Staff List

Kate Bailey has had 15 years of experience working in the independent sector across London, including Westminster Under in London, where she was Head of the Junior Department. For the last
five years, Kate has been Senior Deputy Head at Wetherby Preparatory School, part of the Alpha Plus Group who offer education at all levels of ability, whilst still achieving outstanding academic results.

Kate is a graduate of Edinburgh University with an MA in English Literature and History and a PGCE from University of London. Additionally, she gained distinction in the Enhanced Leadership Program from the Institute of Leadership and Management.

Kate is a committed chef, coming from a strong culinary background, and she was part of the team to produce the cookery manual, ‘Cook with Us’. She enjoys fundraising events and has worked on projects for the British Heart Foundation, The Royal Parks Foundation and Cancer Research. Kate loves walking and keeping fit and any opportunity to be by the sea.

Alice is a highly- experienced educational practitioner with experience of both UK state and independent schools, across the key stages.

After beginning her career in the north-east of England, she moved to London to join Lyndhurst House Preparatory School as a class teacher. From there she went on to spend six years teaching at Bute House Preparatory School in Hammersmith, becoming Head of Lower School in 2015 where she was responsible for children in Reception (Pre-Kindergarten), Year 1 (Kindergarten) and Year 2 (Grade 1).

She fell in love with New York while on vacation in the city a few years ago and she is delighted to be part of the team at Wetherby-Pembridge, New York from the outset. Alice enjoys cycling, hosting dinner parties and travelling in her spare time – She’s looking forward to exploring more of North America whilst living in the USA and she is extremely excited to be starting her new life in New York with her husband.

Foundation Degree in Early Years Education (University of Kingston) NVQ in Early Education and Child Development

Emerald is very excited to be the founding Nursery Teacher at Wetherby-Pembridge, New York.

She has a passion for Early Years Education and since joining The Minors Nursery School in 2010 has worked across the younger age groups teaching children from 2 year to 5 year olds both in Nursery and Preparatory settings. She believes that a child’s introduction to education should be exceedingly happy and looks forward to bringing the qualities and principles that she has used successfully in London to create a structured, yet magical and exciting play based learning environment.

Emerald has been fortunate enough to travel all over the world and loves experiencing different places and meeting new people. When she’s not teaching she enjoys outdoor activities, in particular skiing and running as well as cooking and food. She was very involved with Music and Drama when at school herself and goes regularly to the theatre and enjoys listening to a wide variety of music.

Kris has thirteen years of professional experience in New York City in office management and providing executive support both in schools and corporate organizations. She has worked in Hospitality, Finance, and Media. Over the past six years, Kris has been enjoying her career in Education. Prior to joining Wetherby-Pembridge, she worked as coordinator in administration and as admissions associate at the New York International School. Preceding NYIS, she was at HudsonWay Immersion School and worked in the business office, admissions, and managed after-school programs.

Children exude enthusiasm, energy, and a cheerful vibe that are highly infectious, and this is one of the reasons why she finds it truly delightful to work in a school environment. The relationships built within school walls are priceless. Kris believes that learning is a never-ending process, and challenges and diverse responsibilities make her thrive.

Kris has a bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management.  In her spare time, she enjoys long walks in the city, spin class and Bikram yoga, reading, discovering new restaurants, and going on trips within and outside the country.

Samantha has lived, studied and worked in London for most of her life. She has a degree in History, and she has completed a PGCE in Primary Education, both at the University of Surrey, Roehampton. She began her teaching career at a ‘Fresh Start’ school in inner London, developing an outdoor curriculum for her Reception (Pre-Kindergarten) class, and raising standards as the school expanded each year. She spent several years teaching Year 1 (Kindergarten) and Year 3 (Grade 2) in two other London schools, before deciding to transfer her skills abroad. In March 2014, she secured a position at St George’s British International School in Rome. She taught both classes in Key Stage 1, following a creative curriculum. She has a passion for teaching in the early years of children’s education, seeing the vast and rapid amount of progress they make, and developing their enthusiasm, confidence and curiosity.

During her spare time, Sam likes to go on long walks (when it’s not raining!) and regularly participates in aerobics or step classes. She enjoys reading and visiting museums, or day trips to historical locations, acting as a tourist! She has an increased desire to travel and experience new cultures, particularly after her international teaching experience.

Sarah is originally from Berkshire, which is where she started her teaching career, attending Reading University to obtain her Graduate Teaching Certificate. She has enjoyed teaching in Berkshire, London and more recently in a British school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Having specialised as an Early Years teacher Sarah has spent much of her career to date teaching Reception and Year 1. She loves the curiosity, boundless energy, and sheer honesty of children in these years! She is currently undertaking a research project focused on outdoor learning spaces, which is a real interest of hers.

Stephanie is thrilled to be joining the founding team of Wetherby-Pembridge School, New York. She was born and raised in New York City and attended Tulane University. Currently, she is in graduate school at the Bank Street College of Education where she is finishing her masters in early childhood general and special education.

Stephanie’s passion for early childhood education began at 14-years-old when she volunteered in a Kindergarten classroom. Since then she has been working with children between 3 to 7 years old. She loves working with children because of their enthusiasm and curiosity.

When Stephanie is not teaching she can be found cooking, gardening, running, and exploring the new restaurants in New York.

Gabrielle grew up in Florida and worked in New York for several years prior to moving to London in 2014 to pursue a career in education, which has been her life-long interest.

While completing her Masters degree, she worked at The American School of London as well as St. John’s Wood Kindergarten.

Since graduating, she has been teaching at The Minors Nursery School as part of the Alpha Plus Group for several years. She focused on the effects of yoga in early childhood development for her Master’s dissertation, which is why she incorporates movement and mindfulness into the classroom.

She also loves to travel, discovering new cultures through their art, food and people!

It is her dream to be working at such an incredible school in her favourite city and she looks forward to bringing her experience and knowledge of both the American and British school systems.

A multi-talented artist, American oboist Hassan Anderson is a soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. Noted for his clarity of tone, range of colors and energetic stage presence, Mr. Anderson is the oboist of the acclaimed innovative New York-based chamber music ensemble SHUFFLE Concert, a position he has held since 2011. With the ensemble he has toured Israel three times, performed on series throughout the US and Canada, including the Duplex, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Rose Studio at Lincoln Center, New York’s Rhinebeck Chamber Music Society Series , Los Angeles’s L’Ermitage Concert Series, Pennsylvania’s Lancaster Performing Arts Center and Pepperdine University Center for the Arts in California, as well as at such distinguished summer festivals as Cooperstown Music Festival, Buck Hill Skytop Music Festival, Canada’s Chamberfest Ottawa, to name a few.

A popular collaborator, amongst his numerous guest appearances with distinguished ensembles are performances with the American Ballet Theater, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, East Coast Contemporary Ensemble (ECCE), Harlem Chamber Players and the Juilliard Orchestra.

Mr. Anderson has recorded an album of works by various artists including Schumann, Gershwin, Avner Dorman (world premiere) and Jonathan Keren (world premiere) with SHUFFLE Concert (in house label, October 2013). He is also featured on “Unremembered”, a song cycle by Sarah Kirkland Snider (New Amsterdam Records, September 2015). With SHUFFLE Concert, he can next be heard on their upcoming CD to be released in 2016-17, which will include the commissioned world premiere of Piotr Szewczyk’s Twisted Dances for Oboe, Violin, Cello and Piano.

Equally adept in the classical and jazz genres, and dedicated to the next generation of musicians, Mr. Anderson regularly schedules teaching opportunities around his performances. He has served as a teaching artist for Carnegie Hall and The Little Orchestra Society in New York City, and Jazz House Kids, the only community arts organization in New Jersey exclusively dedicated to educating children through jazz. Currently, Mr. Anderson serves on the faculty of the renowned Juilliard School Music Advancement Program, and as Assistant conductor New Jersey City University Orchestra, a post he has held since 2014.

Born in Florida to a business oriented family, Mr. Anderson is the first in his family to pursue music. He began his musical studies with Dr. Joseph Haygood, and then worked with Eric Olson of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. He received his Bachelor of Music from Florida’s Stetson University, where he studied with Dr. Ann Adams, and his Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School. During the summers of 2010-2012 Mr. Anderson was the recipient of a fellowship at the Marlboro Music Festival, where he collaborated with artists such as pianist Mitsuko Uchida and Richard Goode, flutist Marina Piccinini and clarinetist Anthony McGill. In his spare time Mr. Anderson enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with his wonderful friends.

Monica Heiligman is an Early Childhood and Elementary educator. She graduated with honors from the Nacional University of Cuyo in Argentina.

Her extensive experience includes working at both rural and urban schools in Argentina.  She worked as a school principal for eight years where she developed an innovative curriculum based on the arts, communication and environmental sustainability. The unique curriculum she designed earned the school a reward by the Board of Education.

Since moving to New York in 2001, Monica has put all her experience and knowledge to work for New York City kids. She has worked as an Early Childhood Teacher with groups aged 2 to 4 at “Hands on World”, an International Language and Arts pre-school in Brooklyn.

She also teaches Spanish in Public and Private after-school programs, developing engaging art-based Spanish immersion curriculums.

She conceived the summer program “Corazónes Radiantes”(Shiny Hearts), and has collaborated with El Pequeño Artista,(The Little Artist), a Spanish bilingual Montessori pre-school in Brooklyn.

Monica channels her passion for music and literature by composing children’s songs and writing children’s stories, poems and plays. In addition to this, Monica works as a Spanish teacher at “Colegio Español of New York.” (CENY)

With 33 years of teaching experience, she is committed to promoting and teaching the Spanish language.

Other of her passions are: being in contact with the nature, swimming and making art.

Brian Kaplan is Sports director at the 92nd Street Y May Center for Health, Fitness & Sport. Early on, Brian knew working in the sports field was the right fit for him and has devoted almost a decade to youth sports development. Before coming to 92Y, Brian served as Athletic director at the Riverdale YM-WHA, where he was responsible for their extensive youth sports leagues, clinics, and instructional preschool and elementary classes. Brian is a USA-certified Basketball Coach.

Brian holds a BA in Sports Management from Dowling College.