Children’s House Faculty and Staff
To access our teachers’ biographies, click on the “learn more about” link, then click on the “show less” link to minimize the information.
Children’s House One
Melody Fitzgerald
Montessori Certified Teacher
Email: melody@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Melody” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Melody called south Florida home for 16 hot and humid years! In 2016 she and her family decided to live their dream, so they packed up and moved to North Carolina. Not a day goes by that the whole family isn’t grateful for this beautiful place they now get to call home.
Graduating with a dual major in Business and Marketing, Melody began her career working in an office for some years. It wasn’t until looking into school for her son in 2008 that her whole world was changed in the most wonderful way. While touring a local Montessori school, she saw the beauty of the children working together as a peaceful community and knew that this had to be her life’s calling.
By 2009 Melody had completed her AMS certification for 3 to 6-year-olds and has spent every day since loving the journey of guiding little ones toward confidence and independence.
When not in school, Melody loves to spend time with her husband Patrick, three children, and their sweet Maltese Brutus.
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Ellen Gaussiran
Classroom Support
Email address: ellen@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Ellen” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Ellen is originally from Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated from the University of Louisville with B.A. in graphic design.
Ellen and her family moved to Fuquay Varina in 2017 from Charlotte, where she worked at Phoenix Montessori Academy. She worked in marketing/merchandising for many years before becoming a stay-at-home mom with her sons.
She found her love for Montessori when she started her boys in a small Montessori school in Georgia in 2008 and began working there when her youngest turned two. Many years later, Ellen has experience in all aspects of Montessori schools from administrative, Children’s House, lower elementary, middle, and high school.
Using her graphic design skills, she loves to create engaging learning materials as well. Ellen began Montessori teacher training in 2019.
She and her two sons, Eli and River, have a great love for animals, and their family includes two dogs, a cat, and an English Angora rabbit (for now 😉). The Gaussirans like camping, having friends over for bonfires in the back yard, music festivals, yoga, putt-putt, and go-karting!
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Children’s House Two
Anita Miller
Montessori Certified Teacher
Email: anita@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Anita” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Anita was born in Santiago, Chile, and grew up in Northern California. She graduated from Mills College in Oakland, California, with a degree in economics. She and her family moved to Raleigh in 2000.
In 2005, Anita took her Montessori training for the 3 to 6-year-old classroom as she wanted to spend more time with her children. Through this experience, she discovered that she loved teaching! The Montessori method matched her own parenting style and was a natural fit. In 2013, she continued on her journey with Montessori education and acquired her lower elementary AMS Montessori certification.
Anita spends as much time as she can with her children, Nikita and Alex, and her husband Steve. She attends and volunteers in the children’s ministry at Oasis Church in Holly Springs.
She also volunteers through the Augustine Project, which provides reading tutoring for at-risk children in the area. She loves food, travel, gardening, and Korean Pop (KPop) music!
Favorite Educational Quote
The child is an enigma… He has the highest potentialities, but we do not know what he will be.
∼ Dr. Maria Montessori
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Lori Deach
Montessori Certified Teacher Email: lori@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Lori” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Lori started working with young children in high school at local childcare centers. After graduating from Suffolk College in 1998, she was introduced to the Montessori philosophy when she was hired as a toddler assistant at Computer Associates International where she worked for six years. It was during that time that Lori was offered a scholarship to attend The Association Montessori Internationale in Denver, CO, and completed her AMI certification in 2003.
In 2005, she moved from New York to North Carolina where she has continued to gain experience and knowledge as a lead toddler teacher. After over 20 years of teaching, Lori is expanding her knowledge and experience into the administration realm of the Montessori world.
In her spare time, Lori enjoys relaxing and traveling with her husband and daughters. She also enjoys playing her ukuleles, riding ATV’s, hiking, and reading whenever she can!
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Juliana Solberg
Classroom Support
Email: juliana@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Juliana” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Juliana was born and raised on her family’s farm in Virginia, Hard Acres. After graduating from Christopher Newport University with a B.S.B.A. in finance, she began her career in the administration of finance systems. She consulted for companies across multiple industries in financial planning and reporting software.
Juliana and her husband Nick moved to North Carolina in 2015 where she worked for Cree, Inc. as a financial systems administrator and manager. In 2017, she and her husband had their daughter Felicity.
Both of them toured many schools in the area, but once they found The New School, their hearts were set on their daughter attending. Juliana developed her love for Montessori after seeing her daughter thriving and feeling a sense of community at The New School.
As Felicity gets older, Juliana is finding out more about herself, what motivates her, and what is truly important in life. Even though financial systems are important, Juliana wants to be part of a bigger impact and influence on the future of our world, and, to her, that means working with children who will be the future. She wants to help guide them to discover the world around them and find what makes them happy.
Her interests include math, science, and history. Outside of the classroom, Juliana loves spending time with her family and going to museums.
She is excited to join TNS as a classroom assistant and is looking forward to starting her AMS certification.
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Children’s House Three
Danielle Beam
Montessori Certified Teacher
Email: danielle@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Danielle” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Danielle was raised in Virginia and graduated from Virginia Tech in 2011 with a B.A. in interdisciplinary studies. Her main focuses were English, history, and education.
Danielle’s experience includes both private and public schools from early childhood to the fourth-grade level. She earned her AMS certification in the summer of 2012 and plans to pursue higher degrees in early childhood and further her experience and training in Montessori education.
Her interests include world, classic, and contemporary literature, cinema, and spending time in nature.
Favorite Montessori Quote
Averting war is the work of politicians; establishing peace is the work of education. If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men.
∼ Dr. Maria Montessori
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Kristen Cullen
Montessori Certified Teacher
Email: kristen@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Kristen” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Kristen was born and raised in Clemmons, North Carolina.
She graduated from East Carolina University in 2005 with a degree in criminal justice. After graduation, she enlisted in the United States Army where she served for seven years.
After leaving the Army in 2012, she returned to school and earned a degree in early childhood development. She earned her AMS Montessori certification in 2015.
Outside of the classroom, Kristen loves reading, watching baseball, baking, and spending time with her family.
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Jane Dill
Montessori Certified Teacher
Email: jane@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Jane” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Born in the Philippines, Jane earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management from the University of Mindanao. After graduating, she worked in the Department of Engineering at City Hall, moving to the United States in 1998. Her native language is Bisaya, but she is fluent in Cebuano, Tagalog, English, and also speaks some Spanish and German.
Jane completed her early childhood associate certificate in 2007 at Wake Tech. She has also completed numerous certifications in early childhood (Level 2) and earned a Montessori diploma in 2010, joining The New School in 2007.
Many of her interests include travel, karaoke, and Zumba. That love for travel has led her to explore much of the U.S., Europe, and Asia with her family.
Her son James, who attended TNS from the age of 4, begins his senior year in high school in the fall of 2020. Discovering his avid chess interest at the age of 5, he is now an expert chess player with a peak rating over 2100.
Jane’s daughter Christine is an accomplished artist. She heads for her junior at NCSU in the College of Design also in the fall of 2020, majoring in illustration and animation.
“I’m a patient person with a friendly personality. I enjoy working with young children. I especially enjoy introducing them to a multicultural curriculum and also to the benefits of being multilingual.” ∼ Jane
Favorite Montessori Quote
We teachers can only help the work going on, as servants wait upon a master.
∼ Dr. Maria Montessori
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Andrea Shapiro
Montessori Certified Teacher Email: andreashapiro@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Andrea” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Andrea was born in Boston and her family moved around quite a bit during her first eight years due to her father’s job. They relocated from Massachusetts to Alabama to Florida and finally to North Carolina where she’s been ever since.
With a lifelong passion for teaching children, Andrea enrolled in the early childhood program at Wake Technical Community College and received her associate degree in the field in 2008. She then went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies with a concentration in birth-kindergarten.
Her first internship was at a Montessori school with others at more traditional schools. Working as a lead teacher at a Jewish preschool, she was also an assistant teacher during her time at UNC Greensboro and for several years after graduation.
While considering a career change, Andrea reflected on her wonderful experience in the Montessori classroom. That encouraged her to begin working with The Montessori School of Raleigh in 2015 as an assistant teacher in Children’s House where she enjoyed three years.
Her growing interest took her to Sterling Montessori Academy, and she maintained the same position there for two more years. Sterling is also where she received her AMS certification in CMTENC for three to six-year-olds. And Andrea plans to earn her official MACTE credential by the end of June 2020. She is enthusiastic to continue her journey by enrolling in an online Montessori master’s program this fall.
Andrea’s interests include her cat Bella, musical theater, hiking, yoga, the beach, and spending time with her family and friends.
She is very excited to join TNS as a classroom lead with Juliana and be a part of this amazing team.
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Ashley Martinez
Classroom Support
Email address: info@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Ashley” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Ashley was homeschooled her entire life and graduated from Wake Tech in the fall of 2019. Her favorite high school subject was biology, taking a major interest in animals and insects and their natural instincts and habitats.
Since she has a large extended family, she grew up watching and taking care of her younger cousins and her little brother. She loves to spend time with them when she can. And when she’s not working or interacting with her family, you can usually find Ashley painting, skateboarding, or playing the ukulele.
At TNS, Ashley hopes she can pass on her passion for the arts and sciences to the students and help shape their bright future ahead.
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Children’s House Four
Lina Gosrani
Montessori Certified Teacher
Email: lina@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Lina” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Lina was born in Kenya and moved to the U.K. for further education in accounting and taxation. She then moved to North Carolina in 1998.
Lina has two boys who joined The New School at ages 2 and 4. They stayed in the Montessori environment until they transitioned to other schools for middle and high school
She decided to pursue her Montessori training after she saw how Maria Montessori’s method of teaching benefitted her own children by using hands-on materials. Lina truly believes that giving her own children the foundation of this special education has paved a path for them to be successful and independent.
Lina completed her training for a 3 to 6-year-olds AMS credential at the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in July 2000 and has taught since 1999 at The New School.
Lina loves to work with the children, watching them develop and seeing how each child, although different from one another, is successful in his own individual ways.
Favorite Montessori Quote
The child has other powers than ours, and the creation he achieves is no small one; it is everything.
∼ Dr. Maria Montessori
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Maureen Sampler
Classroom Support
Email: maureen@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Maureen” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]Originally from Long Island, New York, Maureen obtained certificates in early childhood education from Stanley Community College and Nassau Community College.
Her teaching experience includes three years as lead teacher at the Seeds of Faith Preschool and as a classroom assistant at Southern Wake Montessori School. She joined The New School in 2010 as a classroom assistant and has continued to be an integral part of our strong teaching team.
Maureen is married, has two boys, and enjoys Korean martial arts, growing her own vegetables, and raising chickens.
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Children’s House Support Staff
Sonya Nitishin
Support Staff
Email: sonya@montessoricenter.org
[su_expand more_text=”Learn more about Sonya” height=”0″ link_color=”#586067″ link_style=”button” link_align=”left” more_icon=”icon: list-alt”]As the daughter of a Navy father, Sonya had the privilege of being born in Dunoon, Scotland, where she spent her first five years while her dad served in Vietnam. Upon his return, they moved to the states, living on several naval bases from D.C. to Indian Head, Maryland. Her family finally landed in Charleston, SC.
Life eventually took Sonya to New York City where she leveraged her business degree in the garment industry. She soon discovered a love of triathlons and fitness competitions which redirected her career decision to enter the world of fitness training.
In 2010, she moved to North Carolina to co-manage Lifetime Fitness in Cary. There she met someone with an equal love of health and fitness. Now her husband Dax and Sonya have twin boys who attend TNS. She is presently in the process of obtaining three Montessori certifications in math, early childhood development, and their assistant training program.
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