Teaching Staff

Monique Simard
KINDERGARTEN LEAD TEACHER

Mrs. Simard earned her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and Special Education from Rivier University. She came to The Birches Academy in 2013. She was Mrs. Cox’s teaching assistant for two years and has been the Kindergarten teacher since we opened the grade in 2016. Before coming to Birches she was a Kindergarten-based learning, STEAM opportunities, and sensory play for her little learners. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her two young daughters, creating sensory bins, reading, and shopping at Target! She comes to us from Hudson, NH.

Kaley Barrett
kindergarten lead Teacher

Mrs. Barrett was born outside Philadelphia, PA, but moved to the New England area in 2021. She earned her Elementary Education degree from Grand Canyon University and completed her student teaching here at The Birches under Mrs. Mulligan. This is Mrs. Barrett's first year as our Kindergarten Teacher. Last year she worked at The Birches Academy as our Kindergarten Assistant under Mrs.  Simard. Previous to this, she was a Small Group Specialist at an elementary school. In her spare time, Mrs. Barrett enjoys going to Celtics games with her husband, hiking, and eating Chick-Fil-A! kiing, hiking, or rooting for the boys in youth sports.

KELLY LEBLOND
kindergarten TeachING ASSISTANT

Mrs. LeBlond initially joined the professional ranks after spending several years as a volunteer. With her ability to wear many hats, Mrs. LeBlond has collaborated effectively in various classrooms, demonstrating her adaptability and passion for education. Mrs. LeBlond's professional background includes a bachelor's degree in english, complemented by a minor in art, allowing her to bring a unique perspective to her teaching practice. Beyond her classroom responsibilities, Mrs. LeBlond leads the 419 staff events and morale committee, playing an important role in fostering a cohesive and uplifting staff culture. Mrs. LeBlond lives in Windham, NH with her husband, daughter and two French Bulldogs, Frank and Beans.

Rebecca Dineen
KINDERGARTEN teaching assisTant

Mrs. Dineen has been volunteering in The Birches Academy community since the schools opening in 2012, and joined our staff in 2015. She received her B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Salem State University in Massachusetts, and has completed graduate level coursework focused on learning disabilities at Rivier College in Nashua. Her previous classroom experience at the Abundant Life Christian School in Wilmington, MA solidified her love and passion for teaching. She has lived in New Hampshire for the past 10 years with her husband and two boys. They enjoy spending time as a family, whether skiing, hiking, or rooting for the boys in youth sports.

Kathleen cox
Grade 1/2 Lead Teacher

Ms. Cox has been at The Birches Academy since its opening year in 2012, coming to us from Derry, NH. She has lots of experience in preschool, Head Start, grades K-2, and was a Title I reading tutor at Pollard Elementary in Plaistow. In addition to her M. Ed. in Early Childhood Development and experience with literacy and math curriculums, Ms. Cox has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Mass College of Art and is insanely creative. She also teaches courses at Nashua Community College in Foundations of Early Childhood Education and Emergent Literacy.

Jessica Grover
Grade 1/2 Teaching Assistant

Mrs. Grover has been involved with The Birches Academy since 2017 as a parent volunteer and joined as a staff member in 2022. She holds her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and has worked with youth in various settings over the last 14 years. She loves spending time with her family, spending the summers at the beach, and her favorite season falls with all things pumpkin spice. Mrs. Grover lives in Salem with her husband, three daughters, and two kitties.

NATALIE CASSADY
Grade 1/2 Lead Teacher

Ms. Cassady joined Birches Academy for her first year in 2023. She received her Early Childhood Education degree from Rivier University. She attributes her love of working with children to living at summer camps with her family. In her free time, Ms. Cassady enjoys reading and playing board games with her family and friends turning family game night into an unofficial club they named “Things are Getting Dicey.”

JESSICA KUBAREK
Grade 1/2 Teaching Assistant

Mrs. Kubarek joined The Birches Academy in September 2021. She grew up in Methuen, MA where she also previously worked as a substitute and a paraprofessional in the Methuen Public Schools. She is currently studying to get her BA in Early Childhood Education at Granite State College. In her spare time, Mrs. Kubarek enjoys hiking, kayaking, and being at the beach with her husband, children, and dog, Bagel. She loves reading in her down time.

JEN MADDEN
Grade 3 Lead Teacher

Mrs. Madden is a dedicated educator whose passion lies in project-based learning and STEAM education. With a firm belief in preparing students for the technologically advanced real world, she strives to instill the necessary skills for success. Known for her creativity and room transformations, she fosters an innovative and engaging learning environment and believes in the importance of encouraging problem solving and critical thinking skills. Beyond the classroom, Mrs. Madden finds joy in spending time with her husband, son, and three Australian Shepherd dogs (Thor, Finn, and Apollo). She has a Master's degree in education and is currently pursuing a second Master's degree in Learning Experience Design and Education Technology, while also working on her LETRS certification to promote foundational literacy. 

TBD
Grade 3 Teaching Assistant

HEATHER BLACK-WARD
Grade 4/5 Lead Teacher

Mrs. Black-Ward has been at The Birches Academy since 2013. She lives in North Andover, MA but originates from Maine. She graduated from the University of Maine with her B. A. degree and has been teaching ever since. She has taught the majority of her years in multiage classrooms in K-2 and 3-5. After being a classroom teacher for several years, she was an RTI teacher for math and reading in Windham, NH. She is so happy to be back in the classroom! One of Mrs. Black-Ward’s passions is writing – especially poetry. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors and reading children’s books (they are the best books around!)

ALISON LEMOYNE
Grade 4/5 teaching assistant

Ms. Lemoyne joined The Birches Academy in the fall of 2021. She received her bachelors in 2017 with Early Childhood Education from Southern New Hampshire University. After graduating she spent time as a classroom assistant in many classrooms, grades K-3. Now she is currently working on getting her masters in Child Developmental Psychology and will graduate in August 2022. She has lived in NH her whole life, and hopes to someday venture somewhere new before settling down. Family and friends are very important to her! In her free time she loves spending time with the ones she loves, being outdoors, doing things like hiking and snowboarding, as well as going to the lake, shopping, karate and traveling.

AMY KAVALAUSKAS
grade 4/5 lead teacher

Mrs. Kavalauskas joined The Birches Academy in 2021. She received her B.S. in Elementary Education with a concentration in Special Education from Kansas State University. Her previous classroom experience has been mainly in special education settings at elementary, middle and high school levels. She is a New Hampshire native, but lived in Kansas for almost 20 years, moved to the west coast after college and finally made her way “home” again in 2004. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, playing cards, going to camp and listening to live music whenever she gets the chance.

MIRANDA BERUBE
Middle School English Teacher

Ms. Berube joined The Birches Academy in 2023. She earned a BA in English with a minor in Education from the University of New Hampshire. She’s tutored students in reading, and French, taught a creative writing class and worked as a special education paraprofessional. She lives in Pelham with her husband and two children and enjoy playing volleyball, running, and kayaking wherever she can.

ERIN BALFE
Middle School SOCIAL STUDIES Teacher

Mrs. Balfe has been at The Birches Academy since its opening year in 2012.  She came to us from UNH where her undergrad degree was in Theater Education and her M.Ed. was in Elementary Education. She is our Middle School Social Studies and Government teacher, as well as a Google expert! Mrs. Balfe currently lives in Nashua with her husband Matt and their three cats. Mrs. Balfe enjoys going to the beach, reading, hiking, and anything Disney!

KRISTIN SELLITTO
Middle School SCIENCE Teacher

Mrs. Sellitto began volunteering at The Birches Academy in 2015 and joined the staff in 2017.  She comes to us with a diverse background. After receiving her B.S. in Biology from UMASS Amherst and her M.S. in Biotechnology from Worcester State College, she pursued a career in the pharmaceutical development industry.  After having children, she stopped working in the biotech industry to take on the role as business administrator and owner of a family Landscaping and Property Maintenance business. She began working with preschool children in 2016 and is excited to continue her work with children here at The Birches Academy.  She lives in Salem, with her husband and four children, and loves going to the beach and camping!

ALLISON BALDONADO
middle school math teacher & sTEAM INTEGRATION COACH

Mrs. Baldonado first joined The Birches Academy in 2016 while completing her B.A. in Elementary Education. For the past four years, she has been a dedicated 4/5 lead teacher, nurturing young minds and fostering a love for learning. Mrs. Baldonado believes in a hands-on approach to learning, providing her students with real-world experiences through STEAM and project-based integration. Her commitment to excellence in education is evident in her vision for a future where creativity and critical thinking go hand in hand. With the completion of her M.A. in Technology Integration, Mrs. Baldonado embraced a new challenge by transitioning into the role of STEAM Integration Coach. In this role, she'll collaborate closely with our dedicated staff, empowering them to seamlessly infuse STEAM principles into their curricula. With a deep understanding of both education and STEAM disciplines, Mrs. Baldonado serves as a bridge, connecting the realms of traditional learning with the dynamic world of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.

JEnnA CARADONNA
MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHING ASSISTANT

Ms. C joined Birches Academy in the fall of 2023 as a Teaching Assistant. She graduated with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from Colby-Sawyer College in 2023, and plans on pursuing a M.Ed. in the future. She grew up in New Hampshire and currently lives in Nashua. In her free time, Ms. C enjoys going for drives, spending time with friends/family, and training in dance!

RYAN MILLER-MELANCON
MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHING ASSISTANT

"Mr. M" joined the The Birches Academy in 2022. He holds an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences and is currently working toward his Bachelor's in English and Literature at Southern New Hampshire University, with the intent to complete his Master's in Education. He lives in Nashua with his wife and their two pets. He enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and practicing martial arts.

ALYSA MULLIGAN
reading interventionist

Mrs. Mulligan has been at The Birches Academy since its opening year in 2012. She spent 10 years as one of our Grade 1/2 Lead Teachers before becoming our Reading Interventionist in 2022. Previously she had been a kindergarten and first grade teacher at schools in Massachusetts. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Education from Endicott College in Beverly, MA and a Masters in Education from American International College, which has a program strong in literacy. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, traveling, reading, and spending time with her family.

ANDREW JONES
Music Teacher

Mr. Jones has been teaching at Birches Academy since fall 2020. He also teachers at Gordon College in Wenham, MA. He’s a musician and educator based on Boston’s North Shore, holding undergraduate degrees in Music Education and Drum Set Performance from the Berklee College of Music and a graduate degree in Music Education from Gordon College. He also runs a thriving private teaching studio from his home in Beverly, MA. 

Before coming to Birches he was the the Music Director, contributing author, editor and musical arranger for the House of Blues’s Boston Music Forward Foundation’s “Blues Schoolhouse” which focuses on the history of American Music from its African roots to the modern day. He’s been with the show for 12 years, and it’s been seen by approximately 5,000 students in the Boston area annually at the House of Blues Boston. He’s performed with national artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Ronnie Spector, La La Brooks (of The Crystals), Charles Neville and local artist such as Peter Gammons Hot Stove Allstars, in venues such as Fenway Park (opening for J Geils & Aerosmith), Symphony Hall Boston, The Blue Note NYC, House of Blues Boston and New Orleans,  Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center and the Hatch Shell in Boston. 

CHRISTINE MOSER
CHORUS Teacher

Mrs. Moser is a local musician and teacher who lives in Windham with her husband, two kids, and dog. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Boston University and a Master of Music Education from Gordon College. She taught elementary and middle school music and chorus in Belmont Public Schools (MA) from 2008-2016. Since then, she has been a stay-at-home mom and a freelance performer and educator, teaching private voice and piano lessons, hosting baby/toddler/preschool music sessions, and singing with several bands. She is currently the lead vocalist for the band Finding Molly, who can often be found performing at Tuscan Village right here in Salem, NH. Mrs. Moser loves all things music, but she has a particular passion for teaching people of every age and ability to sing. When she's not making music, Mrs. Moser loves traveling with her family, finding waterfalls in the woods, helping her husband build a treehouse, playing any and all games and sports with her kids, and trying (unsuccessfully) to teach her dog to fetch.

KELLY HAWKES
art TEACHER

Mrs. Hawkes came to The Birches Academy in 2014. She lives in from Atkinson, NH with her husband, two boys and dog Tuka. Mrs. Hawkes’ love of art started at a very young age. She remembers getting in trouble for coloring on her babysitters house, and thinking she was only trying to make it more beautiful. Mrs. Hawkes has BA in art education from Colby-Sawyer College and an MA in creative arts from Fitchburg State. She is always finding some artistic project to work on like painting pet portraits, or hand painting dresser knobs for her “Hawkes Hollow” ETSY shop. Mrs. Hawkes has over 18 years’ experience teaching art and could not imagine loving another profession more.

PAMELA ST. GERMAIN
ART TEACHING ASSISTANT

Mrs. St. Germain has been involved with The Birches Academy since 2018 as a parent volunteer and joined as a staff member in 2021. She has a degree in Special Education, which she earned in her home country of Costa Rica. Before moving to the United States in 2011, she spent five years working in a bilingual school in administration and teaching. She also spent a year working as a nanny in Massachusetts and New York. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, and helping others. She lives in Derry with her husband and her two boys.

RAE TARDIF
SPANISH TEACHER

Señora Tardif joined the Birches Academy in 2022. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Masters of Education from UNH. She has been teaching all levels and grades of Spanish for over 20 years. She is also a teacher educator and university supervisor for the Education department at Rivier University. She loves to travel to Spanish speaking countries with her husband and 2 daughters. She also enjoys hiking with her dog and going to the beaches in Maine.

STEWART PRUSLIN
PHYSICAL EDUCATION Teacher

Mr. Pruslin lives with his wife, high school son, and two cats in Wilmington, MA. He has been a teacher, coach, and counselor for over 30 years. He enjoys playing basketball & softball and coaching youth sports, especially his son’s baseball, basketball, and flag football teams. He creates, plays, and records music and now performs with his son. Some fun facts about Mr. Pruslin are that he had a minor league basketball tryout, he’s been to every major league baseball stadium since 1989, he sang the National Anthem at a minor league baseball game, and he’s bionic (with an artificial hip)!