We firmly believe that the excellence of a school is determined by the strength of its faculty. Accordingly, we work hard to attract and retain outstanding individuals who bring knowledge and enthusiasm to the classroom and model the values we strive to instill. Kadima's staff is dedicated professionals committed to creating a positive educational experience for each child.
Michael J. Jacobson - Principal
Tami Cronin - General Studies
Gail Korinow - Judaic Studies
Sheena Holland - Teaching Assistant
Cheryl Queenan - Administrative Director
Michael Jacobson, Principal
Michael J. Jacobson (Jake) joins us with more than 34 years of experience in elementary school education. He served as an elementary school principal for 20 years in Newburyport, MA, and Essex, MA, where he focused on creating a climate and culture that nurture educational excellence and build a sense of community. His use of humor and empathy are well known to the thousands of students with whom he has worked. Prior to his administrative positions, Jake was an elementary school teacher for 14 years. He holds a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Development from Wheelock College and a BS in Sociology from Boston University. He is also a day school consultant for PEJE (Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education). Jake resides in Bradford with his wife, Ann and their three sons. When he allows himself some down time, which isn't often, Jake enjoys fly fishing, camping, gardening and playing music with his band, "The Memphis Sun Band".
Tami Cronin, General Studies
Tami Cronin is an OCCS/DEEC certified Lead Teacher and has been teaching early childhood for the past 14 years. In addition to her teaching experience, she has been the Coordinator of Early Childhood Programs and Curriculum for St. Mel Independent Day School in Gloucester, MA, and has served on School Accreditation committees, Principal Search committees, Parent Advisory boards and Scholarship panels for the Peabody Chamber of Commerce. She attended Bridgewater State College with a major in Special Education and North Shore Community College with a major in Nursing. She enjoys seeing the tremendous growth that occurs throughout a child's first year of formal education. "To be a part of this process is truly a privilege and an honor." Tami resides in Peabody with her husband Rick and their dog Max. They have five grown children and one granddaughter (though no one can believe she is a granny!). She enjoys traveling, camping and skiing with her family. Tami's exuberance, creativity and phenomenal rapport with children make Kadima a truly special place.
Gail Korinow, Jewish Studies
Gail "Yaffah" Korinow has been teaching in religious and day schools since 1973, including the Solomon Schechter Day School of Westchester, NY, and the Solomon Schechter Secondary School of Skokie, IL, where she opened the Hebrew department. Yaffah was a founding parent of Solomon Schechter Day School of the Merrimack Valley, where she taught for 21 years and served as the Head of School for 10 years. Yaffah has developed and taught in virtually every grade at SSDS, from pre-k through Kitah Heh. Yaffah was a teacher at Camp Yavneh, Northwood, NH for 14 summers and is the Family Educator at Temple Emanu-el, Haverhill. She spent a sabbatical year in Israel, studying in Yakar, Matan and Elul. She has been featured in PEJE's publication, Noteworthy Practices in Jewish Day School Education. Yaffah holds a BA from Barnard College and an MA in Hebrew Literature from Teacher's Institute of the Jewish Theological Seminary. She lives in Haverhill with her husband, Rabbi Ira, and is the proud mother of three day school graduates. She loves to read and crochet custom designed Kippot.
Sheena Holland, Teaching Assistant
Sheena joins our teaching team as a graduating senior from Merrimack College in North Andover, majoring in Sociology with a minor in Women's Studies. Sheena has over eight years of experience working with young children, providing tutoring, daycare, supervision and event planning to families in the Merrimack Valley. Sheena is president of the Student Association of Sociology, and has worked for many social causes throughout college, including the Timothy P. Roberts Quality of Life Fund for young adults with cancer. She resides in North Andover and enjoys skiing and boating. Under the mentoring of Tami and Yaffah, Sheena has become a dynamic and creative assistant teacher. She plans to pursue a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Development.
Cheryl Queenan, Administrative Director
Cheryl has served as the Administrative Director of Kadima, and previously SSDS, for five years. She brings with her extensive experience as an office manager and administrator in the corporate world. After her two children were born, she worked in the Haverhill Public School System as an administrator for over ten years. Cheryl has served on numerous boards and committees, the Middle School Task Force, Principal Search Committees, Site Councils and the Crisis Management Team. She was instrumental in developing an emergency evacuation plan for the HPS system. Kadima is fortunate to benefit from not only Cheryl's business and administrative talents, but also from her unwavering sense of integrity, heartfelt commitment to the importance of Jewish day school education, and genuine love of children. Cheryl resides in Bradford with her husband, Tom and their two children, and when in the rare moments she is not working at Kadima, she tries to find time to walk and read. |
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