Ms. Kelley

Coordinator of Special Education - ​ekelley4@bostonpublicschools.org 
​Ms Kelley is the Sped coordinator who is involved in assigning the assessments to the assessment team, run IEP meetings, clarify information related to Sped services and policies. 

Ms. Pignone

Math Interventionist - ​bpignone@bostonpublicschools.org
My name is Bernadette Pignone and I have taught at the Otis School for over 20 years. This year, I will be the math interventionist and work with students in either small groups or other settings. I truly enjoy watching children learn math and manipulate numbers in a way that works for them. In my spare time, my passion is playing with my almost 10 year old son and 7 year old daughter.

Ms. Dawkins

Reading Interventionist / LAT-F - ​cdawkins@bostonpublicschools.org
Hello, my name is Ms. Dawkins, and this is my eighth year teaching at the James Otis School. I am very excited to serve as the K2-3 Reading Specialist/Interventionist this year! Prior to this role, I taught 2nd grade for six years, and 3rd grade for one year at the Otis. This year, I look forward to working with classroom teachers to help students to be successful and have positive learning outcomes. Through tiered interventions and strategic small group instruction, I am confident that all students will move closer to meeting their academic goals. This year I also serve as the Language Assessment Team Facilitator. (LAT-F) I will coordinate the implementation of the testing required for our multilingual students.

I grew up in Dorchester, and I am a product of the Boston Public Schools. I received my Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Northeastern University, where I studied both Elementary Education and Special Education. I am licensed to teach Elementary 1-6, Moderate Disabilities, and English as a Second Language. (ESL) In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family, especially my toddler daughter! I love reading, cooking, and traveling. My favorite food is pizza, and my favorite children’s author is Nikki Grimes.​​

Ms. Katamaraja

Resource Room Support - ​sbolleboina@bostonpublicschools.org
​Hi, My name is Swapna ( Swap- nah), Katamaraja ( Cart- um- uh- rajah) and this is my fourth year at the wonderful James Otis school. I have taught in different schools around Boston since 2006. Apart from teaching in Boston, I have taught in CA, IA and in India. I am the Resource specialist at the Otis and my job is to help make learning easy for students. This means, I have to be very creative, knowledgable, flexible and patient. Thats what makes my job very interesting. When not at school. I like to spend time with my two kids and my husband sightseeing, trying out new cuisines, reading, gardening, tinkering with new ideas and hobbies. ​

Ms. D'Amore

English Language Support - ​adamore2@bostonpublicschools.org
Hello, my name is Mrs. D'Amore and I am the ESL teacher at the James Otis School.This is my 16th year at the James Otis School. I work with students on their English language development We spend time talking, listening, reading and writing.

Ms. Pagano

English Language Support - ​kpagano@bostonpublicschools.org
My name is Katie Pagano and I am so excited  to have made the transition into my new role as the James Otis K-3 ESL Teacher! Previously, I had been a First Grade teacher at the Otis for 10 years. Within those 10 years, I have been a First Grade SEI, Inclusion, and General Education Teacher. 

Although I have loved all of my teaching roles over the years, I am especially passionate about supporting Multilingual Learners through ensuring equal access to high levels of instruction and the achievement of academic proficiency. 

I received my bachelors in Early Childhood Education and Psychology from Wheelock College. I went on to receive a dual Masters from Wheelock in Language Acquisition and Early Childhood Development. 

Ms. Morin

Resource Room Support - ​mmorin@bostonpublicschools.org
​Ms Morin is the Resource room teacher for grades K-3. She supports students in all of the academic areas including reading, writing and math. 

Ms. Pellicio

Occupational Therapist - nsouza@bostonpublicschools.org​
Ms Nadine supports students in a small group setting/within the classroom who have fine motor skills, attention, executive functioning, organizational skills and writing needs.

Ms. Pivac

Speech-Language Pathologist - ​spivac@bostonpublicschools.org
​Ms Sara supports students in a small group setting/within the classroom who have speech and language needs 

Ms. DeMazza

Social Worker - ​edemazza@bostonpublicschools.org
Hi! My name is Emily DeMazza and this is my first year at the James Otis school. I am the school social worker and provide social/emotional support to all students and classrooms. Outside of school I like to read, spend time outside, travel, and bake. 

Ms. Velasquez

School Psychologist - avelasquez@bostonpublicschools.org
​Hello! My name is Anna Velasquez and I am so excited to be the new School Psychologist at the James Otis School this year. I just recently graduated from Northeastern University with my Masters of Science in School Psychology. I have spent the last two years completing my internship requirements in Boston Public Schools. My role at the Otis is to help our students succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. This means collaborating with our teachers, parents, and other professionals to create a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment. In my free time, I enjoy reading, going to the beach in the summer, and skiing in the winter. ​