Carolina Aldana—Carolina has joined Upper School and will be teaching Spanish. Carolina has an MA in Spanish from Middlebury College and an MA in Education from Lehman College. Prior to joining Westtown, Carolina taught Spanish at Middlesex School. Carolina shares, “I love reading. Two places I love are the main reading room in the Library of Congress and the Biblioteca Nacional in Madrid. Besides reading, traveling is one of my biggest passions. I’ve lived in Spain, France, and Mexico and go back as often as possible to visit friends. I used to love the stamps I’d get on my passport, and am saddened that many countries no longer do that. I am not into sports, but I know one thing: I really don’t like the Pats or the Red Sox. And every four years I get a little obsessed by fútbol. La Copa this year, though, has been heartbreaking. One fun fact about me: I’ve gone snorkeling even though I can’t swim and have gone paragliding even though I’m a little scared of heights.”  

Ashley Breznicky—Ashley has joined the Admission Department as the new Admission Administrative Assistant. Ashley has a BS from Philadelphia University. Prior to Westtown, she was a Marketing Coordinator at Malvern Preparatory School. Ashley shares, “I love to travel, both domestically and internationally. My family and I are working on catching a game at all of the Major League Baseball stadiums. I enjoy reading and listening to music, and am always on the lookout for new recommendations. I spend a lot of my “free time” watching my two sons, Grayson (9) and Luca (7), participate in their various sporting events. A fun fact about me is that I have been skydiving.”

Heather Cooper—Heather has joined Upper School as an English teacher. Heather has an MA in English from Western Governors University. Prior to joining Westtown, Heather was an English Literature Teacher at the Upland Country Day School. Heather shares, “I love to read, cook, and hang out with friends and family. I especially enjoy group games of all sorts including sports, board games, card games, and video games. I also like going for walks and having new experiences. A fun fact about me is that I lived in Tokyo for two years and taught at the only Quaker school in Japan!”

Deborah Chernoff—Debby has joined Upper School as the new Spanish teacher.  Prior to joining Westtown Debby worked as an English teacher at the Jerusalem Post LiteTalk.  Debby shares, “I love the smell of coffee, and love to read in the mornings before work. I enjoy seeing movies with my husband and taking long walks on the beach. A fun fact about me is that I spent several months working on a dairy farm, milking and vaccinating cows, and sometimes taking care of them overnight.”

Samantha DeLeo—Sam has joined Lower and Middle School as an Educational Technology Coordinator.  Sam has a BS in Early Childhood from University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining Westtown, Sam worked as a STEM Educator at Christina School District. Sam shares, “Outside of work, I love crocheting and knitting. I also enjoy playing board games and listening to music. I love cooking, and my favorite foods to make are Mexican dishes like tamales and sopes. A fun fact about me is that I’m getting married this December!”  

Michael Giansiracusa—Mike has joined the Upper School faculty as the new part-time Religion teacher. Mike has an MA from Harvard University. Prior to joining Westtown, Mike worked as a teacher and chaplain at St. Andrew’s School. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Mike attended LaSalle University (Philadelphia), where he studied communication arts with minors in philosophy and English, and Villanova University, where he earned an M.A. in religious studies. He is an Episcopal priest, has served various churches in Philadelphia, and currently serves in Salem, NJ. Mike is a rabid Philadelphia sports fan, loves film and cooking, and advocates for animal rights. He enjoys creating service opportunities that bring together people whose stories and experiences differ from his own.

Janette Kerr—Janette has joined Westtown as the Associate Director of College Counseling. Prior to Westtown, Janette worked as the Founding Director of College Counseling/Lead College Counselor at Brooke High School. Janette shares, “I love action movies (the Mission Impossible series is the apex), and anything starring Viola Davis. I also love white chocolate macadamia cookies, barbeque sauce, and sorrel, deep house and soca music, reading psychological thrillers, doing laundry, and dancing to just about anything gives me joy. A fun fact about me is that I taught myself how to quilt, and making them is equal parts tortuous and exhilarating.”

Victoria Kirby—Victoria has joined Upper School as the new Learning
Specialist. Prior to Westtown, Victoria worked at the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District and also The Quaker School at Horsham. Victoria shares, “I love anything creative, whether it’s sketching, working on my junk journal, creating graphic art, or even coloring. I also love reading on the beach, baking, hiking, playing pickleball, and spending time with family. A fun fact about me is that I’m a proud member of the Sons of Ben and an avid Philadelphia Union fan!”

Kathleen Martin—Kathleen has joined the Upper School faculty and will be the Director of College Counseling. Kathleen has a BA from Ithaca College. Prior to Westtown, she was a Director of College Guidance at Wilmington Friends School.  Kathleen shares, “After 20 years at another Quaker school, I’m looking forward to engaging with the Westtown community! At the risk of sounding like a middle-aged stereotype, I like to garden, bake, read, and travel with my adult daughters. And of course…I have two cats! Fun facts: I worked at the Crayola factory during college summers and I used to live in the longest continuous Utopian community in the U.S.”

William Oehler—Will is the new Middle School Emerging Educator Fellow. Before Westtown, Will worked at The Hotchkiss School. Will shares, “I recently graduated from Gettysburg College where I studied French and Art History. I will be working in the Middle School English department as an Emerging Educator. Outside of the classroom I love hiking, cooking, and photography, and have recently started collecting vinyls! A fun fact about me is I can count to ten in six languages!”