Amazing New Staff

It has been a busy summer! The Ellington Public Schools has welcomed many new members to the family. Check out their bios below and when you see them in the halls, give them a warm Ellington welcome!

-Scott Nicol, Superintendent

Sasha Vargas has been teaching in the physical education/Health field for just over 6 years. She earned her bachelors in science from Eastern Connecticut State University and her masters in special education from Central Connecticut State University. She enjoys taking her two dogs, Bear and Moose, for hikes all over CT. She has been a Softball assistant coach, diversity (GSA) advisor, Leo advisor and Safe school leaders mentorship advisor. She enjoys watching the Boston Bruins, reading, and watching horror movies in her down time. She is beyond excited to start her new journey at Ellington.

Marisa Jatkowski is a first year teacher and recent UConn graduate. Marisa enjoys spending time with her family, making jewelry and going on hikes. She has two UConn degrees, one in American Sign Language (ASL) and one in Special Education. She is so excited to start teaching ASL as a world language at EHS starting Fall 23!

Dena DeJulius was born and raised in Connecticut and currently lives in Coventry with her husband and sons. She began her teaching career in Manchester, Connecticut in 1995. She has held various administrator roles in the towns of Manchester, Marlborough and Coventry. Dena is excited to become part of the Ellington Public School System, and join the Ellington High School staff as a special education teacher! She loves working with students of all ages, and is passionate about finding ways for students to be successful and truly enjoy school. Dena is the wife of a retired police officer, and the proud mother of four sons ages 18, 20, 22, and 24. She has a three-year-old 110-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback/Doberman named Axel, and a 10-year-old cat named Tig. Dena has been an adjunct faculty member for the University of Hartford’s Education Department for the past four years.

Born and raised in eastern Connecticut, Nick Colantonio is excited to serve as an EHS math teacher in the community that has provided him so much. Nick graduated from Bryant University in 2017 and worked as an Account Manager in the Carolinas for the tool company, Hilti. Nick went back to school at CCSU during the pandemic and became certified to teach Secondary Mathematics. During that time, Nick spent 2 years teaching math at Achievement First Amistad Academy in New Haven. Nick followed that with a year at Tolland High School teaching math in general and alternative classroom settings. After school hours, Nick can be found playing disc golf, skiing, or doing other outdoor activities. Nick got married on April 1st, 2023 and is excited to be moving with his wife to Staffordville.

Olivia is excited to join Ellington High School as a school psychologist! She grew up in Newington, CT. She later went on to obtain her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology at Central Connecticut State University and then her Masters degree and Sixth Year Certificate in School Psychology at Fairfield University. During her graduate program, Olivia chose her area of specialization as animal assisted interventions, which looks at how animals can positively impact student's; well-being. Olivia’s graduate program also heavily emphasized the importance of self-care, which she incorporates into her everyday life. In her free time, Olivia loves to spend time with her cat and dog, read, go to concerts, and spend time with family and friends.

Lorinda will be a school social worker providing support mainly to the high school and BASES program. She graduated from Binghamton University in 1998 with a BA in psychology and received her Master’s in social work from UConn in 2000. Starting her career in clinical day schools, she transitioned to public school and was in Vernon for 16 years, first as a social worker in an elementary school and then for a district program for students with significant social and emotional challenges. She attended various training workshops on trauma informed practices and has provided resources to staff as well. Lorinda then switched gears and went into private practice for a bit before deciding she missed the school environment. She spent the past couple years as a social worker half time in Farmington Schools and half time in private practice and is overjoyed to have landed in Ellington Public Schools! She lives in town with her husband, twin daughters, and dog. Her daughters just graduated from Ellington High School and are heading to college. Lorinda hopes this new job will help to keep her busy while she is adjusting to an empty nest at home! When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, singing, and has recently started golfing.

Olivia Grimard is so incredibly excited to be joining the EMS community. She is a recent graduate from the UCONN NEAG program, completing her MA in Curriculum and Instruction specializing in Music Education, a BA in Music with a vocal concentration and a BS in Music Education. She is a musician through and through, performing in solo and choral settings throughout her career. In her limited free time, she likes to hike, direct and perform in opera and musicals, read, and hang out with her cat, Charlie.

Mrs. McSherry is excited to join the Ellington Middle School team! She has had a passion for world language and learning about various cultures and lifestyles from the inspiration of her teachers in school. She has her bachelor’s degree in Spanish, is certified to teach Spanish K-12, has a master’s degree in secondary education with a concentration in English, as well as a master’s degree in educational technology. She is coming from Woodstock with experience teaching Spanish to middle school students. Mrs. McSherry is very family-oriented and enjoys taking her nieces and nephews on fun adventures. She spends her free time outdoors; swimming, biking, kayaking, hiking with her two German shepherds Reina and Ruger, and traveling with her husband of five years. In July, they explored Mexico- the Mayan ruins of Tulum, swam in the beautiful and refreshing Cenotes underground caves, and snorkeled with sea turtles and even saw a sting ray! She is looking forward to sharing her passion for world language with Ellington students.

Caitlyn graduated with her masters in Early Childhood Education at Eastern Connecticut last spring. She will be a Pre-K teacher at Windermere this fall! In her free time Caitlyn loves painting, hanging with her dog, and traveling. She is so excited to start her first year teaching in the Ellington School District!

Cait has a bachelor’s degree from Becker College in early childhood education and a Master’s

Degree in education of students with moderate disabilities. This will be Cait’s fourth year teaching She previously has co-taught special education across a variety of grade levels. She recently moved to Stafford Springs, where she bought her house. This summer she has enjoyed spending time with her children, taking day trips locally to new places, and spending time with friends and family by the lake. Cait is eager to have her own classroom this year and can’t wait to meet her new students!

Giselle Beloff is one of the Fourth Grade Teachers at Windermere Elementary School. She graduated from the CT Teacher Residency Program (TRP) in the Summer of 2023. Last year (2022-2023 school year) she was a Resident Teacher working with third grade students in Mrs. Bennett’s classroom at Center School. After moving to the U.S. from Brazil she earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in business from the University of Connecticut and Excelsior University respectively. After working many years in business, Giselle transitioned into the Education field because of her passion for continuous learning. Her goal is to inspire young minds to develop a life-long love of learning, always pursue excellence and never give up. In her free time Giselle enjoys reading, exercising, gardening and traveling. She is very excited about teaching in the Ellington School District!

Kai will be joining the Ellington school district as a speech and language pathologist. Kai is a dually certified ASHA speech/language pathologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has a deep scope in working with individuals with complex communication needs. Kai received an M.A.T in teaching and Italian, as well as an M.A in communication disorders from UMASS Amherst and a certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from UMASS Lowell. Kai has worked as language teacher, an SLP-A; and as an SLP providing service in outpatient pediatric settings, schools (pre-K through high school) and in a specialized autism program. In her free time, Kai enjoys the company of her husband and two sons, traveling and group fitness.

Miss Madi Ludwick is from Enfield, CT and is super excited to teach Kindergarten at Center School! Miss Ludwick has always known her true passion was to work with children. It has never changed.... ever since she was in 1st grade! She graduated from the University of Hartford with her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Integrated Special Education in the spring of 2022. This will be her second year as a Kindergarten teacher, but first year teaching in the Ellington district! However, in college, she had the pleasure of completing her student teaching at Crystal Lake school before she graduated! Miss Ludwick has also been teaching summer school at Center school for the past 2 summers! After teaching, Miss Ludwick is an assistant High School girl’s soccer coach in Enfield where she played soccer herself in high school! Her favorite part about working with children is the relationships that she builds with each and every one of her students. A bond that will not only last the school year, but will last a lifetime!

Chris is extremely excited to continue her journey here in Ellington Public Schools in a new role. This year she will join the Center School team as a Special Education Teacher. Prior to earning her Bachelor's and Master's in Special Education at Cambridge College, Chris has had the opportunity to grow as an educator working as a special ed. paraprofessional, building substitute as well as Media Assistant last year. When Chris is not at school she enjoys spending time with her grown children, and two beautiful grandchildren! She is always up for adventure and ready to explore new places near and far :)

Katie is thrilled to be a member of the Ellington Public School family and a First Grade teacher at Center School! She comes to the district with over twelve years of experience working with children. Katie graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. This will be her third year teaching First Grade and is excited to inspire and watch her students grow and learn about the world around them. She is looking forward to meeting everyone and collaborating with her colleagues. In her free time, Katie enjoys reading, spending time with her family, friends, and her dog Banjo. She also loves to cook, listen to music, and discover new hiking trails. She can’t wait for a successful school year together!

Casey joins Ellington Public Schools with lots of excitement and hope. Casey received her Bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac University in 2021, where she majored in Biology and minored in Spanish. During her last semester of college, Casey realized that she wanted to pursue a career where she gets to work with children and be a role model for them. This realization caused Casey to further her education and obtain her Master’s degree in Elementary Education at Quinnipiac University. Casey recently graduated from her education program in May and is excited to start her journey as an educator. In her spare time, Casey enjoys being outdoors, working out, and spending time with her family and friends. Casey is honored to be joining Crystal Lake School and is excited to meet many students and faculty!

This is Katherine’s third year teaching fourth grade and first year at Crystal Lake Elementary School. She has previously taught in Springfield, Massachusetts. Katherine graduated from Anna Maria College with her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education early in December 2020 and with her masters in special education in May 2023. When she is not teaching she enjoys spending time reading and with her family. She is excited to start teaching in such a wonderful community.

Alisha Carpino is a dedicated professional with a passion for educational success and a commitment to working within school systems. Born in Rockville, CT, and with Family in Ellington, she has deep-rooted ties to the area. Alisha spent eleven years working in human services before beginning her journey in education that began at Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School, a K-12 public school district in Worcester, MA, where she honed her skills and developed a keen understanding of the dynamics within the educational landscape. In both her professional and personal life, Alisha continues to exemplify a genuine commitment to the betterment of educational systems and the lives of those within them. She is very excited to join the team at Ellington Public Schools!

Jennifer Brown, Coordinator of Human Resources

Email: jbrown@ellingtonschools.net
Website: www.ellingtonpublicschools.org
Location: 47 Main Street, Ellington, CT, USA
Phone: 860-896-2300