visual Arts from University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
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  Meizhen Degman 

  Lower School Associate Teacher

  Bio

  Claire Degman, Associate Kindergarten Teacher, comes to Shipley from Universal Creighton Charter School in Philadelphia where she worked as the bilingual community service liaison, connecting families with teachers, staff, and the community, and later as a long term substitute for second grade. She has additional experience as a Chinese teacher for ages 4-9 at Mulan Academy and the Chinese Language School of South Jersey. Claire earned her BS in Foreign Language Education and BA in International Studies from Miami University, and later her M.S. Ed in Reading, Writing, and Literacy from the University of Pennsylvania.
• 

  Eileen Easter 

  School Store Associate

  Phone/Extension: 4103

  Bio

  Eileen Easter, School Store Associate, is joining the School Store staff as a part time sales associate. She has over 30 years of retail experience and has worked with some of the top retail companies including Polo Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Crate & Barrel. Eileen is well versed with the private school sector as her children attended a private school in Boca Raton, FL. She recently relocated to the Philadelphia area from Sarasota, FL to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren.
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  Megan Fitch Berrios 

  Lower School Student Support

  Bio

  Megan Fitch-Berrios, Lower School Student Support Teacher, comes to Shipley with experience in both public and independent schools, most recently as the director of the Upper School Learning Resource Center at Westtown. Prior to her time at Westtown, Megan served as a reading intervention teacher and special education teacher for students across lower and upper school grade levels. Megan earned a BS in Special Education from West Chester University and her Masters of Education with Reading Specialist Certification from National Louis University.
• 

  Martine Fortune 15

  Lower School Associate Teacher

  Bio

  Martine Fortune ’15, Pre-K Associate Teacher, returns to Shipley this year after working with grades PreK-5 as a full-time proctor last year. She will also be an assistant on the Varsity Girls Basketball coaching staff. Outside of Shipley, Martine has worked as assistant girls basketball coach at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and provided tutoring services. Martine completed her BS in Literature, Media, and Communications from Georgia Institute of Technology.
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  Samuel Gorelick 

  Lower School Associate Teacher

  Bio

  Sam Gorelick, Lower School Associate Teacher, joins the PreK team having completed his student teaching at William M. Meredith Elementary School in Philadelphia. Prior to earning his MA in Teaching and PreK-4 certification from Rosemont College, Sam worked as a substitute teacher in Watertown Public Schools in Watertown, MA and at Delaware Valley Friends School in Paoli. Sam also holds a BS in Marketing Communication from Emerson College.
• 

  Nabila Ighemat 

  Upper School French Teacher

  Phone/Extension: N/A

  Bio

  Nina Ighemat, Modern Languages, comes to Shipley from the Montgomery School and is very excited to be part of the Shipley family. She worked as a Flight Attendant for 12 years prior to becoming a teacher. She has taught French for over ten years. Nina has a Master's degree and teaching certifications in French K-12, Elementary PK-4, and Principal K-12 and is currently finishing up her doctorate degree. Her passion is not only to teach students World Languages but also to help them become great global citizens. Nina’s daughter, Amira, will be joining the Shipley family as an eighth grader.
• 

  Mihiliya Kalahe 

  Assistant Director of Squash

  Phone/Extension: 4677

  Bio

  Mihiliya Kalahe, Assistant Director of Squash, comes to Shipley with a decorated squash career. She is a six-time national squash champion in Sri Lanka and former #1 player and captain of Mount Holyoke college here is the US. Coach Mihiliya holds a BA degree in psychology and is excited to bring her combination of high level performance squash and psychological education to the girls middle school and girls varsity program this year. 
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  Elizabeth Martin 

  Upper School Student Support

  Phone/Extension: N/A

  Bio

  Leigh Martin, Upper School Academic Support, returns to Shipley (again) after several years. Leigh was the US academic support director from 2009-2011 and worked in academic support again from 2014-2019. For those who don’t know Leigh, she is originally from Louisville, KY. She has worked at a variety of independent schools besides Shipley, including St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School in Washington, DC, Tower School in Marblehead, MA, and Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC. Leigh is an ​​avid reader and passionate dog owner who enjoys Wordle, running, yoga, and spending time with her family.
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  Thomas Morris 

  Upper School Math Teacher

  Phone/Extension: N/A

  Bio

  Tom Morris, Upper School Math, is entering his sixteenth year of teaching high school math. A 2007 graduate of Hamilton College, Tom has also taught at Sidwell Friends School and Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. At the latter, he could often be heard announcing play-by-play for both football and basketball. A South Jersey native, Tom is a loyal Philadelphia sports fan as well as an enthusiast for nature, films, and singing.
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  Daniela Moscoso-Donoso 

  Middle School Spanish Teacher

  Phone/Extension: 4337

  Bio

  Daniela Moscoso-Donoso, Middle School Spanish and 8th Grade Advisor, is a 26-year veteran teacher who joins us after teaching in an immersion classroom for the last four years in Minnesota. She was born in Quito, Ecuador, and has a BA in Spanish, Literature, and Teaching from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and her M. Ed. from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD. Her son, César will be pursuing his Master’s in Religious Studies at Duke University. In her free time, Daniela loves to read, write, and learn. She also likes to travel, watch movies, play board games, listen to music, be out with friends, and go to the theater, opera, or attending concerts. 
• 

  Sophie Rivara-Lipschutz 

  Bio

  Sophie Rivara-Lipschultz, Modern Languages, comes to Shipley after having taught French at Friends' Central. She studied in both the UK and the US, gaining experiences that have allowed her to help students develop critical thinking and study skills. She has taught in several schools, including Friends’ Central School, Arcadia University, CCP, WTHS, NPHS and in a North London private school called Fine Arts College located in Hampstead, where she prepared students for the Oxbridge Universities Entrance examinations.
• 

  Zachary Rosa 

  Lower School Kindergarten Teacher

  Phone/Extension: 4728

  Bio

  Zachary (Zak) Rosa, Lead Kindergarten Teacher, brings more than 10 years of teaching experience to the Lower School. Most recently, Zak supported Twin Spring Farm Day School as both a lead pre-first teacher and assistant camp director following several years teaching transitional kindergarten, first, second, and third grades.
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  Megan Scheri 

  Lower School Nurse

  Phone/Extension: 4701

  Bio

  Megan Scheri, Lower School Nurse, comes to Shipley from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She brings extensive pediatric and school nursing experience, having previously worked at CHOP as a clinical nurse and as the school nurse at the Woodlynde School serving students in grades K-12. In 2021, Megan was selected for the Woodlynde School’s Distinguished Service Award. Megan holds her BS in Nursing from Ohio University as well as a BA in Communications from Villanova.
• 

  Wendy Smith 

  Admissions Engagement Coordinator

  Phone/Extension: 4735

  Bio

  Wendy Smith, Admissions Engagement Coordinator, joined the Admissions Team on August 1st. She has worked as an IT consultant, recruiter and Senior Business Analyst specializing in IT, continuing education and professional credentialing software. Wendy holds a BS in Information Technology from Syracuse University. Most recently she has spent the past 4 years volunteering as a Parent Ambassador and Lower School Lead Parent Coordinator at Shipley. Wendy is the proud parent of two Shipley students, Carter ‘28 and Ryan ‘30.
• 

  Eva Winiarski 

  Upper School English Teacher, Coach

  Phone/Extension: N/A

  Bio

  Eva Winiarski, English and Varsity Girls Lacrosse Head Coach, will take the helm as Varsity Girls Lacrosse Head Coach and Field Hockey Assistant Coach. Eva has worked closely with Head Coach, Taylor Cummings to sustain and build upon one of the most successful and competitive high school lacrosse programs in the country at McDonough School. Eva was the Head Coach of the Varsity Field Hockey at McDonough team since 2020. Beyond McDonough, Eva coached at the Baltimore Stix FH club for two seasons.