ELL CONSULTING - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Founder
• Master Trainer for Literacy Volunteers of New Jersey

Daniel Scibienski is the founder of ELL Consulting. He has been involved in English language education for over 14 years as a teacher, trainer, and program administrator. He holds a BA in Spanish Language and Literature from Rutgers University and an MA in TESOL from New York University.

Donna Gil is an accomplished retired educator with experience in teaching Spanish and English as a Second Language to diverse student populations, elementary through adult school. She has been recognized as an innovative teacher able to provide differentiated instruction at a variety of academic levels. In her 37 years as a New Jersey educator, Donna developed excellent relationships with students, parents, colleagues and administrators. With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Italian from Montclair University, Donna started out as a teacher of high school Spanish in West Essex High School, followed by teaching positions in Hackettstown High School, then in the Edison and Hopewell Valley School Districts. She completed her Master's Degree in Language Education, with a specialization in English as a Second Language, at Rutgers University. Her career took a turn at this point, as she

Currently, Kimberly Finch is an ESL teacher at Keyport Central School in Keyport, New Jersey. Her classes range from young learners in Kindergarten and Grade 1 to middle schoolers in Grades 6 through 8. Due to an ever-changing population, her course load changes annually, and pushes her to continue to grow and learn as an ESL educator. Previously, Kimberly was employed with William C. McGinnis Middle School in Perth Amboy. During her tenure with Perth Amboy, she collaborated with colleagues to reorganize the structure of the ESL program as well as to write new curricula for three grade levels, each composed of three different linguistic levels. She also served as chairperson as the Family Night Committee through which she cooperated with the Home/School Liaison to organize events that aimed to encourage all parents to participate in their child's education. Furthermore, Kimberly was responsible for scheduling the annual ACCESS test for the McGinnis ELL population. In terms of education, Kimberly attended the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University and received her Ed.M. in Language Education. During this time, she participated in the first cohort of the Urban Teaching Fellows, a program aimed to empower students in urban settings through Youth in Participatory Action Research (YPAR). She also studied Spanish extensively through courses in literature, linguistics, and translation/interpretation. Before enrolling in Rutgers, Kimberly traveled to China in order to make sure that teaching was the correct profession for her. She taught for two years in various provinces throughout the country, and gained valuable experience through working and living in a foreign culture. She also learned conversational Mandarin!