Blind Elementary/Middle School
BEMS NEWS

assistant principal
Ellen Fertsch
Ellen Ferstch began her career as a classroom teacher in New Jersey, working in elementary, middle and high schools. During her 10-year tenure in the Northeast, she led an initiative with the Hispanic Family Center to create and maintain programming, outreach, and services among the school, the center, and the community. In 2016, Ferstch joined FSDB as a teacher in the blind middle school (now BEMS). She was named FSDB Blind Middle School Teacher of the Year for the 2020-21 school year. The same year, she was appointed assistant principal for BEMS, where she oversees academic education for blind/visually-impaired students.
Master of Arts, Educational Leadership, Rowan University
Bachelor of Arts, English, Rutgers University
Empowering families and their children is crucial to their success.
Middle School Teachers

Barbara Kirkpatrick
ESE

Wendy Pinkston
Mathematics

Ana Tutak
P.E. Teacher

Edith Stein
Social Studies
BEMS Specialists & Support Personnel

Cheryl Burgess
Administrative Assistant

April Wallace
Braille Specialist (Elem)

Mike Zuaro
Educational Diagnostician

Zakiyyah Nation
Instructional Assistant

Tara Ragone-Dougherty
Instructional Assistant

Joy Carriger
Librarian

Cristina Sapp
O&M Teacher

Laura Pamer
School Counselor

Jacquelyn Gehrsitz
Associate Teacher

Leah Belger
Braille Specialist (Middle)

Amy Hendricks
IEP Coordinator

Keesha Patterson
Instructional Assistant

Heather Roberts
Instructional Assistant

Mark Largent
Math Specialist

Silke Douglas
Psychologist

Mary Hanson
Speech Language Pathologist

Sydney Kabrich
Associate Teacher

Fernanade Fortun
Coord. of Behavior Support

Kathy Almand
Instructional Assistant

Tiana Patterson
Instructional Assistant

Mary Lorraine Yetter
Instructional Assistant