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Judy Blake | Anita Kane |
Faculty|
Summer
Judy Blake and Anita
Kane, both lifelong educators, began #1 Education Place in 2001 after
community demand for their services surpassed what they could provide
on an in-home basis as they had been for the previous three years. In
response, they generated an innovative educational facility for
the western communities. Their philosophy stems from the teachings of
Dr. Maria Montessori who advised that one should always "Follow
the child".
» This has led them to
design #1 Education Place as a setting where each individual's
gifts, desires, and needs are recognized so that learning is the
natural and fulfilling phenomena it was meant to be.
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Judy Blake
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Judy has been educating and inspiring children and
adults for more than 30 years. She holds a BA
in Psychology from Rutgers University. Graduate
studies have earned her Montessori teaching
credentials for children 3-6 and 6-9. In
addition, she has completed a certificate program
for child development from birth to age three.
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Her commitment to human development has led to
extensive training in leadership, creativity,
communication, and behavioral effectiveness with
Landmark Education.
Her achievements include being founder and director
of the Ridgewood Montessori School in New Jersey.
Judy is currently completing a Master's Degree in
Organizational Design and Management with the
Fielding Institute.
She and her husband and three sons have lived in
Wellington and the Western communities for twelve
years.
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Anita Kane
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Anita was born
into education and leadership as a child of the owners of
Potomac Country Day School in Maryland. She earned a B.S.
degree in Political Science from Mary Baldwin College and an
M.A. in teaching from Trinity College. She achieved graduate
level certification in Montessori teaching for children ages
6-9 and 9-12. Anita has also attended
the George Mason University School of Law.
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Her professional career has included
thirteen years of teaching
and nine years as a school administrator. She has received
certificates from Independent Schools Management (ISM), in
school policy design and implementation, and the needs of
today's families.
She is currently teaching business communication, English,
professional development, and computer skills to adults. As a
single mother, Anita has resided in Wellington and the Western
communities for twelve years.
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Collectively, Judy and Anita hold internationally recognized
Montessori teaching credentials for children from birth to high
school. These educators are known by their clients, and in the
community, as being powerful leaders who are committed to and actively
engaged in the success of each life that they touch.
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Faculty
Ella Bender
Foreign Language Specialist, All Grades
Ella Bender is a native New Yorker who brings to us her 35 years
of foreign language teaching experience in middle school and high
school. For 15 of those years, she served also as the Foreign
Languages Department Chairperson.
Ella is a graduate of temple University (B.S. in Ed.) and Huter
College (M.A.). She also holds a Professional certificate in
Administration and Supervision which she earned during her
doctoral studeis at Fordham University (A.B.D.). Ella has also
worked for 14 years as a trainer/tutor to Bar/Bat Mitzvah students
as they prepare to chant torah and Haftarah.
Ella and her husband live in West Palm Beach. Among her many
interests are reading, singing, traveling, and doing crossword
puzzles. Recently, she has become "addicted" to Sudoku.
Kathleen Baliban (Katie)
History/Composition instructor, High School & Middle Grades
Katie has taught in both middle and high schools. She has taught all levels of World Cutltures, Geography and United states History. Katie also has extensive experience teaching Sociology and AP American History. She has been the history coordinatior for the rewriting of Kindergarten through 12th grade curriculum. She has been the supervisor for the student Academic Challenge team, Model UN team and co-supervisor for the Mock Trial team. She has also been a private tutor for various history courses. She loves interacting with the students and believes that teaching strategies and techniques for learning are just as important are just as important as teaching the course content. Katie graduated with honors from Rutgers Universtiy and has a BA in history. She lives in Wellington with her husband and two children. She frequently volunteers her time for various local organizations.
Laurel Rubin (Laurie)
Elementary Teacher Grades 1-3
Laurie spent her first year of college at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, after being accepted into the music department. She then switched gears and received a BA in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland in 1988. She earned an M.Ed in Elementary education from Lesley College in Cambridge, MA in 1990, after discovering her passion for working with children. She was employed by the Brimmer and May School in Boston for 12 years. There she worked in the Public Relations and Development offices, was an assistant in the music department, ran the Extended Day program, and coached both middle and upper school basketball and tennis teams. After promising herself never to live through another blizzard again, she left Boston six years ago to raise her two children, Talia and Dustin, in south Florida. Besides working here at #1 Education Place she also tutors and teaches piano and takes time to enjoy living in the Florida warmth.
Gregory Tarnowski
Science Director, High School
Greg has been educating adults and teens about computers since
1982. He has a Bachelor's in Engineering in Materials &
Metallurgical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and
worked for Howmedica, a manufacturer of orthopedic implants, for
14 years. There, Greg held several engineering positions and also
managed a group of 5 people until the company was sold. Greg then
obtained a Network Engineering Specialist diploma from Business
Training Institute and acquired several computer certifications.
Greg provides computer and networking support and training to both
home and small businesses. He taught various computer-related
courses to adults and teens for over three years before joining
our team in 2004 as a science and math instructor.
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Summer Staff
Ronni Gerstel
Ronni Gerstel, the creative spirit behind Flamingo Park Puppets, has been a professional puppeteer, builder and instructor for twenty years. Ronni has created and directed puppetry programs for children in Arts camps at the Kravis Center, the JCC, the Broward Center for Performing Arts, the Puppetry Arts Center of the Palm Beaches, the School District and more. The mission of these programs is to encourage creativity and cooperation, and to boost self-esteem in young people. In addition, Ronni has been awarded grants from the Neighborhood Arts Residency Program, and the Community Foundation to design and implement puppet programs for young people which promote tolerance and understanding.
As one of the original artists with the Center for Creative Education, Ronni partners with teachers to enhance curriculum instruction through the puppetry arts. She won five awards for “outstanding collaboration of the year” for her work with the Center. Another collaboration is featured in the documentary, “Project LEAP: Learning Out Loud”, which can be seen on The Education Network. She also teaches seminars on “Puppetry in Education” for the School District, museums, Arts Centers and at puppetry conferences around the country.
Stacey Lazos
Stacey Lazos has an eclectic background which includes a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Textile Design. She has worked as an administrator of large early childhood programs in New York City, and a teacher to general and special education students. Currently, her educational instruction centers on arts integration and wellness, working with both early childhood and after school programs in South Florida. In addition to her extensive educational background, Stacey is a certified Yoga Instructor with over 10 years experience. It was only natural to combine her yoga practice with her educational experience, partnering her understanding of how children learn with her love of the arts and personal growth. The result: a program designed to teach students positive, life-altering techniques that they can carry into adulthood.
Nancy Pawlowski
Nancy Pawlowski has been instructing children and adults in ceramics for over 10 years throughout South Florida and New Mexico. For more than 20 years, her studies of clay in Boston and New Mexico have combined her creative and technical strengths – and she draws on both when teaching children the joy of clay. Most recently, she has taught ceramics classes for children at the Center for Creative Education, Coral Springs Museum of Art, private lessons, schools and centers in South Florida as well as clay workshops. Over the years, her ceramic program, “Re-create Your History in Clay” was featured in the Sun Sentinel, Palm Beach Post and as special features on the local 6 o’clock news. Her passion is using clay to help learn about one’s unique self – and clay lessons include:” Nature, What Can We Learn from Her”; “Proud to be”; “Garden Avatars”; “Who Made the Salad?” Her background also includes a degree in engineering and work as a senior engineer at Intel Corporation, which she credits to helping with glazing and firing processes in ceramics.
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Place
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