Selma Laurence was born in Peru and grew up in Surfside, Florida. She graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelors of Science in Recreation & Sports Management. Selma has worked in camp and park settings since college and even worked as a Park Ranger in the Grand Canyon. When Selma returned to Miami she decided to change careers to Education. She earned her Teaching Certification and worked for Miami-Dade County Schools as a Reading Interventionist and Kindergarten teacher for the past three years. She has been a member of Temple Beth Sholom since she was fifteen. Selma was married at Temple Beth Sholom and has recently become a new mother. She is very excited to be able to continue her connection with this temple by teaching here..
Natasha is Colombian American and was born in Kentucky. She grew up near Cleveland, Ohio and moved to Miami Beach when she was 15. She graduated from Miami Beach Senior Highschool and then FIU in Elementary Education. Natasha has taught grades K-2. Natasha is an artist and designer and loves dancing, yoga and many outdoor sports like mountain biking, kayaking, surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding. She loves traveling around the world, seeing new landscapes and learning about new cultures. Natasha spends her days with friends, family and her cute little maltipoo Pluto. She is so excited to get creative and have fun learning with the students of Temple Beth Sholom Innovative School.
Rachel has been a Miami Beach resident since she was 2 and ½ years old. She graduated from Ransom Everglades High School in 1996 and then The University of Miami in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Education. In 2002, Rachel earned a Master of Science in Education with a specialization in Reading and Learning Disabilities and graduated with Honors from the University of Miami. Rachel began her career teaching 3rd grade at North Miami Elementary and went on to teach at South Pointe Elementary, then Temple Beth Sholom and finally has been teaching at North Beach Elementary since 2013. Rachel has been an active congregant of Temple Beth Sholom since 1983. She is currently co-chair of the Social Justice Network, has led Direct Service Projects, has been a Mitzvah Day Captain and has been Vice President on the Board of Trustees. Rachel is on PACT’s Executive Committee as the Vice President of Media Relations and PR. Rachel is also Vice President of Fundraising for the National Council of Jewish Women. Through all of this community involvementRachel recognized that a major issue in the community is food insecurity. Rachel learned about and became involved with Food Rescue US- South Florida. For over three years, every Sunday at 8 am Rachel goes to Whole Foods and “rescues” excess food and delivers it to Lotus House or drops the food at a community fridge run by Buddy System US. In addition, to receiving The Emerging Leader Award from NCJWRachel was recognized as a “Woman Worth Knowing in Education” on Miami Beach, awarded Teacher of the Year and the Rookie Teacher of the Year at North Miami Elementary, and was earned the Outstanding Associate Teacher’s Award at the University of Miami. When Rachel finds spare time, she loves living a plant-based lifestyle, enjoys exercising (she is addicted to her Peloton bike and treadmill) and loves spending time with her husband Michael, as well as with her greatest accomplishmentsher children Max and Ellie, and their 100-pound puppies Lincoln and Duke.
Lori Ryan PhD. is Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education and Human Development. Lori’s work focuses on early education, educational leadership, equity and inclusion. Lori’s teaching, research, and coaching build the capacity of teachers and leaders where in partnership with early childhood communities, she promotes a strong image of children, families and leaders as co-constructors of their own learning stories within unique cultural contexts.
As co-director and faculty of the Buell Early Childhood Leadership Program, Lori leads a $475,000 annual grant project where a cohort of graduate fellows engage in transformational learning to co-create opportunities with Colorado’s children and families. In this work she co-leads and co-researches constructivist leadership learning design principles.
Lori serves as lead faculty in CU Denver’s Master’s degree in partnership with Boulder Journey School, and along with the school leadership serves as participating founder of the Foundation Reggio Children Loris Malaguzzi Center and on the Ph.D. Board of Reggio Childhood Studies.
Lori has been a member of the early childhood field since earning her doctorate from the State University of New at Buffalo where she studied infant toddler education. From the early 1990s-2009 Lori served as the Pedagogical Coordinator and Director at Clayton School District’s Family Center, one of the three schools of the St. Louis-Reggio Collaborative.