OPS Hires Five New Staff Members

While summer is in full swing, the Oradell Board of Education has been busy at work hiring additional staffing in anticipation of the 2012-13 school year. At a recent meeting, the Board hired five staff members under the recommendation of interim Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Feiler. 

The district would bring in additional staffing for kindergarten, sixth grade, special education, ESL/Basic Skills and a nurse's aid for September.

Adrianna Pestrichella has been serving the district in two longterm leave replacement positions for kindergarten and come fall will join OPS as a full-time teacher. A graduate of Montclair State University, the Little Ferry native is certified as a teacher of Pre-K - 3 and K - 5.

Chanel Min comes to Oradell after spending the past two years experience with a sixth grade class in Newark with a primary focus on Language Art/Literacy. Initially hailing from Tenafly, Min has a bachelor's degree from Boston College and a masters degree from Harvard University where she received extensive training in Readers and Writers Workshop. She will continue to lead a sixth grade class in Oradell.

Rosemarie Cataldo will be leaving Emerson to travel down Kinderkamack Road to OPS as the new Special Education instructor. For the past three years, she has worked in a self-contained special education class at Villano Elementary School with children in grades 3-6.  A graduate of Montclair State University, she has earned a Masters Degree in Elementary Education and has done additional graduate work to obtain her Special Education certification. She is also certified as a supplemental instructor in Reading and Mathematics, is Highly Qualified in Social Studies and is completing one final course to receive Highly Qualified status in Language Arts. She is currently enrolled  in the Post Masters Applied Behavior Analysis Certification Program at Caldwell College.

Much like Pestrichella, Debra Silverstein is another longterm replacement teacher that will be brought on for a permanent basis. Since January, she was worked as an ESL/Basic Skills teacher in the district after having sepnt three years in Fort Lee and half of a year in Leonia. She has a master's degree in Language Education from Rutgers University and is certified as Teacher of English as a Second Language, K-12.

The last position to be filled is that of a part-time nurse's aide which will be filled by Karen De Pol. A registered nurse, De Pol comes to Oradell with 12 years experience and is certified as a School Nurse/Health Educator. 

The district may hire additional staff members during its July meetings.

Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Eamon Harbord at Eamon.Harbord@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.