Buffy Aniloff

Buffy Aniloff
Buffy Aniloff is excited to be returning to CCNS this year as the lead teacher in the Older Threes 2-day class. She previously served as the Science Adventures Specialist and the Junior Book Club Specialist, and worked on our Distance Learning team as the Science Enrichment Specialist. Buffy has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary/Early Childhood Education from Millersville University and a Masters of Education degree from The College of New Jersey. She has previously taught 4th grade in Hillsborough, NJ as well as ran an in-home family day care. She lives in Langhorne with her husband, three children, and their 2 Golden-doodles. Buffy was a CCNS parent for 8 years and served on the Board as Registrar for 2 years. She enjoys reading, photography, spending summers in Ocean City, and being involved with her children’s sports and activities.

Laramie Coppola

Laramie Coppola
Laramie Coppola is very excited to be joining CCNS as the new AM Pre-K teacher. She has her Bachelors of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Frostburg State University. Before having her 2 children she was a pre-k and Kindergarten teacher for 6 years in Baltimore, Maryland. Laramie lives in Washington Crossing with her husband, son and daughter. She enjoys reading, Starbucks lattes, exercising, and spending time with her husband and 2 children.

Elaine Dougherty

Elaine Dougherty
Elaine Dougherty is very excited to join CCNS as one of our teachers in our Lunch and Learn Program. Elaine graduated from Thomas Jefferson University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Her most recent employment was as a school nurse which included health education and support for students Pre-K through 8th grade. She has been a CCNS parent since 2006 and looks forward to making new memories as a member of our staff. She enjoys cooking, music, and time with her husband and six children.

Christa Eastgate

Christa Eastgate is thrilled to be joining CCNS this year as the Pre-K Yoga Specialist. Christa has been teaching yoga for 10 years and loves sharing the tools yoga provides to create a love of movement and a joy for self-knowledge. Christa has a true love for the CCNS community as both her elementary-aged children attended CCNS where she served on the Board for 4 years. Apart from her multiple yoga certifications, Christa holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Geography from Concordia University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, so she enjoys distant travel, creating and enjoying great food, gardening, and learning about diverse cultural practices. She also loves her Peloton, gardening, reading, waving to complete strangers, and spreading joy. She lives on the river in Titusville with her English-born husband and two children.

Kristina Gibbons

Kristina Gibbons
Kristina Gibbons is so excited to be teaching the Older 3’s 3-day class! Kristina has been a part of the CCNS community for the last 5 years. Between her role as CCNS Board President, CCNS parent and a former educator, she is ready and prepared for the year ahead! Kristina holds a B.A. in Child and Family Studies with a concentration in Early and Middle Childhood from Montclair State University. Previously, Kristina has taught 4th grade and 6th grade in Livingston, NJ. In her spare time, Kristina likes to cook, bake, read, spend time with her husband & three young daughters, and play with their family dog, Petey!

Vanessa Grodzki

Vanessa Grodzki
Vanessa Grodzki is looking forward to her role as Assistant Teacher in the Creative Arts Program. She lives in Yardley with her husband Adam, 3 children Mason, Lukas, and Lucie, and their rescue dog Penny. Vanessa has an Early Childhood and Special Education degree from the University of Delaware and has worked in the public schools and various early intervention programs. She enjoys helping out at her children’s schools and sporting events, exercise, and reading. Vanessa first found CCNS years ago when they moved to PA and enrolled their youngest daughter. She couldn’t be more excited to return to CCNS.

Mary Higgins

Mary Higgins
Mary Higgins is happy to return to CCNS for her 19th year as an assistant teacher for Science & Book Club Enrichment Classes. She previously served as an assistant teacher for many different classes including the Distance Learning Zoom class. Mary was a 2013 recipient of the Bucks County Association for the Education of Young Children (BCAEYC) Outstanding Educator of the Year Award. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC where she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing. She lives in Yardley with her husband Jim, they have two wonderful children. She enjoys doing puzzles, walking, reading, spending time with family and friends and volunteering in the community.

Christy Howe

Christy Howe
Christy Howe is very excited to join CCNS this year as the Kindergarten Enrichment teacher. Christy studied Education and Special Education at Rowan University. She was a Special Education and Gifted teacher for twelve years before starting her family. While her children, Samuel and Adalae, were busy enjoying CCNS, Christy completed a Master of Arts in Reading at Rider University. Christy worked for the last five years as a Reading Specialist for Bucks County Community College. When she’s not teaching, Christy enjoys reading, theater, playing tennis, and travelling with her family.

Sarah Kerr

Sarah Kerr is thrilled to be the morning Wee Pals teacher again this year. She has been a stay at home Mom since 2013, when she had her first child. Prior to staying home, Sarah taught Nursery School, Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade. She earned her Masters in Elementary Education and her certification in Early Childhood Education from New Jersey City University, and a Masters in Social Work from Rutgers University. Sarah lives in Newtown with her husband, John, and their two girls. She is blessed to be a parent and a teacher at CCNS! Sarah loves spending time with her family and friends, as well as, singing, theater, movies, and reading.

Jennifer Koza

Jen Koza
Jennifer Koza is looking forward to beginning her fifth year at CCNS. She will be assisting in PM Pre-K, Young 3’s and 3’s 3 Day classes. Jennifer attended Temple University and worked as an elementary computer specialist in both North Carolina and Massachusetts prior to returning to Pennsylvania and raising her four children with her husband Ed in Newtown. Over the years she has enjoyed volunteering in many roles at Sol Feinstone Elementary as well as coaching Cross Country and Track for St. Andrews CYO. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys running, gardening, coaching, reading, and dragon boating.

Regina Mangan

Regina Mangan
Regina Mangan is delighted to be part of the CCNS family as the Young 3s Teacher. Regina graduated from Seton Hall University where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education including Nursery School. She taught preschool and first grade before her three sons were born. Then while raising her children, she remained active in education by becoming a substitute teacher for each grade level. Now that her three sons are big boys, she is very happy to enjoy teaching her own preschool class again here at CCNS. Regina finds comfort in her faith and her favorite moments are spent with her husband and boys. She loves to play softball and volleyball. She also writes children’s stories, draws, paints, and crochets when she has a little time to herself.

Karen May

Karen May
Karen Mayis happy to be returning to CCNS this year as the assistant teacher in the AM Pre-k class. She previously served as co-teacher of the Lunch and Learn Program and assistant teacher in the Older 3’s class. Karen graduated from Messiah College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She worked in various group homes and residential treatment centers as a program coordinator and manager before starting a family. Karen, a resident of Newtown, lives with her husband Dave, three children and her puppy Hudson. Over the last 17 years she has been active as a volunteer in her children’s school and local church. Karen enjoys exercising, singing, cooking, watching her daughters dance and visiting her son in college.

Virginia Law Manning

Virginia Manning
Virginia Law Manning is returning this year as the assistant teacher in the Kindergarten Enrichment class. She is also thrilled to share her love of children’s books with the CCNS community as the school’s Library Coordinator. She previously served as KE lunch assistant, Young 3’s assistant, Pre-K assistant, and worked on our Distance Learning team as the Book Club Specialist. Outside of CCNS, Virginia volunteers with the Society of Children’s Books Writers & Illustrators, the Fresh Air Fund, and Art Goes To School-Delaware Valley. As a parent, Virginia spent three blissful years at CCNS with her son Thomas, now a freshman at Gettysburg College. She encourages CCNS families to take advantage of the Cooke Family Lending Library in the All-Purpose Room.

Jeanine Medrow

Jeanine Medrow
Jeanine Medrow is pleased to be returning as the lead teacher of the PM Pre-K class in Room 1. Jeanine was the 2017 recipient of The Outstanding Early Childhood Educator Award from the Bucks County Association for the Education of Young Children (BCAEYC). She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Shippensburg University and a Masters degree in Education from Bloomsburg University. Jeanine taught 3rd grade for the Pennsbury School District for several years and has substituted in all grades K-8th. Over the years she has enjoyed volunteering in many roles at Edgewood Elementary School. Jeanine and her husband live in Yardley and have a daughter and twin sons. She loves spending time at Penn State football games where her sons attend, and at the beach with family in LBI.

Regina Moriarty

Regina Moriarty
Regina Moriarty is excited to join CCNS as the assistant teacher in the Young 3s class and the Young 4s class. Regina earned a BA in English from Fordham University in the Bronx, NY. Previously, Regina has worked as a Volunteer Coordinator for several non-profits. Passionate about volunteerism, Regina devotes a great deal of her personal time volunteering, currently serving as a Girl Scout Troop Leader, and with S.H.A.R.E. (Students Helping Area Residents Effectively), a Council Rock North student-led community service group. Regina and her husband, George, live in Upper Makefield. They have 4 children, Holland, Brendan, Megan, and Cara, and a dog Kody. Her two younger daughters attended CCNS and Regina served on the Board during her time as a parent here. Regina enjoys reading, cooking, spending time outdoors, and being with friends and family.

Jillian Palmieri

Jill Palmieri
Jillian Palmieri is so excited to begin her sixth year as the Physical Education Specialist at CCNS. As well as teaching gym this year, Jillian has her own business performing bully prevention assemblies to middle and high school students through her program, Bystander: A Portrait in Apathy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from Douglass College and a Masters in Education from Rutgers University. Prior to her work in bully prevention education, Jillian taught language arts at Applegarth Middle School in Monroe Township, NJ. Jillian is one of the owners of Main Street Theater Co. in Yardley, Pa, an acting studio for students of all ages. She currently lives in Yardley with her husband and two daughters, one fourth grade student and the other a sixth grader at Quarry Hill.

Kris Roba

Kris Roba
Kris Roba is thrilled to be returning as the Lead Teacher for our Creative Arts class. Kris will also take on two new roles this year as the Junior Book Club Lead Teacher and the Science Adventures Lead Teacher. She previously served as the Kindergarten Enrichment assistant teacher. Kris has a Certificate in Fine Arts in painting, printmaking, and sculpturing from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a certificate in Desktop Publishing from Bucks County College. She has previously worked as a Children’s Activity Coordinator and Special Events Coordinator. Kris has also enjoyed teaching private art lessons and being a Nanny. She lives in Langhorne with her husband, two children, Jackson and Cole, and their dog Houdini. She was a Co-op parent for 5 years at St. James Preschool and served on the board for three years. She enjoys directing summer camps and teaching at Artists of Yardley. In her free time Kris likes painting, traveling, coaching basketball, spending summers in LBI with family, and being involved with her children’s sports.

Kathy Snyder

Kathy Snyder
Kathy Snyder is excited to be joining the CCNS staff this year as one of our teachers in the Lunch & Learn enrichment program. Three of her four children attended CCNS when they were preschoolers. Kathy has always enjoyed children and spent two years teaching social studies at the Pakistan International School in Cairo. She earned a B.S. in Human Development and Families Studies from Cornell University and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the State University of New York at Albany. She also spent a number of years conducting research in the area of child care and early education. Kathy lives in Yardley with her husband, Bassam, four children, and two cats. In her free time, Kathy loves reading, geocaching, being a Girl Scout leader, and hanging out with her family.

Lisa Topalovich

Lisa Topalovich
Lisa Topalovich is excited to join the teaching staff at CCNS as the lead teacher in the young 4’s class. Lisa has her Masters Degree in Education from Fordham University and her Bachelor’s Degree from Elon University. She taught first and second grade at PS 183 in Manhattan. Lisa, and her husband, Stefan moved to Newtown in 2006 and they have four sons. Over the years, Lisa has been a caregiver to her grandmother, volunteer at Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Secretary on the Board for her Homeowners Association, volunteer in PTO and various roles at her children’s schools. Lisa likes to keep busy by traveling, gardening, and cooking, playing golf & pickle ball.

Erica Van Varick

Erica Van Varick
Erica Van Varick is excited to return this year as a Creative Arts Specialist. Erica has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration with a concentration in Art History from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has written and illustrated two picture books and has also worked on many other freelance art projects including greeting cards, pet portraits and commissioned fine art paintings. Erica lives in Yardley with her husband, Rob and their three children, all of whom are CCNS alumni. She also has a goofy rescue dog, Otto, whom she adores. In her free time, Erica loves to paint, write, read, garden, bake, hike, and generally spend time outdoors in nature.