Lower School Faculty & Staff
We are grateful for our incredibly passionate, dedicated faculty at Haddonfield Friends School.
Read on to learn why our teachers are an important part of our learning community.

Tr. Marietta (Hanigan), Kindergarten
I have been teaching at HFS for over 30 years. I have taught children in the Early childhood center all the way up to fourth grade. However, kindergarten is my absolute favorite. Teaching a child how to read is simply magical. In addition to teaching, I enjoy being a puppy raiser for Canine Companions. As part of the puppy’s training, the pup will come to school with me, every day throughout the school year. These puppies arrive at eight weeks of age and stay until 18 months when they are returned for advanced training to become fully certified Service Dogs. Not only do I enjoy raising puppies in the classroom, I also enjoy raising Monarch Butterflies. Last year alone, our kindergarten raised and released over 200 butterflies. We released the butterflies with a beautiful celebration that concluded with the kindergarten children, dressed in monarch wings, parading through Haddonfield! Bio
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Tr. Ellen (Smyth), Kindergarten
I am very grateful to be an educator and parent in the HFS community. I admire the freedom the students are given to be creative, confident, and enthusiastic learners. I value our interactions, lessons, questions, stories and successes, both big and small. It is magical to see through the eyes of a child. I am truly lucky to be a teacher at such a unique school. I spend my personal time enjoying adventures and experiences with my lovely daughter Mia, who is a student in our community. We both love being part of HFS.Bio
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Tr. Alexa (Simone), Kindergarten
I am truly grateful to be starting my sixth year at HFS. I started my journey at HFS teaching 3-4-year-olds, but the majority of my time has been spent in Kindergarten. I am passionate about building a strong foundation for little learners and fostering confidence in all of the unique qualities that make them shine. Early childhood is a beautiful time of planting seeds that will grow throughout a child’s whole learning journey. Throughout my time here I have had the opportunity to see some of those seeds grow as students develop confidence in themselves as learners. I love to incorporate my background in theatre and art through movement and creativity in our daily activities. I approach every class with a focus on the whole and individual child. Kindergarten is a time when we begin to think about who we are and who we want to be in the world. HFS provides a welcoming space to explore this concept along with a focus on community, culture, and curiosity. My favorite thing to do in my spare time is volunteer for Camp Cranium, a camp for children with traumatic brain injuries. I lead programming for their week-long camp in the Summer! I also enjoy spending time with my husband and the love of our lives, our old pup, Pebbles.Bio
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Tr. Barbara (Good) Kindergarten
I am happy to be joining the staff at HFS. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience as a counselor at the HFS Summer Camp this summer. Prior to that experience, I was a Preschool and Kindergarten Assistant Teacher, and facilitated the Before and Aftercare Program at Resurrection School in Cherry Hill for 18 years. I enjoy working with children and find it very rewarding to be a part of each child’s growth academically and socially throughout the school year. My family is very important to me. I enjoy family dinners and spending time together on the weekends. Autumn is my absolute favorite season. I love all the bright colors and the wonderful smell of hot apple cider and cinnamon on a brisk fall day. Bio
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Tr. Marie (Rossi), Kindergarten
I have been a part of the HFS Community for 10 wonderful years. During that time I have had experience working with all of the students from the ECC through middle school in the Extended Day Program, as a substitute teacher, Summer Camp Counselor, and classroom assistant. I’m organized, flexible, and fun loving, and enjoy problem solving, creative thinking, and helping students in their various activities. I’m looking forward to another wonderful year at HFS.Bio
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Tr. Alaina (Shivers), Kindergarten
I am thankful to be a Friends school alum and I am thrilled to teach at HFS! My dream since kindergarten was to be a kindergarten teacher and I am now living out that dream. I am so excited to be co-teaching kindergarten with Tr. Annie and make new memories with the kindergarten team. I strive to build trust and relationships with each student and create a classroom community where everyone that walks in feels welcomed and accepted. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my two dogs. Bio
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Tr. Annie (Martucci), Kindergarten
I love the unique and wonderful community here at HFS and really enjoy making special connections each year with these bright young students. I strive to be a caring, compassionate, supportive, and effective teacher for the children here at HFS. I’m so excited to help grow young minds in Kindergarten, co-teaching with Tr. Alaina, as we create lasting memories with friends! In my spare time I love to go down the shore with my dog, Cookie and my friends and family! I also have experience teaching yoga and love to share that with the students!Bio
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Tr. Emily (Vendrick) 1st Grade
I joined the HFS community eleven years ago as a lower school teacher, and I am thrilled to teach first grade this year. Every day is an adventure, and I love to share the joy of discovery with my students as they explore the world around them and grow as readers, writers, mathematicians, artists, musicians, scientists, historians, engineers, and critical thinkers. Prior to HFS, I student-taught in Allentown, PA and London, England and gained invaluable experience teaching K-4th grade students in Philadelphia. I also taught English at a summer camp in China and earned my master’s degree in reading. As an alumna of HFS, my mother shared fond memories while I was growing up; her Pre-K-6th grade experience provided her with a strong academic foundation, life-long friendships, Quaker values, and confidence. I too am thankful to be part of such a close-knit, caring community and that my daughter is a student at HFS, creating her own memories to treasure. My husband, Chris, and I also have a baby boy and two tabby cats. In my spare time, I enjoy being outside, writing children’s fiction, visiting the library, and spending time with family at the shore.Bio
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Tr. Heather (McMahon), 1st grade
Teaching and interacting with young children are my passions. Sharing ideas, writing stories, problem-solving and coming together as a ‘classroom family’ are the things that have drawn me to education. I strongly believe that each child brings something extra special into the classroom community of learners. I live in Woolwich Township with my three sons, Jack 22, Will 20, and Ryan 18. I also have two dogs- Lucky and Teddie. It’s a busy household! During my free time I love to read historical fiction novels and take the dogs to the dog park- Lucky loves to swim!! I also enjoy watching my two youngest sons play baseball.Bio
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Tr. Kelly (Raveling), 2nd Grade
I am so thankful to be part of the HFS family! I love the energy and joy that Lower School students bring with them each day. I believe in building community and creating a safe space in the classroom that fosters independence, risk taking, and curiosity. I live with my husband, Brian, and two children, Claire and Colin. I love going on outdoor adventures with my family, running, yoga, and taking time to relax, as my kiddos sure do keep me busy!Bio
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Tr. Jacob (Kerner), 2nd grade
Hello! My name is Jacob Laliberte-Kerner and I am thrilled to be part of the HFS community! My partner Lindsay, son Elliot (here with us in the lower school), and I live in Moorestown NJ and are so happy to have found such a delightful community to join and with which to grow. We love exploring outdoors and spending time in nature, reading and telling stories, watching muppet movies, working in our ever-expanding garden, visiting science and art exhibitions and museums, biking, and finding great places both to try new foods from around the world and to eat pizza and drink coffee. A graduate of Carolina Friends School in Durham North Carolina, my practice as a teacher today is rooted in my own Quaker education. I learned the intrinsic value of my own curiosity and the joy of discovery, as well as the power inherent in a community where each person is valued and all voices are heard. I graduated with my BA from Franklin and Marshall college in Lancaster PA in 2006 and moved to Washington DC where I pursued my interest in child development, teaching, and the arts at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center. Using the Smithsonian collection as our classroom, I honed my interest in and curiosity about the role of creativity in early education. In 2009 I moved to West Philadelphia to pursue my MSeD in Reading/Writing/Literacy/Arts at the Upenn Graduate School of Education – which set me up well for bringing social advocacy, literacy/arts specialization, and more than 10 years working with children, families and other educators in the preschool, Kindergarten, and elementary grades to my practice. As a teacher within the HFS community, I strive to bring my love of the process of art and creation, the qualitative and quantitative methods of studying the world, natural treasures from the great outdoors, and the power of storytelling into the classroom and school community in general! Can’t wait to meet you!Bio
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Tr. Brooke (Beyer), 3rd grade
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Tr. Megan (Culbertson), 4th grade
I believe, wholeheartedly, in the power of education especially when every voice is not only heard but respected. It’s such a blessing to be teaching at Haddonfield Friends School. I’m so humbled that I am able to spend this time with your incredible children. Children’s perspectives are key to better understanding human nature. I believe in the importance of hands-on learning in a joyful environment where we think critically, ask questions and engage in meaningful conversations. I look forward to learning right alongside my students. Together we can do hard things and succeed when we don’t think it’s possible through hard work and dedication. The sky’s the limit and I am looking forward to helping my students soar this year! I have two pretty fantastic children with whom I enjoy spending time. I enjoy gardening, walking our two dogs, going to the beach or pool in the summer and reading by the fire in the winter. We enjoy hiking and theme parks too.Bio
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Tr. Lara (Carson), Floating Teacher
It’s an absolute joy to be a member of the HFS community! I was first introduced to Quakerism through the QuEST service fellowship with University Friends Meeting in Seattle, WA. Through the program, I developed a deep appreciation for the Quaker SPICES and fostered my passion for working with kids as a coordinator at a youth leadership nonprofit. Most recently, I was a K-12 substitute teacher with Denver Public Schools in Colorado. I’m currently pursuing my Master of Education in School and Mental Health Counseling at the University of Pennsylvania. My greatest goal is to honor the unique talents, perspectives, experiences, and identities of all students through academic, career, and social and emotional counseling so they feel empowered to access their full potential. In my spare time, I love rock climbing, traveling, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.Bio
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