Teachers
Ms. Melissa
Hello. My name is Ms. Melissa. It is my pleasure to teach the wonderful four year olds enrolled in Smart Stars Academy II. I have been here since the beginning in 2020. Educating young children has been my life since 2005. Nothing is more gratifying than looking forward to walking into my class every morning and greeting the happy faces of students in my care. When I’m not at school, I enjoy being with my family, especially my niece and nephews. I can’t get enough of them. I love coffee, going to the movies, and hanging out with my husband and friends. I am a 2005 graduate of Jackson Memorial High School and a 2011 graduate of Georgian Court University. There I double majored in history and communications. While enrolled at GCU, I continued working with young children at Kinder University of Jackson until my transfer to Kindercare, Robbinsville. Post graduation, I taught at Marlboro Prep Academy, Morganville and briefly at Steps 2 Success and Genius Kids Academy. Happily I find myself enjoying everyday as Smart Stars Academy II. Pre-K teacher.
Tatyana Sennikova
Hello dear parents! Let me introduce myself. My name is Tatyana Sennikova. I was born on March 2, 1979 in Belarus in the city of Gomel. I grew up, lived, studied and worked in this city before coming to the United States of America. There are a lot of teachers in my family, so the choice of my profession was made in childhood. After graduating from school in 1996, I entered the Gomel State University and after graduating in 2001, I started working as a teacher of Russian language and literature. The total work experience in Belarus is 12 years. The last 7 years in the position of Deputy Director for educational work. In the United States, I continue to work as a teacher. From 2018 to June 2022, I worked as a kindergarten teacher in Brooklyn, New York. My motto in my life and in my work is: ``Learning is the way to succeed``. This is what I try to teach my child and my children with whom I work. After all, we are constantly learning. In working with young children, this is not an easy way from words to deeds. This academic year, we will definitely try and achieve our small, but so important successes for every parent!
Oleksandra Serhiivna Volkova
Hi parents, I am Oleksandra Serhiivna Volkova. I was born on September 19, 1977 in Ukraine and lived in Kyiv. I moved to the USA in May 2022. I received my higher education and graduated from Volyn State University with a major in teaching. I am married and have 4 children. On my spare time I like to travel and to visit new, interesting places.
I absolutely adore children and love teaching. I find that the little ones hold a special place in my heart, because they are so sweet and there's so many teaching possibilities with them. They are like little sponges who take everything in and the most rewarding part is when they begin to display the things they've learned.
I can't wait to get to know my students, their families, and explore all the wonderful new aspects of our curriculum with them.
Rita Federenko
Hello, my name is Ms. Rita. I have been working with Smart Stars Academy since it opened in 2020. I hold a pedagogical education degree, have extensive experience with children, and offer Russian language lessons. A large part of my approach to teaching is visual methods and didactic games. The assimilation of new material occurs in the process of active actions such as, various games, drawing, designing, and modeling. I do my best to cultivate the ability to listen and hear, look and see what is shown, in every one of my students. I know how to combine demandingness and kindness, while finding a common language with children in different situations. I try to approach each child as the individual that they are. I believe that the main aspect in the work of a teacher is love for children, the desire to make them happy, to instill love for everything around them. Some of my personal characteristics which I pride myself on are organizational skills, attentiveness, accuracy, punctuality, decency, and the ability to quickly make decisions in non-standard situations. Being a teacher, to me, means seeing the uniqueness of each child. I am truly excited to work with you, your children, and have an amazing school year ahead!
Oksana Futorska
Hi everyone, my name is Oksana Futorska and I am a teacher asssitant here at Smart Stars Academy. I have been working with children for over 30 years, by education and vocation I am a teacher. I absolutely love my job and look forward to seeing my students every day. It is a pleasure to get to know each boy and girl, as well as their families. I am also a grandmother, so I approach each child as I would my own grandchildren. I believe education and a nurturing environment go hand in hand, especially at such a young age, and that is what I strive to exhibit while working with my students.
Mariia Boiko
Hi! My name is Mariia. I’m so excited to join the Smart Stars Academy II team. My major is preschool education, preschool and primary school teacher. I have 12 years of experience working in a kindergarten in my country and I hope to be working with children for many more years to come. I graduated from Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University in 2015 and from Taras Shevchenko Regional Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy of Kremenets in 2017. Together, with my students, we learn the basics, have fun as we learn, find new ways to see the world and where we fit in it. Children really motivate me to become a better me and I try to ensure that I do the same. The thought of being able to make a difference in a small child’s life is extremely rewarding. My pedagogical credo is “Finding the key to each child, while confidently and creatively getting to the goal, will result in a positive outcome.” I look forward to provide a rigorous academic experience, nurturing environment and to close home to school, forming a bond with each child and their family.
Nadiia Verba
Hi everyone! My name is Ms. Nadiia Verba. I am an experienced Elementary School teacher, for over 30 years. I love to implement positive reinforcement and a variety of teaching techniques to encourage student learning and growth. I tend to leverage creativity and engage different students with a multitude of activities to develop their strengths and weaknesses. I find that navigating a rigorous curriculum and providing nurture is crucial at a young age, and that's my goal for each student in my class. I look forward to getting to know each of your children and providing the greatest preschool experience for them. I am certain we will have an amazing school year ahead, here at Smart Stars Academy.
Irina Glamyzdyna
My name is Irina, and I am happy to be part of the team at Smart Stars Academy II. I have been working with children for over 30 years, and I still learn something new every day in this profession that I truly love. I am originally from Kharkiv, Ukraine, where I earned my degree in Elementary Education from Kharkiv State Pedagogical University. In Ukraine, I worked my way up from an elementary school teacher to a methodologist in the Department of Education. During this time, I also authored several methodical guides for teachers on health education and environmental studies. After moving to the United States, I continued my teaching journey in both New York and New Jersey, working with children of different ages and backgrounds. I believe that inside every child, there is a sleeping genius and a creator. The role of a teacher is to wake up this great dreamer, and this idea guides me every day. I especially enjoy working with Pre-K students—their curiosity, endless energy, and excitement for learning always inspires me. Outside of teaching, I am a wife and a proud mother of a son. I also love birdwatching and enjoy sharing interesting bird facts on my channel on one of the internet platforms. I am excited to continue helping children discover their potential and develop a lifelong love of learning. I look forward to meeting each one of you and your children. I am sure we will have a fun, eventful, and rigorous school year ahead.
Assistants
Viktoriia Liashenko
Good day to all, my name is Ms. Viktoriia and I am thrilled to be part of the Smart Stars Academy family. I have been working with young children for over 35 years, since I graduated from a Pedagogical Institute. I take pride in having such an impact in the lives of young children and helping to mold them into wonderful little individuals. For many people, work and hobbies are two different things, but for me, my work is my favorite and most enjoyable activity in life. Children are the purest and most sincere part of humanity, I ensure that my students find a friend in me. I believe the relationship between a teacher and her students should be equal, fair, and always truthful. I strive to ensure that each child is happy to come to school in the morning and happily returns to their parents in the evening. I try to share my knowledge and skills with each child in my classroom, along with a nurturing environment. Our classroom is rich with resources, such as toys, textbooks, games, and various developmental components. I enjoy gardening and our classroom takes part in helping to grow the garden we have here, at Smart Stars Academy. I look forward to getting to know each student, their families, and having a productive school year ahead.
Ms Luda
Hi, My name is Ms Luda and I am the PreK teacher assistant in Smart Stars Academy. I have many years of childcare experience. I love working with children and look forward to an amazing school year ahead. My grandaughter and gradnson are also students here and the family environment here along with the academics is what truly stands out. I enjoy helping my husband with his restaurant on the weekends, exercising, and am a big fan of promoting healthy lifestyles-which I teach to my students. I also love to travel and spend time with my family. I hope to make a wonderful and positive impact on your children as their teacher, but also their friend.
Nataliya Stepanivna Povoroznyk
Dear parents of Smart Stars Academy II, I am Nataliya Stepanivna Povoroznyk and am a teacher's assistant. I was born on June 5, 1962 in Ukraine, where I completed my higher education and majored in teaching.
I have worked as a teacher for 37 years, 15 of which were in kindergarten and 22 in the elementary school grades.
A little bit about myself, I am married with 2 children, and now have 4 grandchildren.
Teaching has always been my passion and I love working with children of all ages. I come to the classroom daily and am beyond thrilled to see all the little faces ready to learn. I devote my day to ensuring each student is cared for, happy, and safe. I believe this school year will be filled with fun, learning, and making memories- which I am so happy to be a part of!
Michelle Kozoubei
Hello everyone! My name is Michelle Kozoubei. I am currently a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and will be graduating very soon. I am majoring in forensic psychology and minoring in criminology. I have been working at Beacon Preparatory & Smart Stars Academy II for over three years now and enjoy working with children of all ages! I have been here from the very beginning, and it has been such a pleasure getting to watch everyone grow into such kind and creative students. In my free time, I enjoy putting my artistic capabilities to use through painting. I also like playing tennis! Most importantly, I love to spend time with my family and find so much joy in getting to travel with them. I truly love working at this school and have definitely created long lasting friendships with all of the wonderful staff.
Iryna Parakhnevich
Hi everyone. My name is Iryna Parakhnevich. I was born in the City of Gomel and graduated from the Belarusian State University, from which I hold a masters degree as a customs declarant. I also have my own children, so I always do my best to build positive relationships with the children in my classroom. It gives me great pleasure to take care of children and teach them something new.
Ms. Oksana Kavka
Hi everyone. My name is Ms. Oksana. I was born in the city of Ternopil, Ukraine. I graduated from the Financial and Economic Institute back home. I have always loved working with children and have found my place here at Smart Stars Academy. I value each small child as the individual that they are. I look forward to providing a caring and nurturing environment to each child. I enjoy helping them develop their skills and working along side the teacher in the classroom. I have been with Smart Stars Academy for a few years, I plan to remain part of this wonderful team for a long time to come, and can't wait to see what this new school year has in store!
Kateryna Moroziuk
Good day! My name is Kateryna Moroziuk and I’m 45 years old. I was born in Ukraine, in the city of Nikopol. I hold a teaching degree, which has allowed me to continue my career in education in the US, which is something I am deeply passionate about. I love learning languages and can speak four of them fluently, which reflects my eagerness to grow and understand the world around me. In my free time I enjoy painting, cooking, and spending time in my garden, where I take great pleasure in planting and nurturing the earth. I am known for being a very kind soul, friendly, and patient with others. Responsibility is something I take seriously, and I strive to be diligent in my work, always eager to learn new things quickly. I have a beautiful daughter, and family is the most important thing to me. I value the time I spend with my loved ones and always make sure to prioritize them in my life. My dedication to my work, my family, and my personal growth defines who I am. I look forward to working with your little ones and helping them thrive this year!
Olga Olchedaievska-Lysachova
Hi! My name is Olga Olchedaievska-Lysachova. I was born in Ukraine in the Vinnytsia region, but spent my childhood in different countries of the world. I come from a family of hereditary teachers, but my education is related to economics. I headed the credit card and payroll projects department at the Kyiv branch of Privatbank. The last place of work was Nestle Ukraine and Moldova, the team lead demand planner. This experience gave me the following qualities: sociability, stress resistance, and multitasking. I am raising a son who is 11 years old and help with his many cousins. Children's laughter and constant chatter, is my most familiar environment for me. This experience came in handy when I moved to the USA. I have been working as a teacher's assistant since June. I hope to help children to build their first social contacts, to be sincere, open to the world of learning, to be able to solve their small conflicts exclusively with words, and just to provide a happy environment for each child. Although, I didn't start or build my career in education, I can wholeheartedly say that I love working with children and being such a crucial part of their early childhood years.
Extracurricular Teachers
Irina Ardashnikova - Russian Language Teacher
Hi. My name is Irina Ardashnikova and I have been a teacher since 1990. I find this work to be the most rewarding. Since graduating with a Master’s Degree from Gomel State University in Russian Language Arts and Literature, I have surrounded myself with young and enquiring minds. I taught in both public and private settings and have been with Beacon Preparatory Academy and Smart Stars Academy II, from the very beginning. I believe that teaching is assisting discovery and I will work with every child to help them discover and unlock their potential. I look forward to getting to know each child and family, year after year.
Iryna Pidlypna - Music Teacher & Theater Instructor
Hi, my name is Iryna Pidlypna, but the children know me as Ms. Irchyk. As of an early age I attended a children's music studio for the class of piano. The competition ``Chervona Ruta-91`` of super-hits, ``Ukrainian Lambada`` and other hits had made me, at that time, as the No1 pop singer in Ukraine. In 1991 I released an album and in 1996 one of the songs became the laureate of the music program ``The Hit of the year``. A year later I debuted as a dramatic actress-in the theater, Zankovetska, and played Marichka in the operetta ``Sharika`` and Ophelia in the tragedy of Shakespeare's ``Hamlet``. In 1997 together with the theater ,M Zankovetska, I toured the U.S., performed at festivals ``Soyuzivka`` and ``Verkhovyna`` (USA).
In 1998 I graduated from Lviv Higher musical Institute Lysenko, speciality - actress of theater and cinema, and Lviv State University. I. Franko, Ukrainian philology.
Needless to say that I absolutely love anything and everything related to arts, whether it be music or theater. I believe arts allows us to express ourselves in ways that are not of the ``typical`` form. Being able to give this experience and opportunity to young children brings me joy, and every new student whom I get to work with is a new adventure. It is so rewarding to see my students gain knowledge, develop an appreciation for the arts, and most of all- when the students find their passion and/or talent through my classes.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know me and I look forward to getting to know you and your child.
Yuliya Savelyeva - Science and Logic Instructor
Hi, my name is Yuliya Savelyeva and I am so happy to be a part of Beacon Preparatory Academy & Smart Stars Academy II. I hold a Master's degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow Aviation Institute. I have also been tutoring and working with children of different ages for over 20 years. I have been with BPA & SSAII since 2020 and look forward to remaining a part of this school for many years to come. I am lucky enough to teach the logic class, Fun Science class, and so much more. I also am the Summer Camp, Spring Camp, Winter Camp, and After School lead teacher. This allows room for plenty of creativity and so many fun opportunities with the students. I can't wait to see what this year has in store for us!
Svetlana Rudakovskaya - Art
The artist, Svetlana Rudakovskaya, was born in Minsk, Belarus. While visiting a lot of countries with her mother who is a world-class dancer, just a 3 year old Svetlana first tried to draw with pencils. At age of 5 she already asked her family to take her to art galleries where she enjoyed seeing paintings of classic artists. She explains: ``When I had seen so many beautiful works of the geniuses of art, I perfectly understood that my heart belongs to art - forever``. After immigrating to the United States, she made her final decision to make artwork on her own, plus continue art education in colleges and take private classes from famous artists. She took Graphic Design and Fine Arts in Brookdale College (2008-2010), then Fine Arts in Monmouth University (2010-11) and graduated from Montclair State University with Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts (2012). From 2009 up to now Svetlana has been doing freelance artwork for some companies as well as paintings for private customers. She provides private art classes and does consulting for special interior design. From 2009 to 2012 Svetlana worked as an art teacher in Genius Kids Academy and from 2014 - in Bloomingdale's Company as a visual merchandiser. Throughout her career she has participated in numerous art shows. The artist had her first art show in Brookdale College in Lincroft, NJ in 2010. Another show was held in Monmouth University in Long Branch, NJ in 2011. In 2012 she was invited to show her works in Museum of Russian Art (MoMA) in Jersey City. In 2013 she joined 25 CPW Gallery in New York, NY. In 2014 Svetlana participated in an art show in Loft Gallery in New York City. Some of her art works were purchased by private collectors. In her work she uses expressionistic approach with the contribution to abstract forms. It can be seen in her work: the connection between people, ancient and modern architecture, ornaments, geometrical figures and unusual formations. The artist tries to reach harmony and balance in the composition. The dynamic and unexpected use of bright or neon colors are combined with muted colors in order to create emphasis, contrast and movement in her artwork. Svetlana does experiments with the paint by dripping, blending, splashing and scoring. She enjoys working with different tools and materials. She wants people's perception of harmony and fantasy, wants them to feel differently and to experience something new after seeing her art. The artist would like to see how her artworks effect people' minds, moods and feelings. Looking at Svetlana's artwork your curiosity raises and imagination starts to emerge.
Personnel
Anna Dobrenko - Chef
Hi everyone. My name is Anna Dobrenko and I was born on 07/22/1988 in Ukraine, Chernivtsi. I graduated from Kiev National University in 2010 with a Master's Degree in International Economics. Currently, I work as a chef at Beacon Preparatory Academy & Smart Stars Academy II. I have always had a passion for cooking and enjoy it very much. I am married with two children, my son Nikita who is 8 years old and my daughter Katerina who is 6 years old. I strive to always prepare nutritious and tasty meals for my family just as much as I do for your children. I also really enjoy working with children and getting to know their families. Bon appetite 😉
Oleg Godin - Bus Driver
Good day all! My name is Oleg Godin and I am the bus driver for Beacon Prep and Smart Stars Academy II. I have had many professions in my life, but I find that working with you and your children is what makes me the happiest. I love seeing the smiling faces every morning and being the one to greet them. I am a professional bus driver and my main focus is ensuring safety for all the students that enter my bus. I look forward to taking the children on fun trips throughout the school year, being part of the summer camp, and getting to know all of you!