As the Assistant Director at Little Ones Montessori,Crystal is responsible for supporting the operation of the school, while providing quality care for each child that enters the school each day.

Crystal graduated in 2003 with an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked in an education setting for over 20 years. Working with children has always been a passion of hers and she enjoys helping to create a caring and loving environment in which children can flourish. She is also the proud mother of a daughter whom she homeschools.

Outside Of her time at Little Ones,Crystal enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, reading and baking.

Elaine, who was born and raised in NYC, has worked with children for over twenty years; twelve of which have been at Little Ones Montessori! She has a strong passion for helping children and their families. She enjoys helping children thrive and succeed in reaching their potential through their physical growth and development.

Elaine is a devoted mother of three children; ages 31, 22 and 9 years old. In her time away from Little Ones Montessori, she enjoys life’s simple pleasures including dancing, fitness and meditation.

My passion in life is to stay a Preschool teacher as I have been Head Teaching for 7 years.

I have my Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education.  I will also be starting the Head Teacher Montessori Certification in September 2024.  I have enjoyed observing and have gotten a better understanding about Montessori teaching.  I am a very patient, kind and consistent person and hope to make a long term career in Little Ones Montessori School.

In my free time I enjoying going to many events like craft fairs and road trips  but most importantly I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

Colleen has been working in a Montessori classroom for over 18 years. She started out as a Lower Elementary Level Assistant teacher in a Montessori school her daughter attended. She then transferred to a Korean Montessori school in Ohio. After working there, she moved to New York, where she quickly advanced into a Head Teacher position in a Children's House classroom. Colleen has an International Montessori Teaching Diploma from the North American Montessori Center (NAMC).

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In her free time, Colleen loves quality time with her daughter, Rowan. She is a doer and maker of all things, especially in regards to sewing, book collecting, and gardening. She is also a member of the Schenectady Herb Society.

Eve grew up in Ithaca, New York surrounded by forest and frogs before eventually relocating to Schenectady in 2019. She has always enjoyed her work with children from babysitting to swim lessons to summer camps, therapeutic horseback riding, and assistant teaching. She is excited to join the Little Ones Montessori community.

In her free time, Eve loves reading, making art, and exploring the natural world.

Quenia (Kenya) originated from Brazil and came to the United States when her husbands job was relocated here. She now lives in Rexford NY with her two sons, ages 14 and 6, and her two dogs. 

Quenia’s experience with Montessori began when her oldest son studied at a Montessori school for four years in Brazil. She has a passion for children and their development and has always volunteered in children’s groups. She is having an amazing time and is enjoying being in the Buttercup classroom.

Quenia loves meeting new people and learning about new cultures. In her free time she studies other languages, paints pet portraits with water color, loves making art with paper, and spending time with her boys visiting new places . 

Bethany La Flamme grew up in Schenectady, leaving to study classical ballet and modern dance at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.  She fell in love with early childhood education while working at Saint Mary’s Nursery School, a Reggio Emilia-inspired, non-denominational preschool in Philadelphia, eventually switching her focus and graduating from The College of Education at Temple University with a degree in Human Development and Community Engagement.  She has been with Little Ones Montessori for 5 years and has recently accomplished her Infant-Toddler Montessori Certification Training with the North American Montessori Center.

Bethany lives in the Stockade with two cats and eight very determined house plants.  She loves making lists, dancing around to David Bowie, and (in a semi-strategic, non-hoarding kind of way) collecting old objects.  

Shannon is from Schenectady but lived in New Paltz for 8 years where she graduated from SUNY in 2016 with a BS in Art Education. 

Shannon has 10+ years of experience in child care and she believes that children deserve the best possible chance at a bright future. She believes that chance only increases by the more positive role models they have in their future. 

In her free time she enjoys drawing, painting, gardening, baking and Dungeon’s and Dragons .

In addition to being a teacher, Mollie is an artist and mom. She grew up in Coxsackie, NY, and studied art at Vassar College. After undergrad, she received her MA in Art and Art Education from NYU. Mollie found her footing as an educator at Greenwich Academy, where she taught art to middle school girls for five years. It was there that she discovered her passion for bringing nature into the classroom and formed her belief that making a mess is an essential part of the creative process! After having her first child, she began teaching at Millbrook School, a boarding school in Dutchess County. The arrival of her second child led her and her family back to the Capital Region, where she stayed home with her kids for two years.

Mollie felt the magic and wonder of LOMS when her three-year-old began in Buttercup in 2023 and she knew she wanted to be more involved in the community. She spends hours each day making paintings of memories and beloved places (here is her artist website!: mollieflannery.com).

Ahjaé is a Montessori assistant teacher with years of experience in early childhood care, having worked in traditional daycare settings since 2017. Passionate about fostering growth and learning in young minds, Ahjaé creates a nurturing and engaging environment for children to explore and thrive. Outside of her professional life, she is a proud mom to two beautiful boys, who keep her life full of energy and joy.

In addition to her work in daycare, Ahjaé has been a competitive cheer coach since 2015, inspiring athletes and building strong, supportive teams. When she’s not working or coaching, Ahjaé enjoys crafting, traveling, and spending quality time with her family, cherishing every opportunity to explore new places and create lasting memories.

Bio coming soon!

Grace Hamichand came from Guyana, S.A. in 2008. Prior to her leaving she was a Public school teacher at the Kindergarten level for over thirteen years. In the last six months of her teaching career in Guyana she held the position of the Acting Head of School while simultaneously teaching in a classroom.  She also worked at the Board of Election as Presiding Officer at three consecutive elections. After arriving in the United States she did baby sitting for seven years in New York.  She worked at Little Ones Too, Inc for one year, then she was offered to work at Little Ones Montessori in the infant room. After working there for one year she was offered to do the Infant & Toddler program with American Montessori Society.

Grace obtained a Teacher Certificate in Early Childhood Education at the Cyril Potter’s College of Education in Georgetown, Guyana. In 2019 she moved to Schenectady to pursue her study at Suny Schenectady County Community College where she gained an Associate degree in Sociology. She was awarded the Associate Infant and Toddler Credential in 2022 by the Northeast Montessori Institute.
 

In her free time, Grace loves to read novels, listen to gospel music, care for her indoor
plants, and communicate with her children and grand-children.

Abbie, who grew up in Schenectady, attended Hope College in Michigan and graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology.  She has worked in childcare for over 8 years and joined Little Ones in 2023. She loves the Montessori method because it helps build self confidence and independence in children which will help them later in life.

Outside of her time at Little Ones, Abbie enjoys spending time with her family, especially her daughter. She also enjoys baking and playing the guitar.

Patricia, who resides in Schenectady has worked in childcare for over twenty four years; twenty of which have been here at Little Ones Montessori. She enjoys working with children as it brings her great fulfillment and makes her smile. 

Patricia is the proud mother of four children; ages 25, 20,18 and 9 years old. In her free time she loves taking walks with her daughter, relaxing by coloring in adult coloring books and hanging out with her "Car Club" friend’s.