As Director of Little Ones Montessori, Crystal provides leadership and oversight of the school’s daily operations while working closely with children, families, and educators to foster a nurturing, respectful, and thoughtfully prepared school environment.

Crystal earned her Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education in 2003 and brings more than 20 years of experience in education and early childhood settings. She holds the New York State Children’s Program Administrator Credential, awarded by the New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC).

With a lifelong passion for working with children, Crystal is committed to creating an environment where each child is respected as an individual and supported in developing independence, confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning. She values the Montessori philosophy of following the child and believes that strong relationships among children, families, and educators are essential to a child’s development.

Crystal is also the proud mother of a daughter whom she homeschools, an experience that continues to deepen her appreciation for individualized learning and the unique needs of each child.  Outside of Little Ones Montessori, Crystal enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and baking.

Elaine was born and raised in New York City and brings more than twenty years of experience working with children, including twelve years at Little Ones Montessori. She is passionate about supporting children and their families and is dedicated to creating an environment where each child feels encouraged to grow, develop, and reach their full potential. Elaine especially enjoys supporting children’s physical development and celebrating their individual progress and accomplishments.

Elaine holds an International Montessori Teaching Diploma from the North American Montessori Center (NAMC). Her years of experience, combined with her Montessori education, allow her to bring a thoughtful and nurturing approach to her work with children.

Outside of Little Ones Montessori, Elaine is a devoted mother of three children, ages 35, 27, and 12. In her free time, she enjoys embracing life’s simple pleasures, including dancing, fitness, meditation, and traveling. She especially enjoys exploring new places, experiencing different cultures, and creating meaningful memories with her family.

I am passionate about working with young children and creating a nurturing, welcoming environment where every child feels valued and encouraged to grow. I have nine years of experience as a Head Teacher and hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. I have also completed my Head Teacher Montessori Certification, which has deepened my understanding and appreciation of the Montessori philosophy.

I believe that children learn best when they are given the freedom to explore, discover, and develop at their own pace within a supportive and consistent environment. I strive to bring patience, kindness, and dependability into my classroom each day while building positive relationships with both children and families.  I am excited to continue growing as a Montessori educator and to build a long-term career at Little Ones Montessori School. It is a privilege to be part of a child’s early years and to help foster their confidence, independence, curiosity, and love of learning.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy attending craft fairs, taking road trips, and exploring new places. Most importantly, I love spending quality 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, and grand children. 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 is originally from Brazil and now lives in Rexford, NY, with her family and their beloved dogs.

Her love for Montessori began in Brazil, when her oldest son attended a Montessori school for four years. She has always loved being around children and feels very fortunate to be part of the Buttercup classroom, where she enjoys watching each child discover, learn, and grow in their own unique way.

Quenia loves meeting new people, learning about different cultures and languages, and expressing her creativity through art. In her free time, she enjoys painting watercolor pet portraits, being creative, exploring new places, and, most of all, spending time with her family.

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 a Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool in Philadelphia, eventually switching her focus and graduating from The College of Education at Temple University.  During her time at Temple she spent a year student teaching at a Montessori school and knew instantly that the Montessori approach to educating young children was meaningful, magical, and meant for her.  She has been with Little Ones Montessori for nine years, obtaining her Infant-Toddler Montessori Certification Training with the North American Montessori Center in 2022.  

Bethany lives downtown with three cats and thirteen very determined house plants.  She loves walking, making lists, dancing around to David Bowie, and collecting old objects. 

Whitney has lived in Albany NY her whole life and graduated from SUNY Albany with a bachelor's degree in economics. She has always loved being around children, but quickly realized she had a true passion for working with children when she started nannying after she graduated. Being at Little Ones has brought her so much joy, and she looks forward to seeing all these little faces every day.

Outside of work, her hobbies include fitness, singing, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.

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.

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.

Hi there! I am so excited to get to know your child. I have over 6 years of experience working with children from classrooms to Pediatric Neurology. I love blending my passion for teaching with a deep understanding of how the brain grows. My goal is to create a cozy, inclusive space where every child feels safe enough to be themselves and learn. Building connections is my favorite part of my job, besides teaching.

I am proud to be learning Spanish, Creole, and Arabic to better support our diverse families. When I am not in the classroom, I am usually studying for my degree, or spending it with my loved ones. 

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.

My love for early childhood education began with my mom and her dedication to every class and child she taught. I often spent time with her looking over lesson plans or creating sample crafts for her classrooms. 

I had the privilege of counseling at a local camp through the summers of my teen years. My college experience includes two semesters of study at Fulton-Montgomery community college and two years at Word of Life Bible Institute. In the summer of 2020, I enlisted as a combat medic for the Army National Guard. After returning home from a deployment to Germany, I had the opportunity to work in as an assistant teacher in a Montessori toddler classroom. 

I am very glad of the opportunity to join Little Ones Montessori. I love the student lead aspect and learning through indoor and outdoor play. I hope to obtain Montessori teaching credentials in the near future.

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.