Meet Our Staff
The Montessori three year cycle allows teachers multiple years to observe each child's emerging personality and learning styles, to encourage natural abilities, and to address the needs of the whole child.
South Suburban Montessori School's faculty currently consists of 21 members who bring a wealth of Montessori experience to the school’s community. All of our classroom teachers, as well as many of our classroom assistants, are Montessori trained and certified.
Carol Andrzejewski
Office Manager
Cuyahoga Community College, Bishop McMahon School of Business
Nirmala Bala
Children's House Directress
Aginas University, Sri Lanka
London Advanced Level in Geography Sri Lanka, AMI Preprimary Certification (Ages 3-6).
Trained under Maria Montessori's personal assistant and trainer, Mr. Jooster, 1966.
Francisca Blois
Adventures in Language Spanish Teacher
Mary Ann Burke
Children's House Directress
Kent State University, B.A. in Sociology 1969
Cleveland State University, M.Ed. 1992
Ohio Montessori Training Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, AMI Primary Certification (Ages 3-6), 1989
Linda Camp
Assistant in Children's House
Kent State University, B.A. in Family and Cultural Studies, 2000
New Orleans Montessori Training Educational Center, AMS Preprimary Credential (Ages 3-6), 1990
Leslie Cassaniti
Reading Specialist
Arizona State University, B.A. in Elementary Education, 1978
Notre Dame College, Graduate Studies in Special Education with specialization in Reading, 1996-2005
Diana Davenport
Children's House Directress
John Carroll University, B.A. in English and the Classics, 1968
Case Western Reserve University, M.A. in Sociology, 1971
Notre Dame College, Elementary Teaching Certification, 1991
Ohio Montessori Training Institute, AMI Primary Certification (Ages 3-6), 2001
Loyola College, M. Ed. in Montessori Education, 2002
Pamela Gujrati
Lower Elementary Directress
Lake Erie College, Bachelor of Fine Arts, 1971
University of Akron, Masters of Elementary Education, 2000
Walsh University, AMS Early Childhood Credential (Ages 3-6), 1997
Michigan Montessori Teacher Education Center, AMS Elementary I Credential (Ages 6-9), 2000
Michigan Montessori Teacher Education Center, AMS Elementary II Credential (Ages 9-12), 2003
Joann Fox
Montessori Paraprofessional & Assistant in Lower Elementary
Western Reserve University
MECA-Seton Montessori Teacher Training Program,
AMS Associate Pre-Primary Credential (Ages 3-6), 1992
Evelyn R. Kehoe
Assistant in Toddler Environment
Cuyahoga Community College, Early Childhood Education
Terry Lemut
Secretary
Lakeland Community College, Applied Business, Secretarial Science
Notre Dame College, Associate Degree, Applied Science
Amy Mackie-Barr
Head of School
Vesalius College, Brussels, Belgium, B.A. in General Liberal Arts, 1994
Carlow College Montessori Teacher Preparation Course,
AMS Early Childhood Credential (Ages 3-6), 1998
Center for Montessori Teacher Education/New York,
AMS Infant and Toddler Credential (Birth - Age 3), 2002
Dawn Manistra
Elementary Aftercare Directress
Cuyahoga Community College, Early Childhood Education
Penn Foster College, Early Childhood Education
Linette Pacheco
Assistant in Upper Elementary
John Carroll University, B.A in Communications, 2004
Beki Poitras
Children's House Directress
Cleveland State University, B.S. in Sociology, 2007
Walsh University and Columbus Montessori Education Center,
AMS Early Childhood Credential (Ages 3-6), 2006
Cecelia Romito
Toddler Directress
Montessori Education Center of the Rockies,
AMS Associate Infant & Toddler Credential (Birth - Age 3), 2000
Natalie Sanford
Physical Education Instructor
Indiana Wesleyan University, Licensure in Exceptional Needs Mild Intervention, 2007
Kent State University, B.S. in Physical Education, 1998
Aaron Spector
Music Instructor
Third Street Music Settlement
Owner and President of Music Man, Inc.,
Former performing musician in New York City
Tammy Vallo
Assistant in Children's House
St. Mary of the Woods, Terra Haute, Indiana, B.S. in Early Childhood and
Early Childhood Special Education, 1981
St. Mary of the Woods Montessori Teacher Education Center,
AMS Pre-primary Credential (Ages 3-6), 1981
Kimberly White
Upper Elementary & Middle School Directress
Bowling Green University, B.S. in Elementary Education, 1988
Barry University, M.S. in Montessori Elementary Education, 2005
Barry University Montessori Teacher Education Program,
AMS Elementary I and II Certification (Ages 6-12), 2005