Beth Altchek

What do you do at Lilja?
1-2 Multiage Classroom Teacher

Can you tell us about your family?
I live with Mr. A and 2 big dogs: Vinnie and Frankie

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I hike and garden and play outside. I avoid cooking.

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
I'd listen to anything sung by Frank Sinatra.

Finish this sentence: I can't live without...
The snacks in the Teacher's Room supplied by our PTO!

What's a surprising fact about you?
I have a pizza oven in my yard!

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
I'd definitely be a rock star except for the fact I cannot sing...

Mary Randolph

What do you do at Lilja?
Teach kindergarten

Can you tell us about your family?
My husband, Alexei, and I have 3 wonderful children- Talia (5), Eloise (2), and Oliver (6 months)

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Reading (for the 2 minutes I can stay awake after putting the kids to bed) and Pilates

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
California, by Joni Mitchell

Finish this sentence: I can't live without...
Popcorn

What's a surprising fact about you?
That at age 40, I STILL don't have a great answer to this question :)

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
Dancing at home with my kids

Heather Starkel

What do you do at Lilja?
I teach fourth-grade.

Can you tell us about your family?
Yes! My husband and I live in Ashland. My two brothers, their partners & adorable kids, live in Atlanta. We have family all over - Mexico, Canada, Thailand, California.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love to plant flowers and to garden. I also enjoy walking, hiking, hot yoga, kayaking/canoeing, and pilates. My family likes to play games/solve puzzles, cook/bake and eat, watch cheesy mysteries. Also, I love a good thrift store.

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
I changes often! Today it's "Dreaming" by Blondie. (I think I just aged myself.)

Finish this sentence: I can't live without...
Water

What's a surprising fact about you?
I went sky-diving in Swakopmund, Namibia.

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
If I weren't at Lilja, I would probably be producing TV commercials in Atlanta, GA. I was working for a commercial production company when I decided on a change and went to graduate school for elementary education.

Peg (margaret) Haswell

What do you do at Lilja?
Administrative Assistant (Front Office)

Can you tell us about your family?
My husband Tim and I have three daughters. Two are in college and one is a sophomore at NHS

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Going for walks with friends

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
Too many favorites to list

Finish this sentence: I can't live without...
Coffee

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
I'd love to do more traveling.

Allison Kuzinevich

What do you do at Lilja?
I am a Kindergarten teacher!

Can you tell us about your family?
My fiance Tom and I are going to be getting married in August! We are every excited! We also have a dog named Quint or "Q" who the class loves hearing about! :)

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Trying out new workout classes, going to the beach, walking my dog, and spending time with family and friends.

Finish this sentence: I can't live without...
My family and dog. Also coffee!

What's a surprising fact about you?
I started to study high school English in college but realized quickly that K was what I wanted to do!

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
I think it would be so much fun to write a children's book and travel to share it with students all over!

Amy Hinrichs

What do you do at Lilja?
Long Term Substitute in KM

Can you tell us about your family?
Husband Keith, 4 kids: Caroline (21) Sam (19) Joel (17) Zeke (12)

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Baking, reading, singing, running/exercising, playing board games

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
Anything from Broadway Musicals

Finish this sentence: I can't live without...
Dark chocolate

What's a surprising fact about you?
I climbed Mt Fuji

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
Writing children's books

Kristin Kelly

What do you do at Lilja?
First Grade Teacher

Can you tell us about your family?
I am the youngest of three girls! My two older sisters Kara and Kaitie live close by and we spend a lot of time together. I also enjoy spending time with My parents, Kevin and Joanne.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love to cook and try out new recipes! I also enjoy taking walks with friends, and trying out different restaurants around the city.

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
September by Earth Wind and Fire

Finish this sentence: I can't live without...
Coffee!!

What's a surprising fact about you?
I started my education career in working in higher education, and ended up in early childhood education!

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
In a perfect (and COVID-free) world, I would love to travel and do some volunteer work in developing countries whose education systems need support.

Courtney Simoni

What do you do at Lilja?
School Counselor

Can you tell us about your family?
My husband and I have a two year old daughter named Carey and a four month old son named Tyler! We also have a very lovable chocolate lab named Scooby!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy spending time with my large family, many friends, getting outside, and cheering on the Boston sports teams!

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
So hard to pick just one, but maybe some Taylor Swift to get up and dance to!

Finish this sentence: I can't live without…
dogs and ice cream!!! :)

What's a surprising fact about you?
I've been working with elementary school students ever since I was a middle school student myself!

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
I'd probably be in the hockey rink! I've been skating since I was little and played all the way through college, and now I spend a lot of time coaching youth hockey! I can't wait for my own kids to have skates of their own!

Christine Norrman

What do you do at Lilja?
I teach third grade.

Can you tell us about your family?
It is just me and my daughter Brooklyn. :) Brooklyn is a Sophmore in high school. She is an incredible person who keeps me on my toes all the time.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I LOVE to travel. I will at any moment get in a car and drive any distance to anywhere.

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
Anything by PRINCE!

Finish this sentence: I can't live without…
….my daughter.

What's a surprising fact about you?
Hmmm….? I don't know. My love of traveling and National Parks has brought me road tripping across the country about 10 times.

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
That's a hard question. I always joke that I would be a truck driver, so I could drive cross country all the time seeing more and more of our country. I also picture myself living on the Gulf on Islamorada Key snorkeling and relaxing.

Christie Ingoldsby

What do you do at Lilja?
Administrative Assistant to the Principal

Can you tell us about your family?
I live in Millis with my husband, Pat, and my two kids, Braden and Ashlyn. Braden is in 7th grade, and Ashlyn is in 4th grade. We also have a black lab named Buster!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
When I'm not at work, I'm usually at my kids sporting events. I also love watching the Bruins, going for walks with my dog, and spending time with family and friends.

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
Right now I would say "All Too Well" by Taylor Swift!

Finish this sentence: I can't live without…
My morning coffee.

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
Probably working with animals in some capacity. I'm a huge animal lover.

Jen Violet

What do you do at Lilja?
Math Specialist/Coach. In this position I support teachers and students in the area of mathematics. I hope to create a positive culture around mathematics where students and teachers can feel confident and have fun.

Can you tell us about your family?
I have been married for 17 years and have 2 daughters. Aubrey is 12 and Morgan is 9. I love spending time with my family. We love to go camping in the summer.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I like to garden (both flowers and vegetables). I like to get outdoors and walk. I enjoy yoga & meditation to relieve stress.

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
You Can Close Your Eyes- James Taylor

Finish this sentence: I can't live without…
Coffee, unfortunately it is my vice.

What's a surprising fact about you?
I was super shy & introverted as a kid. Now I get up in front of kids and adults to lead workshops and professional development.

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
I always thought being a toy designer would be cool. I do LOVE what I do so I would probably design educational toys for math.

Elizabeth Gregg

What do you do at Lilja?
I teach Kindergarten, and I'm the K team leader for our professional learning community.

Can you tell us about your family?
My husband has worked at Walnut Hill School for 22 years, so though we live in Needham our hearts are often in Natick! My daughter just started college at Carleton in MN, my son is a sophomore at Needham high school and my dog Argos is largely featured in KG writing endeavors. ;)

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Exercising and reading are my main hobbies! I also really like popcorn, it's almost a hobby of mine...

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
Wow that's a tough one. I'll go with Beethoven's third symphony, it's a good long one with a lot of variety!

Finish this sentence: I can't live without...
Hugs.

What's a surprising fact about you?
My children's birthdates are 5/4/03 and 8/7/06.

If you weren't at Lilja what would you be doing?
Teaching fitness, which I did for many years!

Sepi Golestani

What do you do at Lilja?
I make art with all the amazing Lilja Lion Artists!

Can you tell us about your family?
I live with my husband, Abbas and our 13-year-old son, Eelia and Mr. Coco the guinea pig :)

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Painting, drawing, spending time with my family,
and walking in nature

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
Besame Mucho by Andrea Bucelli

Finish this sentence: I can't live without…
Coffee and paint ;)

What's a surprising fact about you?
I used to be a biomedical engineer!!

If you weren't a teacher what would you be doing?
Spending time in my art studio, painting all day :)

You can follow Ms Golestani on Instagram here!

Sarah Quimby

What do you do at Lilja?
I am a 4th-grade teacher.

Can you tell us about your family?
At home, I live with my husband, Ben, and my baby boy, Paxton. We also have two adorable kittens named Nala and Raja.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I absolutely love gardening, hiking, and just being outside in general. I really enjoy reading and meditating at the beach too. However, my favorite thing to do with my family is team Crossfit workouts!

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
I Feel Better When I'm Dancing by Meghan Trainor

Finish this sentence: I can't live without…
Chocolate and peanut butter

What's a surprising fact about you?
I played field hockey for 18 years

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
Being a farmer

Shelby Marscher

What do you do at Lilja?
I am the school psychologist! At Lilja I wear many hats. I help children who are having BIG feelings and children who are working on their friendship skills. I also help a child’s team figure out their learning profile. Everybody’s brain is a little different. If I can help a child and their team understand the things they are strong at and the things they work harder at then I can help make school feel a little easier :)

Can you tell us about your family?
Many of you know Maisy, my 12 year old dog who joins the therapy team here at Lilja. My husband and I also have two daughters: a kindergartener and a preschooler!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I LOVE to read! I draw and exercise in my spare time. I am also a master Magnatile builder with my girls.

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey

Finish this sentence: I can't live without…
My family. And, coffee!!

What's a surprising fact about you?
When I was growing up I wanted to be a Disney animator! I still sketch and paint in my free time.

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
I would be a graduate school professor teaching future school psychologists

Joanna Tsacoyeanes

Can you tell us about your family?
I'm from a long line of teachers! On my mom's side, I'm the 4th generation of elementary teachers!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Hiking, walking, yoga, reading, traveling

What's a surprising fact about you?
I've performed in the ballet The Nutcracker over 60 times!

Becky Moss

What do you do at Lilja?
I am the Lilja Librarian (actual title is Elementary Library Media Paraprofessional) What I do is a different question.

Can you tell us about your family?
My husband Charlie is a house painter, actor and all around great guy. Our daughter Julia is a recent college grad currently living in Oregon — too far away for words!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Being outside in nature

You get one song to listen to for the rest of your life, what is it?
(So hard to pick one!) Spain, Chick Corea

Finish this sentence: I can't live without…
People!

What's a surprising fact about you?
For one season I played on the Men’s JV Soccer team in college (yes Title IX)

If you weren't at Lilja, what would you be doing?
Relocating to a library in the Pacific Northwest!

Staff Spotlight