Our Faculty and Staff

Drew Curtis

Pronouns: he/him/his
At NS since: 1999
Position: Operations Manager; Support Teacher
Education: B.A. (anthropology), Washington University
Fun facts:

Drew’s background in writing and editing is the impetus for wonderful writing projects in Level 4.
No parking? No problem! Proud parent of NS alums Max and Jesse, Drew lives within walking distance of NS.

Haeli Warren

Pronouns: she/her/hers
At NS since: 2021
Position: Level 4 Teacher
Education: B.A. (Education Studies, Elementary Education Teaching Program) Wellesley College
Fun facts:

Haeli started teaching in outdoor education on a farm and then in the mountains. While teaching, she has hiked and backpacked over 23 of the Adirondack Mountains in New York.
With education and teaching, Haeli is interested in research. She is especially excited about how students and the community can do research about and in their own communities.
Dance, biking, being outside, playing clarinet, and baking are some of Haeli’s favorite activities!

Johnny Blazes

Pronouns: they/them/theirs
At NS since: 2007
Position: Drama and Dance Teacher since 2007, Music and Rap Around Teacher since 2015
Education: B.A. (Theater & Dance performance), Oberlin College
Fun facts:

Johnny was one of NS’s first students, joining Level 1 in January of 1988.
Johnny has been teaching or assisting at Neighborhood School almost continuously since graduating in 1994 (with a short hiatus to do some traveling and studying), including several years of circus and drama camp counseling as a pre-teen and teen!
Johnny is also an instructor and administrator at Esh Circus Arts in Somerville, and sings with two different soul bands, including one co-run with Johnny’s dad, J. Johnson.

Jovielle Gers

Pronouns: she/her/hers
At NS since: 2023
Position: Art Teacher
Education: BFA, Tufts University & The School of the Museum of Fine Arts
Fun facts:

Jovielle worked in Northern India over a few years doing photography for the Norbulingka Institute, a Tibetan organization, as well as photographing the Dalai Lama.
Some of Jovielle’s favorite activities include: cross-country skiing through glistening snow, biking with her family, swimming in lakes and waterfalls, dancing, baking healthy+chocolatey things on cold days, cuddling up with a book, and soaking in hot springs under the stars.
Jovielle helps to organize the Wake Up the Earth Festival in JP. This year she created a climate resiliency public art piece on which Mayor Michelle Wu pledged to help fix the T!

Joyce Mallory

Pronouns: she/her/hers
At NS since: the beginning
Position: Accommodations Coordinator
Education: M.Ed. (Special Education), UMass Boston. Joyce helps us to keep track of learning differences and specific methods of instruction and assessment to meet individual needs.
Fun facts:

In 1986, with her late husband, John, Joyce brought her pre-school through middle school teaching experience to the formation of NS. Joyce is also mother to two adult sons, Jared and Jon Marc, and grandmother to Lila Rae and Dylan!
Children associate Joyce with music, frogs, cats, and coffee.

Laurie Bozzi

Pronouns: she/her/hers
At NS since: 2023
Position: Level 2 Teacher
Education: Ed.D. (Human Development and Psychology), Harvard University
Fun facts:

I am learning to play fiddle.
I like to knit and am slowly learning to embroider.
I love turtles.

Lisa Nam

Pronouns: she/her/hers
At NS since: 2016
Position: Level 4 Teacher; L4 Counseling Services
Education: Ed.M. (Prevention Science and Practice), Harvard Graduate School of Education
Fun facts:

Lisa lightly dabbles in arts and crafts and studied photography, painting, figure drawing, ceramics, and poetry in Korea, Greece, and Italy.
Lisa loves being part of the L4 Racial Justice Club every year and learns so much from the students about youth development through social justice.
Even after a decade of living in Boston, Lisa still feels her California roots and is afraid of winter.

Malena Castilla

Pronouns: she/her/hers
At NS since: 2021
Position: Level 3 Teacher
Education: B.A. (Economics, Teacher Scholars Program) Wellesley College.
Fun facts:

Malena has traveled over a 10,000 mile range north to south from Montreal, Canada to the Glacier National Park of Argentina.
Malena speaks English and Spanish —half of my family is in Argentina— and a little bit of Italian.
Malena loves winter so long as there's plenty of snow! With snowy days come skiing, hot chocolate, and curling up with a book.

Priscilla Saul

Pronouns: she/her/hers
At NS since: 2017
Position: Administrative Assistant
Education: MSM, Emmanuel College
Fun facts:

Priscilla has a love for the arts, and enjoys visiting museums.
Priscilla loves to exercise. She was a sprinter on the Regis College Track and Field team.
Priscilla is a Netflix junkie (if she could, she would watch documentaries all day every day).

Scott Morrow

Pronouns: he/him/his
At NS since: 1995, when he and Tricia began sharing administrative duties along with home care of their children.
Position: Afterschool and PE Teacher; Finance; Maintenance
Education: M.Div., Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary
Fun facts:

Basketball, the trumpet, and fatherhood are among Scott’s passions.
Get the scoop: Scott’s freezer is usually well-stocked with ice cream of various flavors.

Seth Hanson

Pronouns: he/him/his
At NS since: 2023
Position: Music and Rock Band Teacher
Education: B.A. (Computer Science), Grinnell College
Fun facts:

Seth loves solving and making crossword puzzles. He made a website for making and sharing crossword puzzles with friends, and another similar site in the style of the NYT's game Connections. Ask him about Banana Crossword!
In highschool, Seth first learned to play guitar and old songs attending the folk-jams at the Contended Cow in Northfield, Minnesota.
Seth lives in the neighborhood :)

Tracy Pimentel

Pronouns: she/her/hers
At NS since: 2014
Position: Level 1 Teacher
Education: M.Ed. (early childhood education), Lesley University
Fun facts:

Tracy completed a practicum at Neighborhood School with Level 2 back in 2005 during her undergraduate days at Lesley University.
She lives in Stoughton with husband Angel, and sons Ezra and Koji.
Level 1 students will have fun discovering which four languages Tracy can speak!

Tricia Morrow

Pronouns: she/her/hers
At NS since: the beginning
Position: Director; Support Teacher
Education: B.A. (elementary & special education), Knox College; graduate work in educational management and parenting studies
Fun facts:

Tricia’s teaching experience and lots of elbow grease proved helpful as she joined Joyce and John Mallory in the formation of Neighborhood School.
Tricia and her husband Scott are proud parents of NS alums Anna, Michaela, and Nick.
From her rural upbringing, Tricia brings a pig collection and a sense of small-town connectedness to our school.