Micah Downs is returning to Pittsburgh after being away for 32 years. He grew up in the area and after high school, moved to Chicago where he attended Wheaton College and earned his BA in Elementary Education. For 23 years he taught in the public schools at the kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 5th grade levels; during that time, he also earned 2 master’s degrees, one in Administration and the other in School Counseling. In 2016 he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and has been teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students with dyslexia and other learning differences at the Charles Armstrong School; he has also been coaching flag football, soccer, and street hockey. Micah has a wife and 5 children and 2 grandchildren. His entire extended family lives in Pittsburgh so he is extremely excited to be close to them all again and is looking forward to spending time together. He enjoys reading, music, hiking, playing sports and watching the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates. Micah is passionate about his calling as an educator and is looking forward to joining the Falk community as he continues his career.

While the first decade of Chelsea’s teaching career has been largely teaching at Falk in the Primary Grades, she also has worked as a TSS (Therapeutic Support Staff), and has taught in Detroit, Michigan. Chelsea is intrigued by the thinking and reasoning of children. Teaching Kindergarten allows her to merge her passions for working with children, animals, studying counseling and yoga/wellness. Being able to thread these passions ground her teaching and synthesize her understanding of development, but moreover, propose new wonderings. Chelsea has had the opportunity to teach in K, 1, 2 at Falk and values the insights she gained of this developmental spectrum. 

When not teaching, Chelsea enjoys running, teaching yoga, spending time with animals and reading but most of all, trying new things and learning about people. She lives with her cat named Tarzan, two bunnies Sunny & Neptune, and relishes in the first sip of coffee on the porch. 

Cheryl Capezzuti joined the faculty at the Falk Laboratory School in 2009 after more than a decade working as an independent puppet maker and master teaching artist for many local arts organizations. Most notably she was an Artist-in-Residence, rostered through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, through which she completed more than 50 residencies in schools and communities. At Falk she runs the visual arts studio for the older grades and collaborates with teachers at all grade levels and in all disciplines integrating the visual arts into the curriculum. Outside of Falk, Capezzuti is a sculptor and puppet maker with a rich studio practice. She is best known as the master puppet maker and Creative Director for the First Night Pittsburgh Parade, which features hundreds of giant puppets she has made through workshops all over the greater Pittsburgh region. In addition to making very large-scale works, she also produces smaller, gallery-sized theatrical works using puppets and exhibits sculptural work in both galleries and non-traditional spaces. Nationally her work has been featured on The Ellen Degeneres Show, Good Morning America, and NBC Nightly News.

Eileen Marie Coughlin began her teaching career when she entered the Professional Year program in Secondary Science Education at the University of Pittsburgh.  She completed her student teaching requirement at Falk during the 1996-1997 school year.   From there, she obtained a permanent substitute position as an 8th grade science teacher at Gateway Middle School.  In August, 1997, she was hired at Falk when her mentor, Dr. Cathy O’Farrell, moved to sunny Florida.  In 1998, she decided to go back to school to obtain her M.Ed. in Secondary Science Education. In addition to teaching science in the middle school, Eileen serves as chair of the Science Curriculum Committee.  She also acts as a committee member for the Falk Woods, and admissions.  She coordinates the annual school picture day, as well as the 8th grade Cedar Point trip planning and fundraising. In her spare time, Eileen enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids, taking kids to Irish dance lessons & competitions, Gaelic football, gymnastics, and baseball games.  She volunteers on Chatham University's Falk School of Sustainability's K-12 Advisory Group,  the adult team for her church youth group and the concessions committee for 14th Ward Baseball Association. 

Diana Dimitrovski is one of the Kindergarten teachers on our Primary team. She is also the Primary Team Leader. She has been a part of the Falk School community for many years.  She began her time at Falk as a university student who worked in our Afterschool Program. From there she went on to complete her internship in the Kindergarten classroom. Shortly after completing her studies she joined the Primary team and has been teaching Kindergarten for 13 years now. She enjoys working with this age group for many reasons, but mostly because of the joy they bring to school with them each day. She is actively involved in the school in a variety of ways. She works closely with the admissions office giving prospective parents tours of our school as well as working with the Kindergarten admissions process. She is part of the Science Curriculum Committee, Aesthetics Committee and Social Committee. She is also actively involved in the International Association of Laboratory Schools (IALS) organization as she serves on the Endowment Board. Teaching is something that Diana is very passionate about. She enjoys working with her students in the classroom, working with pre-service graduate students and sharing her knowledge when presenting to teachers at various conferences and workshops. 

Alexander Dragon has always been fascinated by the natural universe, the Earth, and living things. Like many young children, he was obsessed with dinosaurs, but pursued this love of paleontology through college. He studied environmental geology and biology at and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. in Environmental Geology in 2012. During this time, he volunteered in the PaleoLab at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History preparing fossils, and he received a Brackenridge Fellowship in 2011-2012 to CT scan and study a Jurassic crocodile relative (Hoplosuchus kayi).  Although Alex loves science, he also enjoyed the broad exposure to the humanities and especially the history and philosophy of science during his undergraduate education.

After his undergraduate education, Mr. Dragon decided to pursue science teaching and returned to Pitt to complete their MAT program, and taught as the middle school science intern at Falk during the 2014-2015 academic year. He taught biology and physical science as a long-term substitute at Peters Township High School the following year, and was delighted to return to Falk teaching 6th and 7th grade science in 2016-2017. Alex enjoys birdwatching, drawing, reading, and playing video and table-top games in his spare time and holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Deanna has over 32 years of nursing experience. She was an assistant head nurse and worked in many areas of patient care at Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh. For the last 22 years, she has worked as a school nurse in both the public and private school settings. Deanna also has extensive emergency management training and experience and has created the emergency operations plan for a local private school and a public school district. She holds multiple FEMA and other emergency response training certifications. She is a certified CPR instructor and has trained the entire faculty and staff at Falk School in CPR, AED use, and choking response for adults, children, and infants. 

Deanna has been married to her high school sweetheart, Jack, for 32 years! She has two grown daughters, Becky – who is a catering marketing director and sales consultant - and Katie - who is a physician assistant and is working with the Heart and Vascular Institute at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.

Deanna's favorite times are with her family, friends, and her Pomeranian puppy Chloe! 

“Nurses dispense comfort, compassion, and caring without even a prescription." - Val Saintsbury

Kevin Goodwin has worked at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh for the past several years in the Education/Learning and Research Department . He has worked in both traditional classroom settings as well as informal learning environments. Kevin has a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Carlow University, a Bachelor's in Political Science from St. Bonaventure University, and is a member of the Harvard based Agency by Design research group located here in Pittsburgh. Kevin loves teaching children and considers himself a life-long learner.  He also loves dinosaurs and sloths.

Laura Hunt has a Masters of Arts and Teaching degree in K-12 Physical Education from the University of Pittsburgh.  Ms. Hunt has been teaching at Falk since 1997. Currently, she teaches Kindergarten through fifth grade and coordinates the Middle School sports programs.

Danya Lang teaching career began in NYC as a special education teacher for 5 years in grades kindergarten to 4th grade. She received her Master’s in Childhood Education and Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. Prior to teaching, she worked as a photo editor and photographer for Men's Journal Magazine. As a teacher, Danya is passionate about bringing art and read alouds into the classroom and helping her students find their own path to learning. She enjoys delicious food, traveling, taking photographs, and dancing to funk music.

Ali McCrossin joined the Falk School in 2018 as the Manager of Constituent Relations. In this role, Ali is engaged in helping Falk reach its full potential through philanthropic support and in supporting Falk Alumni to maintain a lifelong connection to the school. Prior to joining Falk, Ali served as an Admissions Counselor and an Assistant Director of Admissions in the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, and a Leadership Annual Giving Associate in Pitt’s Office of Institutional Advancement. In her spare time, Ali enjoys traveling, exploring Frick Park, volunteering with the Junior League of Pittsburgh, and cheering on the Pitt Panthers alongside her husband, Matt.

Carolyn Mericle has enjoyed a 29-year career of serving as a teacher and administrator at various independent schools in the Washington DC and Pittsburgh areas.  She has led classrooms of children ranging from preschool to first grade. She has served as Director of After School and as an Education Director for school programs involving children in pre-k through 6th grade.  All of the classrooms and programs in which Carolyn has worked have shared the same student-centered, experiential, progressive orientation to education that Falk Laboratory School so excellently exemplifies.  Though Carolyn has taught for a long time, she still finds teaching an energizing and fascinating undertaking! At home, Carolyn loves spending quality time with her family. Together they care for their many pets, garden and orchard. Carolyn also enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, sailing and cross- country skiing.

Leah began teaching yoga and mindfulness at Falk School in 2011.   Her classes at Falk are centered on guiding children through the simple but powerful practice of connecting movement and breathing to create a relaxed, focused and aware student, ready to learn and play.  Ms. Northrop also teaches individual “therapeutic” yoga sessions for students with a variety of challenges, from the social and emotional to the behavioral and learning realms.  Additionally, Ms. Northrop  heads a research project at the University of Pittsburgh, Yoga for Anxious Children.  Her interest lies in the development, implementation and outcome of exercise-based treatments for children and adolescents with mood and anxiety disorders.  She has presented her work at international conferences. She enjoys almost any outdoor activity, cooking for a crowd and most of all, spending time with her husband, Ben and her three sons, Wyatt, Weston and Lucas.  Ms. Northrop currently lives in the Squirrel Hill area.

Lindsay O’Sullivan began her career at Falk School as an intern in Ms. Ridge’s room in August, 2001. While on that fateful journey, Lindsay discovered that Falk was her “dream school.” The following school year, she happily accepted a position in a 3rd and 4th grade classroom. One of Lindsay’s favorite units involved using picture books to analyze stereotypes. She was so impressed with her 3rd and 4th graders’ ability to articulate how hurtful stereotyping can be. In her spare time, Lindsay stays busy by training for triathlons, doing yoga, and reading about some of her favorite topics: environmental issues, animal rights, nutrition, and women’s issues. Lindsay loves spending time with her husband Brian, son Callahan, dog Cooper, and her family and friends.

Maria Sassani was thrilled to join the Falk School Community during the 2011 – 2012 school year, after presenting the session, “Music, Literacy, and Dance” during the NALS conference hosted by Falk in the Spring of 2011.  Prior to her arrival in Pittsburgh, Ms. Sassani shared her love of music with students from The School at Columbia University (2005 – 2011) & The Brearley School (2000 – 2005), both located in New York City, and the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada (1995 – 2000).  Favorite performances in her teaching career have been directing a 250-member chorus on PBS’s – “World’s Largest Concert” (1999), New York City’s Carnegie Hall in (2002 & 2003), the National Black Theatre of Harlem (2006 – 2011), and most recently in the lobby of Heinz Hall during the Pittsburgh Symphony/Falk School Extravaganza.  A true advocate of music programs in our schools, Ms. Sassani believes….“children would rather play than study, if we are smart, we will teach them while they play.”  (Carl Orff)  She continues her professional growth as a member of the American Choral Director’s Association (ACDA), American Orff Shulwerk Association (AOSA) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).  Ms. Sassani’s favorite genre of music is “Musical Theatre” where she has performed professionally in six states.   Some of her favorite roles have been:  “Dolly” from “Hello Dolly”, “Reno Sweeney” from “Anything Goes”, “Charity Barnum” from “Barnum”, and “Maggie” from “42nd Street.”

Dawn Smith started her teaching career in Spotsylvania County, Virginia as a Teacher for students with Severe Disabilities.  She then relocated back to the Pittsburgh area where she taught as a Learning and Emotional Support Teacher in the Penn Hills School District.  Next, Dawn worked for DynaVox, Mayer-Johnson as an Education Consultant.  After adding to her family, and missing being in the classroom, Dawn returned to working directly with children again, as a Life Skills Support Teacher at the Norwin School District.  Following her quest for knowledge, Dawn accepted the position at Falk as the Primary Learning Specialist in 2018.  In her free time, Dawn enjoys time with her husband, as a spectator of their three children’s various sporting events.  Dawn also enjoys reading, walking their dog, and summer trips to the beach.

Ms. Thomas is a life-long Pittsburgher, having grown up in the suburbs. She attended Duquesne University as an undergraduate, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 2016. More recently, Ms. Thomas obtained the Master’s in Education from the University of Pittsburgh, with dual certification in PreK-4 teaching and as a Reading Specialist. Ms. Thomas says she is excited to spend another year at Falk, where she can continue to build relationships with students and get to know and work closely with families. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Thomas loves to travel and learn new things about different cultures, enjoys spending time with her cat, Flapjack, and learning new languages such as Japanese. Her favorite children’s book right now is Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin!

Mónica was born in Barcelona, Spain, to a large family of polyglots and world travelers. At age 8 she moved to Nice, France with her family, and at 15 she moved to the US with one of her sisters. Mónica earned her Bachelor's of Science in Psychology with a minor in Art from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC, and her MBA in International Marketing from USD in San Diego, California. A lifelong learner, Mónica has recently started her EdD at the University of Pittsburgh. 

Mónica’s ten-year tenure in international business was followed by her career in education, a passion that ignited back when at 8 she spent recess time enthusiastically teaching her eager French classmates Spanish recess games and songs. Her passion for sharing her languages and cultures with school children keeps growing with the years. Without counting her teaching assistantships throughout college and graduate school, Mónica has been a professional educator for eighteen years, having taught Spanish, French and Mindfulness at Sewickley Academy for the past ten years. There, she was also Chair of the Health & Wellness Committee and one of the two Lower School Coordinators of DEISJ (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice), and she served in the Faculty and Staff Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for years. She is thrilled to join a community that is committed to advancing equity and justice in society through education, something that guides her daily practice and which she embeds in her curriculum. 

Mónica has two children who are currently in graduate school pursuing careers in Biomedical Engineering and Clinical Psychology. She loves traveling with them back to Spain to reconnect with extended family in the summertime, and together they have explored multiple countries throughout Europe and Latin America. She has finally visited Morocco, one of her dream destinations. The highlights of her travels always gravitate towards connecting with the locals, learning their language, their expressions, their music, and their dances, understanding their hopes and their dreams, and savoring their foods. She is very excited to join Falk and meet everyone in the Falk Community as soon as she returns from her current visit in Spain.

Lori Wertz currently serves as K-8 educator and project director for Falk’s land stewardship program, FALKWOODS, aka SHERP.  Lori arrived at Falk School in 1992, as a Pitt MAT intern teacher in a third/fourth grade mixed classroom. Two years later, she was hired to teach full-time.  Lori has been at Falk ever since because she loves the dynamic and supportive educational environment the teachers, staff, and interns strive to provide for their students each and every day.

Becka has been teaching at Falk for several years. Before that, she lived in Washington, DC and Maryland, and also worked as a lawyer and as a criminal history profiler in a state prison. Becka enjoys sharing and exploring her interest in Shakespeare and Art History with her students.  She also loves helping to coach the middle school Cross-Country team at Falk.

When Michael is not reading, playing sports, spending time with family, or pretending he can sing, he is thinking about mathematics. He has always loved this incredible subject and has found a comfortable home at Falk School as K-5 Mathematics Specialist, middle school teacher, and co-chair of the department. As a former Falk intern, he grew to love this school’s atmosphere and philosophy. His dream came true when he was officially hired. Mr. Yalch enjoys his daily interactions with Falk’s students and colleagues, as well as furthering his own knowledge and education about this beautiful vocation of teaching at Falk School.