Charmane a. Wong, Esq. Human Resource Director Birch Family Services, Inc.

BOARD MEMBERS

DIRECTORS

Simone Sobers

Simone Sobers is the founder and President of Winsome Wishes for KIDS, Inc. (WWKIDS), a not-for-profit arrangement based in New York City.  The arrangement's primary goal is to obtain and grant bookish resources, professional development for teachers, and financial help to schools in demand.  Simone's passion for her island homeland coupled with her decision to provide an exceptional education for the children of Jamaica who struggle with learning challenges is reflected in WWKIDS' mission.

Simone is the mother of 2 children who graduated from NYC independent schools. Her understanding of the value of a potent educational foundation is e'er present in her personal and professional life. As a Management Auditor at St. Bernard'south School in New York City since 2003, Simone enjoys her role as an active member of the school community, having served on many committees. Currently, she is the co-chair of the Community Service Committee later on having served on both the Multicultural and Conduct Committees. Simone has a unique ability to organize educatee-led drives and collect tangible donations similar reading books, computers, and schoolhouse equipment. She also serves as a manager on the lath of Empower Youth Corp(EYC) - empowering Ugandan children through sports and VPS Alumni Ja. Affiliate.

She has always been quick to recognize a demand and immediately collected coats and rain-boots after the floods damaged parts of Jamaica in 2008. Giving back holds neat importance to Simone and she had a moment of groovy pride when she was able to provide used books to her alma mater, Vaz Preparatory School, in Kingston, Jamaica. Simone'southward successful ability to raise the funds necessary to provide assistance to students is credible to all the donors who support her vision. Simone'due south energy and never-ending commitment to the needs of children in Jamaica make her a genuine asset to this cause. Her personal motto today and for the future is, "I'yard not on globe for myself. I am here to help whomever, whenever and wherever possible".

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"My late sister was an inspiration to many, simply peculiarly to me. She showed me what compassion coupled with activity can accomplish, and her legacy would remain incomplete if I were not to follow her instance."

 It is this spirit of giving dorsum and sharing access to quality educational activity upon which Winsome's Wishes for KIDS was founded. Anybody deserves a great education, and not every child learns the same way: We are working to change the paradigm of education in Jamaica, one kid at a time. I invite you to join me on this adventure!"

Stephen Aiken

Stephen Aiken is the product of a spiritual and educational household.  His father was a pastor and mother an educator, whose influences inside the customs helped to lay a strong foundation for many.  Stephen credits them for his philanthropic and leadership Dna to this solar day and believes information technology was inevitable that he'd follow in their footsteps.​

He is proud of his journeying as he has traveled the world:  He has served as a boys' club President and 1st schoolboy omnibus at loftier school, and has taught, mentored, and coached in New York, Connecticut, and Georgia. For over half-dozen years, he served as president of his High schoolhouse Alumni Clan. He is admired equally a man of GOD, a coach, counselor, coordinator, by many within the diaspora and in Jamaica. In item, Stephen is proud to have connected his parents' commitment to the Gideon Education Middle in Jamaica, a preparatory school which his parents co-founded in 1970. He has been consistently involved with mentoring, advising, supporting and giving dorsum to that community.  He is involved in WWKIDS because he humbly recognizes the mission and vision of the not profit organisation, and he believes a good education is the key and foundation to every kid's success in life.

Neda Navab

Neda Navab is from Tehran, Islamic republic of iran and has lived in the US since 1980. She had a career every bit a senior executive advertising and branding for national and international agencies in San Francisco and New York. She serves on several non-profit boards including New York Common Pantry and the Women's Committee of Central Park Conservancy.​

She is the former President of the Brick Church Women'due south Association and an Elderberry of the Brick Church serving on their Solar day School Committee for vi years. Neda and her husband support educational non-profits including an ongoing relationship with the African Dream Academy in Liberia since its inception in 2012. They're the proud parents of 2 boys, ages xvi and xiv and reside in NYC.She's involved with WWKIDS because she believes all children and their teachers deserve access to grooming and back up services then there is equity in the classroom.

Charmane Wong Esq. has been practicing police for decades, having attained her JD at West Virginia College of law in 1988, and she's licensed to practice in the state of New York.  She is well-qualified for her role every bit Board Manager of WWKIDS, based on her professional experience working in the child and services industries since the tardily 1990s.

Charmane has been consistently involved in community volunteer work even while raising two kids (one biological, ane adopted) and pursuing her professional goals. Most recently these include Birch Family unit Services, Edwin Gould Services for Children & Families (every bit Director of Human Services at both) and Graham Windham (as Vice President), all in New York.​ She has served equally a Lath Member and Vice President of Programs at the Pelham Children'due south Middle and has supported numerous causes and organizations in Jamaica and in the Greater New York expanse. Her engagement with WWKids as a Board Manager is just another stride in her commitment to making a difference in equally many lives as she's able to. Charmane is presently the president of the Lath of Directors of New York City Early Learning Company, an arrangement serving at-risk children in New York Urban center.

Karlene Crossdale, BSN, RN

Karlene Crossdale is a Registered Professional Nurse specializing in Adult Gastroenterology at The Northwell Health Systems in Long Isle, NY and a recipient of the 2014 Northwell Health System Hospitality Amanuensis Honour. She'south a member of the Wellness and Wellness Ministry of the St. John's United Methodist Church, Elmont, NY.

Karlene has actively served on numerous non-profit boards in the Jamaican Diaspora and in New York as she is committed to the enhancement of children'due south education. Her love of early babyhood didactics was instilled early equally the daughter of an early on babyhood educator in Kingston, Jamaica.  Karlene is the Benefactor of 2 orphaned children in De La Vega Metropolis, Spanish Town and one orphaned child in Ginger Hill, St. Elizabeth.  She is the biological mother of ii teenagers.

Annie Zheng

Annie Zheng is a Director and Treasurer of WWKIDS. The organization's mission is close to Annie's centre after witnessing a shut family member dealing with a severe learning disability.​Her outset exposure in the education field was soon subsequently the nascence of her son. For three years, Annie was the owner and Plan Director of The Mandarin Treehouse, a language program for immature children based in New York City.

Previously, Annie had over x years of feel in existent estate financing and debt capital markets; she worked for GE Existent Manor, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette. Annie received her Principal of Business Administration degree in Finance from New York Academy, Stern School of Business organisation and her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University. She and her hubby have a teenage son and reside on the West Declension.

ADVISORS

Angela Chaplain

Angela Clergyman is a retired Chief of Vauxhall High School. She joined Vauxhall in 2002 and retired in August 2017. During her tenure, Angela transformed the school not only physically, but conceptually equally well. She converted the school from three shifts to a full 24-hour interval, and added eight classrooms to the campus. By utilizing her skills to navigate relationships with students, security forces and the surface area's Member of Parliament, Angela created an educational sanctuary for students in this volatile community. She empowered students to take pride in themselves and the schoolhouse, and to excel. Due to her efforts, the school produced Jamaica's 2014 Rhodes Scholar, Timar Jackson, a once unimaginable feat for a school from a customs of its kind.

Prior to joining Vauxhall, Angela served equally a Parish Councillor at the Kingston & St. Andrew Corporation for five years, where her duties included representing the Mayor at official functions and local community activities. She has previously worked every bit a Classroom Teacher, Spanish Instructor, Grade Supervisor and Bursar at Vaz Preparatory School; an Drome Hostess with the Jamaica Tourist Lath; a Reservation and Ticketing Amanuensis with Trans Jamaican Airlines, which became Air Jamaica Express; and a Junior Consultant with a project management company.

Currently, Angela is the secretary to the Mayor of Spanish Town at the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation, a role where her duties include writing speeches for the Mayor. Angela graduated from Excelsior High School, and she obtained her Teacher's Certification from Mico Higher University in 1979. She received a Available of Arts degree in Literatures in English from the University of The West Indies in 2006. In Baronial 2005, she completed a Master of Science Degree in Educational Leadership from the Central Connecticut State University, in the U.s., where her program included modules dealing with how children learn to read. In 2010, she received a graduate diploma in Educational Administration from the Academy of the West Indies. Angela has been a Justice of the Peace (JP) for the Parish of Kingston since 2005.

Angela is comfortable communicating in Spanish, and she is conversational in French, High german and Japanese. She has held various customs and board positions, including Chairman of the Kingston Eastward Port Regal Constituency (2019-Present); Chairperson of the Oratorical Committee of the Optimist Club (2017-2018); Deputy Chairman of the National Youth Service (2003-2007); Chairman of ISSA Netball & Volleyball (2007-2019); Executive Fellow member of the Jamaica Clan of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPSS) (2010-2015); and Fellow member of the SubCommittee for Research and Communication for the Ministry of Education (2013-2015).

Rochelle Cohen

Rochelle Cohen-Levine has a Masters Degree from Columbia University Teachers College in Learning Disabilities. Rochelle worked at St. Bernard's School as the Director of Special Learning for 23 years. In this function, she brash teachers and parents; acted equally a liaison with therapists and medical professional in the field of learning disabilities to help identify children at run a risk for learning disabilities.

Rochelle has also presented at ATIS conferences as well as the International Boys Schoolhouse Coalition Global Conference on Identifying Boys at Risk for Learning Disabilities. Rochelle is pleased to exist part of Winsome Wishes for KIDS (WWKIDS) and to offer her expertise in the field of Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia. She believes that providing teachers and schools with tools for early identification and remediation is key to academic success.

Sandra Bramwell-Rose

Sandra Bramwell-Rose is the Founder and Executive Director of Versan Educational Services, the premier Caribbean educational consulting and exam prep firm, headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica. Versan is dedicated to helping hard-working Jamaican students reach admission to highly selective colleges, universities and boarding schools in the United States and Canada.

Since 1995, Sandra and her team have guided thousands of students though the application process, receiving 12,000 acceptances at a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including all Ivy League Schools. The house has also had meaning success placing Jamaican students in boarding schools away. Versan offers students tutorials in training for the SAT, SSAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT admissions tests, and one-on-one consulting for each individual educational plan. Sandra has all-encompassing involvement in curriculum development and in managing teachers affiliated with Versan'due south programs. Prior to launching Versan, Sandra received a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from the American University of Paris, and a Masters' in Public Assistants from Columbia University. She is a polyglot, fluent in eight languages – English, Chinese, French, German language, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Her experiences at Versan accept helped Sandra realize that every student tin learn if given the right resources and support. She is delighted to exist involved in Winsome Wishes for KIDS' effort to empower children with learning challenges and disabilities; with the resources to enhance their learning experiences. Sandra believes WWKIDS commitment and vested individuals to see their mission come to fruition, volition set up off that light bulb in the minds of the immature so they want to continue learning, keep reading, continue creating. WWKIDS will exist a new image for Jamaica's continued evolvement into the time to come!

Ronique Holgate

Ronique Holgate Is an educator and author who has a passion for adventure, reading, and improving literacy in children. It is her firm belief that the ability to read combined with critical thinking caused through the use of puzzles and scientific discipline; forms the platform that children need in society to succeed in life.

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Equally a Jamaican native, she has travelled into various nooks and crannies of the island whether for scuba diving or family road trips. This has fuelled her desire to share these experiences through children's books and other fun, yet educational fabric.  Her function as a wife and mother to two cute girls, has enriched her life and cemented her want to produce material for children that showcases diversity and adventure using her travel experiences at home. A life-long learner, she voraciously devours new courses on different subject areas in social club to augment her thinking and creative skills. Her first book Kingston Zooventure is ane of many to come as she seeks to take children both local and international on the diverse adventures which tin be enjoyed in Jamaica - Land we dear.

You tin can contact her at author.roniqueholgate@gmail.com or you can connect with her @author.roniqueholgate on Instagram.

Pam Loree

Pam Loree has dedicated her life to instruction immature children. She earned an undergraduate degree from The University of North Texas in 1971 and a MS degree in Family and Child Evolution from Kansas Land University in 1974, where she taught in the Early Childhood Lab School. In 1976, Pam became the caput kindergarten teacher for a dozen years at The Episcopal Schoolhouse in New York Urban center.

Pam moved to St. Bernard's School to teach first form for ix years, where she helped to create a kindergarten for the school, and happily taught there for 23 years. She retired in June of 2019, having spent 43 years loving her rewarding experience in instruction 5 and 6 year olds in New York Urban center without regrets.

"Building academic skills and learning nearly how to be part of a community are essentials for educating young children. The foundation of skills and citizenship is to sympathise and support the social and emotional development of children, with a commitment to the growth of their character. This is the aspect of teaching that I ever found to be the most absorbing. Simone Sobers and I were colleagues and friends at St. Bernard's School. Then in 2005, I was lucky enough to teach her son when he was a kindergarten student. Working with Simone in her capacity as a parent enhanced my admiration for her; I respected her understanding and advocacy for her son as a little male child, and in the ensuing years every bit she guided him, and her girl, into immature adulthood. I, Pam Loree, am happy for the opportunity to exist an Advisor for Winsome Wishes for KIDS (WWKIDS), and to work with Simone on such a worthy educational project. She has professionally and passionately identified a group of underserved students in her home country of Jamaica. Simone has outlined the needs of students and teachers with the Set plan. In addition, edifice the link with the Windward Schoolhouse will have far reaching consequences for both students and teachers in Jamaica." - Pam Loree

Squad VOLUNTEERS

Heather Smith

Heather Smith is an Assoc. Manager at a liberal arts college in the Hudson Valley, NY where she has been employed in the Advancement Office since 2012. She brings to WWKids her vast feel in higher education evolution and corporate America - where she worked in the architecture, boob tube journalism, and tech start-up industries.

She attended Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY for a BA in Behavioral Scientific discipline; and SUNY Empire State, Saratoga Springs, NY, for an MA in Social and Public Policy with a document in NonProfit Management. Heather serves as a consultant to non-profits, and is likewise a Board Member-at-big of the New York regional affiliate of an international manufacture group. She hails from St. Vincent & the Grenadines and is the biological mother of an adult son and the adopted mother of an adult girl. She is honored to concord the title of Volunteer Executive Director of WWKids, and is committed to working to achieve educational disinterestedness in Jamaica and the Caribbean area.

Georgia Stephenson

Georgia Stephenson serves as volunteer secretarial assistant and staffs WWKids lath meetings, in addition to other administrative duties.​

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She says:  "I support Winsome Wishes for Kids because they are ensuring that each kid gets a fair chance in the classroom. I am passionate virtually Childcare Management and 'I Believe The Children are Our Time to come. TEACH THEM WELL!!!"

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Source: https://www.wwkids.org/copy-of-community

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