Support Services
We hold our students to very high standards of academic excellence. Recognizing that each child comes from diverse backgrounds with different learning needs, we provide a wide range of services to ensure that all students are equipped to excel.
Our full-time reading specialist and ELL specialist assist learners with literacy and reading comprehension, drawing upon their rich backgrounds in early childhood literacy to help students acquire language and master decoding. Students and their families also have access to our resident social worker, speech and occupational therapists and other services. These support staff members work intensively with classroom teachers to align instruction and offer comprehensive support services to ensure that each child succeeds. Our collaborative work environment positions teachers to ensure that children are fully supported to become their best possible selves.
Staff Perspectives
“The incredibly strong sense of community at East Harlem Tutorial Program and Harlem Scholars Academy makes this organization so special. The staff, the families, and our support network possess a sense of commitment, passion, and dedication unlike anything I've ever been a part of. I'm extremely proud to be a member of this founding team that continues to inspire me to work harder than I ever have.”
Monica Hostetler
Founding Director of Operations
"We have a partnership with families, students, and colleagues to strive for common excellence while discovering the originality of each student and fostering their growth into a scholar."
Nicole Walters
Founding ELL Teacher
"Scholars Academy is preparing students to become their best possible selves by offering a small student to teacher ratio, giving the students the opportunity to study music and Spanish everyday, as well as exercising in PE, and by guiding them to achieve our core values: service, courage, humility, originality, leadership, achievement, and reflection."
Erica Leo
Founding Spanish Teacher
"East Harlem Scholars Academy is preparing children to be their best selves by setting high expectations for each student and differentiating instruction so each child can reach these high expectations."
Leigh Kempton
Founding Kindergarten Teacher
"East Harlem Scholars Academy has the perfect balance between understanding students, their culture, and their unique abilities with having only the highest academic and social expectations for all."
Mary Hamilton
Founding First Grade Teacher
"What is special about the East Harlem Scholars Academy is the holistic approach that is taken to develop the complete child. It is a place where children can grow with their academic, social, emotional, and physical well-being in mind."
Gregg Foster
Founding Physical Education Teacher
"We are a community driven founding school. We are privileged to have such remarkable and inquisitive scholars coupled with parents who are truly invested and eager partners. "
Marlene Desai
Founding Reading Specialist
"East Harlem Scholars Academy students are learning how to become awesome citizens of society and they’re building an intrinsic love of learning."
Zoranlley Burgos-Castillo
Founding Kindergarten Teacher
"What is special about East Harlem Scholars Academy is the passion and excitement of all staff members. Everyone is so happy to be here and it is reflected in all school interactions."
Katie Bellissimo
Founding First Grade Teacher
"East Harlem Scholars Academy students will move on to great high schools and universities and be able to return to East Harlem as role models that can contribute positively to an already changing community."
Lyndsey Alvarez
Founding Social Worker
"Through modeling, compassion, and socio-emotional development embedded in all academic disciplines, teachers are developing students’ characters, as well as their coping, problem solving, and conflict resolution abilities and skills."
Ilana Adler-Bell
Founding First Grade Teacher
family council
A big thank you to our Family Council for all of their time and energy! Check out our Recent News section for more updates on their work.