Princeton Montessori School
487 Cherry Valley Road | Princeton, New Jersey 08540
609-924-4594 | Email Us
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Faculty | Primary
Meet the Primary teachers
Amy loves working in the primary program because she enjoys closely observing and guiding children as they explore and discover in the classroom. She also brings her interest and knowledge of American Sign Language into fingerplays and songs during circle time.
Outside of the classroom, Amy enjoys spending time with her family and running. She has two boys, both of whom had the opportunity to develop their foundation in Montessori environments.
Amy received a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University, NJ and a Master of Arts in Teaching through The College of New Jersey, and holds an American Montessori Early Childhood credential through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ. She is an instructor and a field consultant for PCTE.
Jennifer enjoys watching students gain confidence, independence, and achieve both academic and social successes as they learn to explore their Montessori classrooms. She brings creativity, strong organizational skills, and a patient and nurturing disposition to the community.
Outside of the classroom, Jennifer likes spending time with her husband and two Montessori-educated young adult daughters. They enjoy baking, bicycling, and traveling the world together; Jennifer’s independent interests include reading, walking, and DIY projects.
Jennifer received a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Bucknell University. She has years of business experience in both the pharmaceutical and not for profit industries and has served as an Assistant Teacher in a Montessori School in PA. She completed her American Montessori Early Childhood training at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE).
Ursula enjoys getting to know each child’s individual personality and sense of humor. She shares her creativity and artistic talents with the children in the development of materials and is known by her colleagues as a calm, nurturing teacher. She enjoys collaborating with her peers in the Primary program.
When not at school, Ursula enjoys cooking, gardening, and yoga. She also spends time working with her husband at the restaurant they own in their hometown of Lambertville.
Ursula received a BFA in Illustration from the Parsons School of Design, NY, and studied at the American University in Paris. She holds an American Montessori Early Childhood credential through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ. She serves as an instructor for all levels in fitness education for PCTE. Ursula has experience at Princeton Montessori School in all programs as an educational support and has led Sports Club for Elementary students as well as Faculty Fitness programs.
Ursula is a certified Yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance.
Carla is passionate about early childhood education. She is a Mother of two and enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and discovering new cultures.
She holds an AMI Montessori Diploma(3-6yrs) from the institute de formation Maria Montessori in Geneva, Switzerland.
Lori brings vast Montessori experience as a lead teacher in both Toddler and Primary classrooms. She treasures working with children during their early years of life to witness and support their tremendous growth and development. Lori is also passionate about supporting and collaborating with adults who are on their own Montessori journey.
In her free time, Lori enjoys reading and learning and loves to travel. She and her partner have two children who attend universities in New England and two furry friends who keep them company at home! Lori spends a considerable amount of time continuing her own learning on a variety of subjects whether it be through reading, course work, documentaries, travel, and so on. Learning is for life!
Before becoming a teacher, Lori worked in the corporate world and holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Human Resources from King's College. She holds both I/T and EC Montessori Credentials from PCTE, where she currently serves as a Field Consultant and Instructor. In addition, Lori recently completed a course that focused on teaching music to preschoolers using the Orff-Schulwerk Method within a Montessori "hands-on" environment.
Alexis finds immense joy working with the children in the primary program. She loves to witness each child’s individual transformation as they explore the world around them. Her nurturing spirit guides her focus and energy on keeping the children comfortable, safe, and cared for.
Outside the classroom, Alexis enjoys being active; hiking, running, snowboarding, and spending time with her two children.
Alexis has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rider University and a PCTE Early Childhood certification.
Mira has very good problem solving resolution skills which helps to creativity help students maintain interest in the lessons.
In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, family, and friends, and also traveling, cooking, exercising, and outdoor activities.
Mira holsa a Bachelors degree in Arts & Education from Tanta University, Egypt. She Attended Collins workshop for best practices of teaching Math, reading and writing inside the classroom as well as 2016 Cambridge Global Learner conducted by Cambridge International Examinations.
Teresa enjoys supporting the Primary children in their role of learning and their pursuit of self-discovery. Because she is dyslexic and became a proficient reader at a later age, she is in tune with the internal process of learning to read. From her extensive background in psychological studies and research, she brings a unique perspective and deep appreciation of child development to the Primary program.
When not at school, Teresa spends much of her time volunteering at a local ballet studio and cheering for her two daughters at either gymnastics meets or ballet performances.
Teresa received a BA in Psychology and Communications from Rutgers University, NJ; an MA in Psychology from the New School for Social Research, NY; and holds an American Montessori Society Early Childhood credential through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ. She is an instructor for PCTE.
Alyssa enjoy using her creativity and imagination while working with children of all ages on projects, education activities and extra curricular activities.
Outside of the classroom she enjoys crafting and riding and caring for horses at a horse farm close to her home.
Alyssa has an associates degree in education and has a PCTE Early Childhood certification.
Iain enjoys teaching children of all ages and brings a worldly perspective into the classroom from living in both California and Australia. Iain comes from a multicultural family and has traveled extensively through Asia and Oceania.
In his free time he is an avid tennis player and also enjoys playing most recreational sports. He also enjoys scuba diving and snorkeling and grew up sailing in the San Francisco Bay.
Iain graduated from Piedmont High School in Piedmont, CA. He also attended Sonoma State University.
Anila enjoys observing the innocence and inquisitiveness of young children and supporting them in their development of confidence and independence. She is organized, creative, patient and nurturing by nature.
Outside the classroom Anila enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, getting together with friends and traveling. She also enjoys cooking, crafting and meditation.
Anila holds a Bachelors Degree in Fine ART from Staffordshire University, England and an American Montessori Early Childhood credential through Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE) NJ.
Shazah loves to connect with children by observing how each individual child flourishes, whether through reading, creative writing, cultural studies, or science. She is an avid linguist who speaks multiple languages; she teaches French Club for elementary students. Shazah also has a passion for singing and story-telling, which she partakes in regularly with students.
Outside of the classroom, Shazah enjoys spending time with her family — especially her young son who also attends Princeton Montessori School. She loves music, enjoys reading and traveling, and has written and edited for various publications over the last 20 years.
Shazah received a BA in Psychology, with a concentration in Community Psychology, from Syracuse University. Prior to joining Princeton Montessori School, Shazah worked with an organization that conducted federal policy research to advocate for students with learning differences. She holds an American Montessori Society Early Childhood credential through Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE).
Christina is a Princeton Montessori School alum; she attended the toddler through elementary programs. She loves the Montessori philosophy and is excited to be back working in the same community, which inspired her love of learning.
Christina has experience working with children ranging from kindergarten through 9th grade. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, playing tennis, and swimming.
Christina holds a Bachelors in American Studies from Manhattanville College and a Masters in Early Childhood, Special Education.
Areeba is passionate about children and loves connecting with them. She believes all children are unique in their own ways and by observing and building strong connections with the child you can help them craft their skills. Areeba is a creative person and brings creativity, calmness and togetherness to the classroom. She feels pure joy seeing the happiness on a child's face after accomplishing a task, and the confidence and freedom they experience at such early age.
Areeba loves spending time with her husband and twin sons. She likes to travel and explore, cook, enjoy good music and spend time with friends.
She earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and Marketing, and an AMI orientation course certificate (3-6).
Xiaoxi loves working with primary aged children because of their excitement, earnestness, and their capacity to explore and learn about their surroundings. She brings her calmness, optimism, and bilingual talents to the community.
Xiaoxi is the mother of two young children, and when not teaching, she likes to spend time with her family and friends. She enjoys reading in the library, hiking, and traveling.
Xiaoxi received a BA in Language Arts from Northwestern University, Xi’an, China, and a Masters of Science in Education from State University of New York (SUNY), majoring in Educational Administration and Policy Studies. She holds an American Montessori Society Early Childhood credential through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE), NJ.
