We have many exciting changes coming to our Temple Tots program for the 2024-2025 school year! Parents or caregivers will join their toddler (ages 9 months – 24 months) right here in our ECC multipurpose room for a hands-on, interactive learning experience.
Facilitated by licensed social workers, our Temple Tots meet several times a week from 9:15-10:15 AM, or 10:30-11:30 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays and/or Fridays. Toddlers may register for up to 2 sessions per week. Throughout the school year, a multitude of experts will join class to consult on a variety of pertinent toddlerhood topics.
Can’t wait to sign up? Call/email Ellen Rosenberg at: 914-723-5493 or Ellen.Rosenberg@wrtemple.org
Temple Tots Facilitators
Monday and Friday Facilitator and ECC Social Worker:
Rachel Fell, LMSW, MSEd
Rachel is an experienced and passionate early childhood educator who has worked as a teacher and social worker in diverse school settings. She received a Masters of Social Work from Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work and a Masters in Early Childhood General and Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. She has worked as an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant, an Early Childhood teacher, a Special Education evaluator and a SEIT (Special Education Itinerant Teacher) at several public and Independent Schools in Manhattan and Brooklyn. In 2022, she started her own creative arts company called CreativeMe where she leads process-art activities and events for children and families. She recently moved to the Westchester area with her husband and young baby.
Wednesday Facilitator:
Sammi Strahl, LCSW
Sammi is a clinical child therapist who has developed expertise working with young children through a social-emotional and play-focused lens. As the founder of BeHive Therapy, a private practice in NYC, Sammi offers personalized in-home and at-school therapy services to kids ages 2-10, tailored to meet each child’s unique needs. From play therapy to facilitated social groups and 1:1 social skill-building sessions, Sammi creates opportunities for kids to learn and grow in a safe, structured, and fun environment.
Expert Consultants
Pediatric Physical Therapist: Jaffe Brensilver
Jaffe is a dedicated and compassionate pediatric physical therapist with over 20 years of experience in helping children achieve their optimal physical potential. As a mom of three teenage children Jaffe brings a unique blend of professional expertise and personal insight into her practice. Her approach is holistic, considering not just the physical but also the emotional and social aspects of her young patients’ lives. She is known for creating personalized, engaging therapy plans that make physical therapy fun and effective. Jaffe is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and regularly participates in continuing education to stay updated on the latest advancements in pediatric care.
Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, supporting her children’s academic and extracurricular pursuits, and is an avid endurance athlete. Her commitment to both her family and her patients exemplifies her belief in the power of compassionate care and lifelong learning.
Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant: Liza Kaplan Montanino
Liza Kaplan Montanino, founder of Rock-a-Bye Baby Sleep, is a certified pediatric sleep consultant through the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management, certified special needs sleep consultant through the Institute for Pediatric Sleep & Parenting, a graduate of the Sleep Health Intelligence Program through Dr. Anya McLaren-Barnett, and cofounder of the Westchester Mama & Child Wellness Expo. She is also the Sleep Expert in The Indy Lab’s Parenting Center, sleep instructor with Virtual Village Parenting, a newborn care professional, a lactation educator, and an active member of CAPPA and HVBN.
Liza leads workshops and group seminars on the importance of sleep quality and how to improve sleep struggles, presenting to clinicians, schools, and postpartum support networks nationwide, including Postpartum Support International, The Motherhood Center, WPA, Midwives of New Jersey, and others. She is passionate about working to disrupt the narrative that parenthood means sleepless nights by educating parents on the important connection between sleep and mental health, and proudly supports neurotypical and special needs families on their journey toward continuous, more restorative sleep so that both children and their parents are better positioned to thrive.
A mom of two, Liza lives with her family in Westchester, New York.
Clinical Nutritionist: Angela Rein
Angela Rein, MS, CNS, LDN, CN-D is a Clinical Nutritionist who owns and operates Angela Rein Nutrition, LLC – a private nutrition counselling practice with offices in Westchester County, NY and Greenwich, CT. Angela has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition and Integrative Health, is a wife and mother to three young boys. After a decade-long career in investments, a family health scare caused Angela to reevaluate her path in life. During the recovery period when Angela was a caretaker, she witnessed the influence (both positive and negative) that food has on the body. Angela decided to make a career change and turn her passion for nutrition and health into a profession where she could truly make a difference in people’s lives. In her current practice she focuses on family nutrition, female lifecycle nutrition, gut health, and blood sugar regulation. In her experience with clients, she has found that small changes in the way we eat can have a huge impact on our overall quality of life. Angela loves to bring fun into the kitchen and will share tips on how to get kids to “eat the rainbow” and how to make mealtime more efficient to support parents and caregivers with busy schedules.
Therapist and Advocate for Women and Parents: Lauren Tetenbaum
Lauren A. Tetenbaum, LCSW, JD, PMH-C is a Scarsdale-based mom of two, a writer, a former lawyer, and a social worker specializing in supporting millennial moms and young women through life transitions. Through her counseling practice, Lauren facilitates psychoeducational groups and coaching workshops to empower postpartum and other women in corporate settings, provides therapy to individuals and couples in New York, Connecticut, and Florida, and contributes thought leadership on topics like maternal mental health, gender equity, and working parenthood. Learn more about Lauren at www.TheCounseLaur.com or connect with her on Instagram (@thecounselaur) or LinkedIn.
Pediatric Occupational Therapist: Joanne Yewdell
Joanne Yewdell, OTR/L is a practicing pediatric Occupational Therapist focused on enabling and empowering children and their families. Joanne has over four decades of experience working in hospitals, hand clinics, and private schools in NY and CT. Joanne is involved with supervising graduate OT students who are fulfilling their pediatric affiliations. Joanne believes that promoting the importance of OT with effective strategies, knowledge and communication is the best way to create a collaborated approach with families, educators and medical professionals.
As a pediatric Occupational Therapist, Joanne utilizes sensory integration, therapeutic listening, neurodevelopmental treatment, play therapy, parent education and behavioral interventions to make progress possible. Expertise in neurology, neuroanatomy, primate reflex integration, motor learning, hand functioning, perception, orthopedics and development, guide her in maximizing a child’s performance and success. Joanne is passionate about understanding child development and promoting this knowledge.
Pediatric Speech and Language Pathologist: RoAnne Zuckerman
RoAnne Zuckerman, founder of New York Pediatric Speech and Language Services, has been practicing speech language pathology for over 25 years. RoAnne is certified by the American Speech and Hearing Association and licensed in the state of New York. She received her Master’s degree from New York University. RoAnne evaluates and treats children with a wide variety of articulation and language-based disorders, including pragmatic, auditory processing, autism, oral motor and expressive language disorders. She is passionate about her work and loves working with children of all ages.