Our Team
Administration
Samantha Grab | Head of School
Samantha has over two decades of experience in early education, both in and out of the classroom. She has sat at the helm of Weekday School since 2020. She is also an adjunct instructor at Kean University in their College of Education. Her professional affiliations include memberships in the Association for Constructivist Teaching and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Samantha received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Bard where her thesis focused on the persistence of the achievement gap. She then pursued a Master’s in Education from Bank Street College, graduating with dual certifications in Early Childhood and Childhood education.
Incredibly passionate about education, Samantha strongly believes every child should be treated with respect, compassion, and empathy. Under her guidance, Weekday School prioritizes a rigorous curriculum coupled with programs to help children develop into well-rounded individuals capable of critical thinking, effective communication, and navigating the world with emotional intelligence.
Samantha lives in Maplewood with her four children, ages 6 to 15, and two cats. In addition to her professional life and being a busy mom, she is a voracious reader, an aspiring runner, and a collector of miniature objects.
“Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.”
Jackie DeLucia | Chief Financial, Admissions, and Operating Officer
Jackie has over 15 years of experience in educational administration. She believes preparing our students for the future means equipping them with not just skills, but also the courage to use them wisely. Prior to joining Weekday School, Jackie worked with Whittle School & Studios, an independent global school with a network of campuses around the world. She also spent 12 years working within the Archdiocese of New York as an Admissions, Development, Tuition Management, Financial Aid, and Operations Director.
Before her pivot to educational administration, Jackie spent 30 years on Wall Street both on the floor of the American and New York Stock Exchanges as well as focusing on client services and high-level global corporate operations. An alum of Seton Hall University, Jackie enjoys again being a part of the SOMA community via her role at Weekday School.
Jackie’s greatest joy is watching her daughter, Lacey, navigate her life as she ends her Senior year at her desired university. Together Jackie and her daughter enjoy cooking and hanging out in NYC.
“At its core, the idea of purpose is the idea that what we do matters to people other than ourselves.”
Faculty
Keirah Tompkins | Pre-K
Keirah graduated from Kean University in 2011 with a B.A in Early Childhood Education and Fine Arts. She worked as a lead teacher at the Kean University Child Care and Development Center for 8 years. During her time at Kean, she supported many students getting started in the field, as well as children from ages 2 1/2 to 5 years. In January 2019, she was hired as the lead teacher in the Nursery 3s classroom at Far Brook School, where she revamped the curriculum and encouraged the children to ask questions, investigate, and follow their thoughts and ideas.
Keirah lives with her husband and 2 children, ages 5 and 2. They enjoy taking family walks and working on art projects at home.
“You can do hard things.”
Corie Robie | Pre-K
I am thrilled to be joining the Weekday School as a 3s-4s teacher. I've had nearly a decade of experience teaching early childhood education at various levels, from toddlers to kindergarteners, and have found great joy in each. My academic background includes a BA in Education & Child Study from Smith College and an MA in American History from Columbia University. Currently, I'm pursuing my MSEd in Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families at Hunter College.
Originally from Brooklyn, I now reside in Maplewood with my family, which includes a middle and high schooler, three cats, one dog, four fish, and five snails. When not wrangling children and small animals, I love art, writing, and, when I can wake up early enough, running.
Charlyne Emmanuel | Pre-K Assistant
As an experienced educator, Charlyne has worked with children ages 3 to 8 for more than a decade. Charlyne earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Peter’s University. It is her passion to support a child’s process of self-awareness, free thought, and social-emotional learning.
When she is not in the classroom, she enjoys reading and staying current on emerging trends in education. Charlyne also enjoys the outdoors and the creative arts.
“Nurture hearts and strong minds. Foster growth through empathy and kindness.”
Danielle Quinoa | Pre-K Assistant | Aftercare
Danielle Quinoa began her career working in the entertainment industry as a talent agent for both children and adults. She has been involved in educational outreach for various arts organizations throughout NYC, including The Ghetto Film School, a program designed to help teenagers from diverse backgrounds receive professional film school training. Danielle has also helped facilitate the summer horsemanship program for the Girl Scouts of Northern NJ and continues to volunteer at an equine therapy facility for children with disabilities.
Sarah Barlow | Kindergarten-1st Grade
Sarah is a respected early childhood teacher who takes a personal interest in the success of students and believes age-appropriate instruction, and utilizing various instructional strategies and technology are key to a student’s success. She graduated with honors from New England College with a degree in Elementary Education. Shortly after, Sarah received her Master’s Degree from Fordham University, obtaining her teaching certificate in early childhood and special education. While at Fordham, Sarah was inducted into the National Honors Society, Kappa Delta Pi.
Sarah taught First Grade for 6 years at a small private school in New York City. Once her family grew, they moved to New Jersey, where Sarah began teaching Kindergarten in the South Orange- Maplewood School District. While in the district, Sarah was the General Education teacher in an Inclusion Classroom and gained a vast amount of knowledge and experience with children with Autism, ADHD, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
Sarah has a love for fashion and interior decorating and enjoys being with her family, exercising and being creative.
“Mistakes are proof that you are trying.”
Kim Charles | 2nd Grade
Kim is a passionate and dedicated educator who firmly believes in the power of progressive education and its transformative impact on children’s lives. Kim attended the University of Florida, where she graduated with a degree in Psychology. After moving back to NY, she began a decade-long career as a Child Life Specialist, supporting the emotional needs of pediatric patients at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore. During this time, she attended Bank Street College, where she earned a MSEd in Early Childhood Special and General Education & Infant and Parent Development. Kim transitioned into early childhood education working as an early intervention teacher and a preschool special education itinerant teacher in NYC while attaining an Advanced Certificate in Autism and Multiple Disabilities from Bank Street College. As Kim’s family grew, they moved from Brooklyn to South Orange. In an effort to find community, Kim co-founded SOMA Families Meetup with fellow moms and continued her early intervention work. Eventually, Kim began working as a Forest School Teacher for South Mountain Nature School.
Kim lives in South Orange with her husband and three children. An avid reader and collector of children’s books, Kim loves to share her love of literature with her students. In her free time Kim leads a local GS troop, and enjoys wrangling her kids to their activities and sports. She loves hiking and riding her bike.
“Education is creating safe, inclusive and equitable classrooms where children can think deeply and play freely.”
Samy Fantacone | 3rd, 4th, 5th Grades | Aftercare
Samy has over a decade of experience teaching in schools, enrichment programs, and after-school programs. She studied at Montclair State University where she earned an undergraduate Teaching Degree in P-3, a Teacher of Students with Disabilities Certification P-3. She went on to earn her M.Ed. in Inclusive Education. Additional teaching experiences include working at the summer Montclair State University Gifted and Talented Program, the summer Prospect Camp in Maplewood and the summer program at TSTI in South Orange, along with the summer program for the YMCA. She has extensive tutoring experience facilitating and enhancing children’s learning potential. Samy is passionate about working with children to develop their curiosity and love of learning through play.
Outside of the classroom, Samy plays mahjong and knits stuffed animals.
“You can’t blend in when you are born to stand out.”
Lorna Creveling | Teacher Assistant | 3rd, 4th, 5th Grades
Lorna has been homeschooling her own children for the last decade, and prior to that she taught English at a secondary school in London. Lorna holds a BA degree in English Literature from Yale University and a Post Graduate Certification in Education from King’s College. She is also a ballroom dancer and painter!
Shauna Cagan | Creative Arts Director
For over 15 years, Shauna has worked as a creative director, designer, and illustrator on a wide-variety of award-winning art and writing teams, from Comedy Central to the Guggenheim Museum. Recently, Shauna has returned to her first love--teaching. She has taught at the Maplewood Outside School and the Willow School in New Jersey. Shauna spends most of her free hours gardening and hiking. Her art often reflects the many hours she spends outside, immersed in weird and wild places. Shauna lives in Maplewood, NJ with her husband and their two mostly feral, often bare-chested boys.
Donald Cole | Physical Literacy | Aftercare
Born and raised in Newark NJ, Donald is passionate about growing mental resilience through physical activity. As a child, he was inspired by his dad’s strength and daily commitment to exercise, challenging himself to achieve the same work ethic in adulthood. Before Weekday, Donald was an early childhood teaching assistant in East Orange. He also has extensive experience tutoring multiple ages in a variety of disciplines.
In his free time, Donald likes to read, savoring the ability of stories to calm both mind and body. He also enjoys challenging his limits through bench pressing.
“If you can’t take risks, you can’t create a future for yourself.”
Jamie Lerner | Aftercare
Jamie is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. While pursuing her degree, she worked at a summer day camp, where she discovered her passion for childcare. After briefly working in graphic design, Jamie returned to the classroom as a teacher’s assistant. She is passionate about helping children learn and experience new things, and is grateful to be part of the aftercare team!