Therese Lesser

Teacher at KT since 2000

Therese Lesser has been a teacher for over 20 years, ten as lead teacher at Katrina Trask Cooperative Nursery School. Prior to teaching at KTNS she taught in the early childhood program at the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs and at Greenburg Childcare Center at Skidmore College. In addition she has taught elementary students with learning disabilities and worked as a Prevention Educator with at risk elementary students for Project Lift in Saratoga Springs.

Therese studied at Sophia's Hearth in Keene, NH focusing on Nurturing the Young Child from Birth to Three in which the insights of Waldorf Education were incorporated. Other professional development includes Children's Literature, Movement and Rhythm in Music, Math in the Curriculum and the Reggio Emilia Study.

She finds teaching preschoolers to be fun, rewarding, and especially enjoys taking time to talk with her students and observing their daily discoveries and interactions with their peers and their environment. She feels that working at a cooperative nursery school is an incredible experience where the emphasis on each child's family's involvement helps to create the optimum learning environment. "The children, the families and the teachers are all integral parts of our cooperative!"

She graduated from North Country Community College with an AAS in Crafts Management and an AAS in Early Childhood Education from California College for Health Sciences. She is a member of the NYS and National Association of the Education of the Young Child and certified in Infant-Child CPR.

A Saratoga Springs resident for the past 15 years she enjoys reading, invigorating walks, vegetarian cooking and baking with her two daughters and spending time with her family and friends.

Andrea Famiano

Teacher at KT since 2003

Andrea is a certified New York State teacher and has been working with children for more than 20 years. For the last seven years she has been the lead teacher at Katrina Trask Cooperative Nursery School. Prior to teaching at KTNS she taught elementary school in Rensselear NY, substitute taught in grades K-6, and co-authored the school curriculum for an alternative school for gifted children. Andrea also ran before and after school programs and directed summer camps for elementary school children.

Andrea obtained her Master's Degree in Reading from the State University of Albany. Her undergraduate studies in Elementary Education were completed at the State University at Oneonta and Hudson Valley Community College. She is a member of the NYS and National Association of the Education of the Young Child. She has also attended a wide variety of teacher workshops over the years.

Andrea overall finds teaching to be very rewarding, exciting and fun. "I love talking to the children, hearing their ideas, and watching them make discoveries in their environment and with their peers. Having daily communication with the families of our cooperative, and working together to provide an optimal learning environment makes our school very unique."

Andrea has lived in Saratoga Springs for the last 20 years with her husband and two children. She enjoys gardening, the great outdoors, riding her horses, scrapbooking and spending quality time with her family and friends.