Sheila received an Associate degree in Textile design from Fashion Institute of Technology and a BA in English Literature from Hunter College. She has a dual MA in Early Childhood Development and Supervision and Administration from Bank Street College. Sheila is also a certified Montessori teacher. She has taught for over 30 years and started Beginnings 25 years ago. Sheila taught at the Bank Street College Infancy Institute and is an adjunct professor in the Continuing Education Department at New York University. Inspired by the exhibit "The Hundred Languages of Children" curated by the the city of Reggio Emilia, Sheila has attended workshops in St. Louis, Missouri, Burlington, Vermont, and Washington, DC. In October 2004, Sheila was part of an international delegation of 300 educators to Reggio Emillia, Italy to visit their early chilhood programs and study their philosophy.

Jane is starting her 16th year at Beginnings. She received a BA in Psychology from the University of Vermont, a Masters in Early Childhood Education and a Masters in Supervision and Administration from Bank Street College. Jane has over eighteen years teaching experience. In July 1996, Jane received a fellowship in Environmental Science through Bank Street College and the Central Park Conservancy. Jane has had extensive training in the Reggio Emilia Approach to early childhood education. She has attended workshops at Reggio inspired schools in St. Louis, Missouri, Boulder, Colorado, and Northhampton, Massachusetts. In October 2003, Jane was part of an international delegation of 300 educators to Reggio Emilia, Italy to visit their early childhood programs and study their philosophy.  Jane is responsible for establishing an on-going  collaborative relationship with The University of Vermont Campus Children's Center.  For two years between September 2004 and June 2006, professors and teachers from the University provided ongoing collaborative support to the Beginnings staff and community in the areas of curriculum development and documentation.

This is Claudine's 8th year at Beginnings. She received a BS in Math from from Fairfield University and a Masters in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education. Claudine has worked with children ages 18 months to 6 years old, both at Beginnings and at the Bank Street School for Children. In 2005, Claudine made the move from teaching to admissions.

Laura taught at Beginnings for three years, and this is her first year as educational director.  She has a BA in English from Wesleyan University, and a Masters in Early Children and Elementary Education from Bank Street College.  In addition to teaching at Beginnings, Laura has also taught at the Bank Street School for Children, the City and Country School, and P.S. 321 in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  Before entering the field of childhood education, Laura taught English to adults in New York and Indonesia, where she lived for four years.  In addition to teaching, Laura is also a consultant who has developed and written curriculum for the Bank Street College of Education Publications & Media Group and other educational groups.

LeeAnn Valvano has been a part of the Beginnings community for 6 years in a variety of roles.  She received her B.F.A. from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in Drama and Psychology and is also a certified adult and children's yoga instructor.  She has taught drama and yoga in many different schools and was the Lower School Drama teacher at the Brooklyn Heights Montessori School where she collaborated with the children to write and perform original theater pieces.  She also has a background in special education, having worked as a private Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) for two and a half years and teaching yoga privately to children with special needs. In addition to her work with children, LeeAnn was the Assistant to the Director of Special Events for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, focusing on fund raising and event planning.