LePort Montessori

Ms. Paula Marquez was born and raised in Southern California. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree at University of California, Irvine in Language Sciences. Ms. Paula is striving to earn her license as a Language Pathologist assistant to help children who have difficulty speaking . She is bilingual in Spanish and English as she was raised in a Spanish speaking home. Ms. Paula enjoys helping children learn and develop crucial skills with patience and understanding. She loves to see children develop pride in themselves as they accomplish any task. In her spare time, Ms. Paula enjoys watching movies, learning new skills, going out with friends and reading once in a while. Ms. Paula is also trying to learn new languages like Japanese and French.

Fiorella Mastrangelo is a native Spanish speaker from Argentina who earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology in her home country. Specializing in creating supportive and inclusive learning spaces, her expertise in the field equips her with skills in emotional intelligence, behavioral management, and student assessment. With experience as a special education teacher, Fiorella has mastered the art of crafting individualized educational strategies. In her free time, she loves going to the beach and spending time with family and friends. Fiorella is very excited to be part of the LePort Spectrum North team.

Ms.Tasneem Najam was born and raised in India. She earned her Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Irvine Valley College in 2022. She has two children, both of whom attended Montessori schools. This sparked her interest in early childhood education, specifically in the independence and creativity that children develop under the Montessori method. Ms.Tasneem lives in Orange County with her husband and children. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, walking on the beach and cooking new foods. She looks forward to helping children develop a love for education.

Afsaneh Namiranian (Afi) is from Tehran, Iran. She has been a certified Montessori teacher since 2014, and received her degree in Houston, Texas. Ms. Afi worked in Montessori schools for five years, before moving to Irvine, California in 2016. While she was working in Irvine Valley College, she finished her degree in child development. Ms. Afi loves to work with children because they give her positive energy. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dog, and loves to travel.

Mrs. Farnoosh Nejadnasrollah was born in Iran and graduated in Agricultural Science from the University of Gorgan (Iran). Her love for children inspired her career path towards a degree in Early Childhood Education from Irvine Valley College. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her family and friends. Mrs. Farnoosh also enjoys reading books, cooking, and taking long walks.

Mrs. Gabriela Nodar started her teaching career in 2013 in a non-traditional way. Her first experience with the Montessori approach was many years ago when her first daughter began her school journey in Santa Barbara County. Ms. Gaby loved the approach. She began homeschooling her other children when they were very young and discovered that she really loved teaching. Prior to coming to the United States, Ms. Gabriela attended nursing school in Mexico. Shortly after moving to Orange County, she embarked on an entrepreneurial journey, running a successful business for seven years. During this time, Ms. Gabriela was also raising a family. She eventually decided to sell her business to focus more on her children.

While staying home to care for her family, Ms. Gabriela remained active in her community. She volunteered extensively, both in her children’s schools and at her church, where she contributed to the kids’ ministry. Through these experiences, Ms. Gabriela developed a passion for working with children, which continues to influence her today.

Ms. Gaby holds a Primary Montessori training certificate. She has practiced the method in a school setting since 2019. Prior to immersing herself in Montessori, she lived in Nevada for a while where she worked as a Spanish translator and as a Teaching Assistant for the Carson City School District and studied at Western Nevada Community College. Ms. Gaby has three wonderful children. In her leisure time she loves to hike and spend time with her family.

Ms. Samantha’s love for children began when she would take care of her younger sister, at a very young age of 6. Throughout high school, she took on various leadership roles in which she mentored children and led her fellow peers. Ms. Samantha also volunteered at local elementary schools and read books weekly to young children of all ages. After completing high school, she enrolled at Irvine Valley College and completed her Early Childhood credits. Ms. Samatha has continued her education to focus on the Montessori method. Before starting with LePort Schools, she worked in retail and was assistant manager for a restaurant.

After starting at Leport Schools she instantly became fascinated with the Montessori philosophy. She was inspired to see young children involved in purposeful work and to see the joy on their faces when they learnt a new skill. Ms. Samantha is also a native Spanish speaker and has worked in primary classrooms such as Spanish Immersion. She loves her roles as an Assistant Teacher and as a Montessori mom. She believes there is nothing more rewarding than working with children and being a part of their everyday learning. Outside of school, Ms. Samantha enjoys spending time with her family and loves to shop and go to the movies.

Ms. Vidya holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations. She worked in a corporate firm for 6 years before she became a mom of two young children. She previously worked as the head of her Sunday school for almost ten years, which inspired her to pursue a career in working with children. She completed a diploma in Montessori Early Childhood Education from the North American Montessori Center and is excited to work with children at LePort. Being around children always gives her joy and she believes that children are the most important work. Ms. Vidya is excited to contribute to their growth and development. In addition to English, she is fluent in 3 other languages. In her spare time, Ms. Vidya enjoys spending time with her husband and children, and connecting with close friends.

Ms. Flor was raised in southern California. She grew up speaking Spanish and English. Ms. Flor has always loved working with children. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development in 2014. She received her AMI training at the Montessori Institute of San Diego in 2017. She has been working with children since 2015. Ms. Flor enjoys watching infants and toddlers gain their independence and loves when they can finally say, “I did it!”

Ms. Flor is very excited to be part of the LePort team. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and her dog.

Rafiya has her Bachelor of Arts in Geography and History from King’s College, United Kingdom, as well as her Masters of Arts in International Relations from the University of Sussex. Rafiya received her Montessori credential, and has been working as a Montessori teacher since 2012.

Ms. Priya Rajkumar received her AMI Montessori training at the Montessori Institute of San Diego and her Early Childhood Education units at Irvine Valley College in 2014. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition at SNDT University in India. She is a mother of two young children and understands the impression that quality early childhood education can make in a child’s life, boosting their confidence and encouraging them to learn. She volunteered at her child’s Early Childhood Learning Center and continues to volunteer at Alderwood Elementary in Irvine. Ms. Priya is very passionate about working with young children, helping them learn while encouraging their natural curiosity. She unwinds by listening to music, reading or playing board games with her children.

Ms. Ana is an educational entrepreneur, homeschooling parent, and lifelong learner. Her experience working with children dates back to her teenage years when she took an opportunity to assist in a home daycare. From that moment, she was inspired to guide young children–particularly toddlers. Her determination for understanding their psychology and behavior led her to fill positions such as Director of Curriculum, Assistant Director, Montessori Specialist, “Parent and Child” Instructor, and Head Teacher in various educational settings. Ana has experience coaching teachers at schools on the east and west coast. She has served as an advisor and guest lecturer for training centers and schools in China and the Philippines, furthering the impact of Montessori education worldwide. Ana received a Montessori Assistants to Infancy Diploma from the Montessori Institute of San Diego. She is an alumna at the University of Hartford and is currently in the midst of Primary training at the Montessori Training Center of Northeast.

When she’s not immersed in Montessori, Ana enjoys spending time with her family, exploring nature, and creating art. Ms. Ana believes education happens at every moment and in many forms. She is honored to support LePort’s Montessori team as they aim to provide quality education for children across the nation.

When Ms. Ana meets a new student, she frequently recalls a quote by Dr. Maria Montessori: “It is the child who makes the man, and no man exists who was not made by the child he once was.”

Ms. Christine loves education and helping children become successful independent selves. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside and her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Sports and Health Psychology from Adler University in Illinois. Having worked with children and adolescents in clinical settings, after school programs, summer camps, and private tutoring, Ms. Christine stumbled upon the Montessori Method in 2018 at the LePort Montessori Irvine Mandarin Campus. Since then, Ms. Christine has worked at LePort’s Irvine Mandarin, Westpark, and Woodbridge campuses. Ms. Christine is excited to continue her Montessori journey with LePort Irvine Spectrum South as the Assistant Head of School.

In her free time, Ms. Christine enjoys staying in with her husband, her son, and two cats, Luna and Artemis. She can also be found at Disneyland catching Pokemon and eating dole whips.

Ms. Adriana Sosa was born and raised in Colombia. Her love for children inspired her career path towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Language Education at the University of Pamplona, Colombia. She has been working closely with children for many years, in traditional schools and as a nanny, as well. Ms. Adriana is bilingual in Spanish and English. She enjoys working with children and seeing the child’s performance and how they learn and develop their potential. She has completed her child development classes and worked as a Teacher Assistant at LePort Montessori. In her spare time, Ms. Adriana loves spending quality time with her son Noah and her husband. She loves outdoor activities like hiking, cycling and going to the beach.