Beth Desmarais I graduated from Merrimack College with a BS in Business Administration and have spent much of my career in Sales, Marketing and Sales Management. While I was home raising my young family, I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer on a regular basis in my children’s elementary school classrooms. The Pandemic gave me cause to pause and I decided to shift my focus from a business environment to something I truly enjoy, which is working with children in education. When not in the classroom, you can typically find me at a Windham High School football, basketball or lacrosse game watching my boys do what they love best! I also volunteer as a member of the Windham High School Athletic Booster’s Board, where I serve as the Football and Boys’ Basketball team liaisons. I live here in Windham with my husband, our three teenage boys and our Golden Retriever, Roxy.

Michelle Pilaria Coming soon!

Emily Vadeboncoeur Coming soon!

Brenda Barth, RN I so enjoy being part of the Windham Academy family! ​ I went back to school for my Nursing Degree when my two children were young. More than ten years of my experience comes from Family Practice and Women’s Care Issues. For six years, I worked in several school districts as a float nurse before joining the team at Windham Academy. I look forward to seeing our returning students and meeting our new friends in the coming year.

Haley Gilmore As a school counselor, I will be a dedicated resource for our school community as I build a comprehensive school counseling (guidance) department at Windham Academy. I am passionate about cultivating a safe and inviting place for students to learn, create and grow as both students and human beings as a whole. I hope to bring my knowledge of social emotional learning, mindfulness, and neuroscience to my role. I earned my Master’s Degree in School Counseling K-12 from Plymouth State University. I previously worked in the Manchester School District as a licensed school counselor. Prior to pursuing my Master’s, I taught 4th grade English Language Arts and have worked in various roles within the school system for the past 10 years. I am excited to meet you all and look forward to supporting the students and families of Windham Academy.

Theresa Adams I earned both my Bachelors of Science Degree and my Masters of Education Degree at Northeastern University. I believed I needed more specialized education to meet the needs of the diverse student populations within the classroom so I obtained my post graduate certificate in Behavioral Intervention in Autism for Certified Behavioral Analyst Prep from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. I had the privilege of working at Windham Academy as a paraeducator prior to joining the team as a teacher. I learned so much from the staff during that time, as well as becoming part of the wonderful community at this school. When I am not in the classroom, I enjoy reading and cooking. My favorite hobby is to travel with my husband and daughter. We have a cat named Luna (as in Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series). I cannot wait to meet my students and their families! I hope to expand upon children’s natural curiosity and perpetuate that love of learning by incorporating Windham Academy’s STEM program, project-based curriculum, and best practices. Looking forward to a great year!

Shannon Broadhurst For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be an elementary school teacher. Ever since my first grade teacher inspired me and showed me how learning can be fun I’ve wanted to make that a reality for my own class! I am part of the original teaching team at Windham Academy, having started teaching second grade for the 2018-2019 school year. I have been blessed to have been a part of the growth since the very beginning. I earned my Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in 2015 from Southern New Hampshire University and I am NH certified in Elementary Education (K-6). I live in Hooksett, NH with my husband, Bryce, and our dog, Zoey. I look forward to getting to know you and your child throughout this school year!

Erika Ryan There is nothing more special to me than being part of a child’s growth – socially, emotionally, and academically. I have had the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom for the last seven years. Prior to having my children, I was a teacher at a local learning center. My work ranged from caring for infants to preparing students for first grade. I have an amazing husband and two young children. As a family, we love spending time outdoors fishing, hiking, and at the lake.

Rosemary Coughlan My background is very diverse. I am a graduate of Boston College and received my Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders from Northeastern University. I have used my degrees to be a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) in both schools and in hospitals and rehabilitation settings. Over the last 15 years, I worked for Tewksbury Public Schools in Tewksbury, MA. I was employed first as a SLP, and then spent the majority of my time there as a Special Education Case Manager. I enjoy this role tremendously as I am able to meet the parents of the students and get to know many of them really well. I feel this job is about helping to educate parents on the Special Education process and helping to implement appropriate services that their child needs. I am married to my wonderful husband Mossie, and we have four sons, a daughter-in-law, girlfriends for each of our other boys, and two grandsons, who just light up our lives. This whole group keeps us very busy. We love to travel, especially to Ireland, where my husband and many of my immediate family members are from. ​ I look forward to meeting our students and their families!

Debra Burnett I obtained a BS in Recreation Therapy and have worked with various populations with disabilities as an activity leader and coordinator. Eventually, I changed directions in my professional life to work in the field of education. In more recent years, I have worked as a paraprofessional with Pre-k through 5th grade in several elementary schools at two local public school districts. I’ve found my passion and enjoy learning from, as well as helping to teach, young students. I enjoy spending time with my husband, son and cat, going for walks, and singing with a band. I also volunteer at my local church. I had the privilege to sing the National Anthem two times with two different choral groups at Fisher Cats games!

Angela Taranto-Kelley “The interaction of heredity and environment is so extensive that to ask which is more important, nature or nurture, is like asking which is more important to a rectangle, height or width.” – Dr. William Greenough, University of Illinois My belief is teaching is about influence, caring deeply about ideas and how ideas are understood, and expressed, and stimulating the minds of students. I am a compassionate and committed educator and believe my enthusiasm to reach out to each child to develop a trusting and nurturing relationship will foster a love of learning and allow each child to reach their potential. I earned my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Development, and earned a Master of Education in Educational Studies with a concentration in School Counseling. I have instructed children in various capacities since 1986. I live in Nashua and am a parent of two. My adult son recently got married and moved to Louisiana. My daughter graduated from high school as a Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) and is pursuing a Nursing at Plymouth State University. I am honored be a part of the staff at Windham Academy, an educational facility that excites, inspires, and empowers its learners.

Mackenzie Olin Becoming a teacher has always been a dream of mine. I believe that one of my most important roles as an educator is to nurture and encourage the lifelong learning of my students. It is so important to make learning exciting and something that is fun to do! By using hands-on activities, classroom discussion and even the use of humor, I hope to prompt students to think eagerly and creatively through our STEM curriculum, all while exploring their own curiosity. I believe students who are engaged in creative and enriching activities will find a love for learning. I studied at Plymouth State University and earned my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education (K-6). I grew up in Londonderry, NH and currently live in Medford, MA. ​ My goal is to create a classroom where my students can feel comfortable to express themselves, take risks, make mistakes and also learn from them along the way to maximize their fullest potential. I am honored to be a part of Windham Academy and cannot wait to meet you all!