Our Staff
Our experienced staff is our stronest attribute! Returning year after year, our teachers are committed to providing quality early childhood education to each of our students.
Laurie Ptalis, Director
Laurie Ptalis is our full time director and is on-site every day. Laurie has a Master’s Degree in Child Welfare from St. Joe’s College in Connecticut. Her Bachelor’s degree is in Early Childhood Education and earned at Wheelock College in Boston. She is certified in Elementary Education from the State of New Jersey.
Laurie previously taught Kindergarten for the Summit Board of Education, the Palmer School in Bernardsville and was Director at Hartford’s Hospital Preschool Education Center.
Wendy Marchev
Wendy has been a teacher at New Vernon Presbyterian Nursery School for 10 years! She earned her degree in Nursery School Education from SUNY Cobleskill. Wendy has spent her entire career as a preschool educator.
Wendy holds a New Jersey State Certification in Nursery School Group Teaching. Some of the continuing education courses she has completed include: ”Meeting the Learning Expectations for Mathematics and Science”; "Introduction to Sensory Processing Disorder” and “Early Literacy and Phonological Awareness”.
She loves nature and delights her students with her "treasures" from outdoors. She is especially skilled at recognizing the interests of her students and incorporating that into her classroom.
Wendy is a gifted and talented quilter, frequently sharing her beautiful quilts with our staff. Wendy and her husband are Harding residents. They have one son attending college in Vermont.
She currently teaches our Pre-K class.
Darlene Noetzli
Darlene has been a teacher with us for 7 years. She has recently completed the coursework and received her Child Development Associates Certification. The CDA is an intensive training program including testing, observation and building a portfolio of learning activities. This National Credential is recognized by such outstanding organizations as Head Start, the National Association for the Young Child (NAEYC) and the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) as the standard for Early Childhood Educators.
Darlene is a talented artist - she created our logo and the mural outside our nursery school doors. She loves animals, especially her classroom guinea pig, Snickers - and Snickers is a personal delight with many of our children. Darlene makes learning fun! Her classroom is filled with creative projects and activities. Her students arrive each day eager to see what she has planned.
Darlene has a son and daughter who both attended NVPNS.
She currently teaches our 2's and 3's.
Helen Lynch
Helen has a background in nursing and infant care and has been an assistant teacher at NVPNS for 7 years. She is a warm and comforting presence in our school. In addition, she has an innate ability to sense what a student or staff member needs in any situation. Everyone wants to work with Helen or be a student in her class!
Helen and her husband have 2 children who attended NVPNS. Helen loves going to the city as often as possible and traveling, including taking trips back to her native Ireland.
Helen currently works in our 4's Classroom.
Emilia John
Emilia is joining us for a second year as a teacher's assistant. Emilia is a registered pediatric nurse who worked previously as a school nurse for the Florham Park School district. We are so happy to have her expertise and smiling face on site!
Emilia enjoys spending time with her husband two children.
She currently works in our 2’s and 3’s Classroom.
