Martha Belmonte begins her thirteenth year on the Cherry staff as a teacher in the 4 Morning and 3 Afternoon Multi-age Red Room classes.  Prior to co-teaching in the Red Room for the past six years, Martha worked as an inclusion aide and in the office and was a teacher in the lunch program.  A member of the founding board of Cherry Preschool and past Board President, Martha has an Education degree and was a special education teacher for six years.  In the past, she served on the Long Range Planning and director search committees.  Martha is the parent of three Cherry graduates, one a college graduate, one in college, and one at ETHS.

Michaela Cudahy begins her second year on the Cherry staff as an inclusion aide in the 4 Morning and 3 Afternoon Multi-age Red Room class.  Michaela’s twins, Rose and Luke Lawless, are 2009 Cherry graduates.  She has a background in social work with an MSW and LCSW from Loyola University.  Michaela has been an outreach worker with the mentally ill community.  She has also worked in a daycare center with infants and in a preschool summer camp.

Beatriz Douma is beginning her eighth year on the Cherry staff as a teacher in the 4 Morning and 3 Afternoon Multi-age Red Room classes.  Prior to joining the Red Room three years ago, Bea taught the M/W Transition Rose Room Class and the Latino Parent/Child Class.   A native Spanish speaker, Bea is a certified teacher and has a degree in elementary education.  She taught in Evanston/Skokie District 65 for seven years.  Bea has three children.  Her three children are Cherry graduates. Katie attends St. Ignatius High School, and Henry and Jill attend Sacred Heart School. Bea has served on the Board, both as Room Parent Coordinator and as a Teacher Representative.  She is serving as Teacher Representative for the second time this year.

Reyna Rojas is starting her fifth year on the Cherry staff as an inclusion aide in the 4 Morning and 3 Afternoon Multi-age Red Room classes.  In the spring of 2005, Reyna did an internship for early childhood education in the Rose Room M/W Transition class.  Reyna is the mother of three children, one at ETHS, and two in college.   We are also excited to have Reyna as one of our native Spanish speaking staff members.