Staff & Faculty Directory
Every member of our outstanding faculty has been carefully chosen not only on the basis of their field of specialization but also on their commitment to creating a positive educational experience for each child.
Click on a name to see the teacher's biography.
Administration:
Bini W. Silver, Director
bini@lernerschool.org
Jordana Brown, Director of Admissions
admissions@lernerschool.org
Mary Crane, Principal
mary@lernerschool.org
Carolyn Rogers,Director of Early Childhood
carolyn@lernerschool.org
Foley Coleman, Administrative Assistant to Head of School
shalom@lernerschool.org
Elizabeth Sewell, Assistant to Development and Admission
elizabeth@lernerschool.org
Ofra Sheetrit, Director of Judaic Studies/Hebrew
ofra@lernerschool.org
Ivy Wingate, Director of Development
develop@lernerschool.org
Faculty:
Smadar Aviad, Kindergarten assistant
smadar@lernerschool.org
Hagit Ayalon, Hebrew Teacher
hagit@lernerschool.org
Guy Ben-Eliyah, Judaic Studies Teacher
Guy@lernerschool.org
Cheryl Berkus, Preschool Teacher
Cheryl@lernerschool.org
Laura Brody Weaver, Art Teacher
Laura@lernerschool.org
Sally Brown , Kindergarten Assistant
sally@lernerschool.org
Wendy Cohen , Preschool Teacher
wendy@lernerschool.org
Roxanne Hobbs, Teacher Assistant
roxanne@lernerschool.org
Fiona Mueller , 4th/5th Grade Teacher
Fiona@lernerschool.org
Barbara Deena, 1st Grade Teacher
barbara@lernerschool.org
Arielle Derby, 2nd Grade Teacher
arielled@lernerschool.org
Francie Jacobs-Segal, Preschool Teacher
francie@lernerschool.org
Ariel Krusch, Preschool Teacher
Ariel@lernerschool.org
Hinda Lind, Kindergarten Teacher
hinda@lernerschool.org
Nicole McIntyre, 1st Grade Teacher
nicole@lernerschool.org
Janice Nicholson, Librarian
janice@lernerschool.org
Marcy Ollis , Reading Specialist
marcy@lernerschool.org
Cecilia Payne, Kindergarten Teacher
cecilia@lernerschool.org
Caryn Rosenberg, Preschool Teacher
caryn@lernerschool.org
Jordan Shamp, Physical Education/Afterschool Director
jordan@lernerschool.org
Carly Shubitz, Preschool Teacher
carly@lernerschool.org
Amber Teske, 3rd Grade Teacher
amber@lernerschool.org
Michal Unna, Hebrew Teacher
michal@lernerschool.org
Faculty & Staff Bios
Hagit Ayalon is from Telaviv, Israel and moved to North Carolina from Jerusalem in 2004. Hagit has a teaching certificate and a BA in English and MA in Education from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Hagit lives with her husband Gai, who is doing his post-doctoral training in biology at Duke, her daughter, Roni, who is in this year's Kindergarten class, and her son, Noam, who is in the Lerner Preschool. In her free time, Hagit enjoys yoga. She is happy to be teaching again.
Fiona Mueller Fiona was born and raised in the UK. She earned her teaching credentials at Lancaster University, England, and spent five years in public education in England. She then spent fourteen wonderful years teaching in American international schools in Italy and France. She moved to the United States eleven years ago with her husband, Thomas (also an educator), and sons Benjamin and Jack. She loves to spend time outdoors gardening, canoeing and training her Labrador, Mojo.
Arielle Derby Arielle is thrilled to be in her second year teaching 2nd grade at the Lerner School! She has a close relationship to Jewish Education: she attended a Jewish Day School from age 4 to 14, and has taught at two Day Schools as an adult. She got her undergraduate degree at Smith, and has a Masters in Elementary Education from Bank Street College. She recently relocated from New York City, where she was born and raised, and finding Lerner was like finding a little piece of home. She lives in Carrboro with her wife, Laurel (a PhD candidate in Anthropology at UNC), and as many houseplants as she can encourage to bloom. Her favorite thing to do out of school is hang out on the Weaver Street Lawn and watch the hula-hoopers.
Barbara Deena is thrilled to be part of the The Lerner School family as a 1st grade teacher. She has a M.Ed. in Special Education with a focus on early childhood special education from the University of Florida. Barbara grew up in Durham and returned to North Carolina in 2001 after teaching for almost a decade in Florida. She lives in Durham with her husband and two children. Barbara is excited about the upcoming year and about sharing the joy of learning with her students.
Francie Jacobs-Segal moved to the Triangle from Atlanta. She has taught preschool for the last 18 years. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She is married and has two boys. Her husband Rick is director of Physical Therapy at UNC. Ethan, her oldest son, is living in NYC and is working as a commercial editor. Jared, her youngest son, will be graduating from Vanderbilt in May 2009. Francie loves to read and spend time with her family at the beach. She is looking forward to being part of a wonderful community.
Hinda Lind joined the Lerner Jewish Community Day School faculty in August 1997. She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University. Her graduate studies were at Old Dominion University and Tel Aviv University. Her previous experience was at Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, Virginia Beach, Virginia and the public schools in Norfolk. Hinda is ubiquitous in our Jewish community. She teaches in Sunday school, Hebrew school and the Jewish Community Center Camp. She helps us welcome Shabbat by leading our school wide Sing Along each week.
Cecilia Payne is a Kindergarten teacher. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia where she majored in Economics and Religion. She is a certified Montessori teacher. Cecilia has 3 beautiful boys, Thomas, Daniel, and Michael, and a wonderful, caring husband, Charlie. Cecilia looks forward to a wonderful school year getting to know your children.
Sally Brown Kindergarten Assistant.
Carolyn Rogers Carolyn Rogers is the Director/Teacher in the Early Childhood Division. She is a 1986 graduate of Beloit College with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Education. She is currently working towards her Childcare Administrator credentials at Durham Technical Community College. Carolyn has been working in the field of Early Childcare education for 16 years. From 1993-1998 she lived at Yishuv Shorashim in the northern part of Israel, working at the local infant/toddler education center. Since moving to Chapel Hill, Carolyn has taught Religious school at the Kehillah synagogue as well as participated in various JCC sponsored activities. Carolyn is the mother of four growing children, two of whom attend local colleges and two who are currently enrolled at Chapel Hill High School. She loves living in the Chapel Hill-Durham area. Her interests include hiking/walking the local trails, bike riding, eating at local restaurants, attending concerts and plays, baking, reading and speaking Hebrew.
Caryn Rosenberg is a full-time preschool teacher. She is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Caryn lives in Durham with her husband Jared and son Jake, who enters the Lerner Preschool in the fall of 2006. Caryn enjoys traveling, watching movies, taking walks, and swimming. She looks forward to meeting all of the new preschoolers and watching her own son blossom at Lerner, as well.
Jordan Shamp has been the Physical Education teacher at Lerner School for the past two years. He thoroughly enjoys being active with all of the students, and feels very lucky to be a part of the Lerner School community. Along with teaching PE, Jordan will also be the after-school director this year. Jordan loves to teach, watch, and participate in a wide variety of sports, loves to play guitar, and travels whenever he gets a chance.
Ofra Sheetrit is the new Director of Hebrew and Judaic Studies. She is a graduate of David Yellin College in Jerusalem, Israel. She majored in teaching Hebrew as a Second Language and Early Childhood. She is a mother of three children, Lee, Aviv, and Noam. Her hobbies include cooking and reading and her favorite TV show is "Everybody Loves Raymond."
Guy Ben-Eliyahu is in charge of the school's Information Technology program and is also one of our Judaic Studies Teachers. He holds a B.A. in Business Administration with a minor in Information Technology Management from The College of Management, Israel. Guy has taught Hebrew and Religious School in various congregations in the area and brings with him a passion for teaching and a love of Israel and Judaism.
Carly Shubitz is one of our Preschool teachers. She moved to North Carolina in 2005 with her dog, Mason Dixon. Carly graduated from S.U.N.Y. Oneonta with a BS in Communication Studies and a minor in Advertising. She is currently working on her Masters in Education. In her free time, Carly enjoys dancing, singing, musical theatre, traveling, sports, and making her own adventures.
Smadar Aviad grew up in Israel and moved to NC in 2006. She has a Bachelor of Science in Economics, Administration, and Environment Protection, as well as a teaching Certificate from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem . Smadar lives in Cary with her husband Oded and three children Keren, Yuval and Shani. She has taught in the Lerner Early Childhood Program as well as the Elementary Judaic studies / Hebrew program. This is her second year teaching with Hinda in the Kindergarten and she is looking forward to teaching Hebrew and as well as teaching about Israel during the year.
Amber Teske is from Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated from Furman University with a BA in Education. Prior to her work at The Lerner School, Amber served as a mentor and teacher for after-school programs in Greenville, SC. Amber resides in Raleigh with her husband, Jesse, and two canine companions, Emmi and Moxie. As the upper grades social studies and language arts teacher, Amber is looking forward to providing a year of academic challenges and opportunities that will foster the development of autonomous life-long learners.
Ivy Wingate has been the Director of Development & Public Relations since February, 2004. Ivy joined The Lerner School with over 20 years’ experience in development, strategic planning and financial stewardship for a number of local agencies, including the Triangle Community Foundation, the Chapel Hill YMCA and the Triangle AIDS Service Agency. She enjoys the positive and happy environment at The Lerner School and loves working in a Jewish environment.
Janice Nicholson joins the faculty as the new librarian. She has an MA from the Universtiy of Pennsylvania and an M.S.L.S. fron UNC Chapel Hill. She has been a high school English teacher in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and is most proud of being a grandmother to four grandchildren.
Nicole McIntyre Nicole is excited about her 1st year as a first grade teacher at the Lerner School. Nicole earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education at Brigham Young University, and received her licensure last year to teach in the state of North Carolina. She grew up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She has been married for three years, and her husband is attending Duke Law School. She loves the community at Lerner and feels very fortunate to be teaching here.
Michal Unna holds a BA and teaching certificate from Haifa University in Israel. She has studied Literature and Drama and is an experienced teacher and practitioner of Yoga. Michal brings with her 12 years of teaching experience from various schools in Israel. She was born and raised on Kibbutz Lahav in Israel and moved to North Carolina with her husband and two sons.