Meet Newman's New Faculty

Here are some other fun facts about them:

Scroll down for the New Faculty Bios:

Assistant Head of Lower School

Washington University, Master of Arts, Elementary Education

Bates College, Bachelor of Arts, Music and History

Jill Lemon comes to Newman by way of Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Florida, where she served as the Accreditation Chair, the Reading Core Team Co-Chair, the Professional Development Coach, and a classroom teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Music and Art History from Bates College where she graduated cum laude with Highest Departmental Honors. She holds a master’s in Elementary Education from Washington University. She has successfully led programs within schools to bring about advances in the way schools teach literacy in the classroom and has made significant strides in professional development for new faculty members. She has served as a Reading Specialist and classroom teacher in 2nd, 3rd, and multi-grade classrooms, revised and authored grade level curriculum and benchmarks for Kindergarten through 6th grade, and hosted independent school colleagues and superintendents from neighboring schools and districts. Jill served as Middle and Upper School Department Chair for reading at Manatee School for the Arts where she developed and trained colleagues on a scope and sequence for reading and writing based upon self-identified needs and mandated standards for teachers in grades 6-12. She has received many honors throughout her career for her stellar work in and out of the classroom. We are excited about welcoming Jill and her family to New Orleans and Newman, and we look forward to her involvement with the community as Assistant Head of Lower School.

Third Grade Co-Teacher

Rock N’ Roll Class

Hunter College, Bachelor of Arts in Education/English Language Arts

Bank Street College of Education, Graduate Literacy Courses

First Grade Co-Teacher

Travel Class

Tulane University, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Education

Benjamin Franklin High School

New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA)

Kayleigh Maier is an artist and a teacher. In the seven years since she graduated from high school, her work has appeared in almost a dozen exhibitions and she has received several awards. Her artistic pursuits following graduation included a semester spent at the Académie de la Croix Nivert à Paris. Kayleigh has engaged elementary and middle school students in numerous private art classes in the New Orleans area while pursuing her artistic passion, and discovered a love of teaching. Most recently, she taught at the Audubon Charter School in their Montessori program, and decided to engage her teaching passion further by pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching degree at the University of New Orleans.

Lower School World Language Specialist

City College of New York, Master of Arts, Creative Writing

New Jersey City University, Bachelor of Arts, English Literature

Rachel Olivares is a familiar face in the Newman Community, having served as a maternity substitute for Mrs. Vallejos and Ms. Martin during the last two years. She is also a member of the Newman Summer staff, spending her summer hours here as well. She has formerly held positions at both New Jersey City University and The College of New Rochelle as an adjunct instructor. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from New Jersey City University, and a master’s in Creative Writing from City College of New York. Fluent in Spanish, she will serve Newman’s Lower School as a World Language Specialist in the coming year.

First Grade Co-Teacher

Garden Class

University of New Orleans, Master of Arts, Education

Hollins College, Bachelor of Arts

Katy Creech will be a co-teacher in the 1st grade Garden Class. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Hollins College, and earned a master’s in Education from the University of New Orleans. She has worked in several local schools in the last eighteen years. She received the Teacher of the Year Award at William J. Fischer Elementary School in 2001, served as a Special Education Chair, a member of the Student Assistant Team, a testing coordinator, and a new teacher mentor. Katy has comfortably become an integral part of our world in the Lower School and we are so pleased she will join us again this year!

Second Grade Lead Teacher

Sailboat Class

Tulane University, Bachelor of Science, Psychology and Early Childhood Education

State of Louisiana, Level One Primary Teaching Certification, Pre-K through Third Grade

Emily Doliner will be a lead teacher in the 2nd grade Sailboat Class again this year, sharing a classroom with Yvonne Gwin. She graduated last May from Tulane University with a bachelor’s in Psychology and Early Childhood Education. We first met Emily during Newman Summer several years ago. She is a confident educator, a natural teacher, and has a superb sense of how to relate to children. Emily first served as maternity substitute for Ann Waldrep and then took the role of lead second grade teacher during the spring semester. Emily will be a familiar and reassuring face on the 2nd grade team.

Middle School English Teacher

8th Grade

Middlebury College, Bread Loaf School of English, M.A. English

Southern Methodist University, B.A. History

Isidore Newman School

Bobby Carey is returning to teaching after twelve years in the corporate arena. He has served as Vice President of Metal Sales C.E.M. Supply, L.L.C. and General Manager of Sunshine Metals. But his love of teaching English has steered him back into the classroom. For nine years prior to working in business he taught, coached, and advised Middle School age students. He has experience in teaching science, humanities, Latin, algebra, and English. A graduate of Newman, and the father of three Newman students, he has elected to pursue his lifelong dream to return to teaching with us. His excitement is almost palpable and his energy is surely going to impress his 8th grade students.

Middle School Spanish Teacher

6th Grade

Escuela Normal Superior Tomás Godoy Cruz, B.A. Elementary and Intermediate Teaching

Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, advanced degree in Art History

Sonia Sapollnik has been a teacher, lecturer, translator, and museum guide, and now she brings her talents to Newman’s Middle School as the 6th grade Spanish teacher. A native of Argentina, she received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Intermediate Teaching from the Escuela Normal Superior Tomás Godoy Cruz in Mendoza, Argentina. She has taught students ranging in age from toddlers to adults. She most recently worked with Lango New Orleans, which offered a Spanish Class through Newman at Night. World Languages Chair Katherine Gracki says of Sapollnik, “Our students will not only be fully engaged by a dynamic, experienced, and nurturing educator who is a natural with hands-on activities, they will also develop a better appreciation for different peoples and cultures through Sonia’s way of infusing her teaching activities with authentic cultural traditions.”

Guidance Counselor
Middle and Upper School

Haverford College, B.A. English

Loyola University, M.S. Community Counseling

Mimi Ryan is a familiar face around Newman: her husband Neal ’95 is an alumnus, her son is in the Greenie House, and she taught English in the Middle School from 2000 to 2008. She now rejoins the School as a Middle School and Upper School Counselor. She was a tireless teacher and mentor when she last taught at the School. In addition to her role as a 6th and 7th grade English teacher, she led committees on instruction and community service, coordinated the 6th grade study skills program, attended conferences and professional development seminars, and served as the 6th Grade Dean. We know that she will bring that same commitment and enthusiasm back to the School in her new role as a counselor for Newman's students in grades 6 through 12.

Associate Director of College Counseling

George Mason University, M.Ed. Counseling and Development

James Madison University, B.S. Social Sciences

Kristen Kurowski traveled halfway around the world to join us as the Associate Director of College Counseling. She worked most recently as the college counselor for the International School of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Like Newman, the International School is a respected independent school that sends many of its seniors to a wide variety of colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. She has also worked as a college counselor at James Madison University. As Newman’s Director of College Counseling Ed Graf Says, “Ms. Kurowski has worked on both the high school and college side of the admissions process, a valuable perspective that will help our students and families navigate the increasingly complex college process.” She was attracted to Newman by its strong academic program, close-knit community, and its strong ties to the culturally rich city of New Orleans. Her experience and enthusiasm make her a great fit for the Newman community.

Mimi H. Ryan, MS, NCC

Greenie House Teacher

University of Alabama, M.A. Gifted Education

Samford University, B.S. Early Childhood Education

Laura Sanchez joins us as a teacher of the Dragonfly Class after working as a long-term substitute in the Greenie House. She has a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a master’s in Gifted Education. During her 15 years of teaching, Sanchez has taught a wide range of students from one-year-olds to fifth graders, and she has served as an enrichment teacher and special education teacher in addition to regular classroom teaching. Sanchez is bilingual, having grown up in Colombia, but she is a devoted New Orleanian as well – and mother of a Newman alumna and a current freshman. A warm and talented educator, Sanchez will be a great asset to the Greenie House staff.