My name is Angelique Catala and I am excited to be teaching here at Bay Academy.   This is also my first year teaching middle school so it is equally exciting as we begin this new journey together.

I am a proud Summa Cum Laude graduate of Touro College where I received my Master's Degree in General & Special Education in 2011.  For the last 10 years, I have enjoyed educating the students of New York City teaching 3rd and 4th grade.  My philosophy towards education is that it should be engaging, individualized, and most of all.....FUN!!!  In my classroom, students are encouraged, challenged, and supported, but most of all, they know that they are loved.  

When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my husband and 2 children.  I love to sing, dance, and tell jokes.  I am a big kid at heart who rushes to be in the front of the rollercoaster and competes to see who can jump highest on a trampoline lol.

I am proud to be a part of the Bay Academy family and look forward to creating memories this year!! 

This is my 7th year teaching at the Bay Academy. I have been working for a total of 9 years in NYC schools. I received my Masters Degree in Childhood Education from Wagner college in 2007. As an ELA teacher, I love being given the opportunity to provide students with the chance to develop a love for reading and writing.

My name is Sonia DeFreitas, I have been teaching at The Bay Academy for the past 13 years. I am certified to teach Special Education and General Education. With my experience as a teacher I always strive to give my students 1000th percent. My goal is to motivate my students to produce work that they are proud of as well as learn from.

Hi! My name is Thomas Finale and I am a 7th and 8th grade math teacher here at the Bay Academy. This will be my fifth year at the Bay Academy and I thoroughly enjoy my time here. Growing up Math was my favorite class, and I now take pride in helping students achieve not only an efficient Math state score but to get them ready for HS and the real world. 

I have a Masters degree in special education. I grew up not too far from the Bay Academy and generally enjoy giving back to the community. I also became the head boys basketball coach for our MSBL basketball team. Coaching basketball is something I wanted to do my all my life and I thank Ms. Timo for that opportunity. Last year the boys team was rated #1 in NYC before losing in the Brooklyn semifinals on a buzzer beater. Growing up I played basketball everyday, and would eventually play HS and College basketball. In May of 2018 I became a father.  This was truly a blessing and the best day of my life. I look forward to spending time with him and hoping one day he will be luck enough to attend the Bay Academy. 

Whether it be Math, the basketball team or just being stopped in the hallway, my goal is to help kids achieve and to be one of the small and many bridges that one day will guide them to get to their destination. 

Hello Parents & Students! I earned my bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University. After graduating, I was selected to be a part of the New York City Teaching Fellows program where I started my teaching career at the Bay Academy over ten years ago. I earned my Master’s Degree in Teaching Students with Disabilities from Long Island University. I believe that all children can learn. I enjoy helping them achieve all their goals. I look forward to teaching your children and having a successful school year!

For the past eight years I have taught at Bay Academy. Certified in both Dance & Special Education, dance has always been a passion of mine and an important part of my life.  I look forward to sharing that passion with my students in the studio and helping them to feel confident, motivated and inspired at all times while working in an environment that they feel comfortable to express themselves in. I began dancing recreationally at the age of three and competitively dancing at the age of ten, competing and performing in different dance showcases throughout the city.  I have been trained in many different styles including Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern Lyrical & Contemporary and recently taken continuing courses through the DEL Lab. Being part of a dance troupe, our choreography has been celebrated and showcased in different NYC festivals such as COOL NY, the Dumbo Dance Festival, Kat Wildish Dance Festival and AIM Invitational. I found a love for choreographing and teaching at a young age and enjoyed my time choreographing many recital pieces. Studying at The Broadway Dance Center and The Brooklyn Dance Center throughout my dance career has allowed me to incorporate many different experiences into my teaching practice.  My hope is to build confident, strong and disciplined well-rounded dancers and students who will succeed in not only dance but in all they strive to do.