Josefina Ramos
Assistant Teacher
Hello! My name is Josefina I am an assistant teacher at St. Mary’s Montessori School, I have the privilege to be part of this family, I have a passion for early childhood development. I am a Norco College graduate, and I have over two years of hands-on experience in Early Childhood Development. I enjoy my role with enthusiasm. Outside the classroom I enjoy my garden . I love reading books . I reaffirm my commitment to nurturing the growth and development of every child.
Jacqueline Aguilera
Assistant Teacher
Hello! My name is Jacqueline and I am an assistant teacher at St. Mary’s Montessori School. I have a degree in Early Childhood Education from Biola University and I am so excited to be able to use what I have learned to support the classroom and the children! Outside the classroom, I love to bake, read, and take long walks with my two dogs. I truly love to witness children learning and growing in an environment that supports them fully.
Rebeca De La Torre-Armenta
Receptionist
Hello everyone! My name is Ms. Rebeca De La Torre, and I'm delighted to introduce myself as a new member of St. Mary's Montessori School. I am currently pursuing my college degree with the aim of becoming a pediatric nurse. My journey into childcare began during my time as a Behavioral Therapist providing ABA Therapy. Working closely with children, I discovered my passion for nurturing their growth and well-being. Outside of work and studies, you'll often find me lost in the pages of a new book, expanding my knowledge, spending time with my friends, or trying out new dessert recipes! I'm thrilled to be joining St. Mary's because of its mission to provide a nurturing and creative environment in which children are encouraged to grow in every aspect. I'm eager to contribute to this nurturing environment and to support each child in their unique journey of discovery and growth. I look forward to meeting you all!
Agali Aguirre
Assistant Teacher
Hello, my name is Agali Aguirre. I began my journey at St. Mary's Montessori School in April 2021 and after taking a break to be with my little one I am so excited to be returning. My time at St. Mary’s as an assistant teacher has solidified that I am meant to be working with children. Working in this field is very fulfilling, as I can watch our children grow, learn and become more independent and confident. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my little one and husband. I am grateful and happy to be able to work alongside you and your children. My priority at SMMS is to ensure the children are given a safe and enriching environment.
Marina Lopez
Assistant Teacher
Hello! My name is Marina Lopez, and I am the newest addition to the St. Mary’s Montessori School staff. I will be assisting the teachers in the infants and toddler classroom. I look forward to helping your children grow in love, nurture and creativity. I’m committed to creating a safe environment for them emotionally, physically and intellectually. I’ve always had a passion for kids early on in life. I had my first babysitting job at thirteen years old then later became a nanny in my early twenties. In 2016 I decided to take my passion to the next level and attend Mt. Sac community college and enter their Child Development program. It was there that I fell in love with learning about the development of children and in essence learned a lot about myself. During my time at Mt. Sac, I volunteered at Foothill Christian as a Sunday school preschool teacher to get a little more acclimated with preschool aged kids. I am now a mommy to a beautiful 4 ½ year old. On my free time I enjoy running, traveling, spending time with family, snowboarding and pretty much anything that allows me to be outside. I am a believer that God puts us exactly where he wants us, and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for me here at St. Mary’s Montessori school.
Darlene Gonzales
Assistant Teacher
Hello, I'm Darlene Gonzales, born and raised in Southern California. I come from a family of five, and I'm the youngest and only girl among my four siblings. I married my high school sweet heart and we have raised our own family of 3 children, who are now young adults. One of my greatest joys in life has been raising three wonderful children, instilling in them the values and love that I hold dear. My home is also a haven for dogs, with three furry companions of my own and a cherished grand-dog, making every day a tail-wagging adventure. Beyond my roles as a mother and a dog lover, I'm a passionate educator. I firmly believe in the power of shaping young minds, and will draw from my life experiences and formal education to help create a joyous environment, I look forward to working with the staff at St. Mary’s Montessori School and aim to inspire and mentor those I have the privilege to teach.
Stephanie Aguirre
Assistant Teacher
Hello! My name is Ms. Stephanie Aguirre, and I have been part of St. Mary's Montessori School since 2023. I have worked with children of all ages since 2005. I discovered early on that I truly enjoyed learning about child development which led me to pursue working in the field of education. Working with children has given me the opportunity to build trusting relationships with many families. My goal is to provide a safe and nurturing space for children to grow and develop. My educational goal is to continue to grow as an educator and expand on my experiences in order to provide the child and their family the best experience possible. In my free time I enjoy spending quality time with my son by going to theme parks, trying new restaurants and catching up on what’s new in the cinema. I look forward to building strong bonds with you and your family!
Jennifer Zelaya
Assistant Teacher
Hello! My name is Jennifer Zelaya and I have worked as a Teacher Assistant for 6 years and I am currently pursuing my Child Development degree. My career goal is to become a lead teacher for an elementary school setting. Being able to have a Teacher Assistant position has given me the privilege to practice and get knowledge of what is needed for me to become a success leader for every child. In my free time I enjoy being outdoors in nature for example community parks or national parks and exploring around. One of my favorite national parks that I have visited is Yosemite, I was able to visit the park with my family this past April. I enjoy hiking with my Partner in my free time and lounging around our house watching our favorite Hulu shows. In conclusion I am very excited to be joining St. Mary’s Montessori School and be part of the amazing team at the school.
Angela Ferreira
Assistant Teacher
Hello! My name is Ms. Angela Ferreira, I am very excited to be a part of St. Mary’s Montessori School. I recently moved to the area from Ojai, Ca. I have had the opportunity to be a part of preschool education for close to three years now. I received my Associate degree in Early Childhood Education from Ventura College, and am currently attending California State University Channel Island hoping to obtain a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Studies in the year of 2024. Since beginning my journey within Early Childhood Education I have enjoyed learning and growing about the importance of the early years of childhood as it brings me a great amount of happiness having the opportunity to see children grow to their ability. I strive to provide the proper guidance and support for all children through their developmental growth. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, nature walks, and watching shows and movies. Delighted to meet you all
Roberto Herrera
Chef
Hello Montessori family my name is Roberto Herrera and I have been working in the hospitality industry since I was 12 years old. I started working at my aunts taqueria every summer until I graduated high school. I enrolled in a culinary arts and hospitality management course for the art institute of orange county and earned my Associates degree in 2018. Once graduating I got the amazing opportunity to work for Bon Appetit’ Management company at Concordia University of Irvine where I gained a large chunk of my experience I know today. I am really looking forward to this new opportunity with you guys at Montessori. I really enjoy cooking in my free time, I consider myself a foodie. On my days off I enjoy hanging out with my girlfriend and going to a good restaurant. You’ll mostly find me at home in my free time hanging out with my little brothers or watching UFC fights. Combat sports are my favorite right now and baseball. I am a Lakers and Dodgers fan also. Thank You St. Mary’s for this wonderful new opportunity, I look forward to working with you guys soon!
Jessica Miranda
Assistant Teacher
Hello! My name is Jessica Miranda, I recently joined the St Mary's Montessori family. I received an Associates in Early Childhood Education and an Associates in Social and Behavioral Sciences. I previously worked for the Los Angeles School District for about 14 years, in an Elementary school with preschool age children. Since I can remember, I have loved helping, teaching, and working with young children. From babysitting to volunteering in an afterschool program. This is my first experience working in a Montessori setting, since I joined St. Mary's almost a year ago. I am delighted to have joined the Elementary team! And I am excited for the new school year!
Surangi Gamage
Assistant Teacher
I am an AMI qualified teacher with six years experience specialized to 3 to 6 years children. I did my AMI diploma in Sri Lanka at St. Bridget’s Montessori training center in 2015. I have two kids which are my nine year old daughter and five years old son. During my spare time I enjoyed gardening and cooking. I believe in the Dr. Maria Montessori method of teaching the whole child to reach his or her full potential of learning and to a good citizen of the world.
Mariana Gonzalez-Ibarra
Assistant Teacher
Hello, my name is Mariana Gonzalez. I have been with at SMMS for almost 5 years, I started in the twos and then worked in Sunflower and Nido. I have been in periwinkle for two years now. I am a mom of 4, my oldest son is almost ten and my littlest is a one year old girl.
Rocio Rodriguez
Assistant Teacher
Hello, My name is Rocio Rodriguez and I have been at St Mary’s Montessori School Rancho Cucamonga since May 2020. I have a a Bachelors Degree in Gender, Ethnicity and Multicultural Studies. I am currently the assistant teacher in the Water Lily environment and I am in training to be a lead guide in a classroom. As an educator my goal is to teach children to be self motivated and be respectful of themselves and their surroundings. I believe life is a journey that gives us the opportunity to become better each day, and that is an ideology I apply in the classroom.
Kiran Peshawaria
Assistant Teacher
Hello! My name is Ms. Kiran, and I am very excited to be a part of the St. Mary’s family. It is a privilege to have been with the school since 2015 and to be working alongside a team of dedicated staff and to help facilitate the growth and learning for the children. I have had the pleasure to have worked in different environments in primary and elementary as assistant teacher and have had opportunity to lead a classroom at both campuses. I have the joy to hear the children laugh, see amazement in their eyes and watch them learn from the heart. I grew up in London, England where I received my Bachelor of Arts, honors in Law and Economics, from the City of London University. Later, I completed my child education units at UCLA as well as earned units in supervision and administration. I have over eighteen years of teaching experience and each year has been full of wonder and joy. My passion is to teach, inspire, and challenge children to love learning in a safe, positive, and fun environment. On a personal note, I enjoy traveling, going to the movies, spending time with my family, and raising my Kubo (my Siberian Husky)! I am truly looking forward to working together with you and your child in their growth and development.
Angelica Martin
Assistant Teacher
Hello, my name is Angelica, but I also go by the name Angie (much easier for children to pronounce). I have worked with St Mary's for two years as an assistant teacher in Sunflower and am currently working on getting my AMI certificate for A to I. The best part of being in this environment is seeing the children's development and watching them reach their milestones. Overall, I have learned a lot these past two years and I'm continuously learning for these have been my first years in a Montessori school working with this early age group. I enjoy reading and spending time with my family, as well as exploring new cities and hiking trails, on my free time.
Heidi Haan
Assistant Teacher
Hello! My name is Ms. Heidi and I have been with St. Mary’s Montessori School since 2013. I am a graduate of Chaffey community College with a degree in Early Childhood Development and continued my education at California State University of San Bernardino with a B.A. in Psychology. I have over 15 years of experience working with children under the age of 6 in various settings. For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for working with young children. It is my mission to provide a safe and nurturing environment that children can learn and grow. I believe each child has their own unique individuality that should be encouraged and acknowledged. I have five amazing nephews whom I absolutely adore and a dog with lots of energy. In my spare time, I enjoy taking walks, hiking, reading, going to church, crafting, photography, and spending time with my family and friends. It’s an honor to be your child’s teacher and I look forward to getting to know you and your child!
Jesus Mendez
Food Service Manager
My name is Jesus Mendez and I am the Food Service Manager at St. Mary’s Montessori Schools. I have been in the food industry for the course of 30 years and the entirety of my life has been dedicated to nutrition. In that time I have gained a passion for creating menus, catering, and learning many styles of cooking. My favorite style of cooking is Italian as that is where my foundation began. Being in the food industry I value nothing more than feeding the public nutritious food and I am ecstatic to share my love of cooking with your children. I am a father myself and I understand how vital it is to feed our children nutritious food. I believe creating healthy food habits is the foundation to a healthy lifestyle and mind that will last a lifetime. I look forward to this new opportunity and to getting to know staff and parents alike.
Melissa Barrales
Assistant Teacher
Hi!! My name is Melissa Barrales and I have been part of SMMS since April 2019. SMMS has given me the opportunity to work with all age groups (Nido through Elementary). I truly like working with the littles and helping them grow. I have always wanted to work with animals or children and decided working with children would give me a better impact of changing a life and show the goodness this world can have. Through my education process I have worked with children as a basic babysitter, at a gym and as a preschool teacher. I then took time off to raise my own daughter but still did many hours of volunteering in the educational field and at her schools. As she was becoming a teenager, it was time for me to head back into the teaching profession. I have been blessed at SMMS to work with the younger children, mainly in the Nido and IC1 classrooms but with gladly help out with all the other age groups. On my free time I love going to concerts and doing arts & crafts. I also enjoy going on family adventures and playing with my pets. Writing and music are also big parts of my life. Volunteer work was put on hold due to the pandemic but slowly coming back. I am glad and hope to make special connections with all the children and adults throughout my SMMS career. Thank you.
Kayla Morrill
Lead Teacher for Oak
My name is Ms. Kayla Morrill and I am the lead guide in the Oak Community. I received a B.S Degree in Child and Adolescent Studies from California State University, Fullerton. I also received my AMI 6-12 Diploma from Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies. My love and passion for working with children ages 6-12 stems from wanting to create a safe environment for children to feel comfortable and heard. As an elementary lead in our Oak environment, it is extremely important for me to create strong positive relationships with both my students and their families.