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> Who We Are > Judy
Blake | Anita
Kane | Faculty|
Summer
Judy Blake and Anita Kane,
both lifelong educators, began #1
Education Place in 2001 after community
demand for their services surpassed what
they could provide on an in-home basis
as they had been for the previous three
years. In response, they generated an innovative
educational facility for the
western communities. Their philosophy
stems from the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori
who advised that one should always
"Follow the child".
� This has led them to design
#1 Education Place as a setting where
each individual's gifts, desires,
and needs are recognized so that
learning is the natural and fulfilling
phenomena it was meant to be.
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Judy
Blake
| Judy
has been
educating and
inspiring
children and
adults for
more than 30
years. She
holds a BA
in Psychology
from Rutgers
University.
Graduate
studies have
earned her Montessori
teaching
credentials
for children
3-6 and 6-9.
In addition,
she has
completed a
certificate
program for
child
development
from birth to
age three.
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Her
commitment to
human
development
has led to
extensive
training in
leadership,
creativity,
communication,
and behavioral
effectiveness
with Landmark
Education.
Her
achievements
include being
founder and
director of
the Ridgewood
Montessori
School in New
Jersey.
Judy is
currently
completing a
Master's
Degree in
Organizational
Design and
Management
with the
Fielding
Institute.
She and her
husband and
three sons
have lived in
Wellington and
the Western
communities
for twelve
years.
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Anita
Kane
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Anita
was born into
education and
leadership as
a child of the
owners of
Potomac
Country Day
School in
Maryland. She
earned a B.S.
degree in
Political
Science from
Mary Baldwin
College
and an M.A.
in teaching
from Trinity
College.
She achieved graduate
level
certification
in Montessori
teaching for
children ages
6-9 and 9-12.
Anita
has also
attended the
George Mason
University
School of Law.
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Her
professional
career has
included thirteen
years of
teaching
and nine
years as a
school
administrator.
She has
received
certificates
from
Independent
Schools
Management
(ISM), in
school policy
design and
implementation,
and the needs
of today's
families.
She is
currently
teaching
business
communication,
English,
professional
development,
and computer
skills to
adults. As a
single mother,
Anita has
resided in
Wellington and
the Western
communities
for twelve
years.
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Collectively, Judy and Anita
hold internationally recognized
Montessori teaching credentials for
children from birth to high school.
These educators are known by their
clients, and in the community, as being
powerful leaders who are committed to
and actively engaged in the success of
each life that they touch.
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Faculty
Ella
Bender
Foreign
Language
Specialist,
All Grades
Ella Bender is
a native New
Yorker who
brings to us
her 35 years
of foreign
language
teaching
experience in
middle school
and high
school. For 15
of those
years, she
served also as
the Foreign
Languages
Department
Chairperson.
Ella is a
graduate of
temple
University
(B.S. in Ed.)
and Huter
College
(M.A.). She
also holds a
Professional
certificate in
Administration
and
Supervision
which she
earned during
her doctoral
studeis at
Fordham
University
(A.B.D.). Ella
has also
worked for 14
years as a
trainer/tutor
to Bar/Bat
Mitzvah
students as
they prepare
to chant torah
and Haftarah.
Ella and her
husband live
in West Palm
Beach. Among
her many
interests are
reading,
singing,
traveling, and
doing
crossword
puzzles.
Recently, she
has become
"addicted" to
Sudoku.
Laurel
Rubin (Laurie)
Elementary
Teacher Grades
1-3
Laurie spent
her first year
of college at
Emory
University in
Atlanta, GA,
after being
accepted into
the music
department.
She then
switched gears
and received a
BA in Criminal
Justice from
the University
of Maryland in
1988. She
earned an M.Ed
in Elementary
education from
Lesley College
in Cambridge,
MA in 1990,
after
discovering
her passion
for working
with children.
She was
employed by
the Brimmer
and May School
in Boston for
12 years.
There she
worked in the
Public
Relations and
Development
offices, was
an assistant
in the music
department,
ran the
Extended Day
program, and
coached both
middle and
upper school
basketball and
tennis teams.
After
promising
herself never
to live
through
another
blizzard
again, she
left Boston
six years ago
to raise her
two children,
Talia and
Dustin, in
south Florida.
Besides
working here
at #1
Education
Place she also
tutors and
teaches piano
and takes time
to enjoy
living in the
Florida
warmth.
Rebecca
Gozar
Middle School
Teacher Grades
6-8
Rebecca is originally from
Aurora,
Illinois and
earned a
Bachelor of
Arts degree
summa cum
laude in
Secondary
Education and
Spanish from
Cornell
College in
Mount Vernon,
Iowa.
She earned her
Master of Arts
degree in
Spanish with
high honors
from St. Louis
University on
their campus
in Madrid,
Spain.
Rebecca taught
sixth through
eighth grade
Spanish sat a
public middle
school in
Highland Park,
Illinois for
seven and a
half years
before moving
to
Florida.
She has been
teaching
middle school
at #1
Education
Place since
January, 2012
and finds the
experience
rewarding.
When she is
not working,
Rebecca loves
spending time
with her
daughter.
She also
recently
competed in
her first
triathlon and
enjoys
traveling.
Gregory
Tarnowski
Science
Director, High
School
Greg has been
educating
adults and
teens about
computers
since 1982. He
has a
Bachelor's in
Engineering in
Materials
&
Metallurgical
Engineering
from Stevens
Institute of
Technology and
worked for
Howmedica, a
manufacturer
of orthopedic
implants, for
14 years.
There, Greg
held several
engineering
positions and
also managed a
group of 5
people until
the company
was sold. Greg
then obtained
a Network
Engineering
Specialist
diploma from
Business
Training
Institute and
acquired
several
computer
certifications.
Greg provides
computer and
networking
support and
training to
both home and
small
businesses. He
taught various
computer-related
courses to
adults and
teens for over
three years
before joining
our team in
2004 as a
science and
math
instructor.
David
Anafi
Math Director,
High School
David is a
retired
physicist with
a B.S. in
Physics and a
M.S. in
Electrical
Engineering.
His final
position was
Vice President
Engineering /
Chief
Scientist for
a company that
produced
scientific
instruments.
His
responsibilities
included
managing the
engineering
department as
well as
laboratory
demonstration
projects using
high powered
lasers.
All of David's
positions
involved the
extensive use
of math,
physics, and
chemistry.
He worked
directly with
both technical
people as well
as management,
giving him an
excellent
perspective on
how to teach
and explain
concepts in
math and
science
ranging from
basic math to
Calculus,
Statistics,
Physics,
Chemistry, and
SAT/ACT Math.
Peter
LaFerrara
Math Teacher,
High School
Peter has been
training and
supporting
adults and
teens in
computers
since
1999. He
earned a BA in
economics from
St. Peter's
College and
started his
career working
on a team that
tested Y2K
complaint
software for a
regional
bank. He
worked for 10
years as an IT
support
specialist,
focusing on
end user
support and
training.
He holds
numerous
technical
certifications
and has worked
with a variety
of people from
established
business
managers to
first time
computer
users.
In addition to
working with
people
one-on-one, he
spent 2 years
teaching
technical
classes and
has developed
a knack for
breaking down
complex
material so
that it is
approachable
and
understandable
to people with
less
experience.
He also enjoys
camping,
kayaking,
and the
outdoors.
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