Our Team
Senior Assistant Teacher
My name is Nikita Lewis. I was born in the beautiful twin Islands of Trinidad and Tobago, but I reside now in the United States of America. In my spare time, I love to cook, eat, shop and watch lots of Christmas movies even if it is not the season. I am a mother of two boys, whom I love dearly, and wouldn’t trade my role. I am currently studying early childhood education and psychology at Brooklyn College, where I will obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. As a student/teacher, I have developed a passion and personal commitment for helping students succeed. My teaching style demonstrates dedication to fostering a positive environment for all students. My favorite projects with students involve creating sets and props for our talent showcases, cooking and our process art projects. Currently the Lead Teacher for the 3s and 4s classroom, I am excited to feed, nourish, grow and develop the minds of our young students. I am also in the process of becoming a certified teacher and continuing my path of studying child psychology. I am always open to new challenges and I am so excited to get to know each and every one of your little flowers.
Deborah Pintonelli
Lead Teacher
Teacher Director Deborah Roesch (Pintonelli) has an MFA from Columbia College Chicago, and has worked in early childhood education since 2009, starting out in underserved Chicago Public Schools as a Site Supervisor for Progressive Learning’s online after school program. Literacy is a lifelong passion of hers, and she firmly believes that even the youngest children can benefit from early reading and writing practice. There . A former organizer with the Northwest Community Organization, social justice issues have been a part of her life since she was a teenager. In 2023 she will complete the Masters program in Early Childhood/Special Education at the Bank Street College of Education. She has won awards from the Illinois Arts Council, PEN Midwest, the National Association of Arts and Letters, and is a 2018 recipient of an Acker award. Her poetry, stories, and essays have been published widely. She has two adult children living in Chicago, and loves being a part of the Katmint team.
Suleika Rivers
Suleika Rivers is a Brooklyn born mother of 3 who earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology from CUNY Brooklyn College. Currently the Lead Teacher of the 2s and 3s class, he spent 13 years teaching in various positions at The Garden House School of NY (NYC). She started as a floater and an assistant, before working her way up to head teacher for 3 to 5 year old’s. During that time, she also earned her Masters in Early Childhood Education from CUNY Brooklyn College and obtained her teaching certification for birth – 2nd grade. She then ventured out to other schools as a lead teacher for four and five year old’s at Cortelyou Early Childhood Center in Brooklyn, where she developed constructive learning through inquiry and exploration and participated in quarterly workshops by NYC Pre K Create. Then to The Collegiate School in Manhattan where she was a kindergarten and second grade associate teacher for three years.