LePort Montessori

Ms. Karen Alvarado was born and raised in Orange County. She knew working with children would be her passion ever since she took child care courses in High School. Ms. Karen attended Cypress College and Laguna Technical College where she completed her Early Childhood Education courses. Ms. Karen began working as an Assistant Teacher at LePort Woodridge in 2016 and later went on to lead a Toddler classroom for another Montessori program in Orange County. Ms. Karen has since happily returned to LePort and stepped into the Head Teacher role. Ms. Karen is dedicated to the Montessori philosophy and aims to create a safe, engaging, and nurturing environment for her students. Ms. Karen has a 3 year old son who has been immersed in Montessori since he was 4 months old. She has witnessed tremendous growth and development of independence throughout his time in the Montessori environment. In her free time, Ms. Karen plays soccer and enjoys doing activities with her family.

Ms. Lenora Alvarez, a San Diego native, currently resides in Huntington Beach with her boyfriend and dog, Coca. She acquired her Early Childhood Education units through Theoria Technical College and is presently pursuing a degree in Social Work. With nearly 2 years of experience, she has been actively engaged in working with children. Apart from her passion for childcare, she finds joy in reading, watching movies, spending quality time with her dog and boyfriend, as well as honing her culinary skills.

Alma Arzate joined us in 2012 and is excited about becoming a valuable addition here at LePort Schools. Ms. Arzate has gained experience by volunteering as a Child Life Specialist from 2010 through 2012 at Miller Children’s Hospital at Long Beach Memorial Hospital. There she had the opportunity to interact with infants through adolescents. She also earned her certificate of completion in Careers with Children, which involved an additional year of experience at the LBCC Children’s Center. Ms. Arzate completed her AMI Montessori teacher training for the 0 to 3 age group at the Montessori Institute of San Diego. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her fiancée, creating personalized jewelry, cooking, and enjoys meditating every morning.

Mrs. Asghar has been working in Montessori classrooms in some capacity since 1989. She was immediately drawn to Maria Montessori’s ideas after she first observed a Montessori environment-she was amazed at the level of concentration and independent work displayed by the children. Mrs Asghar quickly came to appreciate the uniqueness of the Montessori Method, and to believe deeply in the difference that it can make in the lives of children. In 1997, Mrs. Asghar received her AMI Diploma in her then hometown of Hyderabad, India. After moving to the United States, she taught for two years in a Montessori school in College Station, Texas. She then moved to California in 2000 to join LePort’s Huntington Beach campus team as a Head Primary Teacher. In 2008, Mrs. Asghar was promoted to the position of Montessori liaison. While continuing to teach a full class, in her new capacity she also took on the role of offering teachers both administrative and academic support. Over time, her quiet leadership and genuine dedication to students and staff earned her the deep respect of teachers, parents and management. In 2010, Mrs. Asghar was offered, and heartfully accepted, the position of Head of School at LePort School Huntington Harbor. As the Head of School, Mrs. Asghar oversees all operations, and ensures that each student at the school receives the highest quality Montessori education. In her spare time, Mrs. Asghar enjoys playing basketball and tennis with her family, cooking, sewing, and decorating.

Ms. Barragan was born and raised in Huntington Beach and earned her ECE credits through Goldenwest College and Theoria. Ms. Barragan will be continuing her education this spring. Growing up, she always knew she wanted to work with kids. Ms. Barragan is still new to the Montessori philosophy but has enjoyed watching children gain independence at such a young age. Outside school, she likes to spend her free time with her family. She enjoys traveling and trying new coffee places.

Ms. Azza Basilios was born and grew up in Cairo, Egypt. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Ein Shams University in Egypt. She worked as an English teacher for fourth and fifth graders for twelve years and then she met her husband and had two children. Ms. Basilios then moved to the United States and has lived in Huntington Beach for the past ten years. She always had a passion for learning and so she continued her education and earned her units in Early Child Development. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling especially to Paris, Dubai, and Turkey. She enjoys drawing, coloring, cooking and learning new recipes with her children.

Mary Boatman has been teaching for 26 years. She started her teaching career as a substitute teacher for Orange County Unified School, and has also worked as a Preschool teacher. During this time Ms Boatman also gained experience as a personal trainer. She now devotes her teaching time to physical education.
In her free time, Ms Boatman enjoys playing sports and working out. She supports the Lakers whenever she can and also enjoys gourmet cooking.

Ms. Butler was born and raised in Orange County. She studied early childhood education at Fullerton College and Theoria Technical College. She has been working with children since 2020, ranging from infants to primary. She enjoys gardening, baking, and spending time with family and friends.

Mrs. Catalano grew up in Santa Ana, California before moving to Riverside County as a teenager. After graduating from Citrus Hill High School, she studied photography at the Art Institute of California in Los Angeles. She has earned her core Early Childhood Education units and has experience working with young children in the Education field. Mrs. Catalano spent four years as a Board-Certified Autism Technician. As a mother of two children, Mrs. Catalano has long been drawn to the Montessori method, in particular its emphasis on nurturing individuality within a supportive learning environment. Mrs. Catalano is in the process of becoming a Montessori trained guide with Eagle Montessori Teaching Academy.

Ms. Catalano is fluent in English and Spanish. She enjoys baking bread, playing Scrabble, and taking trips to Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm with her family.

Ms. Mateo was born in Orange County and raised in the Inland Empire. She started her journey working with children as a freshman in high school by volunteering in an elementary after-school program. She studied at UCI and majored in Spanish Literature and Language. Working in a school setting is a lifelong goal for Ms. Mateo; to have a positive lasting impact on a child’s life and education by supporting and guiding them through their efforts to learn and grow.

One of Ms. Mateo’s true joy is watching a child learn and master a new skill or concept. She enjoys the arts and literature in all shapes and forms, which means she enjoys reading and singing every day. Some personal hobbies include studying linguistics, learning about different cultures, and learning new languages.

Ms. Dabuet was born and raised in the Philippines and currently lives in Seal Beach. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from St. Paul College of Manila in Education with a minor in Math. She also earned her Master’s Degree from Ateneo de Manila University in Language and Literature Teaching. Ms. Dabuet has been working with children of all ages for decades. Teaching has been integral to her life, and school has always been her second home. She has coordinated various after-school activities and clubs like sports (volleyball), dance, arts and crafts, and guitar club. She has also taught in multiple Sunday schools. Before joining LePort, she worked as an English and Math private tutor at Sylvan Learning Center in Beverly Hills and Huntington Beach. She loves to spend her free time dancing, hiking, and walking on the beach.

Mr. Jose De Jesus was born and raised in Michigan and graduated with a BA in sociology. In 2002, he began working with at-risk teenagers at Michigan State University and for several years afterwards in Chicago, as he saw a great need for mentors for future generations. A friend suggested he look into becoming a Montessori teacher, and upon researching Dr. Montessori’s method, he felt it was exactly where the traditional school system was failing. Mr. De Jesus graduated from the Elementary training course at the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee in 2010, and he and his supportive wife moved to California, where he began working for LePort Montessori as a Lower Elementary teacher. After the birth of his second daughter, Mr. De Jesus made the difficult decision to stay at home with his daughters, putting his teaching career on hold. Mr. De Jesus is incredibly proud to return to LePort Huntington Harbor to continue the important work of guiding Elementary students as they explore our amazing world!

Ms. Deepika Dubey holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce and brings a diverse professional background to her role. Before joining LePort, Ms. Dubey worked as an accountant in an insurance firm and later served as a store manager, where she developed strong organizational and leadership skills.

As a mother of two, her experiences at home deepened her interest in child development and inspired her transition into early childhood education. She believes that each child deserves a nurturing and respectful environment where they can thrive emotionally, socially, and intellectually.

Ms. Dubey is committed to growing as an educator and is passionate about supporting the unique journey of each child. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and learning new things.

Mrs. Federwitz has been working with children since 1989, and loves the experience. Mrs. Federwitz earned her BA in Liberal Studies with an English concentration from Cal State University Long Beach, her AA in General education from Cypress Junior College, and her Early Childhood units from various colleges. When she first observed a Montessori environment, she was amazed at the level of concentration and independent work displayed by the children. Mrs Federwitz quickly came to appreciate the uniqueness of the Montessori method and to believe deeply in the difference that it can make in the lives of children.

In her spare time, Mrs. Federwitz enjoys spending time with her family and going shopping.

Ms. Christle Fells was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and presently resides in Long Beach. With 13 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to working with infants and toddlers. She successfully completed the Child Development program at Los Angeles Southwest College, earning her Associate Teacher Infant & Toddler Certificate. Currently, she is enthusiastically pursuing her Montessori training specifically tailored for infant and toddler studies. Prior to her journey here at LePort, where she joined in August 2016, Ms. Fells had the privilege of serving as a childcare provider and substitute teacher. On a personal note, Ms. Fells cherishes the joy of being a mother to her daughter and son, who is currently attending LePort Huntington Harbor. Ms. Fells finds solace in her passion for baking and cherishes the precious moments spent with her beloved family.

Ms. Jackie Flores was born and raised in Orange County. Her love for children began while she was taking care of her younger sisters. From there, Ms. Jackie spent time babysitting for her family and volunteering at local elementary schools. While Ms. Jackie enjoys working with children of all age groups, she especially enjoys engaging with the toddlers and seeing their independence flourish. Ms. Jackie is looking forward to guiding children on their journey through the Montessori environment. In her free time Ms. Jackie enjoys building new Lego sets and spending time with her friends, family, and her three cats.