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Parents' Section
Parents' Section Archive
• 1905 was treated to an interesting presentation on Vietnam by Mrs. Pham. She brought spring rolls for all of the kids to enjoy and shared some wonderful pictures.
• To celebrate Chinese New Year we had two great presentations on China and Chinese New Year by Mr. Wang & Ms. Phuong, respectively. The kids loved learning about China, and we will all have good luck all year. Gung hay fat choi!
• Ms. Gibbs gave a great presentation on Ethiopia to Ms. Denise's class. The kids loved learning about a different culture, and Ethiopia's interesting alphabet. Everyone received an informative booklet on Ethiopia to enjoy at home. Thanks Ms. Gibbs!
• Ms. Ali's class was treated to a wonderful presentation on Chinese New Year from Ivy's mom, Ms. Louie. The kids all received a lucky red envelope and some Pocky. Yum!
• Ms. Denise's class was treated informative presentation on Chinese New Year from Emma's mom, Mrs. Ton. She brought some traditional clothing and delicious food. Everyone learned a lot!
• Last Thursday, January 12th, Jack's parents, Ms. Lee & Mr. Cecil came by Ms. Denise's class to give a very informative presentation on Jolly Ole' England. They taught our students the British equivalent of American words, sang "The Yellow Submarine" and brought delicious jam tarts for everyone to enjoy. It was a great time!
• Ms. Sunita's class had the opportunity to learn about the South American country Ecuador during a presentation from Carol Ramsey, Sophia and Alana's mother. The children loved the photos of the mountains and old-fashioned trains they got to see.
• Kalki and Ashok’s mother, Nishamathi Pradeepkumar, gave a wonderful presentation on India to Ms. Sunita’s class on August 19th. We learned about the colorful culture of India, and the students were even given bindis as a reminder of what they learned!
• On September 21st, Ms. Ali’s class was treated to a presentation on woodworking from Ron Chandler, Riley’s dad. The students were fascinated by all the different types of tools used to construct things out of wood.
• Anna Garcia, Jase’s mother, spoke to Ms. Sunita’s class about Mexico. She brought maracas so we could play some traditional Mexican music, and we were even shown some Mexican games. It was an enjoyable time for all.
• On September 27th, the children of 1903 were excited to hear about being a lawyer from John Scott’s mother, Shelly Gray. We learned about the law and how we can find it in our everyday lives. Everyone learned a lot!
• On Wednesday, September 28th, Anjeanette Watkins, an industrial engineer, taught us about the way mail gets from one place to another. It was an enlightening experience for the whole class.
• Maceo’s mother, Jeanette Cross, told the students of 1905 all about her job as a doctor. The whole class was fascinated by the stethoscopes and other instruments that we use to listen to our bodies.
• Armin Vit, Maya’s father and a graphic designer, gave a very interesting presentation to Ms. Ali’s class on his job. We learned all about where the images we see everyday come from.
• Shanna Barry gave a wonderful presentation on September 28th about her job as a nurse. The class learned lots of different ways to stay healthy all year long.
• Damon and Nanette Flowers, the parents of Summit and Sage, taught us all about communication in their absorbing presentation. The opportunity to chat with children in India by way of Skype was an unforgettable experience for our class.
• On October 3rd, Nathan’s mother Angela Vogeli spoke to the class of 1903 about her job as a lawyer. It was great for the children to think about what great jobs such as this they can look forward to when they grow up.
• Joseph Di Giovanni, Miranda’s father, gave an interesting presentation on his job as an engineer. It really made our class think about how things that we see everyday are built.
The Staff
Our Executive Director
Ms. Shireen de Silva
Ms. Shireen de Silva holds an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) and has over 35 years of experience working with children. She founded Northwest Montessori in 1984 and has been serving the students and parents of Austin, Texas ever since. NWM is one of the leading Montessori schools in Austin and continues to maintain the highest standards in the industry. The U.S. Small Business Administration has issued an award to Northwest Montessori and Ms. de Silva for running a successful small business. She is the proud mother of two daughters. Her daughter Dr. Teruni D. Lamberg began her teaching career at Northwest Montessori and was inspired to pursue a career in mathematics education. Her younger daughter Shemara Jeyarajah is a talented Fashion Designer in Dallas. Ms. Shireen believes that every child can reach his/her highest potential with calm guidance and a positive environment. In the past 28 years, she has proudly watched many children pass through the doors of Northwest Montessori and continue on to become confident and successful members of their schools, communities, and the world.
Director -- Misbah Ali
Ms. Misbah Ali holds an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale), a Masters degree in education, a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, and carries more than 20 years of Montessori experience. She moved to Austin in August of 2001 with her husband and two sons. Soon after, she joined the team at Northwest Montessori as a lead classroom teacher. With her hard work, dedication, and leadership abilities she quickly assumed the director's position. Her soft nature, love for children, passion for teaching, and trust in her team has allowed Ms. Ali to nurture the limitless capabilities of her students so they can reach their greatest potential. Her long-standing commitment to the Montessori philosophy and her efforts to encourage learning at each child's pace in a pleasant and familiar environment have earned her the respect and affection of Northwest Montessori's faculty, parents and students.
Assistant Director -- Denise Pastor
Ms. Denise Pastor was born in Chicago and grew up in California and Florida. She attended Florida State and graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Education. She and her husband have lived in Austin for almost 23 years and are the proud parents of four children and two grandchildren. Ms. Denise has been a part of the Northwest Montessori family since 1991 when she began working in the toddler class. She has since become the lead teacher of the 3-4 year old class and the Assistant Director of the school. She delights in working with children and nurturing their enthusiasm for learning.
Financial and Human Resources Director -- Kenneth de Silva
Mr. Kenneth de Silva has been involved with Northwest Montessori alongside his wife Ms. Shireen since its inception in 1984. An Industrial Engineer by profession, he worked abroad for years running the branches of several large British companies. More recently he served as the facilities manager for TxDot, and brings his years of experience and expertise to the management of the school.
Classroom Teachers
Northwest Montessori House of Children, INC.
Northwest Montessori House of Children is very proud of its professional and experienced faculty of certified Montessori teachers and trained classroom teaching assistants. Our teachers are enthusiastic and dedicated educators committed to creating an inviting and warm atmosphere where children can discover their own potential. The community of approximately twenty teachers at Northwest Montessori genuinely cares about the social, emotional, and academic development of each student. We believe that, as educators, it is a teacher's duty to successfully and wholeheartedly nurture the natural curiosity and desire to learn inherent in each child. Continuing education courses, conferences and seminars are critical to the evolving field of education, and as such, each teacher at Northwest Montessori is required to maintain a continuing education plan unique to his or her area of concentration.
Upcoming Events
• May 1st - 3rd: NWM Annual Science Fair (Details)
• Sunday, May 12th: Mother's Day
• Monday, May 27th: Memorial Day
Important Alerts
• The school will close early at 5pm on Friday, May 17th for the Annual Teachers' Dinner.
• The school will be closed Monday, May 27th in observance of Memorial Day.
Parents' Reviews
"I am continually amazed by NW Montessori! The Science Fair is just another example of how truly smart and advanced ALL of the NW Montessori kids are b/c of the great teachers and supportive parents. Kate is more than prepared for kindergarten and possibly 1st grade :)"
"Northwest Montessori is an exemplary school for children. We are so glad that both of our sons have had the opportunity to attend and benefit from all of the skilled teachers and the incredible curriculum. This school exposes children to other countries, their cultures; the children learn mathematics through division; they are always reading and writing and they explore various American traditions and others from around the world. They have an annual science fair with individual experiments and several performances throughout the year. We can't say enough about NWM. We know our sons have both acquired skills that they will build on for the rest of their lives."
"I just wanted to let you know that we were VERY impressed with the science fair in Ms Khataw's class today!! The kids and teachers clearly spent a lot of time and effort preparing for the fair, and it was a wonderful event! The songs and riddles were so cute, and the kids obviously practiced. Also, very impressive that you were able to keep the whole event (with 33 kids) in 1 hour! I was so proud of Alexander and all the children today!"
"My daughter went to this school when she was 2.5 years till she was 5 yrs. She is now 8 yrs. She used to be a skittish little girl, afraid of doing most things. But now she had blossomed and grown to be a well-rounded girl. She has done really well in elementary school so far because of her Montessori background. It is not just the materials that she got exposed to, but also the great learning habits that the teachers instilled. The best part about this school is that it has the right amount of balance between structure and fun/free activities. This school has worked so well for our daughter that we are now sending our son to go there. And he loves it."
"Having an extensive background in education research, my husband and I had high expectations for any pre-school program we would select for our twin boys. Over two years later, we are still quite happy that we followed the advice of another parent to give the program a try. The teachers are all very experienced, and provide structure and support while still being nurturing. Additionally, they help children value education and become motivated independent learners. My children gained many skills in the program, both academic and social. I feel they will be heading into Kindergarten way ahead of the curve. I highly recommend this program!"
"We are always amazed (but no longer surprised) when Liam beams with pride after he learns how to spell new words we didn't teach him at home. The teachers at NWM are not only talented and dedicated, they truly care about all their students."
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