GOSHEN
Jennifer Lenoci - Director
Hi! My name is Jen. I am the proud owner of Luke and Friends. I always wanted to be a mom and have children in my life. By the time I was 34, I had 6 children, 4 boys and 2 girls, which included 2 sets of twins.
After I graduated high school, I continued my education at Orange County Community College and received my Associates Degree, in Early Childhood Education. It was my dream to open a child care program, so I was excited to be one step closer.
While I was attending college, I worked in retail management for Phillips Van Heusen. I quickly climbed the ladder and became an Area Supervisor for 12 stores.
This was an amazing learning experience. I learned many different things including, staff development and customer relations.
As a working mom, it was difficult to find someone to take care of my children. It was important to me to find a program that had an intimate and clean feeling when you walked in and a good vibe about the people working there.
Since I was unable to find quality care, I decided it was best to start my journey in child-care and open up my own program.
Shortly after I had my fourth child, I did just that and opened my home and took in 12 children which, included my nephew, Luke. I had the joy of caring for him and my own children as well as taking care of many others.
After having a group family day care for 10 years, I realized I wanted to grow and expand into a center.
So, I found a wonderful barn right in the Village of Monroe. It was cozy, warm, and perfect and I called it Luke and Friends. Over the years, I have cared for many children in the community. I have learned that the most important thing is to make a child feel special and care for in a safe and secure place.
We have now expanded into a second location in the Village of Goshen. This program mirrors the one in Monroe and is called Luke’s Other Friends.
Luke and Friends and Luke’s Other Friends are two hidden gems. They emphasize on the importance of quality child-care in the cutest spaces.
My nephew Luke is now an angel. I am reminded of Luke often and I feel his presence. He is around to help protect us and keep the children and our centers safe.
Danielle Fratangelo
Hello! My name is Danielle Fratangelo. I started at Luke and Friends in September 2020. I started as the head teacher of the toddler room. I always worked with toddlers. In November 2022 I asked to be in the infant room. Best decision I made. I love the toddlers but watching the infants start to crawl and take their first steps is priceless. Till this day I’m the head teacher of the infant room. I'm excited to be a part of Luke and Friends family.
I’ve been working with children for 20 plus years. I have my Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. I love teaching the children and watching them grow. I always knew I wanted to become a teacher. I’ve been married for 14 years and have 2 dogs Buddy and Cosmo. I moved up her in 2008 from Long Island. In my spare time I love spending time with my furbabies and my family. I also love to watch my niece Marissa dance.
Gina Perez
Hello! My name is Gina Perez. I am so happy to be part of Luke and Friends. We moved to Goshen in 2019 and bought our first house. I am proud to say that I live and work in Goshen.
I grew up in New Jersey and attended college and graduate school at Manhattanville College in New York. I majored in English and Education. I have been married for 11 years and have a 5 year old son named Dylan who will be starting kindergarten soon.
I have always enjoyed working with children . I have been a teaching assistant in various grade levels however , prefer the early childhood grades. They always put a smile on my face !! My son Dylan has been at the Monroe Luke and Friends since he was 18 months old . He started out in the baby room and will be graduating in June!
When I'm not working with children I enjoy spending time with my family, exploring new towns, taking day trips, trying out new restaurants, traveling, reading, and coffee. I love my coffee!!
Kristin Arnold
My name is Kristin Arnold and I work with the preschoolers at Luke and Friends. I was born and raised in Suffern NY. I moved to Greenwood Lake NY in 2014 where I bought my home with my long time partner. I always knew I wanted to make a difference in the world and help people. In 2008 I graduated from Rockland Community College with a degree in Liberal Arts and Early Childhood education. Two years prior to my graduation I began working at a preschool. I enjoyed teaching and guiding children through their early childhood development for 15 years. I bring with me my knowledge and experience as well as my passion and enthusiasm for working with children in early childhood education. I was trained in Pyramid Model for social and emotional development. My love for children and having the ability to teach and watch them grow gave me a sense of purpose. When COVID shut the school down thats when I found Luke and Friends. I'm delighted to work with the 3 and 4 year olds to prepare them for kindergarten and instill in them the love of learning. The staff is incredible, loving and supportive and I'm excited to share my experience and knowledge with my new families here at Luke and Friends.
Patricia Pigozzi
Hi, my name is Patricia Pigozzi but everyone calls me Patty. I am from Monroe New York and currently live in Wallkill. I went to Monroe Woodbury and studied at SUNY Orange, where I received an associates degree in Liberal Arts. Before working for Luke and Friends I worked for Destination Maternity as a General Manager. I was with Destination Maternity for over 20 years.
A little about myself. I am a dog mom to the most adorable Dachshund named Oliver. Oliver is 14 years old. My boyfriend and I love spending time with him and he is very spoiled. On my spare time I enjoy going to concerts, wineries, breweries, and hanging by the pool. I also enjoy being around family and friends.
I am so happy to say that I love my job at Luke and Friends. I started working for Luke and Friends in November 2020. I am the Head Teacher for the Toddler room. I find my job very rewarding knowing that the children learn from me everyday. I love making these cuties smile and they always make me smile. I am so happy to be part of this amazing family.
Sherry Gyuro
Hello, I’m Ms. Sherry Gyuro and I joined the Luke and Friends school in May of 2022 as a head
teacher. I have been teaching in the early education field for about 30 years and I love
spending my day with my little friends. I love their energy and curiosity towards the world around
them. I have my CDA credential for early education, certified to teach birth through age 5. I
also have a background in theater and dance, as I was classically trained and danced for New
Jersey Ballet Company in my younger years. I enjoy bringing lots of music and movement into
the classroom.
Ms. Mitzi
Ms. Allison
Hi I’m Allison Salte and I have been a lifelong resident of Orange County, currently living in New Hampton with my husband, Svein and four children: Kyle, Evan, Megan and Madison. I graduated from mount saint mary college with a bachelor of science degree and most of my career was in human resources management. I have been active with the Goshen schools and community and currently serve on the Goshen School Board. I enjoy working with children, advocating for them and ensuring that they are safe and happy ? I am honored that you trust your amazing children with me!
Ms. Emmary
Hi! My name is Emmary Lewis but I am most well-known as “Ms. Emmy”. I have worked at Luke and Friends, part-time for over a year now and am happy to now be lead teacher of the Toddler 1 room.
I am from Cornwall NY and now live in Middletown NY. I attended SUNY Orange and obtained my associates degree in liberal arts. I am currently on track to receive my bachelors degree from SUNY Empire in human development with a focus in child development after a couple more semesters.
In my free time I enjoy spending time with friends and family. On the weekends my boyfriend and I enjoy going salt water fishing when we have the chance. I also really enjoy going to breweries, shopping and trying out new restaurants.
I have worked with children for over 14 years. I started babysitting as soon as I could and had many families I helped. I started working in a daycare setting about 8 years ago. I left my first daycare to begin working with children with special needs. I worked with special needs teens and pre-teens for about 3 years and realized how much I missed working with my little ones. I reached out to Jen and began working at Luke and Friends in afternoons. I am so happy to have made the move and work here full time in the toddler room. I am excited to see the children reach milestones and learn everyday. It is so rewarding to see them grow.
Ms. Atenas
Ms. Carla
Ms. Joanne
