Marinela is a native of Romania. She holds an American Montessori Society Early Childhood teaching credential. Marinela first learned about the Montessori Philosophy when her children started preschool. Seeing the impact it had on her own children, she decided to begin her own Montessori journey in the classroom in 2019. She is continually amazed by the tremendous positive impact that Montessori Education has on every student, and on the greater community. Marinela holds her Master’s in HR Management, and Bachelor’s in Economics and Business Administration. Reading will always be her favorite activity, and enjoys spending time with her family, gardening and cooking.

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Kelly completed her Pre-Primary and Primary Montessori Credentials in 1998. She taught Montessori for 14 years in Utah before moving to Sammamish and joined Arbor in 2024. She attended Salt Lake City Community College studying anthropology. An avid traveler, she has spent time learning about history and art in Sicily, Austria, Greece, and Russia. On her off days, you can find Kelly playing in the mountains no matter the season skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. She loves to paint watercolors and cross stitch to relax, as well as play with her beloved Goldendoodle Ozzy. Kelly is also the mom of the sons who all attended Montessori.

Joyce grew up in Hong Kong, and moved to the Seattle Area in 2017. She found her love for Montessori in 2022 when she started her Montessori journey as an Assistant Teacher and discovered the beauty of the Montessori Philosophy. Joyce holds her Assistant Training Certificate from MEIPN, and is currently seeking a degree in Early Childhood Education. When not in the classroom, you can find Joyce skiing and camping with her family which consists of her husband and three children. She also loves yoga and making art.

Kate grew up traveling the world and spent time in Romania, Haiti, Russia, Sweden, France and Latvia before settling on the East Coast where she received her BA in Art History from the University of Virginia. She also studied abroad in both France and Italy. Experiencing these varied cultures and political systems played a huge role in shaping who she is as a person and educator. Kate holds her Montessori Credential in Early Childhood and is also trained in Lower Elementary. She has over 25 years experience in a Montessori Classroom as well as in Administration. Kate has also spent over 15 years as a Early Childhood Teacher Trainer at The Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies/Barrie Institute in Maryland. Kate came to Arbor in 2023 and loves the warm and friendly staff and the welcoming community. When not in the classroom, Kate loves to read, experiencing the amazing outdoors of the Pacific Northwest, and spending time in the San Juan Islands with her Partner John, and getting to spend as much time as possible with her 17 year old son George who lives in Virginia.

Alex started at Arbor in 2024 and brings almost 10 years of childcare experience to the Magnolia classroom. Alex fell in love with Montessori after seeing the student-led nature of the classrooms as opposed to the day being driven by the teachers in the environment. When she is not at school, you can find Alex playing her guitar and writing songs, and is an avid gamer. She lives locally with her family.

Yue joined the Arbor community in 2023 and loves the friendly atmosphere and beautiful campus. Originally from China, Yue holds her Bachelor’s Degree in Executive Management and a degree in Accounting. She has worked in Montessori Schools since 2013, and has her Assistant Teaching Certificate from MEIPN, and is also certified in Positive Discipline. She loves spending as much time as possible with her family including her husband and two children watching baseball and volleyball games. She also has a 9 year old cat.

Originally from Karnataka, India, Vaishali has lived in New York and Seattle, and can speak 6 languages. Her undergrad studies focused on Food Science and Quality Control. She has a Bachelor’s in Arts, a Master’s in English Literature and her Primary Montessori Credential. Vaishali has worked with children for almost 20 years. Vaishalis says, “I love working at Arbor with like minded people who understand the principles of authentic Montessori Education. What attracts me the most to Montessori is its philosophy of following the child. I aspire to be the teacher I always wanted for myself, and advocating for the child is something that means a great deal to me.” When not at school, you can find her spending time with her adult kids, doing embroidery and spending time with her friends and her dog Bongo.

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Tia is originally from Indonesia, and has been a part of the Arbor Community since 2018. She started as an Assistant Teacher in the Infant and Toddler Program, and learned so much from the children. This has fueled her passion for the Montessori Philosophy and to learn more from other Programs. Loving the 3-6 year olds, she has shifted to the Primary Program as an Assistant Teacher. Tia holds a certificate through the Central Guided Montessori Studies on the overview of the Infant Toddler Level and has completed her Assistant Teacher Training through Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest. Tia’s other passion is Pottery, and she currently manages her own studio.

Ashley joined the Arbor Montessori School community in 2014 as an assistant teacher. In 2017 she completed her AMS Primary training at Chestnut Montessori in Bellevue with her certification in Early childhood, and also holds a Washington state certificate in Early childhood Ed. She also holds her certification in teaching children’s yoga. As the lead teacher in the Maple classroom, it is her passion to prepare an environment that is diverse with children’s natural curiosity about the world. Preparing and fostering a safe and loving space provides each child with a community for the joy of learning together. In her free time, Ashley enjoys yoga, reading, and spending time watching her children in their sports. Her family enjoys skiing, traveling, hiking, and their playful pup Ace!

Anusuya has spent many years working in Montessori. She grew up in the north part of India, and has lived in Australia, Singapore and the US. Prior to working with children, Anusuya received her Architecture and Interiors Design and Planning Degree, and worked as a senior designer and partner. Her first introduction to Montessori was as a “Montessori mom” volunteering at her children’s schools. Both of her daughters went through Montessori, and seeing them thrive in a hands on learning environment was an incredible learning experience. In her off time you can almost always find her up a mountain on a hike. She loves being anywhere in nature, listening to books, music, talks, spending time with her friends and family, as well as her adorable dog Oliver.

Anita has been with Arbor since 2008. Originally from India, Anita received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and literature and a bachelor’s degree in education. She worked in India as a Lead Teacher with children from Kindergarten through 5th grade. When she moved to Sammamish, she joined the toddler program here at Arbor. When asked what she loves about Arbor and why she has called Arbor home for so long, she said she “loves the wonderful environment that enables growth in both the children and the staff. Arbor truly follows the Montessori Philosophy and enriching the child.” In her off time, she loves to read, garden, and learning new languages. She also loves taking long walks with her dog and taking him on drives!

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Nadira joins Arbor as a Primary Aftercare Aid and is excited to be part of the team! Currently a junior high school student, Nadira has a passion for working with kids and enjoys creating a fun and engaging environment for them. With prior experience in childcare, she loves building connections with the children and helping them grow. In her free time, Nadira enjoys painting and writing. She lives with her family and cat.

Tristen is excited to help out in our Primary Aftercare Program. A current High School Junior at Skyline High School, Tristen has babysat for children 1-11 years old. He loves that children here at Arbor are treated civilly and given respect. He spends time when not at school or work hiking, baking and cooking for his family which consist of his parents, two sisters and a dog.

Manasi began her teaching career in India working with Elementary Children. She has her Bachelor’s in Zoology, and her post-grad in HR & Marketing as well as Indian History. She fell in love with Montessori and the freedom it lends to guiding children. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling, spending time with her husband and two daughters, friends, and reading books.

Tanisha joined our aftercare team in 2023. Born and raised right here in Washington State, she loves the community and connections with nature that Arbor provides its students. When she is not in school or here in the afternoons, Tanisha loves reading, writing, and working with kids.

Shubh began here at Arbor in 2012, but has been a life-long Montessorian. Originally from India, Shubh began her teaching career with older students teaching general education to high schoolers. Once she discovered Montessori, she has never gone back! Shubh has her Montessori Teaching Credential at the Primary Level, and currently supports our community through substituting and reading support with our Primary Students. If you can’t find Shubh here on campus doing what she loves, you can often find her volunteering at a local senior center, reading or going for long walks or listening to music. Shubh is a mom to two adult children who are both now grown up and married!

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