Lower Elementary
Elizabeth received her B.A. from Otterbein University in broadcasting and creative writing. She moved to New York in 2014 and after working in childcare, she received her M.S. in Early Childhood Education and Special Education from Concordia College as well as her Early Childhood and Elementary I Montessori Certification from WSMS-TEP. Her first experience with Montessori was as a child, where she attended a Montessori school in Cincinnati; she remembers her experience and teachers fondly. This is her fourth year at HPMS.
Julieanne earned her B.S. in Elementary Education with a Montessori Concentration from the University of Hartford. She completed her Elementary Montessori 1–6 training at the Montessori Training Center Northeast in Bloomfield, CT. Julianne fell in love with the Montessori method during her lower elementary student teaching placement at Montessori Magnet at Batchelor, where she secured a full-time position as a lower elementary lead guide the following school year. After her first year of teaching, she relocated to Jersey City and joined the Lower Elementary program at HPMS. Over the summer, she gained valuable experience working in the Early Childhood Summer Program at HPMS and loved working with this plane of development. She is entering her third year of teaching. Julianne grew up on Long Island in a large family that was deeply involved in the arts, including music, dance, and visual art. She enjoys exploring Jersey City and actively participates in local leagues and community events.
Katie (Literacy) holds a B.A. in Elementary and Early Childhood Education and an M.A. in Reading Curriculum and Instruction. She is a certified Reading Specialist with more than 20 years of experience in education. Her background includes working as an elementary teacher and literacy interventionist, with a strong foundation in the Reading and Writing Workshop model. She has supported K–5 students through individualized and small-group instruction and believes in creating learning experiences that build confidence and help students grow as readers and writers. Outside of the classroom, Katie enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. Katie is excited to join the HPMS community and looks forward to nurturing students’ curiosity, independence, and lifelong love of learning.
Mary Kate received her B.S. in Elementary and Special Education as well as her M.S. in Education with a concentration in Reading from St Joseph’s University. She has 10 years of teaching experience, primarily as a Reading Resource teacher and Special Education teacher focused on children in Kindergarten through third grade. Mary Kate’s two children are students in the Upper Elementary and Lower Elementary programs.
Melissa P. holds a B.S. in Elementary Education as well as an M.S. in Education with a concentration in Reading from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA. She is a state-certified elementary classroom teacher as well as a certified reading specialist. Melissa received her Montessori training in Lower Elementary at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education at Princeton Montessori School. This is Melissa’s 16th year at HPMS. In her spare time she enjoys illustrating, baking and taking walks with her dog, Louise.
Michelle holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies for Elementary Education with a concentration in Art as well as a M.Ed in Teacher Leadership from California Lutheran University, specializing in Reading and Literacy. She was a K-6 reading specialist in California before moving to Jersey City to teach English enrichment. She joined HPMS in 2013 as a Literacy Specialist and quickly became passionate about Montessori. In 2019, she completed her Montessori training in Lower Elementary at West Side Montessori Teacher Education Program (WSMS-TEP). She is the proud mom of to young boys.
Sally holds an M.Ed in Montessori Education and Leadership and a B.S. in Elementary and Special Education with a concentration in Behavior. She then completed her Lower Elementary Montessori credential at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. She began teaching at HPMS is 2015. In her spare time, Sally enjoys walking her dog and reading with her daughter, who is in the Early Childhood program. As a former Montessori student herself, Sally is delighted to have her daughter receive the same opportunity.
Sara holds an M.A. in education from St. Catherine University, with a focus in Montessori. She began her Montessori teaching career in 2011 at HPMS. Since then, she has taught in Montessori schools in both New Jersey and Valencia, Spain. She is also a Vinyasa and prenatal yoga teacher. Sara is continually amazed at the connection and overlap between Montessori theory and pedagogic practice and the precepts of yoga. She is passionate about cultivating a classroom community rooted in harmony and autonomy, where each child can develop a love of learning and a deep sense of empathy that extends beyond the classroom walls. Sara also has a two-year-old daughter who is in the Bridge program this year.
Solange has been a Montessori educator for over 20 years. She holds a B.A. in Education as well as an M.Ed in Early Childhood Education from the Women’s University of Sacred Heart in Lima, Peru. She has worked with children for 30 years and for 20 of those years as a Spanish teacher in a Montessori setting. Solange lives in Ridgefield Park with her family.
Upper Elementary
Ana (Literacy, Peace & Stewardship) is entering her ninth school year at HPMS, and her seventh in Upper Elementary. Ana holds a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College and a certificate in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law from American University Washington College of Law. She has received AMS Early Childhood and Elementary II training through the West Side Teacher Education Program. Additionally, she has completed Writers’ Workshop training at Columbia Teachers College and is a certified Common Sense Educator in digital citizenship. She is currently completing beekeeper training as part of her work with HPMS’s apiary and stewardship program. Ana is passionate about creating meaningful, interdisciplinary learning experiences for Upper Elementary students. She also coaches Odyssey of the Mind, coordinates Montessori Model UN, and prepares students for the Jersey City Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratory Competition. Outside of school, Ana enjoys hiking and spending time in nature. She is also a proud HPMS parent with two children.
Ben (Math & Cultural) is excited for his sixth year as a member of the HPMS community. Ben grew up in Connecticut and received his B.S. in Elementary Education from Central Connecticut State University. He currently resides in Queens, New York City with his new husband. Outside of school, he has been a member of NYC Gay Men’s Chorus for over six years and is an active actor and director in the Queens community theater scene. He also enjoys playing board games, video games, and Dungeons & Dragons with friends and family. Ben is excited to direct The Hamilton Park Players in their second musical theater production after their successful debut last year.
Felix (Spanish) is an educator dedicated to promoting multilingualism and active learning. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic until moving to the United States after fifth grade, he is fully fluent in Spanish and values the cultural and cognitive benefits of bilingual education. Felix holds an undergraduate degree in Recreation Administration and is currently pursuing his M.A. His background in recreation includes extensive work at the North Bergen Recreation Center, where he supervised camp procedures and coached a wide variety of youth sports. Felix strongly aligns with the Montessori method of education. He focuses on combining his background in sports, community recreation, and language to create engaging, supportive, and active learning environments for students.
Karen (Literacy Support) has a B.A. from Montclair State College with majors in Psychology and Religion/Philosophy, an M.A. from NYU in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages with a K-12 teacher certification, and she has pursued AMS Early Childhood training from the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. Now starting her eighth year at HPMS, she is happy to have experienced working with the Early Childhood, Lower and Upper Elementary, and Middle School programs. Her son Gabriel started school at HPMS as a three-year-old and is now an HPMS Middle School alumnus.
Melissa L. (Upper Elementary Coordinator) 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.
Sujana (Math and STEAM) is delighted to begin her 18th year of teaching elementary students! As a mother of two, she was inspired by the nurturing Montessori philosophy and pursued her teacher training in Early Childhood, Elementary I, and Elementary II at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. A true STEAM enthusiast, she also holds an M.S. in Education with a specialization in STEAM. She loves weaving creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving into her lessons—encouraging students to see math and science as adventures waiting to be explored. When she’s not in the classroom, you’ll find Ms. Sujana traveling to discover new cultures, enjoying board games, or spending time outdoors with friends and family.
Tina (Literacy) is entering her eighth school year as a teacher for grades 3 – 8, and her fourth year in Montessori education. Tina holds a B.A. in Special Education from Loyola University Chicago and a certificate in ESL. She completed her Montessori Elementary certification at the AMI Center of Minnesota, which included training in the Adolescent Math Institute curriculum. Ms. Tina holds a certificate in Orton-Gillingham morphology studies, and is pursuing her Masters in Montessori Education and Literacy at Loyola University, Maryland. Ms. Tina recently moved from Chicago to Jersey City with her husband. In her free time she enjoys rooting for the Cubs, going to baseball games, watching movies, and reading!
