Cassandra was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but spent most of her childhood years in Topeka, Kansas.  She moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, when she was twelve years old and to Kingwood, Texas, when she was 13.  Kingwood has been her home ever since, and it's where she and her husband Robert have raised four children: Michael, 28, Janie, 18, Emma, 15, and Bobby, 13. 

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Cassandra is a 1988 graduate of Kingwood High School. She received her B.S. in Liberal Arts with a major in psychology and a minor in management from Stephen F. Austin Texas State University. She began teaching and working towards her Montessori Certification in June of 1997 at Rustic Woods Montessori School right here in Kingwood, Texas. She received her training from Montessori Education Programs International and has worked with children in a Montessori environment for over 25 years.  Each of her children have begun their love of learning in a Montessori environment.  She has taught in Montessori schools throughout the community and even turned her home into her own Momma Montessori Home School in 2005.

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Montessori is a way of life for Cassandra, and she is a child’s advocate both at home and at school.  When she is not teaching and learning with your children at school, she can be found at home playing games, reading books, painting rocks, and going outside with her own children. Cassandra believes that every child deserves the best from us all.

Vanessa Betancourt was born in Caracas, Venezuela and spent the first sixteen years of her life in a small city called San Felipe in the state of Yaracuy.  She attended Santa Maria University in Caracas and graduated with a major in Social Communications. Vanessa and her husband married in 2006 and moved to San Jose, Costa Rica, where they later had their first daughter. In 2010 Vanessa started to work in a Montessori preschool while getting her training and certification as an International Montessori guide from Pan American Montessori Society, which she completed in 2012. In Costa Rica, Vanessa worked with children in two different Montessori preschools until she and her family moved to the United States in 2014. Since moving to the US, she has continued working with children and has welcomed a son to their family. She treasures the natural learning process that occurs in a Montessori classroom. Vanessa loves watching children learn through their own experiences at their own pace and interests. 

 

Although teaching is her passion, Vanessa considers herself a “rookie plant lady”. She also loves going on afternoon bike rides, and enjoys spending time at home cooking and playing board games with her family.

Anna is originally from New Zealand and emigrated to the United States in 1999.   She completed her Diploma in Early Childhood Education with Christchurch College of Education while working in a Montessori school as the Outdoor supervisor.   In Texas she completed her Montessori training in 2003 with North American Montessori.   Anna has taught at the toddler and Early Childhood level in Montessori schools over the last 20 years.

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Anna is married with two grown children. In addition to her passion for teaching, she enjoys gardening, travel, and her rescue dogs.   She is excited to continue her teaching journey at the Little Montessori school in Kingwood, and working with children and their families to support their individual needs.

A native of Kingwood, Texas, Janie possesses a profound connection to her hometown, where she has resided her entire life alongside her cherished companions: two brothers, one sister, and her beloved canine confidant, Scooby. Her educational journey began in the nurturing embrace of a Montessori environment, guiding her development through fifth grade. Eager for new horizons, she transitioned to public school for middle and high school, though the experience left her yearning for the enriching atmosphere of Montessori education. A pivotal internship at LMS during her senior year reignited her passion for the Montessori approach, illuminating her path towards fostering transformative educational experiences for young minds and solidifying her commitment to making a profound difference in the realm of children's education.

 

Mukta is a long-time resident of Kingwood Texas. Originally from India, she earned her B.A. in history from the University of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, India. She has taught in Montessori schools for over 20 years and has extensive training in the Montessori philosophy.  She is a patient, dependable, and hard-working educator who always strives to bring out the best in her students. Since becoming a grandmother, Mukta considers her Montessori background to be even more important as she believes that "little children are our hope for the future, and it is our duty to teach them". 

 

Mukta is married and has two beautiful grown daughters. Her hobbies are collecting antiques, traveling, cooking, and gardening, and traveling. In 2023, Mukta travelled to many places including Costa Rica, India, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Portugal.