I would like to first and foremost thank all parents and students for a wonderful school year. This year marks my sixteenth year teaching in the New York Public School system as a middle school educator. However, my desire and passion for teaching started long before when I was still a student in high school. I received both my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with a Minor in History and my Masters in Education from The College of Staten Island. I have also recently earned my certification in Gifted Education from the University at Buffalo. For years I taught both English Language Arts and Mathematics, however, I have only been teaching Mathematics for the past 3 years. There are many goals that I have set for our students and hope that with your support we can make this year a success. You may contact me with any questions/concerns at MAfonso@schools.nyc.gov.

It has been my pleasure to teach at The Bay Academy for the last 18 years. In addition to teaching I am also the 8th Grade Dean. I enjoy working with children on both the academic and social levels. Looking forward to an exciting year!

Hi, my name is Jennifer Buback and I am so excited to start my first year at the Bay Academy. Throughout my life I always knew I wanted to teach young children. Therefore I started my education at Brooklyn College, earning my Bachelor’s in Education. From there, I went to Touro College for a dual Master’s in Education and Special Education. Finally after all that schooling, my journey in education started 18 years ago as an elementary school teacher. I spent many years teaching grades 3,4 and 5 until I became an instructional coach for teachers at the UFT. I loved helping and supporting teachers but missed the energy and curiosity that students can bring to a classroom.

Ms. Cuoco is in her 15^th year teaching Math at the Bay Academy for the Arts & Sciences: 10 years in Grade 7 and 5 years in Grade 8. 

From an early age, Ms. Cuoco enjoyed school, was interested in learning and had a desire to help others. It would have been only natural that she follow in her mother’s footsteps and major in Education when she attended college. However, while studying at Susquehanna University, she enrolled in courses that she enjoyed: Calculus, Linear Algebra, and Geometry (to name a few) eventually declaring her major as Mathematics. In her last year, she discovered an interest in the art of communication, and declared a minor in Speech Communication.

Following graduation, Ms. Cuoco, who had been accepted into the NYC Teaching Fellows program, began her journey into a career in Education, after all. As a graduate student at Brooklyn College, she discovered her love of teaching students how to problem solve, a necessary tool for success in any math class. To this day, she strives to create lessons where her students can work to become expert problem solvers while also enhancing their communication skills. Her love of math is evident in each of the lessons she creates. She hopes that her students develop the skills essential for future math courses and can use them in solving life’s problems. For the past 12 years, Ms. Cuoco has used her expertise in math and teaching to help students improve their skills through the after-school program.

As a member of the Bay Academy faculty, Ms. Cuoco has held several leadership roles. For 4 years, she was the UFT Chapter Leader, holding a seat on the School Leadership Team and being a core member of the Inquiry Team.  Working closely with the administration and leading her chapter of teachers and paraprofessionals, she enhanced her communication skills and attributes this position to her developing into a stronger person and teacher. In 2012, Ms. Cuoco was designated the coordinator for the Edline website. In a collaborative effort to improve communication between the school and the home, she designed and maintained the website to provide teachers, parents, and students with valuable resources. Over the course of the following 6 years, Ms. Cuoco trained both the parents and the teachers on the website, holding parent engagement workshops and teacher professional development workshops. Currently, Ms. Cuoco trains the teachers on Bay Academy’s electronic gradebook, JupiterEd. 

As the years passed and Ms. Cuoco honed her craft, she developed an interest in assessment. In 2013, she began her first year as a Content Trainer for the New York State Math exam. It was a perfect fit for her. Each year, she continues to hold this position and enjoys teaching the teachers how to apply the rubrics to score the NYS exam. However, Ms. Cuoco had set her sights higher when it came to assessment. So, when she was invited to apply for a position, which would allow her to write and review exam questions and create the rubric for exam questions, she quickly took it. She was selected among the many applicants to travel to Albany, work with Questar, the Educational Assessment Company, and the NYS Education Department on the Test Development process. Now, for the past three years, Ms. Cuoco has been an integral part of the creation and scoring of the NYS Grade 8 Math exam. She has not only reviewed and revised Grade 8 NYS Math exam questions but she has also reviewed field test responses and determined the specific rubric for each of the questions. Now, this truly was a perfect fit.

Aside from math and teaching, Ms. Cuoco has a passion for helping others. Each year, she leads the Bay Academy teachers in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk, raising money for the American Cancer Society. Following Superstorm Sandy, she became increasingly more involved in her community, Breezy Point, as they endured the difficult recovery process.  In 2014, Ms. Cuoco created the Pi Day @ Bay fundraiser to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Each year, she motivates the teachers and students to contribute to a children’s charity while also celebrating the most famous irrational constant, π. The day, which consists of a teacher pie-eating contest and a teacher pie toss, has become one of the most fun days of the school year. She is proud to have led the teachers and students to raise thousands of dollars for St. Jude’s.

In her summers, Ms. Cuoco enjoys the beach, spending time with her family and friends, and playing with her dog, Bella and her goddaughter, Sophia.  Also, she enjoys travelling to Europe, her favorite countries to visit being Portugal and Ireland. Ms. Cuoco is a natural born teacher. She attributes her love of teaching to her first teacher, her mom and her tireless work ethic to her dad. Together, her parents instilled a love of hard work and dedication in her. Her teaching philosophy can best be summarized by this quote. “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.”

Welcome students and parents!! This is my third year teaching at Bay Academy. I am extremely excited to be working with the 6th grade and 8th grade! I have had a passion for teaching ever since I was in high school and I am happy to be living my dream now. I have received a Bachelors degree in Adolescent Education from Saint Francis College and a Masters degree in Teaching English Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Touro College. My goal this year is to ensure all students will be working hard to make this year very successful! If you ever have any questions I can be reached on Jupiter Ed, or my e-email: cdeveney@schools.nyc.gov.

Hello! My name is Ms. Failla, and I am part of the 7th grade math team. This will be my third year teaching at The Bay Academy.  I have a Bachelors in Finance with a concentration in financial math, and a Masters of Art in Teaching. When I am not teaching, you can find me traveling the world, or watching sports! In 7th grade Math, we will be using Mathematics as a tool to understand and interpret our world. The key to opening the door to these opportunities is a deep understanding of important mathematical skills and utilization of solid mathematical habits of mind.  Be prepared for a fun-filled year of math with Ms. Failla! Please feel free to contact me with any questions at rfailla@schools.nyc.gov

I have been teaching 6th grade mathematics at Bay Academy since 2011. I graduated LIU with Honors and received MS in Teaching Mathematics in 2007. Math is FUN and I love teaching it :)

My name is Mrs. Santangelo and I am in my 10th year of teaching mathematics. I have received my Bachelor of Science in Forensic Toxicology from John Jay College and a Master of Arts in Mathematics Adolescent Education from Hunter College, pursued through the Teaching Opportunity Program. My teaching philosophy is that all students have the ability to succeed in math and all goals can be reached through hard work and perseverance.  The reason I pursued a career in teaching was the love for mathematics and for working with children. I truly enjoy my time in the classroom and watching my students grow into confident, well rounded young adults. Outside the classroom, I enjoy spending time with my family, attending my children's sport events, cooking, baking and traveling.

Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year. My name is Anna Savarese. I have been teaching for 15 years and this is my 9^th year teaching Mathematics at the Bay Academy. I graduated from Fordham University, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance. I also hold two Masters degrees in General Education/ Special Education and School Administration. When I am not in school, I enjoy spending time with my family, cooking and traveling. This year we will be using Mathematics as a tool to understand and interpret its meaning in real-world scenarios. Be prepared for a fun-filled year with math and Mrs. Savarese!

I have been teaching 7th grade math for the past 15 years. I hold NYS certification in Mathematics and Special Education. It is my goal to help each and every child achieve their best. When I am not crunching numbers, I enjoy traveling to learn about different cultures and watching my beloved Yankees, Rangers and Giants

Welcome to 6th Grade Math! I am so happy to be your mathematics teacher at Bay Academy. I have been teaching 6th Grade Math for fifteen years. I earned my Bachelor's Degree from The College Of Staten Island and my Master's Degree from Cambridge College. I also earned my Advanced Graduate Certificate in Gifted Education at the University at Buffalo. This year we will be learning many new mathematical concepts and how these concepts relate to various real world situations. Some of the major topics we will be covering include fractions, decimals, percents, equations, and expressions. We will also work on problem solving skills in relation to these topics. I enjoy helping all children achieve their goals. I also look forward to teaching your children and having a successful school year!

My name is Nicole Yau, and I'm excited to say this is my 10th year teaching in Bay Academy. Having taught 6th, 7th, 8th and Regents level students throughout this decade, I can definitely say that students at any age have great potential! I grew up in New York City and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School (back in the old days when there were only three specialized high schools), Syracuse University with a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Policy Studies, and St. John’s University with a M.S. Ed. in Secondary Education in Mathematics. This year, I will be teaching 4 sections of accelerated 8th grade Regents classes and 1 section of 7th grade common core math. I look forward to teaching your children. If there are any questions or concerns, please email me at NYau@schools.nyc.gov or message me through JupiterEd or Class Dojo.