Administrative Team
Jessica Cutty
Director
Serving you since 2010
Jessica Cutty joined Tempe Montessori School in 2010. She attended TMS from ages 2yrs – 10yrs. Jessica graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis on Early childhood education and earned her Director’s Certification in Education from Rio Salado College in 2016. She has taught in various educational settings including traditional, private, charter and Montessori with children 0 – 6th grade. Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, reading and traveling. She is honored to be a part of the Tempe Montessori family.
“Our care of the child should be governed, not by desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence” – Maria Montessori
Lauren Bolar
Associate Director
Serving you since 2008
Lauren is an alumna of Tempe Montessori and has worked with children since 1999. She believes in the Montessori Philosophy and Pedagogy wholeheartedly. She continues to work for the children and let them guide her through their needs and developmental milestones. She received her BS in Business Administration from Arizona State University in 2009. She completed her AMI Assistance to Infancy (A to I) course from the Montessori Institute of San Diego in 2011 and completed her AMI Primary (3-6) course from the Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies in 2018. Lauren was a Lead Guide in the Nido classroom for 9 years and oversees the education for 0-6. She also acts as the Associate Director of Tempe Montessori. She enjoys participating in community events and giving back to Ryan’s House and the Down Syndrome Association. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, travel and continuing her education.
“Children are human beings to whom respect is due, superior to us by a reason of their innocence and of the greater possibilities of their future.” Maria Montessori
Cassie Kennedy
Office Administrator
Serving you since 2015
Cassie Kennedy was raised in beautiful Northern Arizona and moved to the Phoenix area in 2008. She is acquiring a degree in Business Administration and Management with a touch on Law Enforcement studies. Her desire is to have a career administering or managing in a field helping and serving the public, whether it is with the city, state, or local school.
In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, painting, and being with people she loves. Cassie and her older brother first attended the infant program at a local Montessori school in Mesa, AZ and continued with the Montessori Schools of Flagstaff until 7th and 8th grade. Cassie’s Montessori education is credited to her becoming the being she is today.
“One of my favorite things about working at Tempe Montessori School is getting to see the inborn knowledge our Nido-Elementary children have and being able to witness it blossom in the classroom.”
Educational Teams
NIDO Education – 3 months – 15 months
Shantidas Leyba
Lead Nido Teacher
Serving you since 2013
Shantidas is an Arizona native, wife, and mother to a very active 8-month-old daughter. She attended Tempe Montessori School from 3-9 years old and has always credited her curiosity and love of learning to her Montessori upbringing; she loves being back at TMS as an adult to guide other children in their own discoveries of themselves and their environment. In 2009, she received her degree in Fashion Design from Istituto Marangoni in Italy. She had been an assistant in the Nido room since 2013 and has completed the AMI Assistants Trainings for A to I (0-3) as well as for Primary. Shantidas is taking her Assistants to Infancy training at the Southwest Institute for Montessori Studies beginning in August of 2019. She is very passionate about Montessori education and is excited to be taking on the role of lead guide in the Nido room.
Nattiauna Tsosie
Nido Assistant
Serving you since 2018
Nattiauna’s career in the Montessori environment started as a student in the TMS elementary classroom. Since then, she attended New School for the Arts and Academics majoring in photography and ceramics. Unraveling her psyche through art led her back to her passion for peace and love. Ms. Natti has plans for furthering her AMI education, with big hopes of developing instrumental environments, beneficial for children and educators. With a Montessorian as a mother, she’s been taught children are the future. Finding a passion for helping the future has inspired many embers of change inside her heart. Said by Dr. Montessori “Whoever touches the life of a child touches the most sensitive point of a whole which has roots in the most distant past and climbs towards the infinite future”. She is back home where she grew up with friends, siblings, and many teachers. She could not be happier to continue to grow and be inspired by the beauty of the natural being.
Toddler Education – 15 months – 3 years
Cindy Draper
Lead Toddler Teacher
Serving you since 1998
Cindy is an Assistant to Infancy Directress at Tempe Montessori School since 1998. In 1993, she graduated with an Early Childhood Development Associates Degree from Northland Pioneer College. In 2003, she successfully completed the AMI Assistants to Infancy Course taught by Dr. Montanaro. Before working at TMS, her time was devoted to teaching and guiding Navajo families through center and home base Headstart and Family and Child Education (F.A.C.E.) Programs, assisting public elementary teachers, as well as the Department of Health and Nutrition. During her Montessori Journey, she has been balancing her time continuously empowering parents, children and herself with knowledge during class time, home consultations, babysitting, educational courses and trainings around the globe. Outside of her commitment to educating young ones, she runs a single mother household and remains active in preserving the Earth, sacred sites, traditions, ceremonies and homelands of Indigenous People around the world. She believes all children deserve to successfully thrive holistically in the environment around them. She truly values her role as a guide to the children and families as we build their foundation for the rest of their lives, together.
Cailin Mills
Lead Toddler Teacher
Serving you since 2019
Cailin is a native Arizonan and has worked with all ages of children for 15 years. She has focused solely on Montessori since 2013. Cailin is pursuing her bachelors in Psychology at Arizona State University and will be finished in December 2019. She eventually wants to pursue a Masters degree in Occupational Therapy. She has a true passion in Montessori specifically with the toddler age group. She has completed her AMS 0-3 years through North American Montessori Center. She will continue to pursue her AMI (A to I). Cailin is very excited to join the TMS culture once again. In her free time, she loves to hike, travel, and workout.
Luz Smith
Toddler Assistant
Serving you since 2020
Luz was born and raised in Arizona. She is currently attending Mesa Community College to pursue a degree in business and plans to receive her Montessori training certification in the future. Two years ago, she was introduced to the Montessori way of learning and fell in love with it. She loves how all of the classrooms are child led and focused on each child’s individual developmental needs. She is excited to join the TMS family and continue to learn more about the Montessori Philosophy.
Dariayn Warner
Nido & Toddler Aftercare Assistant
Serving you since 2019
Dariayn grew up in Oceanside California. She is attending Arizona State University to pursue her Degree in Elementary Education. She enjoys working with children and educating the youth to make them the best person they can be. She believes that Elementary age chilren deserve a teacher that is supportive and attentive to the students. During her free time she loves spending it with her family and friends and loves hiking. Dariayn is new to Montessori and she is excited to learn more about the philosophy and incorporate it into her work with the children. She loves Montessori, and has learned that, it is important to allow for the children to have independence in their actions and efforts because they are more capable than we realize. A quote that resonates with Dariayn is “The Teacher does not rank students. She lets each student reach his own highest potential, regardless of how his peers are performing.” Montessori Maddness
Primary Education – 3-6 years
Smita Devani
Lead Primary Teacher
Serving you since 1997
Ms. Smita was born in Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa. After finishing high school, she moved to England to further her studies in computers. She married her wonderful husband and moved to Canada, where she pursued her career in computers. She moved to Arizona in 1994 and joined TMS in 1997 as an assistant. Smita completed her AMI training in May 2004. She enjoys children and has two girls who are TMS alumnae. Her broad awareness clearly perceives the many activities all around her as she guides and coaches the work of the children. With many years of experience and expertise in her field and with her love and passion for the Montessori Pedagogy and Philosophy, she helps guide the children daily. She loves observing the children grow and develop into their fullest potential.
Dhara Parekh
Primary Assistant
Serving you since 2017
Dhara was born and raised in Mumbai, India and moved to the USA in 2009. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Home Science with specialization in Early Childhood Care and Education. Dhara completed the AMI Primary Diploma from the Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies in Phoenix in 2013. She has four years of experience working in a Preschool in Mumbai, India and has been a Teacher assistant at an After-school Program in NJ. Her hobbies are Swimming, Hiking and Watching Movies. “I am very motivated to apply my knowledge and experience and commit myself in making a difference in a child’s life by understanding children’s needs and guiding them in their development during the early years.”
Jennifer Kossman
Primary Aftercare Assistant
Serving you since 2014
Jennifer has been with the Tempe Montessori Community since 2014. She has been helping assist the Primary students during the day and with the Elementary students in the Aftercare program. She loves being around children of all ages and especially getting to know each one through their love of learning. Jennifer grew up in an Air Force family and that’s how she developed a love for traveling and meeting new people. She has attended Scottsdale Community College and has a passion for all aspects of film making, creative writing, and the art of storytelling. She loves 80’s and 90’s movies and loves all Keanu Reeves movies.
Ashlee Saenz
Lead Primary Teacher
Serving you since 2011
Ashlee first joined Tempe Montessori in 2011 working as an assistant in the Primary classroom. She completed her AMI training from the Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies in 2016. She is a mother to a 9-year-old son who is a Tempe Montessori Alumni. She truly believes the Montessori philosophy provides the most natural way for children to learn. The hands-on, individualized materials and methods are what allows the Montessori child to understand concepts to their core. She loves the passion and understanding that she sees from her students. The community that is developed in a Montessori classroom is so unique and real-world. For three years she is with a student and their family. She observes them interact as a learner and a teacher as they progress from the first year to the third year. It truly is a community of learners and teachers.” During her free time, she enjoys crafting, hiking, water sports, and spending time with her family.
Kimberly Reyes-Arroyo
Primary Assistant
Serving you since 2015
Kimberly is currently a student at Arizona State University focusing her studies to Major in Psychology and a minor in Social Work. Kimberly completed her AMI Primary training in 2020. She has a certification in food chemistry, and some CNA experience. She loves Montessori because of the rawness of letting the child explore and learn from their environment without the pressures of a traditional schooling experience as well as allowing the child to naturally develop their intellect at a young age with a natural interactive approach and connection with the world around them. In her personal time, she loves cooking, baking and DYI projects. She is a new mother to her wonderful son Dante and loves him dearly and is excited as he navigates his self-construction in the Montessori environment. She is excited to work with present and future families in the TMS community.
Elementary Education – 6-12 yrs
Maribel Vega
Elementary Assistant & Toddler Aftercare Assistant
Serving you since 2018
Maribel has three children and two stepsons. She has a passion for working with children and it is what she loves to do. She has been working with children for as long as she can remember and can’t wait to learn more about the Montessori Philosophy. She enjoys seeing them grow and learn different things. It makes her proud because she is making a positive difference in every child’s life.
Kaili West
Classroom Assistant
Serving you since 2021
Serving you since 2021
Kaili is an Arizona native. She attends Arizona State University and is majoring in Business Marketing. She has babysat kids for 5 years and has loved every second of it. She has enjoyed getting the opportunity to interact with kids at several different levels over the years from a gym childcare worker to a nanny. She loves how Montessori allows the kids to be hands-on and experience things from a more tactile environment. She is eager to continue to watch the children blossom at TMS.
Madison Anderson
Classroom & office assistant
Serving you since 2021
Bio coming soon!
Daniela Espindola
Float & Aftercare Assistant
Serving you since 2021
Bio coming soon!
Laura Matala- Tala
Float & Aftercare Assistant
Serving you since 2021
Bio coming soon!
Madison Mills
Substitute
Serving you since 2020
Madison was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. She is currently pursuing her Bachelors in Speech and Hearing Science at Arizona State University and will be finished in May 2022. She will eventually pursue a Master’s Degree in this field to pursue a career in Speech Pathology for children with special needs. She loves being around children of all ages and loves to watch each child individually grow. In her personal time, she loves spending time with her family, working out, and studying for school.
Phone: 480-966-7606