Directory

Mrs. Montague has over 30 years of experience in Early Childhood Education, wearing many hats: starting as a Parent Aide and member of the governing Board of Trustees of a prominent McLean independent school, then moving to the classroom as a teaching assistant for many years. She became a Lead Teacher which she also enjoyed before joining MSM in 2010 as the Director of Admission.  Education: George Mason University - Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a Focus on Early Childhood; three University of Virginia courses toward her M.Ed.;  Personal Mission: to help parents connect with the benefits of Montessori education for their children. Interests: being the best Grammie she can be for four (soon to be six) wonderful grandchildren!

Mrs. Pearce became a member of the MSM community as a parent in 2010, and as a staff member in 2018. Prior to joining MSM, she spent over twenty years in the political and corporate arenas. She has worked in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate and the White House. She has also worked in corporate sales and government relations for Fortune 500 companies. She received her BA from The Catholic University and MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. 

Mrs. Pearce resides in McLean, VA with her husband and two sons and enjoys hiking, tennis and golf. Her favorite aspect of being a part of MSM is “the amazing close-knit community that spans across students, faculty and staff, and families.”

I came to MSM as a Primary classroom assistant in February 2015 with zero experience of working with children. The only experience I had was taking care of my own nieces and nephews. I consider myself fortunate that Mrs. LeGrand saw in me something that I did not see in myself. In February of this year, I will have 4 years at MSM. I went to George Mason University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science and did my Infant/Toddler Montessori training at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies at Barrie. What I love most about MSM is the authentic Montessori method being practiced by each teacher. It is great to work in an environment where we all believe that the greatest work we have is to follow the child and meet his or her needs. 

I love to spend time with my loved ones. I also enjoy hiking, going the beach, and getting to explore new places.

I am AMS certified to teach Primary (pre-k -1st grade) and Secondary education (ages 12-18) with 15 years of teaching experience. I am native to the area and graduated from Langley High School. My Bachelor’s degree is in Economics, with a background in alternative health care practices. After quickly discovering a desk job was not in the cards for my overall happiness and wellbeing, I decided to pursue teaching.  After observing in a Montessori early childhood classroom, I was intrigued! I quickly became passionate about the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori and the implementation of her pedagogy in the classroom. I spent six years teaching in an early childhood classroom and then took a three year hiatus to obtain my secondary teaching credential and to teach in a Montessori middle school program. I had a great experience working with middle school students, but realized working with the little ones was my true calling. I returned to a Primary classroom at the Montessori School of McLean in 2010. I am happy to be back in an early childhood classroom and to be a part of such a great community of educators and families here at MSM.  My husband and I have a 3 year old daughter, Melody. She inspires and motivates me to be a better person every day. When I am not at school, I recharge my batteries through my love of nature, seeing live music, and taking frequent trips to the beach.

I was born in Karachi Pakistan, and completed my Bachelors in Economics with minors in History and Political Science there.  I came to the USA in 1985.  I volunteered in Fairfax County Public Schools from 1995, and became interested in teaching, thus took courses in childcare at Fairfax Adult Learning center, and have been affiliated with the teaching profession since 2000. I started at a preschool at McLean before joining MSM.  I joined MSM in 2010 and have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of a MSM family. I enjoy cooking, entertaining my friends, and love gardening.

Ms. Silverman joined MSM in 2013. She holds a BA in Marketing Communications from State University of NY at Buffalo, and her Montessori Primary credential from the Northern Virginia Montessori Institute. She enjoys collecting children's books, visiting historic sites, and classic movies. Her personal philosophy: "Each child is an individual with unique interests, needs and developmental paths, and it's the goal of any teacher to identify and nurture these in every child. The core of the Montessori educational philosophy is to seek and serve each child's unique spirit and nurture the lifelong love of learning. This educational model provides me, as an educator, a way to connect with my students in a wholistic manner and continue to learn about the world with them as well.'  It is my privilege to work with such an unparalleled and committed faculty, staff, students and families.

Ms. Kaji joined MSM for the 2018 school year.  She has many years of experience in the Education field.  She tutored Biochemistry, Chemistry, Calculus and Biology at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran for eight years, and has served as a parent volunteer in preschools and public elementary schools.  She also has seven years of accounting experience.  At MSM, she enjoys helping Elementary Aftercare students with their homework, and being a floating assistant during the day, helping in a variety of ways.

 

 

 

 

I am enjoying my 6th year of teaching at MSM in the Lower Elementary. I started working here in 2013, immediately after graduating from Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) with a dual degree in Montessori Education (ages 6-9) and Early Childhood Education (grades K – 3rd), and a minor in Spanish. I also have a Master’s Degree from George Mason University in Literacy Education. Some interesting things about me are that I love to do any outdoor activities, especially running, hiking, water and/or snow skiing, and rock climbing. I also grew up living in various cities all over the world, including Athens, Greece and Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. I love exploring and learning about different cultures. My favorite thing about being a part of the MSM community is the camaraderie among the staff, the students, and their families. Everyone functions as one big team working towards the same goal: doing our best to guide our students toward becoming life-long lovers of learning in order to achieve their unique potential.

Ms. Mulhall became a part of the MSM community in 2008 as a parent, and has been teaching at MSM since 2011. She spent five years as a Lower Elementary Teacher and currently is an Upper Elementary Teacher. She holds a BA in Psychology with an emphasis in Child Development from Purdue University. As of 2018, she has been working in the Child Development and Education field for 20 years. Ms. Mulhall holds an Elementary I-II credential from the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies, and completed the Montessori Applied to Children at Risk (MACAR) training. She enjoys reading, gardening, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. Her philosophy is, “The purpose of education is not simply to teach but to nurture a child’s love of learning. Children should spend their early years becoming independent thinkers who are in command of their learning environment, and are always striving to learn more.”

Mrs. Graham began teaching Art for the MSM Kindergartners in the 2017-18 school year. Additionally, she has taught private art lessons since 2011 to elementary and teenaged students in Great Falls VA at her studio, Children’s Art Great Falls. Prior to joining MSM, she taught Art for 3 years at Sienna Academy Montessori School in Great Falls and substituted at local schools. She enjoys spending summer vacations with family in Maine, golf, biking, gardening, babysitting her granddaughter, and of course, painting! "The staff has been so kind and welcoming at MSM, and I totally enjoy the children who make each day special and unique!"

Ms. Bartha is a lifelong learner and enjoys taking on new challenges.  She came to MSM in the spring of 2018.  She has a Bachelor's degree in both Early Childhood and Special Education from Salve Regina University, a Master's degree in Reading Education from Boston University, and has her Elementary I training from the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies.  She has over 20 years of teaching experience, and has held positions as a Lower Elementary Teacher, Learning Specialist, Director of Studies, and Transition Counselor, all in a Montessori environment.  Ms. Bartha is trained in the Orton Gillingham and MACAR reading programs.  Currently, she owns and operates Magnolia Montessori Materials, a company that develops support materials for the Elementary classroom.  She is a board member at the Sycamore School, a private middle school located in Arlington.  She lives in Alexandria, has two Montessori children, and a Westie named, Scout.  She enjoys watching her students make new discoveries in the outdoor classroom, and spends her time outdoors, practicing yoga, biking, cooking, and baking.

Mrs. Galbreath (“Mrs. G”) has over 20 years of Montessori teacher experience at MSM, including 10 in the Science Lab. She received her BA in Theatre from Sweet Briar College, her AMI Montessori Elementary Teaching Certificate and Master of Education Degree from Loyola University Maryland, and a Graduate Certificate in Earth/Space Science Education from Johns Hopkins University. All three of her daughters graduated from MSM and have wonderful memories of their time here. Mrs. Galbreath loves the family atmosphere at MSM. When not in the Science Lab she can be found on the tennis courts.

I started working at MSM in August 2018 after completing my certification in Early Childhood Development from Northern Virginia Community College. My first degree is in Economics.  Earlier on, I worked with under-privileged children as a volunteer and also, as a full-time teacher at a school. I have returned to teaching after many years of being a devoted mother and raising a family. I have always enjoyed interacting with children and playing my role in their personal development. For this reason, teaching is very close to my heart. I am happy being a part of the MSM community as it is a great place for children, and also for me to pursue my passion.