Incoming students at East Cooper Montessori Charter School (ECMCS) were greeted by several new faces on the first day of school. Now in its sixth year of operation, the school has evolved from one 1,200 square foot rental trailer with 44 students in first through third grades to 190 students in first through eighth grades in a recently constructed building.

Dr. Paula Gaffney joined the school as the new guidance counselor/assistant principal. Most recently Dr. Gaffney was a guidance counselor at Wando High School. Dr. Gaffney was born in Atlanta and received her undergraduate degree in sociology from Spelman College. She holds a PhD and state certification in counselor education, state certification in secondary school administration and a master’s degree in social work. All of her graduate degrees are from the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Gaffney has worked more than 25 years in public education. In her role as guidance counselor she will help students in the upper elementary program prepare for the transition to high school and identify more opportunities for students to connect their learning to the community around them.

Three new assistant teachers, Amy Segal, Svenja Xeller, and Anne Kendrick, joined the ECMCS staff.  Segal, a native of Dobbs Ferry, NY, graduated with honors from American University, receiving a BA in Elementary Education. After graduation, she spent a summer studying wildlife and conservation in Australia and New Zealand. Prior to moving to Charleston, Segal lived in Boston and San Diego teaching second grade at a private school.

Xeller was born in Germany and raised in Germany, California and Alabama. She came to South Carolina to attend the College of Charleston and graduated with a B.S. in Psychology in 2003. While attending school, Xeller started volunteering at the South Carolina Aquarium and soon discovered her love for nature and educating people about the environment. She worked as a full-time educator at the Aquarium until 2009, when she realized she wanted to be part of a classroom community in order to make a stronger connection with her students. On Saturdays, you can still find Xeller in the Great Ocean Tank at the South Carolina Aquarium as a volunteer diver.

Kendrick has a BA in English and History from the University of Massachusetts. Before moving to Charleston she worked as an editor and writer for several nonprofit organizations in Washington, D.C. One of her first jobs was editing textbooks for middle and high school students. This position ignited her passion for education and inspired her to volunteer her time tutoring inner-city children. Since that time, Kendrick has continued to seek out opportunities to be in the classroom and has enjoyed the many hours she’s spent in her own children’s Montessori classes.

Spanish is taught by incoming teacher Kairy Russo. Russo is from the Dominican Republic. Raised in Miami, she has a Bachelor’s Degree from Ashford University and is working on a Master’s Degree in education and languages. Fluent in Spanish, Italian and some French, she has been teaching Spanish and English as a second language for over ten years.

Taking on a new role, Lara D’Eugenio will be bringing the SAIL program in-house this year in addition to teaching music at the school. D’Eugenio is a Board Certified Music Therapist and Licensed Kindermusic instructor who has worked with children in a variety of settings for the past 13 years.