Summer 2024 SMARTS Staff

ADMINISTRATION

 

Sherye Weisz (she/her) - Executive/Artistic Director:  Sherye has been involved in the arts and education for over thirty-five years. Growing up in Providence, RI, Sherye took classes at Rhode Island School of Design, was a company member of the nationally known Looking Glass Theatre Company, played flute in state-wide groups and continued her creative pursuits at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York; Emerson College, Boston; and University of Calgary, Alberta. Sherye has been executive/artistic director of SMARTS since 1988. She was on the faculty of Lesley University, Cambridge, MA in the Creative Arts in Learning graduate program for 15 years and was president & artistic director of The UnCommon Theatre Company, a local regional children’s theatre, for 18 years. Sherye is also an educational consultant, providing regional school districts with long and short-term in-service programs that address strategies to enhance student learning through STEAM, integrated arts curriculum and assessment design. She served on the Fine Arts Advisory Council to the MA Commissioner of Education for 6 years and was a member of the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education for many years and is currently on the board of Arts|Learning. Sherye’s greatest joys come from her husband Jim of 42 years, her 3 children and her 6 grandchildren.

 

​

 

Tori Augusta (she/her) - Program Director/Office Manager: Tori is a practicing artist and has worked with children for over 10 years. She has been with SMARTS since early 2016. She graduated from UMass Dartmouth in 2012 with a BFA in Design/Photography. Tori was born and raised in Mansfield, MA and is passionate about arts in our community. When Tori is not at SMARTS she spends her time with her husband and 7 year old son, and enjoys making art and going thrifting.

​

 

​

Alan Clavette (he/him) - Administrative Assistant:  Alan teaches music at Studley Elementary School in Attleboro. He earned his Bachelors in Music Education at the University of New Hampshire and his Masters of Arts in Teaching at Bridgewater State University. He is a native of North Attleboro, Massachusetts and attended the SMARTS Cabaret Program for several years.  Alan is a returning SMARTS veteran teacher after taking a break for some years and is super excited for this summer.

​

​​

​​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Jackson Burt - Before & After Care Supervisor: Jackson has worked at 2 other summer camps for the past 10+ years. He has facilitated arts programs and leadership programs always making sure to make each day of summer count! His favorite hobbies are writing stories, sewing different fabric projects or designing magic wands! He is very excited to help out this summer and cannot wait to meet all the new happy faces!

​

​

​

​

 

​

​​​​

​

 

​

​TEACHING ARTISTS

​

​

​
 

Seth Antonitis (he/him)- Percussion Teacher: Seth has been assisting and teaching percussion at the SMARTS Summer Institute for 22 years. He began drumming 25 years ago, mastering several percussion instruments in the process. He is a longstanding member of the Rhythm Room under bandleader Rick Morin and is a freelance musician and private lesson teacher. Seth’s method of teaching centers on passing down knowledge in a fun, interesting, and energetic fashion. Seth earned his BA in Philosophy from The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

 

​​

​

​

Claire Munley (she/her) - Visual Arts Teacher: Claire is a returning SMARTS visual art teacher that enjoys painting, printing, and playing with lots of different kinds of art materials. Claire teaches high school in Uxbridge during the regular school year, and spends her weekends in Providence at AS220 as a Community Studios member. Claire is excited to bring art history and her passions for all types of art making to your creative SMARTS students this summer! 

 

 

​

Natalie Young (She/her) - Expressions Teacher:  Natalie has been a special education teacher for 10 years and has a lifelong passion for visual arts processes like ceramics and fluid art. She mainly works with ceramics and has been practicing since high school, took classes as part of her Bachelors of Art program at Wheelock College and has since continued her own growth through practice and exploration of varying hand building and glazing techniques. Recently, through her own use of art as self expression, she has begun to explore how to help children communicate their feelings and regulate emotions through the use of art. She also holds a Masters Degree in Special Education and has been a preschool special education teacher ever since. She loves to integrate different art modalities into her classroom curriculum. When she’s not in the classroom she enjoys yoga, hiking, live music and creating art. 

​

​

​

​

Marissa Chura (she/her): Preschool Arts Teacher: Marissa is an educator, dancer, and choreographer with over 10 years of experience working with children, including 8 years working in early education. She is certified as a lead infant, toddler, and preschool teacher in Massachusetts, and loves watching her students explore the world and discover new things each day! Marissa is in her third season dancing as a company member in Urbanity Underground, and also choreographs and performs solo work at events throughout the region. When she’s not dancing or teaching, Marissa enjoys baking, live music, and hanging out with her mini goldendoodle. Marissa is so excited for her first summer with SMARTS! 

​

​

​

​

​

Rachel Beauregard (she/her): Theatre Arts Teacher: Rachel is a passionate educator who believes that theatre serves as a powerful outlet for students to express themselves creatively, allowing them to explore emotions, ideas, and perspectives in a safe and supportive environment. Rachel’s most recent teaching position was as the Performing Arts Specialist at Bay Farm Montessori Academy in Duxbury, Massachusetts, where she taught grades K-8, five classes per week, and was responsible for directing up to ten plays/musicals/showcases per school year.  She is currently Associate Artistic Director at Homebrewed Theatre Company, based out of Attleboro, MA.  She is also an avid songwriter and working actor.  Rachel holds a BA in Musical Theatre from Dean College and an MA in Theatre Education from Emerson College.

​

​​​​​

​

​

​

Emersen Pierce (she/her)- Assistant Dance Teacher: Emersen is going into her sophomore year at Savannah College of Art and Design as an animation student, and has held a great passion for dance her whole life. She has done tap, ballet, jazz, and hip hop since she was three years old, and danced competitively with her studio for four years. She enjoyed being a teacher's assistant for dance when in highschool, and since graduating, she has joined her schools swing dance club and become a club intern where she often aids in teaching the weekly lessons. She is very excited to continue teaching dancing with SMARTS and is excited to work with so many different individuals. 

​​

​​

​​​​

​

​

​Noah Strunin -Musical Theatre Teacher:  Noah is the musical theater teacher at SMARTS for the second year. He graduated from JMW School for the Performing and Visual Arts this year and I will be attending Emerson College for theatrical production and design in the fall. He is excited to return for another fantastic year. 

​​

​

​

​

​​

Michael Konnerth: General Music Teacher: Michael has been a music educator and conductor in the southern New England area for over fifteen years.  He currently serves as a music director and pit orchestra conductor for three Rhode Island based theater companies.  In addition, he also does freelance pit orchestra conducting for other groups around the area including shows such as Little Women, Godspell, Suessical, and Carrie. As a music educator, Mike is director of bands at Norton High School, where he cultivates a sense of community, compassion, and personal responsibility. He looks forward to sharing his love of music with SMARTS. 

​

​

Nicole Laliberte - Dance Teacher​​​​​​​​​​​

​

​

​

​

 

GROUP LEADERS

 

​

​

​

​

Matthew Wright: Matthew is now working as a group leader for his fourth year! He currently goes to school at Stonehill College, where he is learning to be an educator. He is very excited to return this summer!

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

Greeshma Sasidharan: Greeshma Sasidharan is a Civil Engineer and a trained Classical Dancer. Greeshma is from India (Kerala) and has lived in MA for 1.5 years. She enjoys arts, crafts, music, dance and working with young children. Greeshma worked at the 2023 SMARTS Winter Institute where her young daughter also participated. She is super excited to meet everyone this summer !!

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

Caroline Wright: Caroline Wright is a recent graduate of Attleboro high school. In her free time she loves to bake, horseback ride, fish and draw! She is so excited for her second year as a SMARTS group leader!

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Sherryssah Lafume (She,Her): Sherryssah Lafume is a 2024 graduate from Attleboro High School. She will be attending Umass Dartmouth to major in Illustration to continue to grow her passion in art.This will be her second year at SMARTS!

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Raphaiah Joseph (He,Him)  Raphaiah Joseph is going to be a senior at Foxborough Regional Charter School this fall. Recently he has found a love for traveling when he went to Thailand with his school. He loves to make bracelets and tumble. He can't wait to meet all the staff and campers this summer!

​

​

​​​​​​​​

​​

​

​

​​

​

​

​

​

Cecilia Montgomery: (she/her) Cecilia (but you can call her “Ceci”) is going to be sophomore next year at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton, MA with a concentration in Dental. She is very excited to return to SMARTS this summer as a group leader after attending as a camper since he age of 6!  It’s no secret that over the years she has developed a passion for all things ARTS related.  She completed 5 theatrical productions JUST in the past school year.  She has taken dance instruction in tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical and ballet for 14 years and is currently taking voice and guitar lessons. She loves how the arts gives countless opportunities to express one’s own unique creativity.  

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Anne Luc: Anne is a sophomore at Attleboro High School. She loves working with children and has been a babysitter for her choir director’s children. Anne loves to sing and dance and is in her  school's chorus, her church choir and is a majorette dancer at  her school. Anne says, “I also love drawing even though I’m not so great.” She worked at the SMARTS Winter Institute this year in February and is so excited to be part of the group leader team this summer. 

​

​

​

​

​

​

Annabell Marchetti: Is currently a sophomore/incoming junior at Attleboro High School and a part of the criminal justice program. She has been dancing for 10 years and in that time she has done acro, jazz, musical theater, tap, ballet, contemporary, and modern. She was recently made a Spirit of Dance Awards ambassador! She has also been doing theater for around 8 years now doing both musicals and straight plays. She loves performing arts because I think performing makes people grow their confidence and creativity in ways that they otherwise wouldn't be able to!

​

​

​

​

Cami Pavao: Is an incoming sophomore at Attleboro High School- where she is also a part of the Digital Media Production CTE program. She started dancing at the age of 2 years old, training in styles such as: Modern, Acrobatics, Ballet, Jazz, and Tap. Along with that, she has spent the past four years training in the pre-professional ballet program at Ballet RI, and has been apart of the professional production of the annual Nutcracker Ballet, multiple times! Besides dance, she has always loved traveling. Out of all the places she has been, her favorite place to return to is Disney World in Florida! Something she is passionate about is helping others and spreading awareness around Mental Health! She tries to spread kindness wherever she goes, and reach out to make at least one person smile. 

​

​

​

​

​

Abigail Plizga (she/her) is a rising junior at the University of Connecticut, where she studies music education. At the University of Connecticut, Abigail participates in a number of musical ensembles including the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, auditioned Pep Band(s), and Marching Band. She has previously volunteered at Camp Invention at Hill-Roberts Elementary and works as a substitute teacher in the Attleboro School District during school breaks. Abigail discovered her passion for music within Attleboro Public Schools through the band programs at Coelho Middle and Attleboro High School, where she played the clarinet and saxophone. She hopes to inspire a love of the arts in students as a future music educator with enthusiasm and compassion at SMARTS this summer!

​​

​

​

Arisha Gupta

Jaliyah Baker

Rachel Canuel