Daniel Chu

he/him

ASSISTANT Principal/ BringChange2Mind (Mental health) club advisor/Pono’s Dad

Daniel Chu is the Assistant Principal at Murray Hill Academy after teaching in the Bronx, Harlem, and most recently at MHA since 2012. Mr. Chu received his B.A. in Secondary Education/Social Studies from the University of Maryland and his M.A. in Educational Leadership from New York University (NYU). Mr. Chu has over 15 years of experience in teaching, educational leadership, consultant work, and currently serves on the Regional Board of a non-profit called BookTrust. As a grandson of Chinese immigrants, Mr. Chu believes that education can serve as a great equalizer and ALL students deserve a high quality education, regardless of income or race. Mr. Chu is a third degree black belt and five time national champion in Soo Bahk Do. He has spent over a decade living in NYC, but now commutes from his Tudor style house in New Jersey with his husband and two dogs, Pono and Olive. Mr. Chu’s hobbies include traveling the world, live music, hiking, yoga, basketball, and biking. Aside from his killer basketball skills during the annual staff vs. student basketball game, he is best known on campus as “Pono (our school dog)’s Dad.”

E-mail: dchu4@schools.nyc.gov

Cell (Text me!): 646-266-9400

Click here to Book time with Chu

Pono

he/him

School emotional support Dog

Pono was born in South Carolina. He was rescued and raised by Mr. Chu in 2015 and lived in the East Village, Bushwick, Upper East Side, and now loves catching sticks in his backyard in New Jersey. His favorite part of the day is seeing his best friends at MHA and he loves going to work every day to the point where he sometimes “plays dead” trying to stay at MHA when it’s time to go home. He loves treats, body surfing, walks, and belly rubs. He dislikes the sound of trucks backing up and thunder.

Moe Islam

he/him

School Business Manager

Mr. Islam is the School Business Manager at Murray Hill Academy. He has been with the school since it first opened in 2010. Mr. Islam attended high school and college in NYC. He is originally from Bangladesh and migrated with his family when he was seven years old. He works with students and staff members for school events and budgeting. Mr. Islam enjoys watching movies, travelling, trying out new food, and swimming.

E-mail: mislam@schools.nyc.gov

Text or Call: 646-235-8130

Mr. Alicea

he/him

supervising school aide

Mr. Alicea (Jason) was born and raised in Brooklyn, graduated from Norman Thomas High School in 1993, and now lives in the Lower East Side in Manhattan. He went to BMCC for a few years and began working at Norman Thomas High School in 2001. He then continued working on campus, but with Murray Hill Academy as a founding member in 2010 and is now a Supervising School Aide. He is an expert at memorizing every student’s name at MHA and is often described as the “heart and soul” of MHA. During his free time, he likes to play video games, loves WWE wrestling, swimming in the ocean, and spending quality time with his wife and 2 kids.

E-mail: JAlicea3@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Abdul

she/her

College & Career Counselor/Social studies Special education teacher

Mrs. Abdul received her BA from SUNY Cortland and and completed her MSED at Long Island University. She is currently working toward her MS in Educational Leadership. Mrs. Abdul’s goal is to provide culturally rich environment in the classroom and equal equity for all students. Mrs. Abdul is originally from Bangladesh but grew up in East Harlem. Ms. Abdul is a political junkie and believes everyone should be politically involved in society. She spent time in the Middle East as a volunteer Teacher and worked in District 39 as Community Liaison before pursuing teaching. Mrs. Abdul enjoys rock climbing, hiking and a good book.

E-mail: rabdul@schools.nyc.gov

Mr. Bernstein

he/him

physical education teacher

Mr. Bernstein has been a member of the MHA staff since the school opened in 2010 and has over 20 years teaching experience between Long Island and the City of New York Department of Education. Bernstein has worked with COSA and Senior Trip, Prom, Graduation and numerous school-wide activities over the years. Mr. Bernstein volunteered time with recruiting students at city-wide high school fairs and helped as Social Chair for a couple of years. He is a long standing member of the New York State Physical and Health Education Teachers Association. In his spare time, Bernstein works for his alma mater Stony Brook University producing Football and Men's and Women's Basketball games for ESPN. Mr. Bernstein received his B.A. from Stony Brook University and Masters Degree in Physical Education from Adelphi University.

E-mail: jbernst9@schools.nyc.gov

Mr. Burstein

he/him

English SPECIAL EDUCATION teacher/TESTING COORDINATOR/AP FOR ALL COORDINATOR/peer collaborative teacher

Josh Burstein has been at MHA since the beginning. He earned his BFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU, and his MA in English Education at Columbia University. Mr. Burstein believes in having high expectations for his students. In his spare time, he enjoys trivia, watching hour-long dramas, axe-throwing, and the Mets (whenever they decide to be enjoyable). He lives with his wife, Rachel, their beagle, Penny, and two children.

E-mail: jburstein@schools.nyc.gov

Mr. Cheung

HE/HIM

Math teacher/Math team leader

Kevin Cheung mainly teaches Geometry but is also involved with Algebra 1, Financial Math, and Pre-Calculus. Mr. Cheung received his B.B.A. in Finance and Business Management from Pace University and his M.A. in Adolescent of Mathematics from Hunter College. Mr. Cheung has experience teaching in both public and private schools. He also had close to 10 years of working experience as a tax accountant before changing his career to education. As a Chinese immigrant who came to the country at the age of twelve, Mr. Cheung believes education is the essential key leading to a successful future. Inside his classroom, you will find Mr. Cheung and his students being fully engaged in hands-on lessons. He believes students learn best when they are being involved. Mr. Cheung is a new dad and his interests/hobbies have all shifted to taken care of baby Jace!

E-mail: kcheung8@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Chung

she/her

Math / Computer Science / Special Education Teacher/Robotics club advisor

Ms. Chung received her BA from CUNY Hunter College and MSED from Mercy College. She believes that equity and a high quality of education should be provided to every student in her classrooms. Ms. Chung’s life was influenced by two amazing teachers from her youth: a high school math teacher who trained Ms. Chung to develop a strong work ethic in mathematics and a high school ENL teacher who never gave up on her. Her goal is to give this wonderful life-changing experience to the next generation in MHA through her teaching. Ms. Chung is originally from South Korea. She loves to listen to Broadway show songs, watch Ballet performances, and bake pastry with fruit and vegetables inside.

Email: jchung19@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Esses

she/her

Speech-Language Pathologist

Ms. Esses received her B.S./B.A. in Psychology and Advertising from Boston University and her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Long Island University - Brooklyn Campus. She has been working with students on the Norman Thomas High School campus for almost two decades and has loved every minute of it. She has also had experience in writing copy for an advertising firm and in co-founding and running a small, gluten-free cookie company. Ms. Esses is passionate about her work with students and believes in a student-centered approach to therapy. She maintains that students must be active and motivated participants in their own educational process and that different students learn in individualized ways. Ms. Esses believes that students of ALL abilities have the potential to learn and to make meaningful and significant contributions to our society. In her free time, Ms. Esses enjoys spending time outdoors, running, yoga, baking, reading, and having living room dance parties with her two children and uncoordinated husband.

E-mail: jesses2@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Fletcher

she/her

SPANISH TEACHER

Ms. Fletcher was born in California and lived briefly in Nevada before settling in Oregon where she received her B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Education from the University of Portland and during which time she studied abroad in Spain. After graduation she taught English in Chile for a year. It was through this experience that she truly fell in love with the Spanish language and living in another culture, a love she strives to share with her students. She spent the next few years working in Oregon, working for the Ministry of Education in Chile, and windsurfing and teaching English as a New Language (ENL) in Hawaii. She then moved to NYC where she earned a dual masters, an M.A. in Teaching Spanish and an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from New York University. She spent her first five years after graduating teaching Spanish and ENL in the Bronx, followed by eight years teaching Spanish in Brooklyn, and has been teaching Spanish at Murray Hill Academy since 2023. Ms. Fletcher believes learning should be fun and works hard to create an engaging classroom where all students feel comfortable. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two kids, traveling the world, playing soccer, running, yoga, and baking.

E-mail: Lfletcher6@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Jurska

she/her

ENGLISH special education TEACHER/10th grade team leader/Coordinator of student activities (COSA)

Ms Jurska's goals are to teach her students to be critical thinkers and readers as well as thoughtful writers. Ms Jurska is also the grade team leader for the sophomore class, which means she and the rest of her amazing grade team plan and execute school trips, activities, advisory sessions, and give students extra help and support outside of class to help them be successful. Ms Jurska received BAs in English and Psychology (she couldn't choose!) at Hunter College in Manhattan and her Master's degree in English and Special Education (again, couldn't choose!) in St. John's University. Ms Jurska believes every student contributes to a classroom with their own story and personality and that school is where students learn how to not just be students, but how to be positive members of society as well. Everyday, Ms Jurska looks forward to the amazing ideas (or silly stories) her students will share with her. Some things Ms Jurska does for fun are: reading, baking, cooking, obsessing over the Harry Potter series in a way that is most likely inappropriate for her age, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, and watching way too many movies.

E-mail: cjurska@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Killelea

SHE/HER

SOCIAL STUDIES and SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER/IEP COORDINATOR

Originally from New England, Ms. Killelea has been a global history teacher at MHA since 2017. She graduated from Syracuse University with a dual major in History and International Relations with a concentration in International Security and Diplomacy, and a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Before training to be a teacher, Ms. K worked in the travel industry and has been lucky enough to travel extensively around the world. She earned her M.S in Education from LIU-Brooklyn in 2019 and her M.S in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute in 2023. In addition to teaching, Ms. Killelea is also the MHA IEP coordinator.

If you have any questions concerning IEP documents or meetings, please feel free to contact her!

E-Mail: rkillelea@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Lamb

she/her

ART teacher/cheerleading and dance coach/art club advisor/dance advisor

Before joining Murray Hill Academy, Ms. Lamb danced and taught dance professionally. She was the first person to graduate with a dual degree between NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts (MFA in Dance) and Steinhardt (MA in Dance Education, Teaching all Grades). She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2014 with a BFA in Fibers and a minor in dance from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). As a dancer, Ms. Lamb has performed in numerous events, festivals and theaters including: Crystal Pite’s Polaris as a part of Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival, Table of Silence Project 9/11, KODAFE, Ballet Inc.The Series, as a guest solo artist in Dance ARIS (Artist Residence in the Smokies), Radio City Music Hall, City Center, Dixon Place and Dance Theatre of Harlem. She continues to perform with Bodies Never Lie Dance Company. Ms. Lamb is passionate about arts education and the magic of creativity. She discovered this magic through her own arts teachers and hopes to transfer this same joy to her students

E-mail: mlamb4@schools.nyc.gov

Mr. Marquez

he/him

math and computer science teacher/LGBTQI+ Club advisor/11th Grade Team leader

Mr. Marquez completed a double major in Binghamton University, where he studied Financial Economics and Philosophy. After college, Mr. Marquez worked in the private financial sector, where he worked in Private Equity Research. After 5 years, Mr. Marquez pursued Education and earned a Masters of Science in Education from CUNY - Lehman College. Mr. Marquez currently teaches Math, Computer Science, and Psychology, and he serves as the Faculty Advisor for Murray Hill's LGBTQ+ Club. In his free time, Mr. Marquez enjoys traveling to foreign countries and working out. Mr. Marquez lives by the quote "Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."  

E-mail: emarquez4@schools.nyc.gov

Mr. Male

he/him

social studies teacher/dean

Mr. Moore

he/him

DEAN

Justin Moore is a Brooklyn, NY native. He graduated from Murray Hill Academy in 2016. Since his time there, he has obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay while also gaining experience working with students in many different settings. Mr. Moore choose the education route because he feels he can help students create a well developed path that would lead them to success in MHA and beyond. In his free time, Mr. Moore enjoys spending time with loved ones, playing basketball, traveling and collecting sneakers as you all will see the variety during the school year.

E-mail: jmoore56@schools.nyc.gov

Call or Text: 929-683-1950

Mr. Nielsen

he/him

social studies teacher/ SUBJECT AREA LEADER

After growing up in the great state of New York, he traveled south where he earned his B.A. in History from the University of Maryland. After his graduation, he made his triumphant return to New York to pursue a career in historical scholarship at Fordham University. But alas, a potential lifetime of researching the enforcement of labor laws in Essex following the Black Death or the development of medieval debtor jails quickly became unappealing, so, once he earned his M.A. in History from Fordham, he decided to move on in search of more dynamic career options. After earning a M.A. in Social Studies Education from NYU, he began his career teaching in NYC in 2009. After a nomadic beginning to his career, he began teaching at Murray Hill Academy in 2012, where he remains to this day. When not working to forge the youth of NYC into agents of positive change in the world, Christopher Nielsen enjoys reading voraciously, supporting and consuming all manner of artistic pursuits, traveling the globe, and pondering the mysteries of the universe.

E-mail: cnielsen@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Owusu

she/her

SCIENCE teacher/SUBJECT AREA LEADER/Green team advisor/step team advisor

Since the age of 14, every job and endeavor Ms. Owusu possessed involved working with kids which led her to become a high school teacher. Ms. Bou received her B.S. in Geology from Syracuse University and M.A. in Earth Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. From her academic experiences, she believes students learn best by applying major science concepts through real-world scenarios. Ms. Bou taught 6th and 7th grade general science to a middle school in the Bronx tailoring her lessons to attenuate the needs of her students. She is also a proud Math for America Master Teacher and is currently teaching Earth Science and AP Environmental Science at Murray Hill Academy.

E-mail: dowususafo@schools.nyc.gov

Mrs. Parra Innocent

she/her

social studies teacher and IEP (SPECIAL EDUCATION) Coordinator

Mrs. Parra-Innocent was born in Bogota, Colombia and emigrated to the United States at the age of five. She attended New York University and majored in Philosophy and Sociology, and minored in Psychology. She coordinated various youth programs at the YWCA of New York City prior to becoming a teacher. She was selected as a New York City Teaching Fellow and has been teaching in NYC since 2006. She holds a Masters in Urban Education from Mercy College. In 2011, she was awarded the NYC Teaching Fellows Award for Classroom Excellence, for her work at DeWitt Clinton High School. She has been teaching at Murray Hill Academy since 2011, and has taught ELA and Social Studies. She is currently the Special Education Lead at MHA, and strongly believes in every student’s potential for excellence.

E-mail: mparra@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Prescott

she/her

Pupil Accounting and Payroll Secretary/GIRLS INC. advisor

Ms. Prescott received her A.A. in Liberal Arts from Touro College. Ms. Prescott has over 20 years of experience as a School Secretary and over 20 years of experience as an Executive Assistant in the private sector. Ms. Prescott’s daily goal is to provide a welcoming, knowledgeable and pleasant experience to everyone who calls and/or visits the main office at Murray Hill Academy. Ms. Prescott is a huge fan of Marvel comics, movies, and board games.

E-mail: ypresco@schools.nyc.gov

Cell (Call or Text): 718-840-9818

Mr. Robinson

he/him

Science teacher/9th grade team leader

Mr. Robinson received his B.S. from Stony Brook University studying Marine Biology, and his M.A.T. in Adolescent Science Education from Relay Graduate School of Education. Before becoming a teacher, he held various jobs educating the public about environmental affairs and the animals on the land and under the sea. Mr. Robinson believes that it is essential for students to understand science in order to make informed decisions about their place in the natural world, and how they can make a positive change in it. Students in his classes will be designing and executing experiments, using models to understand concepts such as how a disease is spread, as well as researching topics such as the human body systems and endangered species. On his free time, Mr. Robinson enjoys photography, hiking, camping, watching horror films, and playing board games.

E-mail: wrobinson@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Rodriguez

Cell (Call or Text): 929-683-1954

E-Mail: vrodriguez5@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Saland-Brown

She/Her

SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER

Ms. Saland-Brown is a born and raised New Yorker who received her BA from Lehman College and majored in Speech Communication with a minor in Education. Ms. Saland-Brown received both of her MA degrees from the City College of New York (CCNY). Her first MA is in Special Education and the second is Educational Admin/Supervision.

Her New York City public school experience for the Department of Education began in 1985 and is still going strong. She started in the Bronx, working there for twelve years before coming to teach in Manhattan. 

Other school experiences include working with her colleagues and creating a grant to train other teachers, parents, administrators and students, as a Multicultural Co-Chair/coordinator, for both the school and the Bronx Superintendency, school Mediation Specialist, and turn-key trainer, Starting Over Reading Program Teacher, Stagecraft (Co-taught), preparing scenery and lighting for school plays, SIG/DAC Liaison (an elected position from her colleagues to represent her Bronx school and provide professional development opportunities for Special Educators.

Ms. Saland-Brown believes that these experiences open doors for further education, via knowledge and hands-on approaches which pave the way for all students to become free thinkers where they can appreciate and learn from varying points of view, analyzing texts and critically interpreting the world through a variety of lenses.

In her spare time, Ms. Saland-Brown enjoys walking and taking part in causes that will help others, hiking, traveling, reading, writing, music, but mostly, spending time with her family.

E-Mail: ESaland@schools.nyc.gov

Mr. Viets

he/him

ENGLISH teacher/12th grade team leader/ELA TEAM LEADER

Mr. Viets received his B.A.'s in English & Journalism from the University of Connecticut and his M.A. in Secondary English Education from New York University. Mr. Viets has taught in schools throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan for over fifteen years, but has been thrilled to teach at MHA for the last six. Mr. Viets is passionate about transformative power of community and how the purpose of education is about learning to become your best self (or, in his words, a good dude). When not teaching Mr. Viets enjoys spending time with his daughter and wife or, if they are too busy for him, playing video games, catching up on his anime backlog, or trying to organize a trip to experience something new.

E-mail: eviets@schools.nyc.gov

Mrs. Waleski

she/her

Math/entrepeneurship teacher/Virtual reality ADVISOR

Ms. Waleski received her B.S. in Business Administration from Buffalo State College and her M. A. in Math Education from Adelphi University. Ms. Waleski has over twenty years of teaching math and business with the NYC Department of Education. Ms. Waleski believes that all students can learn no matter what they may struggle with. One thing that Ms. Waleski encourages students to do is to try something that they would have never thought of doing in high school. Ms. Waleski enjoys traveling, loves spending time with family and friends and enjoying life.

E-mail: dwaleski@schools.nyc.gov

Ms. Weihberg

she/her

science and HEALTH teacher

She earned her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with the option in Children, Youth, and Family Studies from The Pennsylvania State University. She has a M.S. in Secondary Education from Dowling College along with additional credits in Educating Computing from SUNY Stony Brook. She has four New York State Teacher Certifications for grades 7-12 in the following content areas: Secondary Biology, General Science, Health Education and Students with Disabilities in Biology. She is a highly skilled and dedicated professional educator with over 15 years of extensive knowledge of curriculum development, planning, organization, assessments, data analysis and presenting information across different grade levels, learning styles, subjects, and abilities using various instructional approaches. She is passionate about the improvement and increased performance for each individual student, with a proven track record of significant improvements in learning processes, student assessments and maintaining a positive learning environment. In her spare time, she is involved with both the Penn State Long Island Alumni Chapter as well as the President of the Phi Mu Long Island Alumnae Chapter. She also spends time volunteering to help raise funds for both the Four Diamonds Fund and Children’s Miracle Network. She enjoys reading, traveling, going to concerts, hiking and spending time with her family and friends.

E-mail: hweihberg@schools.nyc.gov