By Mairelys Ramirez-Montoya

They made it through their first year at BBES. And what a crazy year! Our eight new staff members are: Kathryn Skribner for second grade; Lisa D’Amore, a third-grade teacher; Marissa Raia for ESL; Barbara Schall a preschool aide; Yolanda Roeder for Spanish; Chloe Grady, a fifth grade ELA teacher; Yessica Lopez, attendance secretary; and Brian Auriemma for technology support.

Mrs. Skribner is a second-grade teacher. She used to teach in Tinton Falls at Swimming River School. She lives in Avon-by-the-Sea and has one son named Caleb who is almost three years old. Mrs. Skribner describes herself as a really hard worker who always strives to do her best as she gives to others. An interesting fact about Mrs. Skribner is she was a lifeguard and junior guard instructor at Spring Lake beach for 13 years. One other fact about Mrs. Skribner is that she used to play lacrosse for college. She said she loves the responsible, creative, and kind students of our school along with the helpful, dedicated teachers and staff. If Mrs. Skribner could change one thing about the world it would be for people to treat all others with kindness all of the time. 

She said, “I am so grateful to have experienced teaching during a pandemic at BBES! Each day has brought new experiences and learning not only for me, but also for my students. Walking through the hallways and seeing everyone smile (through their mask) makes me happy to be here every day. The BBES school community has persevered through the toughest year of learning and teaching and I couldn’t be more proud to say I was a part of such a strong, unified school! ”

Mrs. D’Amore is a third grade teacher. She used to teach at HarborFields school district on Long Island for 17 years and taught in Rumson for one year. She lives in Bradley Beach with her husband and has one son, one daughter,  two step sons and  two marvelous dogs. How Mrs. D’Amore describes her personality is that she’s outgoing, friendly, creative, and kind. Some fun facts about Mrs. D’Amore are that she used to study in France during college and lived with a French family. If Mrs. D’Amore could change at least one thing it would be more laws in place to protect bees. She loves to walk to the ocean, to Main Street, and go for a walk to the Asbury boardwalk.

“Teaching here in my town is amazing! My experience this year was challenging but rewarding due to my awesome colleagues and my sweet students! There’s nowhere else I’d rather be teaching. Thank you all for making me feel welcome!” she said.

Ms. Raia is an ESL teacher for kindergarten to grade four and the boys’ baseball coach this year. She taught in Cloud Forest Elementary school in Monteverde, Costa Rica. She describes herself as an adventurous, fun, calm, and happy person. Some fun facts about Ms.Raia are that she used to play soccer for college. One other fact about her is that she likes to do yoga. If she could change the world, whe would end world hunger so that no one would ever go hungry again. She lives in Bradley Beach. Some things she loves about it is that the students and staff have enthusiasm to want to learn and grow.

“My first year teaching at BBES has been nothing short of an amazing experience!” Ms. Raia said. “The students, staff and school environment has been everything I could have hoped for and more even with everything that has happened in the past year.”

Mrs. Schall is a pre-k teacher this year. She has four kids: Eric, 30, Kirsten, 27, Matt, 24, and Tim, 20. She also has two dogs, Schatzi and Remi. She taught in Tinton Fall school and lives in Tinton Falls. She describes herself as a really active person and friendly. Some fun facts about her are that she loves the outdoors and loves to play golf. She also enjoys taking long walks and going for hikes. Her favorite thing is being with her whole family together either at home or vacation. One thing she would like to change about the world would be to erase Covid.

BEBES Spanish teacher Mrs. Roeder is kind, cheerful, playful, and sociable. Mrs.Roeder has taught in Mexico, Arizona, and New Jersey (at Holy Cross and Red Bank Regional). She has two kids, Jon, 20 years old, and Grace, seven years old, and one lovely dog named Abby. She lives in Little Silver. A fun fact about her is that she has 10 siblings! She loves to travel as well as playing tennis, drawing and painting. She loves to teach and spend time at the beach with family and friends. Another fact about her is that she’s a girl scout troop leader and loves kids and animals.

Ms. Grady is a fifth-grade ELA teacher. She also works with Ms. Boyle and Ms. Bialek. She used to teach 6th to 8th grade ELA at Monmouth Beach Elementary School and 7th grade ELA at McAuliffe Middle School in Jackson. She describes herself as a caring, adventurous, and happy person. A fun fact about Ms. Grady is that she danced growing up and continued to dance in college. She loves to read on the beach in the summer. She also has hiked the Wicklow Mountain Range in Ireland. One thing she would change in the world is everyone’s access to books and education. She feels everyone should have the chance to learn and read for fun. She loves the tight knit community of Bradley Beach and working so close to the beach. She said she has loved working with such amazing students and staff and it was a great first year. 

“My first year teaching at Bradley Beach Elementary School was perfect given the circumstances faced with Covid and starting out at a new school” said Ms. Grady. “ I was happy to be in such a supportive environment. Coming to work was always fun and my students made the year exciting. I am looking forward to what next year will bring.” 

Ms. Lopez, our new attendance secretary, describes herself as kind, outgoing, honest, humble, and independent. She lives in Jackson. She has a daughter named Genesis and a dog named Milo. She was an office clerk for Park Avenue Elementary School in Freehold. She loves to listen to music, socialize, and to go for walks. If she could change one thing in the world, it would be world hunger. What she likes most about Bradley Beach is the students and staff. Everyone is respectful and kind.

“My first year happened in the middle of a pandemic,” Ms. Lopez said. “With the masks, it is hard for me to remember everyone’s face. I am looking forward to the day when I can actually see people smile and see their faces!” 

Mr. Auriemma chose not to participate in the article.