Dr. Sharon R. Knafo is a leader in education with over 20 years of administrative experience in elementary and secondary public and private schools. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Bar-Ilan in Sociology, and a Master’s degree in Social Sciences from Ben-Gurion University, as well as Teaching Certification from the State of Texas, the State of Nevada, and the Israeli Ministry of Education. Dr. Knafo completed Day School Management and Leadership Studies at the JTS in New York City and received his Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership and Management from the University of Memphis.

After fulfilling a variety of leadership positions as a principal in elementary and middle schools in Memphis Tennessee and Houston, Texas, he assumed the position of School Head at  Shenker Academy. Dr. Knafo is married+2 and finds the time to write in various publications and speak to employees and non-profit organizations around the country about careers and organizational culture. Dr. Knafo addressed audiences in universities, schools, congregations, community centers, and at various conferences and events. His educational philosophy embraces the balance between academic achievements, creativity, cognitive development, and social growth, and sees the necessity of skilled management interwoven with educational mission and vision as a vital component when leading a school. In the center, Dr. Knafo views the personal relationship and the community building around the school as a unique strength of Shenker Academy.

My name is Melissa Rogers and I have an Administration background along with 14 years of extensive Sales and Marketing experience. I started my path at Shenker Academy as a parent and fell in love with the school and its amazing staff. I have been working with the administration team since 2017 and after a short maturity leave, I was happy to return as a full-time member of this dedicated team. I am here to assist our teachers, our students and our parents with anything that you need; and look forward to welcoming prospective families to our lovely campus.

My name is Casey Camat, and I am an Administrative Assistant here at Shenker Academy. with more than 10 years of experience coordinating business HR office, it is my goal to provide excellent customer service to our families and children at Shenker Academy. I will help you with all your admissions needs and make sure to communicate with you promptly.

My name is Sheryl Davis-Haas. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and have been teaching for over twelve years. I started my journey in education as a Pre-K/Kindergarten teacher in Okinawa, Japan where I began teaching at an International Montessori based school. I have since been blessed by teaching Kindergarten at Zion Christian Academy (Okinawa, Japan), Second Grade, and First/Second Grade combination class at Tree of Life Christian School (Las Vegas, Nevada). I also held the Vice Principal position at Tree of Life for four years. Teaching has always been a passion for me. I first started teaching English in Korea, Germany, and Japan, but gradually earned my BA in Early Childhood Education. It is an honor to be teaching Kindergarten; my sixth year at Shenker Academy.

My name is Maria Causey and I am the Lead Teacher in the Little Rangers classroom. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and I have taught in the State of Delaware for six years before moving to Las Vegas. I am passionate about teaching and learning, and after teaching middle school age and elementary school age I have taken a turn and focused on early childhood education. I am grateful to join the team at Shenker Academy and I am happy to have such a great class this year. 

My name is Lauren Alvarez,  and I am the Lead Teacher in The Pete’s Pals classroom. After moving from California to Las Vegas, I worked in the Lamb of God School for three years and taught the 3-year-old program, as well as the pre-kindergarten class. I have joined Shenker Academy in the Summer of 2018, and I am excited to teach my Pete’s Pals during the 2018-9 school year.

My name is Kijai Riddick-Tuipelehake and I am the Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher of the Wonder Kids. Prior to moving back home here in Las Vegas, I tutored children with special needs, worked at the YWCA Youth Center, and contributed as a volunteer with local charity programs in Virginia. Working with children is my passion. It is my mission to prepare my class for Kindergarten and enrich their lives with the fundamentals of STEM. After leading the kindergarten-first grade for 2020-2, I am very excited and happy to lead the pre-kindergarten and be a part of the Shenker Academy team!

My name is Michelle Padgett, and  I am the Lead Teacher in the Whales classroom this year. This is my first year at Shenker Academy. I have taught English abroad, and I am planning to teach in Europe for the 2021 school year. I am holding a Bachelors’s in Liberal arts, I am excited to lead the 3’s Whales, and I enjoy being part of the Shenker Academy team. 

My name is Jobel Mabasa, and I am the 3’s Lead teacher at Shenker Academy. I love working with the students through centers and defined structure, and the students learn writing, letters, sight words, reading comprehension, science, and mathematics from a very young age. I work very closely with parents to meet individual needs, and my communication through our app and our newsletter is vital for the growth and support of my students.

My name is Paola Borders. I am originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and I have been living in the US for the past 20 years. I have been working in the field of early childhood education for fourteen years. I am the teacher for the three-year-olds in the Safari Kids classroom. I believe that teaching and mentoring this age group is not only challenging but also very gratifying. Our classroom is always busy. Art materials are within children’s reach to enable them to create their masterpieces. In addition to art, there are 11 other different areas of interest in our classroom available for all children to help enhance their learning. I am very excited and honored to be the Safari Kids teacher for the past five years.

Hello, my name is Betzy Rangel, and after working for three years at Shenker Academy, I assumed the lead position in the Two-Year-Old program. I hold a CDA from the University of Nevada – Reno, and I have hours of Nevada Registry training.

My name is Genesis Rangel, and I am the lead teacher for the Funky Frogs Two-year-old classroom for this school year. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education at the University of Nevada–Las Vegas and plan to pursue a career where I can help foster the creativity and intelligence of our next generation. After being a lead teacher for the past 3 years, I am excited to continue and share my knowledge and experience with my students, team, and parents.

Hello, I’m Mr. Reeza Montegudo, and I am currently working on my degree in  Education followed. I have worked as a preschool assistant teacher at Shenker Academy for the past 3 years, and I love working with 18-month-old children since they are in the“discovery” phase of their school. My approach is to encircle the subject with all the different areas of learning. We touch, see, hear, smell, and sometimes taste everything about it. Above all, I encourage exploration, imagination, curiosity, creativity, problem-solving skills, and thinking outside the box.

My name is Ms. Stephanie R., and I am excited to be the 18M lead teacher. I am very excited to see the children’s abilities grow with the curriculum planned for the school year. I am experienced with early childhood education, and after working at the Academy for 4 years I assumed the role of a Lead. My educational philosophy is that educators are here for helping each child individually reach their milestones and develop into their own person through exploration, trial, and error, and learning is an honorable experience to share with the children in my classroom.

My name is Jaime DeLeon, and I am the lead teacher in the 12M program. Working with many of my students in the Infant Room, I feel fortunate to continue and engage the young ones in education, through play, read, music, arts, and more.

My name is Sharon Beeman, and I am the Hebrew instructor at Shenker Academy. I love to use colorful props, games, songs, and more when teaching the Hebrew language, word at a time, in a fun and enriching sessions.

My name is Mr. Blaine Senior, and I am a musician and performer in Las Vegas. Fridays are my week anticipated music days at Shenker Academy, and I love bringing new music trends to the children through percussion instruments. 

My name is Shannon Osborne, and I began conversing with her son, Elijah, when he was still crawling. That was 15 years ago. Now, I teach other parents and children how to communicate with their child through sign language. I am a language specialist in my training, and I am the owner of Wee Can Sign. I teach the signs most pertinent to children’s lives, from  “mom and dad,” to “please and thank you” to stories, songs, and more.