Office Staff

Rachel received her B.A. in Sociology from SUNY Empire State College, her M.S. in Elementary/Special Education at CUNY Brooklyn College, and her M.Ed. in School Leadership from Columbia’s Teachers College.  Our school, East Elmhurst Community School, was her thesis project at Columbia.  After submitting her proposal in 2012, she was granted permission to open our school in the fall of 2013.  

Previously, Rachel was a community organizer with Catholic Charities in upstate New York and a bilingual special education teacher at PS 152Q in Woodside, Queens.    

Rachel believes strongly in education as a vehicle to open doors for students and their families, regardless of background, home language, or immigration status.  Our school was created specifically to provide as many opportunities as possible to our children and families.   She also believes that the arts are transformative and necessary for a balanced primary education.

Rachel is also mom to a very active toddler, whom is she raising to be bilingual in English and Spanish.  Bilingualism promotes greater creativity, brainpower, more opportunities, and an academic advantage.  While Rachel does speak Spanish, she wishes greatly she had the opportunity to be part of a dual language program as a child herself!

If you want to meet with Rachel, you can make an appointment with the main office, catch her at arrival/dismissal, or come by the school.  With an open door policy, Rachel is glad to take time to talk about your child’s successes and struggles and to address any of your concerns.  You can also email her at rstaroba@ps329Q.com.  

I am the Assistant Principal here at East Elmhurst Community School. I have been the AP for last 3 years. I started my career as a 3 grade teacher in the Bronx 19 years ago. Over the years, I held multiple positions within the DOE. Just to name a few, I was a Math Coach, Literacy Coach and a Dean. I enjoy working with children and it has been my passion as early as 10 years old when I was called to cover classes while in school in Jamaica. Working with children continues to bring me joy each day I see their little faces. Here at 329, I can assist with questions around discipline, safety, testing or anything else that might be on your mind. My door is always open!

Ms. Laurie is one of our school secretaries and has been here since our school was founded in 2013. She is in charge of payroll and purchasing for the school. Ms. Laurie went to Baruch College for Marketing Management and is now using her talents to help us. In her free time she enjoys cooking delicious meals, spending time with her kids, and gardening.

Ms. Patty is one of the school secretaries and has been with us for three years now. She can be found in the main office. In her spare time, Ms. Patty likes to hang out with her son and listen to music and dance.

Ms. Karolhyn is the Parent Coordinator at PS329Q and has been here since the school was founded in 2013. She is the liaison between parents and teachers, is in charge of clubs, parent engagement, and handles parent questions. In her spare time, Ms. Karolhyn likes to spend time with her rescue dog Milo and try new restaurants with her friends.

She can be reached at kvega@ps329q.com and will answer any questions you may have.

Ms. Fior is one of our super school aides! She helps out students by helping out our newcomers and supervises students during lunch and recess.  She also helps teachers by making copies, laminating, and delivering much-needed supplies to our classrooms. Ms. Fior loves to sing and listen to music!

Ms. Monica is our Supervisory School Aide. She works in the main office and is available to help in both English and Spanish. Ms. Monica also helps with busing and is able to help with nearly anything...she is good at everything! In her free time, Ms. Monica likes to spend time with her family and watch action movies.

Ms. Elizabeth is one of our super school aides. She supervises students during lunch and recess.  She also helps teachers by making copies, laminating, and delivering much-needed supplies to our classrooms. In her free time, Ms. Elizabeth likes to spend time with her family.