Administration Team

Andreea, Director of Admissions and High School Guidance
Andreea has worked in education for 21 years. She is passionate about the Montessori educational model and is so proud to work in a place that nurtures a joy for learning in each child. Andreea has a B.A. in French Literature as well as a certification in Management of Information Systems from NYU and an MBA from Rutgers. Prior to joining HPMS, she spent the majority of her career in educational technology, managing (and working with young readers on) literacy products, and previously, grant writing for non-profit foundations. Andreea joined the HPMS administrative team as well as the Blue Room teaching team in 2016 and completed her Montessori Teaching Certification for Early Childhood later that year. Her son, Julian–another proud Montessorian–recently graduated from HPMS and is thriving in High School. You may have met him previously in front of the school promoting the “HPMS Middle School Times”, the school’s first newspaper–of which he was the zealous Editor-in-Chief.

AnnMarie, Director of Operations
AnnMarie is a New Jersey native and grew up in a small town called Lyndhurst. She received her diploma from her local high school and then went on to manage her own store. She continued her background in managerial work for almost 20 years before she took a pause to raise her three wonderful children, the youngest of whom is a proud HMPS alumnus.

Casey, Director of Student Accounts
Casey has worked in education for over 10 years. Casey holds a B.S. of Behavior Science from Mercy University. Casey previously worked in higher education, in all capacities ranging from Admissions to Assistant Director of Bursar’s office for Mercy and Fordham University. Casey has been a part of the HPMS Community since 2021 managing all aspects of enrollment and financial aid.

Hassan, Director of Technology, Extracurriculars Coordinator & Upper School Aftercare Coordinator

Hassan has been a dedicated member of the Hamilton Park Montessori community for 15 years. He holds a B.S. in Business Management from New Jersey City University. Over the years, he has shared his expertise by teaching both Spanish and Technology. He now serves as the school’s Director of Technology, Specialists Coordinator, Extracurriculars Coordinator and Upper Campus AfterCare Coordinator. Hassan is passionate about fostering a supportive and innovative learning environment for students and staff alike.

Lala, Associate HoS, Director of Student Services, Bridge Coordinator, and Summer Program Coordinator
Lala has been a Montessori educator for 22 years. She has her AMS Early Childhood teaching credential through West Side Montessori School and an M.A. in Early Childhood Education and Special Education through New York University. She has 10+ years of teaching experience in two Montessori schools and has supervised students teachers for Princeton Center of Teacher Education (PCTE), mentoring them as they earned their credentials. She attended the Teacher College Writing Project at Columbia University, where she was trained in the Writers Workshop Program and she completed her AMI Adolescence Training through Train Montessori last year. Lala is from Taiwan and enjoys sharing Taiwanese culture with the HPMS community!

Melissa L., Associate HoS, Director of Education, Upper Elementary Coordinator

Melissa holds an M.Ed. with a Montessori Emphasis from Xavier University, a B.A. in Literature from Rutgers University, and a Graduate Certificate in Independent School Leadership from Johns Hopkins University. She is certified as a Montessori Elementary I & II teacher and has completed the Lucy Calkins Reading & Writing Workshop at Teacher’s College, Columbia University. She serves as the coordinator for both curriculum and assessment, as well as the Montessori Model UN program. She is delighted to support all Upper Elementary students and families on this part of the students’ journey to new discoveries and continued growth. This is her sixteenth year at HPMS. She is a mom of both an HPMS alumnus (who is entering his freshman year at Wake Forest University) and a current HPMS Elementary student.

Samantha, Head of School, Founder
Samantha has been an educator for over 30 years. She holds an M.Ed in Educational Administration from Columbia University’s Teachers College (New York, NY), an M.A. in Teaching from Trinity College (Washington, D.C.), 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 has been State Certified as an Administrator and Teacher, and she has over 25 years of combined experience as a Montessori educator in both public and private school settings. Samantha is also a Field Consultant for The Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies, and she has been an Evaluator and Instructor at IAMS. Her two sons attended HPMS before the family moved to Virginia. Samantha enjoys experiencing the vibrancy of our community on her frequent visits back to HPMS.