Fall Open Houses – What to Expect and Meet our Teachers!

Our Fall Open Houses are upon us and we welcome you to learn, see, and feel what BASIS Independent Manhattan is all about.

Please join us — in person — at our Open House events on Saturday, October 14 (Upper School) and Sunday, October 15 (Lower School).

Attending an Open House is the best way for prospective families to discover our early learning, primary, middle, and high school programs. You will have the opportunity to meet teachers and administrators, Student Ambassadors, and current parents. In addition, you will learn about our advanced curriculum, and tour our campus! Students are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Open House Structure

Doors open at 9:30 AM, and the event begins at 10:00 AM with welcome remarks from our Head of School.

From 10:15 AM – 12:00 PM, our passionate Subject Expert Teachers introduce themselves and lead mini-lessons. Attendees receive a schedule and can rotate from class to class, experiencing a day in the life of a student.

Before departing, one of the most anticipated parts of the event takes place with a Q&A session. Families have the opportunity to ask questions to our current parents or students to hear their first-hand experiences. The Q&A panel consists of BASIS Independent Manhattan parents at the Lower School Open House, while the Upper School Open House features our Student Ambassadors.

We look forward to meeting you and would love to answer any questions that you have!

Details

Upper School Open House (Grades 6 – 12)
Saturday, October 14
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Lower School Halloween Open House (PreK – Grade 5)
Sunday, October 15
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

*Our Lower School will host a Halloween-themed event, including a balloon artist, face painter, pumpkin egg hunt and arts/crafts!

Meet Our Open House Teachers

Lower School Teachers

Learning Expert Teacher (Grade 4): Ms. Michelle Park – Ms. Park graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She also holds a Master’s Degree from Teachers College at Columbia University for TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) PreK-12. Following her undergraduate years, Ms. Park lived in South Korea for two years and taught English before moving to New York City in 2016 to teach at a charter school. Throughout her teaching journey at various international, charter, and public schools in NYC, Ms. Park has found her profession highly rewarding. Her goal is to provide a safe learning environment inclusive of diverse student experiences while still challenging and encouraging them to become the best version of themselves.

Subject Expert Teacher (Math & Science – Grades 3-5): Ms. Stefanie LaPierre – Ms. LaPierre holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Since her degrees came from schools in Connecticut and Massachusetts, she earned state teaching certification in both states. For the past four years, Ms. LaPierre has taught in the BASIS Curriculum Schools network — from charter to Independent and online. At BASIS Scottsdale Primary, she was a second and third-grade Math & Science Subject Expert Teacher (SET). After two years, she transferred to BASIS Independent Brooklyn, where she worked as a Learning Expert Teacher (Gr. 3). In 2021, Ms. LaPierre joined the BASIS Independent Manhattan team as a Math & Science SET.

Subject Expert Teacher (Engineering – Grades PreK-4): Ms. Elizabeth Delaney – Ms. Delaney graduated from Scripps College with a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in Studio Art. In 2016, she studied architecture and art history at the Chelsea College of Arts in London, UK. During the summer of 2015, Ms. Delaney’s interest in architecture led her to complete the Career Discovery Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design where she studied design under Harvard professors and graduates. After completing her undergraduate degree, Ms. Delaney worked as a junior architectural designer at Kenneth Boroson Architects in New Haven, Connecticut. Currently, she is working on her Master’s Degree for UX/UI Design at the Columbia School of Engineering. Ms. Delaney loves having the opportunity to bring her knowledge of architecture, science, and art into the classroom. “I am excited to encourage my students to make connections between ideas and concepts across different disciplinary boundaries.”

Upper School Teachers

Juliana Perez: Subject Expert Teacher | Computer Science, Math – Ms. Perez graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and received her master’s degree from New York University. Ms. Perez holds two Advanced Certificates from Hunter College in adolescent and bilingual education. Before joining BASIS Independent Manhattan, Ms. Perez spent over a decade teaching math at The Bronx High School of Science. Now, she is passionate about making mathematics fun, interesting, less intimidating, and more approachable to our Wildcat community. She believes every student can excel with proper support and guidance.   

Dr. Qi Chen: Subject Expert Teacher | Math, Physics – After graduating with a doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Chen worked as a mechanical engineer and then as a research scientist as a post-doctoral fellow. As the Physics Subject Expert Teacher, Dr. Chen incorporates her effective pedagogical models with cohort-tailored lessons to maximize everyday learning. Being an effective and diligent learner helps her raise the right questions and trace complex concepts back to the fundamentals. Dr. Chen is also passionate about applying math models in physics and aims to bring ebullient energy to her classroom.  

Thurman Solano: Subject Expert Teacher | Computer Science, Physics – Mr. Solano received a Master of Science in Physics from The City University of New York and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Florida Atlantic University. Since 2014, Mr. Solano has taught various classes, such as Conceptual Physics to Physics with Calculus and their associated laboratories and Computer Applications for the Sciences. Mr. Solano aims for his students to apply new concepts and thoughts to STEM-related fields and use those skills in life.  

Dr. Genevieve Waite: Subject Expert Teacher | French – Dr. Waite received her Doctor of Philosophy in French from The Graduate Center, CUNY, her master’s degree in French Literature from New York University, and her Bachelor of Arts in French (Cum Laude) from Bates College. Dr. Waite worked as an Assistant Teaching Professor of French and Coordinator of the French Language Program at Syracuse University, where she received an Instructional Innovation Award and a Writing Across the Curriculum Faculty Fellowship. She is the author of Pas à pas: méthode d’anglais (2009), Ma Méthode d’anglais (2016), and various peer-reviewed articles.  

Dr. Albina Marushina: Subject Expert Teacher | Math – Dr. Marushina is a Mathematics teacher at BASIS Independent Manhattan. She was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she graduated from St. Petersburg School # 30 with an advanced course of studies in mathematics (Russia). She then continued her education at the Mathematical-Mechanical Department of St. Petersburg University. Later, she got her Ph.D. in mathematics education from Teachers College, Columbia University. For over 33 years, she taught at various educational institutions in St. Petersburg and New York, including the Mozhaisky Academy, Fordham University, Borough of Manhattan Community College, and secondary schools (in both cities). She has taught introductory and advanced classes, including Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, AP Calculus, AP Statistics, Pre-Calculus, and Geometry.