ABOUT HAMILTON PARK MONTESSORI
HPMS was founded by a team of educators interested in creating a positive learning community where the Best Practices in Montessori and Early Childhood education are implemented.
Samantha, Founder and Head of School, has a M.Ed. in Educational Administration from Columbia University's Teachers College (New York, NY), a M.A. in Teaching from Trinity College (Washington, DC), a Montessori Early Childhood Teaching credential from The Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies (Silver Spring, MD) and a B.A. in Psychology from Denison University (Granville, OH). Samantha is State Certified as an Administrator and Teacher, and has over 15 years of combined experience as a Montessori educator in both public and private school settings. Samantha is also an Instructor, Field Consultant and Evaluator at The Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies, and a Field Consultant for West Side Montessori School Teacher Education Program in New York City. She lives in the Hamilton Park neighborhood with her husband and son.
Sue, Program Director, has a Primary/Early Childhood Montessori Teaching Credential from the St. Nicholas Training Centre and a B.B.A. in Business Administration and Psychology from Bernard M. Baruch College (CUNY). Sue brings to the HPMS community much experience as a Teacher Educator and Instructor, Field Consultant and Supervising Teacher. She has 23 years of Montessori teaching experience as a classroom teacher and served as Program Director for the Montessori Teacher Training Institute of New Jersey, a Montessori teacher training program, for 9 years. She is married to her husband of thirty-three years and has three grown daughters. Some of her interests include a love of the outdoors, cooking, boating and her golden retrievers.
Evie, Educational Director and Yellow Room Lead Teacher, has an Elementary Montessori Teaching certification from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education/NY, an Early Childhood Montessori Teaching certification from The Montessori Teacher's Training Institute of NJ (Princeton Jct., NJ) and a B.A. in Political Science and English from Ohio University (Athens, OH). Evie has been a Montessori teacher for the past six years, and is a proud mother of two children.
Maria, Co-Lead Teacher in the Blue Room and Third Year Enrichment Teacher, holds the Early Childhood Montessori Diploma (ages 3-6) and Elementary I/II Montessori Diploma (ages 6-12) from London Montessori Teachers College (Dublin, Ireland), and the Infant/Toddler Montessori (ages birth – 3) certificate from South Florida Montessori Education Center (Boca Raton, FL). She has worked as a Montessori teacher since 1989, and has also served as an Intern Supervisor, Teacher Educator and Field Consultant for various Montessori teacher training programs in Florida and New Jersey. Maria has a loving spirit and lively enthusiasm for Montessori education, as her two children are raised in a Montessori manner.
LaLa, Co-Lead Teacher in the Blue Room, has a M.A. in Teaching from New York University (New York, NY), an Early Childhood Montessori Teaching Credential from West Side Montessori Teacher Education Program (New York, NY) and a B.A. in Sociology from Fu-Jen University (Taiwan). Before joining HPMS, LaLa worked at West Side Montessori for five years, and was a teacher in Taiwan for five years.
Michele, Red Room Lead Teacher, received her Early Childhood Montessori Teaching Certificate from the Princeton Center for Teacher Education (Princeton, NJ), and a B.A. in English from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ). Before joining HPMS, Michele taught for 11 years in public charter and private Montessori settings. Her interests include cooking, running, swimming, biking, soap making, and geography.
Kristi, Student Teacher in the Red Room, is a Montessori Student Teacher studying at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. Kristi is a K-12 state certified Teacher in NY and NJ, and received her B.S. in Visual Arts Education/Ceramics from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Before joining HPMS, Kristi was the Lead Creative Arts Teacher at Hands On!, an early childhood art and music program in Manhattan. Kristi’s interests include animals, ceramics and art.
Sara, Student Teacher in the Yellow Room, comes from a family of Montessori Teachers and went to Montessori schools through 5th grade. Sara is currently a Montessori Student Teacher studying at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education, and received her B.A. in History from William Patterson University (Wayne, NJ). Before joining HPMS, Sara ran her own gymnastic company for ten years.
Anna, Student Teacher in the Blue Room, is a Montessori Student Teacher training at the West Side Montessori School Teacher Education Program (New York, NY). Before joining HPMS in 2006, Anna had a career in the local art world. Her interests include music, dancing, cooking and eating.
Lauren, Music Teacher, was a music teacher at The Bank Street School for Children in Manhattan, the Montessori Children's House in Morristown and the Neighborhood School in Manhattan before joining HPMS to develop the Music Program. She is one of the co-founders of the award winning Teaneck Cultural Arts Coalition, sits on the Advisory Board for the Puffin Cultural Forum, and serves as the Production Manager and Grants Coordinator for the Teaneck Community Chorus. Please visit www.musicallegends.biz for more information.
Lara, Art and Yoga Teacher, has a M.A. in Children's Literature, Art and Oral History from the Gallatin School at New York University (NYU). Lara finished the academic phase of the Elementary Montessori Teaching Certificate from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education/NY and received her B.F.A. in Painting from Colorado State University (Ft Collins, Colorado). Lara ran the family programs for the South Street Seaport Museum in lower Manhattan and continues to be an educator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Lara is also a certified Adult and Children's Yoga Instructor where she has taught in various programs through out New York City.
Drew, Literacy Teacher, is enrolled in a Ph.D. program for Theater at CUNY, and has a B.A. in English Literature from Sarah Lawrence College. Drew has taught theater workshops with children in the United States and throughout the United Kingdom, and worked at the Children’s Learning Center in Alameda, California.
