Christina Sciascia
Christina Sciascia joined our staff in 2019. After graduating from St. Edmund HS, she spent the majority of her career at Prudential Securities Law Firm as an Executive Assistant. In 2000 she left to start a family and raise her three children. Christina has now returned to work at TCLA. She has been in both the Two and Three-Year-Old classrooms during her time with us. Mrs. Sciascia’s children went to Turtle Creek so she has been a friend of our school for a long time. It’s wonderful when a former involved and loving mother becomes a treasured teacher. Christina enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, the beach, and most importantly watching her three children grow into beautiful adults.
Eve Giountikos
Mrs. Giountikos, better known as Mrs. G, has been a part of the TCLA for over 17 years.
Mrs. G is married, the mother of two sons, and has been around children for most of her life. As she says, “from the age of ten I have been around children and have babysat my nieces and nephews.”
She had started as a pre-k assistant and then moved to be a kindergarten assistant with Ms. Krachie. When the need arose, she moved back to pre-k as the lead teacher. Mrs. G is an outstanding classroom practitioner who has a passion for education and who possesses a proven track record of leading students to high academic achievement. She is committed and passionate about making a difference in the lives of her students and their education.
Jennifer Cappelluti
Jen Cappelluti is our teacher of the three’s class where she has spent every year since joining the Turtle Creek family in 2008. She graduated from Stonybrook University with a bachelor’s degree from the School of Social Welfare and went on to receive her master’s degree in social work from Fordham University’s School of Social Service, Lincoln Center. Mrs. Cappelluti is a licensed clinical social worker and practiced as a child/family therapist before settling in Marlboro, NJ to raise her two sons Michael and Matthew with her husband Frank. She has worked with children for her entire career and all who know her can attest that this is her true passion and calling in life. Mrs. Cappelluti enjoys traveling, the NY Rangers and NY Jets, music, and most importantly spending time with her family.
Lisa Vanasco – Co-Director
Lisa Vanasco has been our Co-Director since 2017. She earned a BS in Accounting from St. John’s University and entered a career in public and private accounting. After settling in Manalapan, NJ and having her two children (now both in college), and adding a crazy cat to the family, she came to work at Turtle Creek. She started off as an assistant in the two-year-old class and eventually moved on to the three’s class as well as our bookkeeper. When the role of Co-Director opened up, she was a natural choice given her experience in the classroom, background in business, and strong relationship with the families of TCLA. She enjoys her role at the school and balances her personal life with spending time with her family, friends, and traveling.
Lynn Krachie
Lynn Krachie, our pre-k teacher has the most longevity at Turtle Creek. Mrs. Krachie came aboard in 1999 in our second year of operation. She fully embodies the energetic and artful spirit of being a highly qualified teacher. Mrs. Krachie didn’t start out in education. Her first degree is in economics; she worked on Wall Street for a while. In 1999, Mrs. Krachie received her master of education degree from Rutgers and the rest is history. Mrs. Krachie has a love of science and literacy and melds them so seamlessly in some of the “big projects” she undertakes. Whether it’s building a rainforest in the class or putting on a circus for the parents, she attacks these types of projects where all content areas are interwoven with incredible gusto. Children come back year after year to tell her what a difference she made in their lives. It’s a given that she teaches skills to prepare our students for first grade, but more importantly, she gives our children great confidence and a deep and genuine love for school that will carry them forever.
Robin Olsen
Robin Olsen began her teaching career in 1985. Throughout the years, Mrs. Olsen taught Mommy & Me, Me w/out Mommy, Pre-K, and Kindergarten classes. She is currently teaching Kindergarten here at Turtle Creek Learning Academy. Besides accumulating over 300 hours of continuing education credit, Robin holds an Associate degree in Early Childhood Education (SUNY Farmingdale), a Bachelor degree in Elementary Education (Long Island University, CW Post), as well as a Dual Master’s degree in Reading & Special Education (Long Island University, CW Post).
Robin is a creative teacher committed to providing her students with a loving and developmentally sound foundation for a lifetime of learning. She strives to create and maintain a nurturing and loving environment where her students grow and thrive while exploring the world around them thru academics, art, and play
When Mrs. Olsen is not in her classroom, she enjoys cooking, traveling, crafting, music, and being at the beach! She also loves spending time with her husband Bob, her three sons Ryan, Kevin & Dylan, and her new daughter-in-law, Samantha!