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(201) 533-1910

1 McWilliams Place, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Administration Team

Alexa, Head of School,

Alexa, Head of School, has a M.Ed in Education from St. Catherine University, an AMS Early Childhood Credential from Princeton Center for Teacher Education, a BA in History and is currently in the Advanced Educational Leadership program through Harvard Graduate School of Education. Alexa completed the Bowen Systems Family Training through the Princeton Family Center for Education, Professional Training in Behavioral Teaching Strategies (ABA Training) at Eden Autism Services, DERS Training through National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS), and Adolescent Introduction and Orientation Workshops through Train Montessori (AMI). She has 20+ years of experience as a Head of School, Director of Admissions, Montessori Consultant, Interim Head of School, Montessori Teacher, and Princeton Center for Teacher Education Field Consultant and Evaluator. Alexa’s two daughters were Montessori educated, and Alexa is proud of the individuals they have become: independent, confident women embracing life and learning with passion and drive.

Andreea, Director of  Admissions & High School Guidance,  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 BA 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, 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. She is happy to return to work at HPMS, where her youngest attends the Middle School program.

Chris, Director of Development,  was born and raised in Union City, NJ. He earned his bachelor’s degree in art history at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City. His professional career began in Cincinnati, OH, as the school coordinator at The Children’s Theatre. While at the Children’s Theatre, he co-wrote works for the main stage and the company’s touring arm, including an adaptation of the tv classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. For nine years he worked at Saint Peter’s Prep, his alma mater, first as director of alumni relations and annual giving, and then as vice president and chief advancement officer. Most recently he has been the director of the annual fund at the Speyer Legacy School in New York City and director of development at Mustard Seed School in Hoboken. His whole career has been in support of education, and he is so excited to be part of the Hamilton Park Montessori community, doing his best to help it grow and flourish.

Erin, Director of Communicationswas a teacher of English and Communications at the middle, high school, and university level for over 20 years before pivoting to copywriting, marketing, and school communications full-time. A native of New York City, Erin moved to Jersey City in 2021 and has fallen in love with the community. She has a PhD in English from St. John’s University, an MPhil in Anglo-Irish Literature from Trinity College Dublin, a MA in Secondary Education from Brooklyn College, and a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley.

LaLa, Director of  Education and Student Services, Middle School Program Coordinator, Summer Program Coordinator, has her AMS Early Childhood teaching credential through West Side Montessori School and a MA in Early Childhood Education through New York University. She has 10+ years of teaching experience in two Montessori schools and has supervised student teachers for Princeton Center of Teacher Education (PCTE), mentoring them as they earned their credentials. She attended the Teachers College Writing Project at Columbia University, where she was trained in the Writers’ Workshop Program and she completed a Master’s Degree in Special Education at New York University last year. LaLa is from Taiwan and enjoys sharing Taiwanese culture with the HPMS community!

Samantha, Founderhas a M.Ed in Educational Administration from Columbia University’s Teachers College (New York, NY), a MA 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 BA 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.

 

Faculty Spotlight

My son has been enrolled at HPMS since he was 3 years old.He is now an 8th grader in the Upper School!I started absorbing Montessori the moment we first visited the school, and I remember leaving the building that day in tears, saying to my husband, “I didn’t know a school could be this good.” 

Karen, parent of HPMS 8th grader

2019-08-19T04:29:04+00:00

Karen, parent of HPMS 8th grader

“My son has been enrolled at HPMS since he was 3 years old.He is now an 8th grader in the Upper School!I started absorbing Montessori the moment we first visited the school, and I remember leaving the building that day in tears, saying to my husband, “I didn’t know a school could be this good.” ”

Alumni Spotlight

Isadore Haviland was one of the very first students at HPMS when it opened in 2006. He spent eight memorable years there, moving from Blue Room to Earth Room and finally to Orion Room. He is currently an 8th grader at LCCS (The Learning Community Charter School) where he is a member of the Yearbook Committee and Spanish Honor Society. He has been accepted to both McNair and High Tech High Schools, along with St. Peter's Prep. He will be attending High Tech High School in the fall, where he will major in Digital Design and Fabrication.
2017-08-09T14:11:33+00:00
Isadore Haviland was one of the very first students at HPMS when it opened in 2006. He spent eight memorable years there, moving from Blue Room to Earth Room and finally to Orion Room. He is currently an 8th grader at LCCS (The Learning Community Charter School) where he is a member of the Yearbook Committee and Spanish Honor Society. […]