1st Grade ICT & General Ed.
Name: Ms. Lyse-Sophie Laloi
Position: Teacher, 1st Grade Team, General Ed.
Hometown: I grew up in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, and now I live in Brooklyn, NY.
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Penn State University and Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education & Special Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Years as an educator: I have worked in education professionally for 2 years, but this will be my first year working for the NYC Department of Education.
Why are you an educator? From the time I was in elementary school, I knew I always wanted to work with children. It was either to become a teacher or a pediatrician. However, my amazing 4th-grade teacher helped me make my decision. I enjoy helping and watching children master things they thought were difficult at first.
What are STAR Academy’s best qualities? STAR is a small progressive school that values anti-racist education and they make it their mission to ensure that the cultures of their students are valued and represented.
Life outside school: Outside of school, I enjoy reading on my Kindle & spending time with my close friends & family going to brunch, the park, and having game nights.
Name: Ms. Jennifer Lopez
Position: Teacher, 1st Grade Team, Special Ed.
Hometown: I grew up in Sleepy Hollow, NY, and lived in Washington, DC, for the last few years. Now I live in Yonkers.
Educatior: Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Minor in Education from Cornell University. My
Master’s degree is a dual degree in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education with a Bilingual
Extension for Spanish from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Years as an educator: 9
Why are you an educator? When I went to college, I started to notice there were not a lot of people that looked like me. I was different. I began to study the inequities within educational opportunities. I love supporting children and families not only in learning, but in advocating for change.
What are STAR Academy’s best qualities? It is incredible to be part of a warm and supportive community who loves what they do.
Life outside school: Outside of school I spend my time taking my 5-year-old Pitbull, named Malachite on adventures. We love going on hikes, being by the water, or just being outside in the sun. I also love yoga, finding tasty gluten-free recipes and traveling. Best of all, is hanging out with my family.
Name: Ms. Agnes (Aggie) Laird
Position: Teacher, 1st Grade Team, General Ed.
Hometown: I grew up in St. Louis, MO. Now I live in Brooklyn, NY.
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from University of Illinois at Chicago and Master’s Degree in Literacy from Brooklyn College.
Years as an educator: 25
Why are you an educator? As a kid I loved to play school with my siblings and I come from a long line of educators in my family. I was destined to be a teacher!
What are STAR Academy’s best qualities? STAR Academy is a small school that is like a family. I am so impressed with the staff and the families and how welcoming and supportive they are to everyone.
Life outside school: I enjoy reading and going for long runs (I ran the NYC and Chicago marathons). I love spending time with my family (my husband, 2 daughters, dog, cat and hamster) and traveling.