Niamh Sweetnam
Niamh joined LGA in 2021, after receiving her Master’s in Reading Education from Boston University. She first discovered a love of teaching while working as a tutor at Smith College and became certified as an elementary teacher after graduating with a degree in Psychology and Education/Child Study. Before coming to LGA, she spent several years at a Reggio Emilia–inspired early childhood center where she deepened her appreciation for child-centered learning. At LGA, she taught third grade before discovering her passion in Kindergarten. Outside of work, Niamh loves spending time with her family in Ireland and can usually be found dabbling in a rotating collection of handicrafts (which she enthusiastically starts, occasionally continues, and almost never finishes) while listening to audiobooks.
Andrea Olkin
Andrea joined LGA in 2011, where she has been part of the Kitah Gan/Kindergarten team for over a decade and has taught Hebrew and Judaics across multiple grades. Andrea received her BA in History from UConn and her M.Ed. in Secondary History Education from UMass Amherst. Prior to coming to LGA, Andrea taught history, Judaics and Hebrew at the Jewish Community of Amherst. Andrea also worked as a costumed historical interpreter and museum teacher at Old Sturbridge Village. She is a 2005 recipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Excellence in Teaching Award and Pioneer Valley Excellence in Jewish Teaching Award. Andrea has three children, the youngest of whom is an LGA alumna. In her spare time she enjoys reading, running, cooking, playing her guitar and digging in her garden.
Annie came to LGA upon moving to Western Mass in the fall of 2022. She first worked as an aide in Gan, then as a substitute teacher, and, most recently, as the maternity leave replacement for Kitah Bet. Before LGA, Annie worked at the Leffell School in White Plains, New York. She holds a Bachelors of Arts from George Washington University and a Masters in Public and Nonprofit Administration and Management from New York University. Annie lives in Florence with her partner (Matt), 11-year-old stepson (Nate), and 16-month-old daughter (Nora).
Lauren Carlotto
Lauren is in her tenth year of teaching second grade at Lander Grinspoon Academy. She previously taught second grade at Homer Street School in Springfield and at Leeds Elementary School. Lauren graduated from Westfield State University in 2013 with her BA in Elementary Education and her Masters in 2025. Lauren lives in Northampton with her husband Matt, their two daughters and their son. She enjoys dancing, doing yoga, painting and spending time with her family and friends in her free time.
Cynthia Kassell
Cindy joined LGA in 2001 to teach the first 5th grade class, where she loved finding creative ways to teach the curriculum. She also worked with students on math placement and enrichment. Cindy has a BA in Journalism and International Relations with a Minor in French from the University of Wisconsin, and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Loyola University, Chicago. She has a busy life outside of school with her two young daughters. She enjoys playing volleyball, hiking, cooking, and renovating houses. Cindy also used to sing with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Laurie White
Laurie began her teaching career in 2002 in Birmingham, Alabama where she taught for 15 years before moving to Massachusetts in 2017. She began at LGA as a long term sub in the winter of 2020 and is thrilled to be back this year. Laurie received her BA and MA in Early Childhood Education from The University of Alabama in Birmingham. She has two sons and a daughter in Alabama and a son in California. She loves traveling back “home” to spend time with her family, including two grandchildren. She also enjoys traveling with her wife around New England, visiting places she has never been before.
Tyler Knapp
Tyler has had a number of roles at LGA, and is excited to teach 5th grade Math and English Language Arts this school year! He first moved to the area to attend UMass Amherst as a comparative literature major, and became involved at LGA in 2013. Tyler left LGA in 2016 to coach youth bike racing in Philadelphia, where he lived for a number of years, before becoming a summer camp director at Camp Leslie in Georgetown, Massachusetts in 2019. Tyler moved back to western Massachusetts in 2021, and became re-involved with life at LGA. In his spare time, Tyler likes to ride bikes, write code, and fool around with synthesizers.
Michelle Abney
Michelle is very excited to join the LGA community. Her experience includes ten years in the classroom teaching 7th grade Science and High School Biology. She’s spent time as the Education Coordinator for a botanical garden, and a College Admissions Advisor. Michelle graduated from Texas A&M University in 2008 with a BS in Ecology and Conservation Biology. A lifelong Texan, she made a huge change moving across the country to Westhampton in 2025 with her husband Mike and two fluffy lap dogs. She loves that Western Mass has great live music, friendly people, and all four seasons! Her happy place is her own backyard where she gardens, watches wildlife, and adds birds to her life list.
Neil Zagorin
Neil has been at LGA since 2002. He studied Anthropology at UMass, Yiddish Language and Literature at The Oxford Programme in Yiddish, and Jewish Education at Hebrew College. Before coming to LGA, he worked at the National Yiddish Book Center helping preserve Yiddish books and literature. At LGA, Neil loves learning with our wonderful students about the many things that fall under the umbrella “Judaics,” and loves being able to indulge his passion for history by learning with students about the modern world since the time of the Renaissance and US history since 1800. Neil loves having fun with his family, reading, and exercise. He lives next to many acres of woods in Amherst, where he enjoys the greenery and even tries to appreciate the mosquitoes.
Aram Rubenstein-Gillis
Aram Rubenstein-Gillis is a writer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist whose work blends theatricality, community engagement, and social impact. For more than 25 years, he has created and produced original musicals, music videos, hip-hop operas, flash mobs, and song-driven advocacy projects performed across cultural, religious, and educational settings. Based in Northampton, Massachusetts, Aram serves as Musical Director for Congregation B’nai Israel. He previously worked in Hoboken, NJ as an artist-in-residence at Elysian Charter School. As a creative consultant, he has collaborated with Moore and Associates, Actually.org, The Jewish Farm School, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and FoodCorps.
Liam Hurley
Heather Wolfe-Steinhardt
Fletcher Schneeflock
Copyright © 2026 Lander-Grinspoon Academy. All rights reserved. Website designed by Addicott Web.
