Leport Montessori

Ms. Lisa graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 2013 with her Bachelors in Child Development and Family Studies. In 2016, she went on to complete her Assistants to Infancy training at The Montessori Institute in Denver, Colorado and her Masters of Education in Montessori Education in 2018 from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ms. Lisa began her LePort Montessori journey as an Assistant Teacher in 2013 at our Westpark campus, shortly after graduating from California State University, Long Beach. She went on to open her own classroom in 2014 at our Fountain Valley campus before transferring to our Spectrum South campus in 2018.

Over the years, Ms. Lisa has worked collaboratively with parents and her colleagues to create an optimal learning environment for young children both at school and at home. She views bridging the gap between home and school as a pivotal step in a child’s growth and enjoys parent education just as much as guiding young children.

In her free time, Ms. Lisa enjoys spending time with her two young children and husband, going to the beach, and working out.

Ms. Rocio was born and raised in Mexico. She attended Santa Ana Community College, where she studied child development. Throughout her life she has always been interested in working with children. Ms. Rocio previously worked as a teacher’s assistant at Lutheran preschool. She has also worked as a caregiver for many years. In her free time, Ms. Rocio loves spending time with her family and going on walks with her dog Bella.

Ms. Andrea Amezquita was born and raised in Orange County, California. She started working in childcare at a young age and has volunteered at many childcare centers and Elementary Schools in Irvine, California. Ms. Andrea received her Associate of Science Degree in Infants and Toddlers and a Certificate of Proficiency in Early Childhood Assistant Teacher at Irvine Valley College. In 2021, Ms. Andrea completed her Association Montessori Internationale (0-3) Orientation at The Montessori Training Center Northeast. During her free time, Ms. Andrea loves to spend time with family, listening to music, and traveling around the world.

Ms. Carmen Calvo, the third of nine sisters, was born and raised in Mexico City. She was the first in her family to go to college, earning her B.A. in Education from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. She first discovered and fell in love with the Montessori method through researching educational options for her own children. Later, she went on to earn her Montessori Elementary diploma as well as her AMS Primary diploma, Ms. Calvo has been a Montessori directress internationally since 1993 and completed her AMI Montessori teacher training for the 0 to 3 age group at the Montessori Institute of San Diego in California. She obtained her Master’s degree in Montessori Education from the Loyola University of Maryland. Additionally, she has taught Spanish as a second language to toddlers through adults. Ms. Calvo’s love of travel has sent her from New York to Panama, Hawaii to Russia; her knowledge of world cultures inspires and enriches her teaching.

Ms. Abi was born in East Los Angeles and was raised in Santa Ana. She is currently attending California State University and is working towards her degree in Chicano Studies, where she is taking Child and Adolescent classes. Ms. Abi is excited to be part of the LePort team and can’t wait to grow with each student. In her free time, Ms. Abi likes to listen to music and hang out with her two dogs Spots and Stuart.

Ms. Juliette Castelar received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from The University of California, Irvine and her Master’s Degree in Montessori Education from Loyola University Maryland. She also holds her AMI Diploma in Assistants to Infancy (0-3 years) and in Primary (3-6 years) from The Montessori Institute of San Diego.

Ms. Juliette has 8 years of teaching experience in a Toddler classroom, three years from The Montessori Institute of San Diego, where she was mentored by Dr. Silvia Dubovoy, and five years at our very own LePort Westpark campus. In these past two years, Ms. Juliette has been working for The Philippine Montessori Center as their Academic Coordinator, supporting the Head of School and Director, Administration, and the teachers.

Originally from the Philippines, Ms. Juliette has been living in Southern California for over 15 years. Ms. Juliette has a great passion for working with children as she is drawn to their capacity for learning at the infancy and primary stages. With the use of Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophies of a prepared environment, children can learn to be confident and independent and build a strong foundation for their development.

In her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants, weight training, and traveling to new places. Ms. Juliette is approachable and is happy to return to Westpark with her commitment to building strong relationships with children, parents, teachers, and the administration.

Mrs. Marilyn D’lima was born and raised in India. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from St. Andrews College Mumbai and worked with an insurance firm for a couple of years. She later developed a passion for working with children, so she pursued and obtained a Diploma in Early Childhood Care from Podar Institute of Education in Mumbai. Before joining LePort, she worked as a Lead Teacher and Assistant Teacher in India and Dubai. She moved to California in 2023 and lives with her 2 daughters and husband. In her free time, she likes to cook, listen to music and go on long walks.

Ms. Natalie was born in Whittier, California and raised in La Habra, California. She received her certificate as an Early Childhood Assistant teacher from Irvine Valley College. From a young age, Ms. Natalie always knew that she was going to pursue a career in the Child Development field. Over time, she realized how much of a positive impact a teacher can have in someone’s life. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her friends and family, as well as visiting new places.

Ms. Norma Gamez comes from the medical field where she worked as a medical assistant for over six years. Wanting to work with children, Norma earned her Early Childhood Education units from North Orange County Community College and worked at a family childcare home with children ranging from infants to school-age before joining LePort. Mrs. Gamez has since received her AMI Montessori Infant and Toddler Diploma from the Montessori Institute of San Diego. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Gamez enjoys spending time with her family.

Ms. Laila grew up in Santa Ana and is pursuing her degree in Child Development at Santiago Canyon College. She has always enjoyed working with children and is excited to work in a classroom setting where she can see each child develop. Ms. Laila considers herself a family person as she has one older and younger brother and enjoys spending time with family. In her free time, she loves going to the beach and hiking.

Ms. Nallely graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2018 with her Bachelor’s in Psychology. Ms. Nallely began her journey at LePort Montessori in 2016 as an Assistant Teacher at our Fountain Valley campus. She worked there for 2 years before transferring to our Westpark Campus. In 2021, she completed a Montessori Orientation Course for Assistants to Infancy at The Montessori Training Center Northeast. Ms. Nallely is completing her AMI Assistants to Infancy training at Montessori Stoppani Institute. Originally from Michoacán Mexico, Ms. Nallely has been living in Southern California for many years. Ms. Nallely loves to work with children, and takes pride in continuing to prepare herself to help the children to grow and learn not only in education, but in life. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and traveling to new places. Ms. Nallely is a very friendly, kind person that always loves to help others.

Ms. Monse was born and raised in Santa Ana. She attended the University of California, Riverside, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics for Teaching. Ms. Monse has always been interested in working with children and began her teaching career at the early age of 17, working with elementary and middle school. During her free time, Ms. Monse enjoys spending time with her family and building Legos with her younger sibling.

Ms. Katie was born and raised in Santa Ana. Growing up, Ms. Katie had always wanted to work with children. She has studied at Santa Ana College to pursue her career in childhood development and has earned her certificate as an Early Childhood Assistant Teacher. Ms. Katie grew up in a bilingual household and speaks fluent Spanish. Ms. Katie loves to bake and cook in her free time and enjoys visiting new places.

Ms. Parneet was born and raised in India. She has a Masters in Communication Studies and has worked with leading agencies before realizing her passion for teaching and education. She comes with 12+ years of experience of working with children in India as well as America. After moving to America post-marriage, she completed her child development classes and worked as an Assistant Teacher at our LePort Woodbridge campus. Ms. Parneet loves traveling and exploring cuisines and cultures of the world with her husband and son.

Ms. Fran Phankonsy was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated in 2023 from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. Before joining LePort Montessori, Ms. Fran worked as a Applied Behavior Analysis Behavior Technician for children on the autism spectrum. This is where her passion for working with children began. In her free time, Ms. Fran enjoys attending concerts, discovering new coffee shops, and spending time with friends and family.

Born and raised in Orange County, Ms. Ramirez is currently attending Orange Coast College, pursuing her studies in Early Childhood Education. Working with children has always been her lifelong passion. Since 2021, she has been dedicated to nurturing young minds at Leport, initially as an assistant teacher. Ms. Ramirez has been excited to expand her knowledge and skills as a lead teacher, guiding young children towards independence and fostering a love for learning in a Montessori environment.
Outside of her professional life, Ms. Ramirez enjoys spending quality time with friends and family. She has a passion for exploring new music and often seeks out concerts and music festivals. Additionally, Ms. Ramirez loves visiting Mexico, where she enjoys immersing herself in the culture and exploring beautiful landscapes.