Faculty & Staff Updates
Information about new employees and changes in roles for the 2026-27 school year.
Front row (left to right): Allison Deacon, Daveed Sumpter, Mandi Muth, Talayah Walker.
Lower School
Christina Cubera ’10
kindergarten homeroom
A former Kindergarten teacher at Park for a number of years, Christina returns to our Kindergarten this fall, partnering in the classroom with Sean Donmoyer. Most recently, she was the assistant Director at the Celebree School of Ellicott City, and prior to that, she was a Pre-Kindergarten teacher at Georgetown Day School. Christina has extensive training in curriculum development, equity and inclusion, and admission work. Christina holds a B.S. in Human Development and Psychology from Wheelock College and an M.S. in Early Childhood Education from University of Bridgeport.
Sean Donmoyer
Kindergarten homeroom
Sean joins us as Kindergarten Homeroom teacher this fall, partnering in the classroom with Christina Cubera ’10. Most recently, Sean was a 1st Grade Homeroom teacher at Calvert School, where he also taught Spanish in the Lower School. Prior to working at Calvert, Sean was Assistant Director of Athletics at Roland Park Country School. Sean holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from Towson University and an M.Ed. in Education from Goucher College.
Beatrice Kennison
third grade homeroom
The 3rd Grade team welcomes Beatrice this fall. Most recently, Beatrice served as a 2nd Grade teacher and archery coach to 4th-8th Graders at Next Generation School in Champaign, IL. Beatrice also co-chaired the math curriculum review committee while working there. As a Baltimore School for the Arts grad, Beatrice is excited to return to her hometown of Baltimore. Beatrice holds a B.A. in Sociology and a Minor in Education from Haverford College.
Mandi Muth
Lower School Coordinator of Academic Services
Mandi joins us as our Lower School Coordinator of Academic Services. Mandi most recently worked as a Reading Specialist, Kindergarten Teacher, and a 1st Grade Teacher at St. Paul’s Pre & Lower School. While at St. Paul’s School, Mandi also co-chaired the Literacy Committee and was a member of the Professional Development Committee. Prior to being at St. Paul’s, Mandi was a Learning Specialist and Resource Teacher at Calvert School. Mandi has significant experience tutoring in reading and writing, working with both public and independent school students. Mandi holds a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Towson University and a Post-Baccalaureate Reading Certificate from Mount St. Mary’s University.
Middle School
Silvia Patterson
Middle School interim dean of students
Silvia joins the Middle School this fall as interim Dean of Students while Shri Puri is away on leave. Many of us know Sra. Silvia as our former Lower School Assistant Principal, and as a long-tenured Lower School Spanish teacher before that. Most recently, Silvia was the Associate Head of Lower School at McDonogh. Silvia holds a B.S. in Special Education from Florida State University and an M.S. in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Social and Emotional Learning from Erikson Institute.
daveed sumpter
Middle and Upper School Spanish
The Middle and Upper School Spanish departments welcome Daveed to both divisions. Daveed was in the English Language Development Department at Digital Harbor High School, teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) and providing Spanish–English interpretation for school meetings and family conferences, supporting communication with the school’s large Spanish-speaking community. Prior to that, Daveed worked at Woodholme Elementary School in Pikesville and Key Point Christian Academy in Miami. Daveed holds a B.A. in Physical Education and Exercise Science from McDaniel College and an M.S. in Physical Activity and Quality of Life from University of Seville, Spain.
Upper School
allison deacon
Upper School math
Allison joins the Upper School math department this fall. Most recently, Allison served as a high school mathematics teacher at Oakland Mills High School in Howard County, where she designed and taught classes in Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and AP Statistics. While at Oakland Mills, Allison also served as the department chair. Allison holds a B.S. in Mathematics & Economics from University of Maryland, College Park, an M.A.T. in Mathematics Education from Towson University, has completed graduate-level mathematics coursework at Johns Hopkins University, and holds a National Board Certification.
dylan payne
Morgan state intern
Dylan is one of our two Morgan State Interns joining the Upper School this fall. Dylan is no stranger to Park, having recently worked in our Extended Day program. Over the summer, Dylan was a Program Assistant for Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, supporting students in and out of the classroom. Dylan graduated from Mount Saint Joseph High School, where he was co-president of the Mount Saint Joseph Black Student Union, participated in the Baltimore Student Diversity Leadership Conference, and was a recipient of the John M. Pleyvak Award. Dylan has enjoyed his time at Park already and is excited to learn about a different division.
David Sayet
Upper School History
David taught Upper School history as a leave replacement last school year, and is transitioning to a full-time position in the department this fall. Prior to teaching, David practiced as an attorney with time spent as a law firm associate and as an in-house counsel at several public and private companies. Most recently, his work centered on strategic corporate transactions, commercial contracts, and corporate governance. David holds a B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Stanford Law School.
daveed sumpter
Middle and Upper School Spanish
The Middle and Upper School Spanish departments welcome Daveed to both divisions. Daveed was in the English Language Development Department at Digital Harbor High School, teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) and providing Spanish–English interpretation for school meetings and family conferences, supporting communication with the school’s large Spanish-speaking community. Prior to that, Daveed worked at Woodholme Elementary School in Pikesville and Key Point Christian Academy in Miami. Daveed holds a B.A. in Physical Education and Exercise Science from McDaniel College and an M.S. in Physical Activity and Quality of Life from University of Seville, Spain.
Heather VanMouwerik
UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY
The Upper School history department welcomes Heather this fall. Most recently, Heather worked as a History Teacher at Capital City Public Charter School in D.C., teaching AP-level courses around civics, government, and politics. Prior to that, Heather was the founding Social Studies teacher at Hope Tolson Public Charter School, also in D.C. Heather holds a B.A. in Political Science from Calvin College and an M.A. in History from University of California, Riverside.
Talayah Walker
Morgan state intern
Talayah is one of our two Morgan State Interns joining the Upper School this fall. A rising senior, Talayah is working on her degree in Psychology. Besides her interesting coursework, Talayah is heavily involved on Morgan’s campus, volunteering her time with Bold & Beautiful, Association of Black Psychology, National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), and the Office of Student Life & Development. Talayah is excited to learn more about working in a high school, especially supporting our co-curricular programming.
All-School
Melissa Lafionatis
Associate Director of Admission (Pre-K-Grade 1)
Melissa joins Park as our new Associate Director of Admission (Pre-K-Grade 1). Most recently, Melissa ran a private practice focused on supporting individualized, child-centered interventions for students in Kindergarten through 5th Grade, focused on understanding academic, social-emotional, and language development. In this role, Melissa partnered with families, classroom teachers, and related service providers. She was also the Assistant for Member Services for Associations of Independent Schools of Greater Washington, DC (AISGW), where she provided support for the AISGW leadership and member schools, especially around communication and programming. Prior to these roles, Melissa was the Director of Enrollment & Strategy at Grace Episcopal Day School in Kensington, MD, where she led admission and enrollment practices for Preschool through 5th Grade. Melissa holds a B.S. in Merchandising, Apparels & Textiles from University of Kentucky and an M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Speech-Language Pathology from James Madison University.
Changes in Role
Jimmy Bonner will be joining the Middle School Office as an Administrative Assistant.
Josh Wolf assumes the role of Director of Teaching and Learning.
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