Lower Elementary
Colleen has been an educator for 13 years. She holds an M.A. in Special Education with certification from New Jersey City University and a B.A. from Montclair State University in the College of Education and Human Services focusing on Family and Child Services with a K-5 Education certification. Colleen has been teaching at HPMS since 2011 and has three children enrolled at the Upper Campus who have been with the school since the Bridge Program. Colleen dedicates her life to teaching and believes she is never finished learning.
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.
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 D. Michelle has a B.A. in Elementary Education 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 Russell and baby George. In her free time loves the great outdoors and practicing yoga.
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 Bridge 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. Ms. 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 so that each child can grow to love learning, excel individually and appreciate the importance of caring for one another. She is excited to share her global experience and personal passions with the HPMS community. This is a particularly special year for her, as her daughter will be joining the Bridge program.
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
Ms. Ana (Literacy, Immersive Spanish & Peace Curriculum) is entering her eighth school year at HPMS, and her sixth 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 training at Columbia Teachers College’s Readers’ Workshop and is a certified Common Sense Educator in digital citizenship. Ana is passionate about teaching Spanish and Peace in the Upper Elementary program. She is also involved with Montessori Model UN, coaching Odyssey of the Mind, and preparing students for the Jersey City Martin Luther King, Jr. Oratory competition. Ana is a proud HPMS parent with two children in the LE and EC programs.
Mr. Ben (Math & Cultural) is excited for his fifth year as a member of the HPMS community. He has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Central Connecticut State University and is completing his Montessori Certification through West Side Montessori School. Ben grew up in Connecticut and recently moved to Queens, New York City with his soon-to-be 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 also looking forward to leading The Hamilton Park Players in their first musical theater production.
Ms. 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.
Ms. Katy (Literacy) has a PhD in education from the University of Michigan, a M.A. as a Literacy Specialist from Teachers College, and a B.A. in Modern Language from Knox College. She has both Lower and Upper Elementary teaching certifications through the American Montessori Society. Before beginning this role at HPMS, Katy had ten years of experience supporting literacy and cross-curricular integration in K-8 schools, including four years as a lead teacher in a Montessori elementary classroom. She is delighted to begin her 5th year as the HPMS Literacy Specialist. In this role, she works with all kindergarteners in small group settings and provides extra literacy support for Upper Campus programs.
Ms. 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.
Ms. 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.
