Bilingual Teachers

Robert Fulton Annex School
Jenny Aquije (Kindergarten)
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My name is Jenny Aquije. I am the Kindergarten teacher at Robert Fulton Annex. I hold a Masters degree in Bilingual Education. I have been teaching for nine years. I love teaching because I believe all students have the ability to learn and I enjoy helping them believe in themselves. I enjoy reading, cooking and traveling around the world with my family. |
Diliana Linero (1st Grade)
Crystal Rodriguez (1st Grade)
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Hello, my name is Crystal Rodriguez. This is my 3rd year teaching First Grade Bilingual in the North Bergen School District. As a teacher, I strive to provide my students with literacy, mathematics and social skills they will need to succeed both in and out of the classroom. Hola, mi nombre es Crystal Rodriguez. Este es mi tercer año enseñando el Primer Grado Bilingüe en el Distrito Escolar de North Bergen. Como maestra, me esfuerzo para darles a mis estudiantes las habilidades de literatura, matemáticas y sociales que necesitan para tener éxito tanto dentro como fuera del aula.
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Adrian Toro (2nd Grade)
Marcia Galvez (3rd Grade)
Melody Travisano (5/6th Grade ELA)
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My name is Melody Travisano, and I teach Bilingual Grade 4 at Fulton Annex. I have my Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Penn State University and my Master's degree in Bilingual Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. I absolutely love working with new immigrant students, teaching them the core subjects while helping them master the English language and become acclimated to the American way of life. |
Joseph Pretel (4th Grade)
Maylin Llanes (5th/6th Grade Math)
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My name is Maylin Llanes and I have been a teacher for sixteen years in the North Bergen School District. My goal in class is to support students, reassure them and tap into their potential to make success possible in all.
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Tayrin Yi (7th/8th Grade Math)
Margarita Reina (7th/8th Grade ELA) |
My name is Ms. Reina. I teach 8th grade ELA.
My goal is that each student can learn in a healthy environment.
Mi nombre es Ms. Reina. Yo enseno Lenguaje en octavo grado.
Mi meta es que cada estudiante pueda aprender en un medio ambiente saludable.
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John F. Kennedy School
Chrisanthy Papantoniou (4th/5th Grade) |
Hello! My name is Chrisanthy Papantoniou and I teach 5th grade Bilingual Math, Science and Social Studies. I look forward to the 2019-2020 school year and working closely with parents and families to help students reach their potential. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at [email protected]. In addition, I am also available via Class Dojo so that I may communicate directly with the parents of my students.
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Maria Cardona (4th/5th Grade)
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I, Maria Cardona, have been working at North Bergen for 30 years. I have a BA in education and psychology from Barnard College Columbia University and an MA in bilingual education from Teacher's College Columbia University. I teach ESL, Science and Social Studies to 5th grade Bilingual students. I am confident that my students will demonstrate progress in these areas through individualized and challenging instruction. |
Edith Maldonado (6th/7th Grade ELA)
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My name is Edith Maldonado and this is my third year teaching 7th grade Bilingual. I enjoy teaching your children and seeing their progress throughout the year. As your child's teacher, I look forward to an exciting and productive year of learning. We know that a strong bond with you will make a difference in the education of your children, therefore we must work together to ensure your children's success.
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Martha D’Amore (6th/7th Grade Math)
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My name is Martha D'Amore. I have been teaching 26 years at John F. Kennedy School. I taught 1st grade for 19 years and currently teaching 6th and 7th grade Math. |

Franklin School
Rosemary Schmelz (1st Grade)
Yannuris Rodriguez (2nd Grade)
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Lincoln/ Lincoln Annex School
Yaneth Sell (Grade K)
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My name is Yaneth Sell. I teach bilingual Kindergarten at the Lincoln Annex. I've taught in North Bergen for over 20 yrs. I have a Bachelor's degree from Montclair State University in Early Childhood Education and a Master's degree in Urban Education with a concentration in Bilingual Education from New Jersey City State University.
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Dolores Videla
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Hi, I'm Gladys Videla, Bilingual Kindergarten teacher. I have been teaching bilingual kindergarten for 15 years in North Bergen. Prior to that I taught World Language to K-8 students for three years. My teaching focuses on the success of the students and their families. I prioritize a positive learning environment to cultivate meaningful relationships with my students, their families, the school and the community. I look forward to the new school year and watching these young humans grow and be delighted by learning. |
Alejandro Gonzalez (3rd Grade) |
My name is Alejandro Gonzalez, I'm a Bilingual/ESL educator at Lincoln School. I have been working in the field of Bilingual/Bicultural and English as a Second language education for close to a decade. I love working with the diverse multicultural population of North Bergen and enjoy watching English language learners thrive in the classroom in their acquisition of the English language.
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North Bergen High School
Harold Laguna (Science)
Yaniris Maldonado (Science)
Yoniel Lopez (Social Studies) |
Born to Cuban immigrants, Yoniel Lopez graduated Union Hill High School, attended Rutgers University, and double majored in Sociology and Latino Hispanic Caribbean Studies. Yoniel later attended New Jersey City University and attained his Masters in Urban Education with a specialization in Bilingual/ Bi-cultural Education. He is currently a Doctoral student at Kean University for Educational Leadership. Yoniel's History courses offer a mixture of lecture, student driven learning, discussion, analysis, reading comprehension, as well as writing and a lot of technology. Students drive instruction by initiating discussions and taking ownership over their work and the lesson. The Mr. Beard logo allows students to identify the content, and adds an interesting dynamic to the lesson. |
Shirley Cruz (ELA/ESL) |
My name is Shirley Cruz. I am an ESL teacher at North Bergen High School. I have been teaching elementary and high school students for 6 years.
I have a Master's degree in Urban Education Specializing in ESL. One of my goals as a teacher is to keep learning fun and motivate my students to excel and succeed. Looking forward to a productive and exciting year!
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Daryl Denitto (ELA/Social Studies) |
I have been teaching in the North Bergen School System for over 20 years and greatly value the experience and challenges of teaching, as well as learning from, ELL students from such a variety of cultural backgrounds. My goal every day is to facilitate my students' transition to regular - ed classes and help prepare them for rewarding careers after graduation. I am also the coach of the North Bergen High School Debate Team. Every year is a different topic and we participate in tournaments throughout northern New Jersey.
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Eddie Ortiz (ELA/Social Studies)
Lisa Auriemma (ELA/ESL) |
I have been teaching ESL all levels for twenty six years. I have an Undergraduate Degree from New Jersey City University in English Literature and Psychology which I majored in. I hold a Masters Degree in Urban Education from New Jersey City University. In addition, I hold a Masters Degree in Administration and Supervision from Saint Peter's University. I have had a passion for literature and reading all my life.
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Sarah Dugger (ELA/ESL)
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I love to travel and learn about other countries and cultures. I started teaching English as a Foreign Language in Osaka, Japan, then taught in Queens, New York. Since 2001 I have been teaching in North Bergen, and of interest I have taught Pre-K to Grade 12 (all ages). I have a BA in English Literature from Catholic University in Washington DC, and a Masters degree in ESL from New York University. |
Rolando Milian (ELA/ESL)
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I believe that every student had the capacity to learn and that every student learns differently and not uniformly. IN addition, as a teach, I seek to foster relationships with my students in order to maintain a positive teacher environment. I strongly believe that students need to read and write as much as possible in order to create a foundation for college and to have strong critical thinking skills. I always give one hundred percent and I am fair with all my students. At the same time, I deeply believe that parents should be involved in their children's education. Therefore, I always seek to have open communication with them, so they know how their children are performing in school. |
Howard Gonzalez (ELA/ESL)
Monzer Elshayeb (Math)
Moises Santos (Math)
Marlene Sanchez-Cardenas (H.O.P.E) |
Hello! I am a professional school teacher licensed to teach bilingual students of different ages. I hold a MA in Urban Education, ESL and a Bilingual Certification.
Many of my students are transitioning into a new place and I take pride in being a stepping tool in helping them gain more opportunities for their future.
The goal is to teach students to read and write in both Spanish and English.
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