Princeton Montessori School
487 Cherry Valley Road | Princeton, New Jersey 08540
609-924-4594 | Email Us
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Faculty | Elementary
Meet the Elementary teachers
After more than two decades as a classroom educator and leader, Amy brings firsthand experience and a deep understanding of the joys and challenges of teaching to her role. She believes strong schools are built on strong relationships and is passionate about supporting educators and creating an environment where teachers feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow.
Outside of school, Amy enjoys watching sporting events, camping, and spending time outdoors.
Amy earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Rider University. She holds an American Montessori Society Elementary credential, International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years certification, and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership at Saint Catherine University. Amy serves as a field consultant and instructor at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE) and is a volunteer peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission, serving on accreditation review teams.
Alice brings experience in Montessori curriculum planning, individualized instruction, classroom leadership, and family communication. Her teaching is grounded in creating engaging, hands-on learning experiences that foster independence, responsibility, critical thinking, and social-emotional growth.
Alice also brings a rich professional background in journalism, communications, and international digital content, along with fluency in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. These experiences contribute to the global perspective, creativity, and strong communication skills she brings to her work at PMonts.
Alice also brings a rich professional background in journalism, communications, and international digital content, along with fluency in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. These experiences contribute to the global perspective, creativity, and strong communication skills she brings to her work at PMonts.
Alice loves to travel and to learn about different languages, cultures, and countries. She often vacations in Brazil, where she has relatives. She loves spending time with her family, who are all martial artists who train in the same dojang. Alice is a First Degree Black Belt in ITF Taekwon-Do as well as an athlete of Team USA.
Alice holds an BA in Journalism & Communication from Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP), Brazil. She has an American Montessori Society credential in Elementary I and Elementary II through West Side Montessori’s Teacher Education program.
Anna has over twenty years of experience working with Primary and Elementary children in Montessori and traditional educational settings, including eleven years in a Montessori environment. Before joining Princeton Montessori School, Anna led the STEM programs at Evergreen Montessori, formerly Montessori Country Day School. She enjoys collaborating with students on science experiments and projects and guiding them in developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Anna values strong, collaborative relationships with students, parents, and team teachers, recognizing that effective communication and teamwork are essential to creating a safe, nurturing, and supportive learning environment where students can thrive.
When she’s not working, Anna enjoys spending time with her husband, her three sons and a daughter-in-law, and her two dogs, Toby and Bunny. She enjoys playing golf, listening to music, and watching movies and Korean dramas.
Anna holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a K-6 Teaching Certification in New Jersey. She has also earned a STEM Teaching Certificate and an American Montessori Society Credential for Elementary I. Additionally, Anna serves as an instructor at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE).
Josh brings significant experience working with children in school, after-school, counseling, and summer camp settings. He has supported students academically and socially, facilitated social-emotional learning activities, helped children navigate peer relationships and conflict, and worked with students requiring individualized support. His experiences have given him opportunities to mentor young people, develop educational and social programming, and support children in building positive relationships and navigating interpersonal challenges.
In his free time, Josh enjoys watching movies, time in nature, learning new things, video games, and good food and company.
Josh earned his B.A. in Africana Studies with a minor in Education from Rutgers University, graduating summa cum laude.
Celeste is a highly accomplished Montessori educator who has an impressive combination of AMI and AMS credentials, extensive classroom and school leadership experience, and deep engagement with the broader Montessori community. Celeste’s commitment to Montessori education extends well beyond her own classroom. She has presented action research at the American Montessori Society Annual Conference, participated in the AMS Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program, and served as a reviewer for AMS Annual Conference presentations. Her professional interests include nature-based education, interdisciplinary learning, and thoughtful exploration of educational approaches.
In her free time she loves watching movies, riding bikes, going to beaches in the summer, and snowboarding in the winter.
Celeste holds a Bachelor of Education(Secondary Education, Chinese): Hong Kong Education University, and a Master of Arts (Chinese Literature and Language): The University of Hong Kong. She holds an AMI Elementary Diploma for ages 6–12 (Lower and Upper Elementary) and an American Montessori Society (AMS) Early Childhood credential, as well as a Master of Arts in Chinese Language and Literature and a Bachelor of Education with Honors.
Siri strives to create a learning environment that is joyful and fun.
In her free time she enjoys gardening, cooking, reading books and knitting. Siri worked as a volunteer teacher at the non-profit organization Satya Sai Spiritual Educare which imparts human values to kids starting from 4 years to 17 years. She knits hats for new born babies and distributes them at hospitals through this organization.
Siri earned a Masters in Business administration in London.
Sandra is very passionate about working with Lower Elementary children because of their curiosity, abstract thinking, and love for learning. She brings her bilingual background to the classroom, her passion for teaching, and her experience working with different levels in the Montessori environment.
Sandra enjoys traveling with her husband and their two children. She is a keen photographer who likes hiking and spending time at the beach.
Sandra holds an M.A. in Education (Linguistics), Pontificia Javeriana University, Colombia, and a B.A. in Education (Family and Social Counseling) Luis Amigo University Foundation, Colombia, as well as a B.A. in Education (Modern Languages) University of Antioquia, Colombia.
Dianna loves working with youth because of their energy, inquisitiveness, curiosity, and passion for nature and the world around them. She commits to promoting positive youth development in a safe, supportive, nurturing, and engaging environment. She brings her optimism, passion, curiosity, interdisciplinary background, and bilingual talents to the community.
In her free time, Dianna likes climbing, running, hiking, skiing, reading, learning new skills and spending time with her family and friends.
Dianna graduated from Boston University with a master's degree in Education, majoring in Applied Human Development under the Positive Youth Development track, and she also received a master's degree in Engineering, majoring in Environmental Science and Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. She got her Bachelor's degree in Engineering, majoring in Environmental Engineering, from Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, China.
Bridget loves working with children and watching their academic and social awareness unfold. She brings her counseling experience to the SEL and Health Studies classes and enjoys empowering students to problem solve issues independently.
Bridget enjoys spending time with her immediate and extended family from the Midwest, keeping up with friends, exercising, and making her famous brownies for all.
Bridget holds an MS in School Counseling from Sage Graduate School, NY and a BA in Social Work from Siena College, NY. She holds an American Montessori Society credential in Elementary I and Elementary II through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ. Bridget completed the Rutgers SEL certificate program in Social Emotional Learning, which equips educators with research-based strategies to help students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Her previous experience includes counseling middle school and high school students.
Maddie brings a distinctive combination of Montessori classroom experience and a strong academic background in neuroscience, psychology, and child development. She earned her B.A. in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience from The College of Wooster, where her research focused extensively on learning and human development. Her senior thesis examined the relationship between early childhood Montessori education and adult memory retention and well-being, and her additional research has explored early childhood development, attachment and emotional perception, and behavioral neuroscience.
Maddie has a personal connection to our school and a deep appreciation for the Montessori philosophy that shaped her own education. She is especially passionate about child development, learning differences, and understanding how research in neuroscience and psychology can inform educational practice.
Maddie attended The College of Wooster where she earned a BA in Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience.
Steve enjoys the outdoors and has worked at Cherry Crove Farm in Lawrenceville for the past five years. His experience working with children dates back to counseling at a hiking and climbing summer camp in the 1970's. Since then, he has been a student advisor and work project leader at George School, a teacher at HiTOPS in Princeton, and a group facilitator at Good Grief in Princeton.
In his free time Steve likes bike riding, going for walks, and reading. He is also an avid acoustic guitarist and loves to paint and draw.
Steve holds a BA in Fine Art from Connecticut College.
Lekshmi has experience as a teaching assistant in an Educational Network and most recently as a volunteer at a local public elementary school.
In her free time Lekshmi enjoys painting, baking, and doing DIY projects.
Lekshmi received her B.Tech in Civil Engineering from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum, India.
Zahra brings a thoughtful and compassionate approach to her work with children. Her previous experience in a fast-paced medical environment strengthened her skills in communication, organization, patience, and attentive support of others. She places particular importance on listening carefully, building trusting relationships, and recognizing the individual needs of those around her.
A former Montessori student herself, Zahra has a personal appreciation for the independence, curiosity, and self-directed thinking that Montessori education fosters.
A former Montessori student herself, Zahra has a personal appreciation for the independence, curiosity, and self-directed thinking that Montessori education fosters.
Outside of school, Zahra enjoys cooking and baking, reading, hiking, and exploring film.
She earned her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, with concentrations in Filmmaking and Creative Writing, and is now pursuing a professional path in education, with plans to apply to a master’s program in the field.
Lisa enjoys the energy and spirit the students bring to the art room, as well as their passion for creativity. An avid writer, Lisa strives to help the students to find their own creative outlet as they begin to discover the influence of art on culture. Her love of travel and world cultures is an asset in helping the students understand their own place in the world.
In her spare time, Lisa loves to cook, garden, kayak, make things, and go hiking with her husband.
Lisa has previous experience teaching at the Toddler, Primary, Elementary, and Middle School levels. She holds a BA/BS in Elementary Education and English from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and received her Elementary credential from Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ. Lisa also completed the IB Middle Years Programme training for Visual Arts I and II.
