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.
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.
Alexis find immense joy working with the children in the Primary program. Her nurturing, lighthearted personality guide her focus and energy educating the children and helping them feel at home in the classroom. Alexis loves to witness each child’s individual transformation as they explore and learn about the world around them. She loves reading to the children, singing songs and learning about each child’s family values and individual interests.
Outside the classroom, Alexis enjoys being active; snowboarding, hiking and taking various workout classes. She has two children who are involved in gymnastics and hockey. She also enjoys volunteering at her local church, caring for the babies in the nursery.
Alexis holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Rider University and an Early Childhood Credential from PCTE.
Mira is a full-time classroom assistant with over seven years of experience in the education field. She has a true passion for working with young learners, and she works to create an inspiring and engaging learning environment in which children feel safe and secure, providing what students need in order to become lifelong learners.
In her free time she enjoy reading, cooking, music, relaxing at the beach, and spending time with friends and family.
Mira received a BA in Arts and Education from Egypt and holds a Collins workshop certification for best practices of teaching Math, reading and writing inside the classroom. In 2016 she completed the Cambridge Global Learner training conducted by Cambridge International Examination.
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 volunteers for a NJ ballet foundation that she co-founded. She also enjoys creating ballet costumes and reading.
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 also holds an American Montessori Society Early Childhood Reading credential and is an instructor for PCTE.
Prisca taught art for 7 years and has enjoyed seeing the growth in children, appreciating their differences and bringing their individuality in the form of artwork. Each child is unique in his or her creative thinking.
In her free time she enjoys painting, cooking and baking, swimming and hiking. Prisca loves to travel with her family, She volunteers at church where she has served at a Soup Kitchen, harvested crops in a farm for homeless, taught refugees art, and joined many functions where she can spread love.
Prisca graduated from University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) with a Masters of Accounting and Honorary Bachelor of Arts/Chartered Accountancy degrees.
Alyssa enjoys the primary program because she loves to observe the children discover their interests, develop their own style of creativity and explore the Montessori environment.
Outside the classroom Alyssa rides horses at a farm close to her home, enjoys spending time with her family and painting with watercolors.
Alyssa holds an American Montessori Early Childhood Certification from PCTE. She received a degree in education and is furthering her studies in child learning and development
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). Areeba holds an American Montessori Early Childhood credential through the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (PCTE).
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 three 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.
