Teachers & Staff
Loyan Beausoleil
Educational Director and Head Teacher, Orange Room
Loyan Beausoleil, the school’s educational director and head teacher of the Orange Room, began at UPNS in 1999. She holds an M.S.Ed. from Bank Street College of Education and the New York State Children’s Program Administrator Credential. Additionally she has studied art at the University of Oregon and Biology at Miami University. She is interested in the ways art, science and education intersect to provide varied, fun educational experiences for diverse learners.
Loyan has published and presented on multiple early childhood topics including children and trauma, music in the classroom, play, curriculum development, and science education. Following September 11, 2001, Loyan began documenting and studying the effects of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on young children who experienced them first-hand, a decade long project called The Youngest Witnesses. Segments of this work have been featured on NY1, Good Morning America, and the CBS Early Show. A chapter on her project is included in the award-winning book Forever After: New York City Teachers on 9/11, a compilation of teachers’ experiences of 9/11, published by Teachers College Press in 2006.
From 2018 through 2019 Loyan served on the Teachers Advisory Board of the Wildlife Conservation Society. She loves the outdoors and nature education.Through the pandemic she learned how NYC makes for an incredible outdoor classroom. In her spare time Loyan likes to bike, hike, read and watch birds.
Layla Shaar
Administrative Director
Layla has been with UPNS since 2007. For the first 5 years she was a UPNS parent and member of the board of directors and in 2012 she joined the staff. Layla works closely with Loyan to manage school operations including liaising with the DOH, the DOE and other agencies. In addition she is responsible for fiscal operations, records, forms, procurement, vendors, website maintenance, technology infrastructure, benefits administration, etc. She works with Loyan on enrollment and various other initiatives throughout the year. As Layla lives down the street, she frequently works from home. The quickest way to get in touch is via email to the general school account at info@universityplazanursery.org.
Natalie Siregar
Head Teacher, Blue Room
Natalie joined the UPNS team in 2015. She graduated from Hunter College with a MS in Early Childhood Education and is currently working towards advanced certification in Special Education. Natalie enjoys creating a warm and safe space for children to learn and grow. And she delights in seeing children blossom in their own time. Natalie’s hobbies include exploring new places, sitting at coffee shops and discovering well-crafted children’s books.
Usha DeSilva
Assistant Teacher, Blue Room
Usha joined UPNS in 2019. She was trained in Sri Lanka as a Montessori teacher and has obtained additional training in the US. Prior to moving to New York, she was the director and owner of a 65 children capacity daycare facility and the owner of another facility with 45 children in New Orleans. She sold her businesses and moved to NYC. She is an enthusiastic team player with a strong work ethic. Her hobbies are cooking, singing, dancing, playing the piano and sewing. Usha has a son and a daughter and a granddaughter who turned 11 years in 2026. She lives with her husband in Silver towers.
Ali Chenitz
Co-Teacher, Yellow Room and Assistant Director
Ali has been a teacher of the Yellow Room since joining UPNS in 2007. In addition, in 2019 Ali became Assistant Director overseeing the afterschool and summer programs and she manages the UPNS social media presence. Ali has been teaching children ranging in age from birth to six at public and private schools, including general education, special education and inclusion classes. She graduated from Bank Street College of Education in 2007 with a dual degree and certification in Early Childhood Education and General and Special Education from birth to second grade. Ali enjoys cooking, gardening, and needlepoint.
Jorge Suren
Co-Teacher, Yellow Room
Jorge has been a UPNS Yellow Room teacher since 2013. Jorge was raised in a large household. Being the oldest of four children helped him learn to be a nurturing leader. He also has a passion for dancing and movement. He has danced in various companies that specializes in New York style Salsa, Hip Hop Jazz and Stepping. Jorge has a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and Educational Leadership and is currently pursuing his Masters degree at Hunter College.
Carrie Wen
Assistant Teacher, Orange Room
Carrie has been with UPNS since 2020. She graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Carrie grew up with a sibling and cousins, and as the oldest child in her household she learned to take care of young children at an early age. During her spare time Carrie likes to spend time with family and friends around the city.
Delmy Paz
After School and Floater Teacher
Delmy began working at UPNS in 2020. She loves nature, arts and crafts. Delmy is our primary After School program teacher where she shares her creative skills and love of art with children. Delmy also speaks Spanish and enjoys interacting with our bilingual students and teaching all of the children Spanish language skills as she introduces children to games and songs in Spanish. She enjoys giving children all kinds of arts and crafts materials to help them become more creative while learning and having fun. Delmy likes taking children outside on walks and to the playground. While Delmy works in all of the UPNS classrooms and the after school program, she is also a third teacher in the Orange Room most days. In her spare time Delmy likes to take walks and help others.
Bethe Halligan, MS CCC
Speech-Language Pathologist
Bethe has been a Speech Language Pathologist since 1994, beginning with Adults and Children at Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine – NYU Medical Center. Working at Rusk, observing and co-treating with Occupational and Physical Therapists, provided a view of her clients as whole beings, not just a person with speech and language challenges. After 5 years, Bethe began working exclusively with children, in a therapeutic nursery and at her own private practice, The Speech Playroom, located in Noho. She arrived at University Plaza Nursery School working with several children of NYU faculty members. After closing her office, she began working with more children at UPNS and now has a workspace at the school. Areas of specialty are Speech-Sound Disorders from misarticulations like lisps or simple developmental sound pattern errors to Childhood Apraxia of Speech (difficulty initiating and/or producing any speech sounds or words spontaneously). Bethe also has experience working with children on the Autism Spectrum, with special emphasis on children with echolalia. She is an approved provider for the Early Intervention Program, and Dept of Education mandates. Beths also works with families privately. She welcomes questions about speech and language development from UPNS families. As a benefit of attending UPNS, Ms. Halligan will screen any UPNS child that a parent or teacher observes having possible communication difficulties, at no cost to the family.