Welcome New Staff

We are excited to introduce the newest members of the Ellington Family. Please take a moment to read their bios and be sure to give them a warm welcome when you see them around!

-Dr. Scott Nicol, Superintendent of Schools

Skylar Galioto is very excited to be joining the EHS community! She is from the Hudson Valley, NY and recently relocated to Connecticut with her fiancé, Jacob, dog, Evie, and two cats, Luna and Destiny. While being in the Hudson Valley, Skylar received her Bachelors in Adolescent Education: English from SUNY New Paltz and her Masters in STEM for the Classroom from SUNY Empire State. She also has 4 years of experience working in middle school! In her free time, Skylar enjoys crafting, being the biggest Taylor Swift fan, attending Renaissance Faires, and line dancing with her friends. She is excited to be part of the Ellington School District and bring some middle school energy and fun to high school!

Erica Lavender is a first year teacher and a recent graduate from Central Connecticut State University with a Bachelors in Secondary Education with a concentration in English. In her free time she enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and dancing which has been a long time passion of hers since she was a child. During the summer she loves spending time at the beach and taking trips to new places. She is so excited to start teaching English at EHS starting Fall 24!

Elizabeth was born and raised on a farm in upstate New York. In 2023, she graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a bachelor’s degree in Adolescent Education: Social Studies. After graduating, she moved to Connecticut and got a job as a long term substitute for social studies at Lewis S. Mills High School in Burlington. She is extremely excited to be a first year teacher (officially) at Ellington High School. Outside of school you can find her snowboarding, hanging out with her dog Baker, or fishing. She also loves reading, cooking, and traveling around the country. She is so excited to be a part of the Ellington family!

Scott Hunter comes to Ellington High School with six years of Special Education experience in North Salt Lake, Utah; three years as a High School Special Education Teacher and then three years as an Elementary School Instructional Coach. Originally from Hilo, Hawaii before finding his way to the deserts of Utah he and his wife missed the trees and rain and moved to Enfield, Connecticut two years ago with their three kids ages five, three, and one. While in Connecticut, Scott has been working as a Realtor and Home Improvement Contractor while also coaching Girls Basketball and Track and Field at Enfield High School. He is beyond excited to be back in the classroom and to be joining the Ellington High School Staff. Scott has his Bachelors in Psychology from Central Washington University, where he was a two time conference champion in the Pole Vault, and his M.ED from the University of Utah. When not teaching or coaching Scott can be found playing with his kids, going on runs, reading, playing basketball, and volunteering at his church.

Tara is so excited to be joining the Ellington Middle School community as she enters her fourth year of teaching English Language Arts! She graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2020 as a member of the Honors program, earning her BA in English with a concentration in Secondary Education. In 2021, she earned my Master of Education at Sacred Heart University. Next, she taught 8th grade for Norwich Public Schools for the first year of her career before moving to East Windsor High School, where she has taught 10th grade for the past two years. She is excited to be returning to the 8th grade level here in Ellington! She has also coached girls’ basketball for the past three years; as a lifelong basketball player, including at the college level, coaching is one of her favorite parts of being a teacher! Her other hobbies include running, reading, going to concerts, and hanging out with her cat.

Melissa is excited to be a member of the Ellington Public School family and a Speech Language Pathologist at Center School! Melissa graduated from Sacred Heart University with her master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology in the spring of 2023. She has worked in various settings, including private practice and schools, but finds the school environment to be the most rewarding. She believes that early intervention and support are crucial for children’s success, both academically and socially. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys visiting the beach, exploring new places, spending time with her family, and baking! She is thrilled to be a part of the Center School community and is committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for all students.

Angel brings with her 14 years of experience as a special education teacher, with a career spanning Enfield, CT and Longmeadow, MA. She holds a graduate degree in special education from Bay Path College and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of New England. Passionate about professional development, Angel has collaborated with technology firms like ClassVR to present innovative reading intervention strategies using virtual/augmented reality simulations. Her expertise on the enduring effects of the pandemic on student learning gaps and on the impact of the pandemic on teacher shortages, a focal point of her dissertation, has been featured in interviews with media outlets including CNN, Vice News, and ABC News. Outside the classroom, Angel enjoys experimenting with culinary creations from her flourishing gardens, unwinding in her pool with her family, and exploring the wonders of the vast biodiversity in North America - especially the desert.

This is Sarah’s seventh-year teaching. She began her career teaching fourth grade for two years at St. Martha’s, a Catholic school in Enfield. After that, she spent four years teaching fourth grade at Edgar H. Parkman Elementary School, also in Enfield. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in special education, both from Central Connecticut State University. Sarah grew up in Ellington and graduated from Ellington High School. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to work in the town where she grew up, alongside some of the very teachers who once taught her. In her spare time, she enjoys shopping, exercising, going to the beach, reading, and doing crafts. She also has a great love for pizza and ice cream!

Lynette is thrilled to be joining the Ellington family for her first year in a Special Education Role. She received her degree from the University of Connecticut where she majored in Digital Media and Animation in order to create children’s cartoons. After working as a substitute teacher, however, she quickly realized that working to support children from afar wasn’t enough, and applied to a certification program. She is looking forward to learning the ropes this year, and helping students to be the best they can be. In her free time, Lynette enjoys various artistic hobbies, hiking, and looking after her plants.

Dana Hurley has been teaching in the special education field for 22 years. She has a bachelors degree in special education K-12 from Central Missouri State University and a masters and elementary education from Central Connecticut State University. She has three children, one of whom is serving in the Air Force and currently stationed in Hawaii, and an amazing cat, BB. She Is a diehard Chiefs fan, an avid golfer, and enjoys hiking and running. In her downtime she enjoys working in her yard and reading. She is thrilled to begin her new journey in Ellington!

Abby was born and raised in Norwich and graduated from the Norwich Free Academy. She holds a B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Connecticut and both a M.A. in Teaching and her 092 certification in Administration and Supervision from Sacred Heart University. Abby’s career path has provided her with opportunities in non-profit, informal science education as a Staff Scientist and Program Coordinator for the Connecticut BioBus in New Haven and as the Executive Director of the DNA EpiCenter, Inc. in New London. Additionally, Abby has held a variety of school administrative positions in Willimantic, East Lyme, and, most recently, Trumbull. She is very excited about joining the Ellington Public Schools’ Leadership Team, assisting Ms. Hill at Windermere Elementary School for part of this school year, and getting to know the wonderful students, staff, and Parents! In her free time, Abby loves going to the beach, baking, and gardening. She is an avid walker. Last year, Abby averaged 8-miles a day! Walking that many miles allows her to enjoy one of her greatest temptations...ice cream!

Jillian is thrilled to be joining Windermere School as a Pre-K Integrated Special Education Teacher for her second year in the field. She grew up in Coventry, CT, with her two sisters and one brother, playing soccer and softball. She earned her Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Eastern Connecticut State University. She is passionate about learning and fostering growth in children within the classroom. Outside of school, she enjoys playing baseball and pickleball, watching movies, and spending time at the beach.

Claudia is a second year teacher who earned her bachelors in science at Western Connecticut State University specializing in classical/jazz studies for trombone. During her college career she spent time teaching one on one lessons in piano, brass, and violin while performing for varying groups and musical pit performances throughout CT. Her other interests include drawing, reading, spending time with her 2 year old niece, and everything and anything about movies. She is beyond excited to start her second year of teaching in Ellington!

Rachael Manzer is thrilled to join Ellington Public Schools, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a passion for science education. She has been recognized with numerous national awards, including the prestigious Scott Crossfield Aerospace Educator of the Year by the National Aviation Hall of Fame and 2023 National REC Aerial Drone Coach of the Year. Her accolades also include awards from NASA Langley Research Center, where she has worked. With years of experience teaching science in K-12 classrooms and serving as a district-wide Science or STEM Coach, Rachael is dedicated to advancing science education. She has traveled across the country to delivering professional development workshops to science educators and is part of the CT State Department of Education Science Leadership Team. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction specializing in Science Education at UConn, having earned both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Central Connecticut State University. Rachael lives on a small farm with goats, horses, and a guard llama. As an avid 4-H alumna and advocate for STEM education, she has been coaching VEX 4-H Competitive Robotics Teams for the past ten years. In her free time, Rachael enjoys hiking, kayaking, and spending quality time with her family.

Melissa Gallo has been an educator for 14 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Studio Art with a minor in Education from Smith College. She received her master’s in education from Lesley University. She enjoys looking at and creating art with children of all ages, and she loves the role art can play in developing critical thinking. In her off time she enjoys hiking, reading, creating, spending time with her two dogs, Laila and Rosie; her cat, Homer; and her family.

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