Vandana Monteiro joined Princeton Montessori School in 2006, is a conference teacher and also serves as the educational coordinator for the Infant and Toddler programs.

Vandana loves the enthusiasm and energy that toddlers bring to the classroom each day. She enjoys sharing her passion for music, dancing, and yoga with the children.

When not at school, Vandana enjoys long walks and spending time with her two children. She practices meditation and says it is the key to her daily life.

Vandana received an MBA with specialization in Human Resources and a BS in Environmental Science from St. Joseph’s College of Business Administration, India and holds an American Montessori Society credential in Infant/Toddler through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ. She is a field consultant and an Infant/Toddler instructor for PCTE.

Melissa Apuzzio joined Princeton Montessori School in 2017 and is a classroom assistant in the Infant Center.

Melissa has experience in caring for children and as a caretaker for the elderly. She loves the energy of young children, and their eagerness to learn and discover new things.  When not working, Melissa enjoys hiking, baking, listening to classical music and reading books. 

Delmy Barrera joined Princeton Montessori School in 1985 and is a classroom assistant.

Delmy is a gift to the Infant and Toddler program as she embodies the Montessori philosophy in her kind nature, patient disposition, and gentle guidance of our youngest children.  

Delmy generously shares her love of music and cooking in her everyday interactions with the children. She enjoys introducing the children to her native Spanish through song and dance and special classroom materials in Spanish.

In her spare time, Delmy enjoys spending time with her four grown children, relatives, and friends.  Frequent trips ‘home’ to Guatemala keep her connected to her extended family.

Delmy studied Montessori Philosophy and Child Development through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ

Maris Barrera joined Princeton Montessori School in 2012 and is an assistant in the Infant and Toddler programs.

Maris has been repsonsible for preparing the healthy and nutritious lunches in the Toddler program. When not prearing meals, Maris assists with supporting the teachers in the Infant and Toddler programs.

Anna Cahill joined Princeton Montessori School in 2017 and is a classroom assistant.

She is passionate about Montessori and an environment that allows for children to learn in a way that sparks a curiosity. Anna brings patience and joy to the classroom and she enjoys doing yoga with the children. In her spare time, Anna enjoys spending time with friends and family, doing yoga, oil painting, playing guitar, writing, and cooking.

Anna holds a BA from Drew University in Philosophy with a minor in Studio Art. She is a Registered Kripalu Yoga Teacher and a Asana Alphabet Children’s Yoga Instructor. Anna studied Montessori Philosophy and Child Development through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ.

Evelia Cunha joined Princeton Montessori School in 2001 and is a classroom assistant.

Evelia has teaching experience ranging from infants to teenagers, primarily with two to four year olds. She has worked with children with physical challenges and learning differences and enjoys helping our toddler children to learn and explore their environment.

In her spare time, Evelia enjoys cooking and traveling, spending time with her daughter, and being with friends.

Evelia studied Montessori Philosophy and Child Development through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ.

Vanita received a BS in Early Childhood Education from City College of New York, and an MS in Education from Bank Street College of Education in NY. She holds an American Montessori Society credential from West Side Montessori Teacher Education Program, NY.

Elena Kurnov joined Princeton Montessori School in 2000 and is a teacher in the Toddler program.

Elena enjoys working in the Toddler program because of the amazing, rapid growth that occurs during this period of a child’s life and the unique relationships she is able to form with each child. She brings enthusiasm and energy to the classroom and loves singing and dancing with the children.

In her free time, she enjoys being with her family and friends and taking long walks with her dog. Elena is also a translator for Ukrainian teachers when they come to the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE) to study.

Elena received a BS and an MS in Chemistry from Byelorussian State University, Minsk, Belarus and an MA in Teacher Education from Technion (Israel Institute of Technology), Haifa, Israel. She holds an American Montessori Society credential in Infant/Toddler through Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ.

Lisa L. Meisenbacher joined Princeton Montessori School in 2008 and is a conference teacher.

Lisa’s talents are cooking, photography, and crafting—all of which she loves sharing with her students and using in her classroom. You can often find her with a camera capturing those precious moments of the toddlers busy at work.  

In her spare time, Lisa enjoys being a freelance photographer for the performing arts and is a cooking enthusiast with Italian food as her specialty. She also enjoys painting landscapes and abstract art. She has had extensive experience working with costume design for a dance company and is fluent in Italian.   

Lisa received a BA in Italian Literature from Rutgers University, NJ, and holds an American Montessori Society credential in Infant/Toddler through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ. She is a field consultant, practicum coordinator and PCTE Associate.

Sammi Paek joined Princeton Montessori School in 2019 and is a classroom assistant.

Sammi finds deep personal fulfillment in caring for infants and children, but she is also interested in neuropsychology and how it affects child development. She has a desire to find out more about how the infant brain develops and the way that knowledge can be applied to better shape early childhood education and policy.

Sammi brings a flexible, sensitive, nurturing disposition to the classroom. Her other interests lie in the Arts: visual art, music, and movement.

Sammi attended the University of Pennsylvania where she received her BA in Fine Arts. Most recently, she completed the academic portion of AMS training in Infant Toddler at the Shanghai Montessori Education Academy in Shanghai, China.

Alona Procaccini joined Princeton Montessori School in 1989 and is a conference teacher.

Alona loves working with infant and toddler aged-children because of their passion for exploring the world.  She brings her cheerful disposition and love of reading, singing, baking, and painting to the classroom environment.

Outside of school, Alona is a freelance photographer. In the summer, she enjoys travelling abroad in search of breathtaking pictures, and her work can be found in local restaurants. She also helps with her daughter’s photo collection in raising money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She also volunteers at SAVE Animal Shelter.

When at home, she enjoys gardening, cooking Italian food, and making Italian desserts.  On Friday evenings, she can be found at High School football games preparing food for the concession stand and cheering the team to victory.

Alona holds an American Montessori Society Associate credential in Infant/Toddler through Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ.  She is a PCTE Instructor and Field Consultant and a frequent parent workshop presenter on the topic of Preparing a Montessori Home Environment for the Young Child.

Souad (Sue) Saad joined Princeton Montessori School in 2008 and is a conference teacher.

Sue is passionate about playing an important role in children’s lives as they explore, grow, and reveal themselves at such a precious and tender age.  As a mother of five, she brings her motherly knowledge and compassion with eagerness and excitement to the Montessori community.

Sue enjoys living a healthy lifestyle and listening to classical music, both of which can be found in her classroom environment. She also loves spending weekends taking in the beautiful aura one finds in downtown Princeton.

Sue received a BS in Business Administration from Alexandria University, El-Shatby, Egypt, and holds an American Montessori Society credential in Infant/Toddler through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ.

Prior to her work with Toddlers and Infants she was a teacher’s aide for special needs children.

Olga L. Soto joined Princeton Montessori School in 2000 and is a conference teacher.

Olga loves working with toddler children because she enjoys being a part of their development. Each day holds new beginnings and amazing growth. She brings her love of the Spanish culture and her bilingual talents to the classroom by singing and reading in Spanish to the children.

On the weekends, Olga enjoys long walks, and swimming and biking with her husband and two sons.  She is also known for raising chickens and gathering their eggs for her family and the community.

Olga received a BA in Special Education from the Universidad los Libertadores in Colombia, South America and holds an American Montessori Society credential in Infant/Toddler through the Princeton Center Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ.

Suchithra Vikram joined Princeton Montessori School in 2006 and is a conference teacher.

Suchithra finds spending time with toddler children an absolute pleasure. She admires their innate drive to explore, discover new facts, gain independence and learn how to communicate. She shares her love of gardening by planting flowers and vegetables with the toddler students and introducing them to the wonder of nature.

Having lived in many cities around the world, Suchithra loves traveling, exploring new countries and learning about their cultures. She loves cooking and baking and likes to experiment, trying out new recipes from all around the world. Suchithra is an avid gardener and enjoys watching plants and flowers bloom year after year. When not gardening, she keeps busy crocheting afghans and doilies.

Suchithra received a BA in Commerce from the University of Madras, India and holds an American Montessori Society credential in Infant/Toddler through the Princeton Center Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ. She is a field consultant and an Infant/Toddler instructor for PCTE.