LePort Montessori

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. Flores was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California. She always wanted to be a teacher for as long as she can remember. She attended Orange Coast College to earn her Early Childhood units. Ms. Flores has worked with toddlers since 2016 and she is very excited to start her new journey at LePort. Outside of teaching, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family and going on long walks with her dog.

Ms. Monica Fuentes was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. In high school, Ms. Fuentes took the ROP Child Development class and from there, she became interested in Child Development. She graduated from Cerritos College with an Associate in Arts in Child Development/Early Childhood. In her free time she enjoys reading, relaxing and going to the mall and doing crafts. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, especially her six nieces and nephews.

Ms. Kari Gallo was born in Mexico City, Mexico. At the age of 3, her life changed forever when her parents decided to move to California. Ms. Gallo realized she wanted to teach at an early age. When she was a child, she enjoyed pretending she was a teacher and mimicking what she had seen her teachers do!

Ms. Gallo attended the Orange County Regional Occupational Program (ROP) where she received her Infant/Toddler Assistant certificate. From that time on, she knew that she wanted to pursue her passion in working with children. Ms. Gallo found an even deeper passion, especially for the Montessori philosophy, once she started working at LePort. She is very intrigued by the Montessori methodology. Each day she looks forward to learning something new and incorporating the philosophy into her work, as well as with her own children. Both her son and her daughter attend the LePort Huntington Harbor campus. Ms. Gallo has completed her AMI Assistants to Infancy training at the Montessori Institute of San Diego. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with her children and go to Disneyland.

Ms. Generosa first began her journey as an educator in 2008, by tutoring and teaching parent and child classes while gaining her Early Childhood Education units. She continued her studies in both Child Development and Music and went on to work in various preschools throughout the Orange County area. She worked in her first Montessori school in 2014 and trained at Montessori Teacher Academy in Dana Point as well as the inaugural cohort at Eagle Montessori Teacher Academy in Idaho and went on to lead Montessori Classrooms at the Infant, Toddler, and Primary levels. After over ten years of being in the classroom, Ms. Generosa gladly accepted her current position here at LePort Montessori’s Huntington Harbor Campus, where she is able to introduce families to the wonders of Montessori learning! Outside of the school environment, Ms. Generosa enjoys music and theatre, singing in her church choir, and spending time with her friends and family!

Ms. Kayla Greer was born and raised in Long Beach, California. From a young age she helped her aunt who was a teacher at Long Beach Unified School District and found her love of working with children. She is currently working on her Early Childhood Education Certificate at Long Beach City College. After 2 years of working in after school programs through the Long Beach Unified School District, she found her way to LePort Montessori School. In her free time, Ms. Greer loves to go to the beach and spend time with loved ones. She also loves to bake and build lego sculptures.

Ms. Groos was born and raised here in Huntington Beach and moved back after graduating from San Francisco State University. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Adolescent Development and a double minor in Recreation and Special Education. In San Francisco, Ms. Groos worked in a preschool as a teacher’s assistant. Ms. Groos knew before going into college that she wanted to work with young children and she is very excited to be here at LePort. In her free time she loves going down to the beach and going on a new hike. Ms. Groos looks forward to being in the classroom with your children during this school year.

Ms. Jaramillo was born and raised in Southern California. She has worked in the preschool setting since 1999. She holds a Montessori A to I Diploma (ages birth through 3) from the Montessori Institute of San Diego. In addition, Ms. Jaramillo has completed numerous early childhood education courses and continues to expand on her knowledge by participating in various courses and seminars.
Ms. Jaramillo has worked as a Head Toddler Teacher, Program Specialist, and School Site Director. She is a dedicated teacher who loves and respects the children. She is supportive of each child’s unique individuality and delights in watching their independence and love of learning grow.

Ms. Rebeca Jimenez has worked in the Child Development field for many years. She has completed more than 25 units in Child Development. In 1998, she received her preschool director certificate and worked as a preschool director for 5 years. Ms. Jimenez joined LePort as an Assistant Teacher in 2016, and shortly after, decided to pursue her Montessori training. Ms. Jimenez attended the Montessori Institute of San Diego and graduated with her AMI Assistants to Infancy (0-3 years) diploma in August 2018. She enjoys teaching children and seeing their growth academically and socially. In her spare time, Ms. Jimenez enjoys being active and attending classes at the gym, and she enjoys spending time with her family.

Ms. Kahm graduated from the California State University, Long Beach with a degree in Communications. She partnered her degree in communications with her love for animals and lived in South Africa for three months educating the public about cheetah conservation. After returning home and resuming her nanny position, she realized she wanted to pursue a career in early education. She has become very interested in child development and has been taking classes at Long Beach City College. Ms. Kahm looks forward to beginning her teaching career at LePort.

Ms. Lisa Kingman’s passion for Montessori education started as an undergrad while attending the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Alaska, where she earned a Bachelor’s of Education followed by an Association Montessori International Montessori Primary Diploma at the Maria Montessori Institute London UK, and later an American Montessori Society Level 1 Elementary Credential at the Houston Montessori Center in Houston, Texas. Ms. Kingman enjoys supporting and creating quality personalized educational programs for each child. In her free time, Ms. Kingman appreciates hiking, the outdoors, and photography.

Mr. Knopf was born and raised in California. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature and received his Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Primary Certification from The Montessori Institute of San Diego. Mr. Knopf loves Montessori philosophy and is committed to helping children achieve their potential. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and playing pickleball, jazz piano, and video games.

Ms. Alondra Lopez was born in Orange and raised in Santa Ana, California. She always knew she wanted to work with young children to teach and inspire their young minds and pursued this passion by furthering her education. She graduated from Santa Ana College and earned her Associates Degree in Child Development, with an emphasis in Preschool and Early Childhood. Ms. Alondra looks forward to working with little ones to learn and gain experience in helping them grow to be young independent individuals. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with family and friends, enjoys reading, drawing, and gardening.

Ms. Lillie MacDonald was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California. She received her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach in anthropology and worked at a preschool as the teacher’s aide for two-year-olds. While working there, she completed 15 units in Early Childhood Development from Santa Ana College. She then moved to Georgia where she worked in the library at an elementary school. After a year and a half, she moved back to California to be closer to her friends and family, and also for the weather. Ms. Lillie’s passion in administration and her love of working in a school setting led her to pursue an administrative support role at LePort. In her spare time, Ms. Lillie loves going to Disneyland, taking her dogs to the beach, seeing the latest movies, and spending time with her family and friends.