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.

Mrs. Borders is a 3’s preschool lead teacher and curriculum coordinator. In her administrative position, Mrs. Borders manages all teacher training  licensing requirements and report to the Head of School. In addition, Mrs. Borders coordinates the quality improvement system among the lead teachers. Mrs. Borders in at Shenker Academy for the past 10 years and her experience is beneficial to all our team members.

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 Haylee Kluge, and  I am the Lead Teacher in the Whales classroom this year. This is my second year at Shenker Academy. I am holding a Bachelors’s in Liberal arts, a Master’s in Early Childhood Education as well as a CDA certification. 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 Peta Porotesano, and I am the lead teacher for the Funky Frogs Two-year-old classroom for this school year. I have joined Shenker Academy after 5 years leading a classroom at the 9th Bridge School in Las Vegas and after a few years of ECE experienec in the State of Hawaii. I hold a CDA in Toddler Education from the University of Nevada Reno,  and I am excited to continue and share my knowledge and experience with my students, team, and parents.

Hello, I’m Samantha Panoy, and I am the lead teacher for the Little Sailors- 18M children. I hold a CDA in Early Childhood – Toddler from the University of Nevada-Reno, and I have worked as a preschool assistant and lead teacher at Shenker Academy for the past 4 years. 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 Ms. Genesis Rangel, and I am the enrichment specialist for Pre-Kindergarten and kindergarten grades. After leading position for the past 5 years, and after completeing my CDA and my BA in ECE, I am glad to assume this important role at Shenker Academy. I will work individually with over 100 students to enhance their reading and reading comprehension and to advance students per their needs and their progress. I work collaboratively with 5 lead teachers to meet the growing different needs of our students.

My name is Ms. Michelle and after 6 years at Shenker Academy I am glad to help with all the immediate needs of parents, students and teachers. I will be at the front desk, helping you with any questions you have (from last minute lunch order to communication between home and classroom teams and more). Please feel free to call me or email me at any time during the day and after hours.

My name is Sarah Tobin, and I am the reading specialist for the 3’s and the 2’s students. I am working with over 80 students, primarily one on one, to meet their reading needs per their progress. The lead teachers in those grades and myself determine the remediation and the acceleration needs and we move forward with enrichment and support that are caterd to each different learner.

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.

My name is Mr. Matt Murphy, and I am a musician, teacher 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. I spent the past twenty years perfecting my craft as a drummer and percussionist. I was the drummer at the “The Rat Pack Tribute”,  ‘This show brings back the good ol’ days when Vegas was Vegas, and from From 2009-2011, I held down the drum seat for International Superstar Charo, as she traveled the world. I love bringing my expertise to the Shenker Academy.

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.