Here is a short introduction of our highly qualified and experienced personnel who form the Alef Bet Montessori School staff:

Executive Director
Ayelet “Ellie” Lichtash, Executive Director, Founder
Ellie is the founder of the School that was established in 2005. She experienced the Montessori Method as a mother and saw a great need in the community for a Montessori school. Her daughter attends KMMS Kehilat Montessori, Silver Spring in the Elementary program. Ellie, an attorney by trade, practiced labor and employment law in Israel and in the United States. She has published two papers in the U.S. on Discrimination Law and Employment and Arbitration issues. She holds a Masters degree from Tel Aviv University and from Georgetown Law School. Ellie serves as the Director of Legal Affairs for Aish HaTorah of Washington D.C. where she manages and evaluates legal issues in relation to non-profit associations. Alef Bet Montessori School was established through a community effort, led by Ellie, to bring together Jewish people of all denominations to experience Jewish life through the Montessori Method.

Teachers
Miriam Singer, Judaics Studies Director
and Primary Montessori Teacher
Miriam holds an AMI Teaching certificate from Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola College, Maryland and a Master’s of Arts degree in Special Education from New York University. She has more than 15 years of teaching experience in kindergarten and elementary programs. She has experience as a lead teacher in Sulam and as a special-education teacher at the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy in Rockville. Miriam has expertise in research-based instructional strategies, such as the use of multi-sensory materials and the Wilson Reading system. She also has a teaching certificate from Beit Midrash L’Nashim in Israel. Most importantly, with her sensitive and gentle personality, Miriam is able to reach and meet the needs of every child, using her insight and creativity to ensure that each student is learning at his or her own pace. Miriam is married to Rabbi Josef Singer of Young Israel-Ezras Israel Congregation of Potomac. We are proud to have Miriam on our staff.

Farhana Quadri, Primary Montessori Teacher
Farhana is an AMI Montessori teacher and an energetic mother. In addition to her BS in Business Administration, Farhana holds a JD degree from Kings College, University of London. She practiced law for several years before changing careers and taking an AMI Montessori certification course from the Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola College, Maryland, one of the most prestigious Montessori training centers in the country. Farhana is an innovative and articulate teacher with an acute sensitivity to children's needs and abilities. Farhana moved to the U.S. a few years ago and settled in the area with her family.  She is excited about teaching and being part of the Alef Bet Montessori staff.

Sharmaleen Mahamooth, Montessori Teacher of Toddler Class
Sharmaleen received her Montessori certification from Sri Lanka, and joined our program in August 2006. She has years of experience teaching in the U.S. and brings this experience with grace and composure to our classroom. Sharmaleen is a kind and loving teacher. She is well respected and loved by the parents and staff members alike. Sharmaleen's character and ability is an asset to the School.

Christine Parson, Music Teacher
Christine is an AMI Montessori teacher whose expertise is in music. She earned Bachelor degrees in Music and Science from St. Lawrence University, NY and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Christine completed her AMS certification in 1990 from CMTE, in addition to her AMI certification in 1996 from the Washington Montessori Institute. She has been teaching music since college and has over 15 years of Montessori classroom teaching experience. She also gives private lessons at her home in flute and teaches music programs at KMMS and Lone Oak Montessori School. We are proud to have her on our staff.

Ety Edry, Assistant Teacher, Hebrew Immersion Coordinator, Toddler Class & Primary Class
Ety joined our program in 2006 as a Hebrew Immersion Assistant for both classes. She is a nurse practitioner by profession and is a native Hebrew speaker. Ety is loved by the children and is well respected by the staff members. Her Hebrew skills are a great asset to the school. Ety, who attended the AMI Assistants course in 2007, also trained during the summer of 2008 at an advance Hebrew program called Tal-Am, which we intend to introduce to our Third Year Primary children (5 and up).

Adi Fisher, Assistant in the Primary Class
Adi joined our school in May 2008 and worked in the primary class throughout the summer. An energetic and enthusiastic assistant, Adi is also a fluent Hebrew speaker. During the summer of 2008, Adi successfully completed an AMI Assistants training course at Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola College, Maryland. Adi has also trained in Tal-Am program during summer 2008.
 

Orna Sinaypur, Assistant in the Toddler Class
Orna joined the school in 2007 as an Assistant in our Toddler class. A pleasant, caring and experienced assistant, Orna is also a fluent Hebrew speaker.Orna completed the requirements for Professional Training of Early Childhood in 1996 in Israel. She has worked as an early childhood caregiver in Israel and has years of experience working with young children. She brings that knowledge along with the Hebrew language into our Toddler classroom.

Educational Consultants
Karen Gejdenson, Educational Director Primary
& Elementary Program
Karen has more than 30 years of Montessori teaching experience. She has a Bachelor of Arts and an AMI Montessori Primary diploma. Karen is well experienced in both teaching and administering Montessori schools. She established her own school in Connecticut in 1974 and administered it for more than 10 years. She acted as an Assistant Administrator for Lone Oak Montessori School in Bethesda, for three years. Karen’s most remarkable achievement was laying the foundation of Kehillat Montessori School, then known as Kemp Mill Montessori, in 1992 in Silver Spring. She directed the school and taught there for more than 15 years, during which a Judaic curriculum was added and the name changed to Kehillat Montessori. It was the first Jewish Montessori School in Silver Spring. Karen is currently a part-time administrator of Kehillat Montessori. She is very excited about leading the Rockville-area Jewish population into the Montessori community.

Administrative Staff
Janel Herman, Business Manager
Janel joined our staff in 2007 and handles bookkeeping, accounts and financial information for the school. She has been the treasurer of Bet El Nursery School for several years, and in September 2008 she will be in the office 5 days a week. In addition to her BS in Secondary Mathematics Education from the University of Maryland, Janel holds an MBA from the University of Maryland. A pleasant and genial staff member, Janel will be able to assist in any questions parents might have concerning the accounts and enrollment at the school.

Amanda Boltax, Assistant Director of Communications
Amanda joined our staff during the summer of 2008 and is responsible for the editing of the school's newsletter and the website. She will also be working in other areas to enhance the communication between parents and the school. Previously the Deputy Editor for the Washington Post Sports section, she holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Southern California. Amanda will work part-time to establish and maintain a successful communications network for the school.