Faculty with Norbeck
Meet The Faculty & Staff of Our Montessori School
Faculty and Staff in Norbeck Preschool
Norbeck Montessori is a private preschool that employs approximately 25 full-time and part-time faculty and staff members. All our Montessori teachers have degrees and have received the Montessori Credential from an accredited Montessori Institute. We are very proud to say that many of our faculty and staff members have been with us for over 15 years, and several have been with us for over 20 years. Norbeck Montessori’s faculty and staff members are carefully selected for their warm, friendly, and nurturing temperaments, not simply for their degrees and experiences.
Our Lead Montessori Teachers
Our lead Montessori teachers are responsible for ensuring the classroom is designed around each child, they are the “environmental engineers.” Not only do we take pride in their tenure with us, but more importantly, we value their background and experiences. Our lead Montessori teachers focus on your child’s developmental needs and, as your child progresses in their education, the lead teachers will change the classroom to introduces new lessons to challenge and entice your child. All our lead teachers were Montessori trained at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Our Pre-Primary Lead Teachers
Ms. Nita Wong
Nita Wong majored in Psychology at the University of Maryland and has a master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from George Mason University. She began her special education journey at an early intervention clinic for young children with autism. She continued working in the field by becoming a preschool special education teacher at a variety of educational settings, including FairFax County Public Schools, a D.C. public charter school, and D.C. private school. After having two children and being a stay-at-home mom for a few years, Nita joined Norbeck Montessori in 2014 as an assistant teacher. She decided to pursue training at the Barrie Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies where she received her Infants and Toddler Montessori credential. She has been leading the Transitional Toddler Classroom since Fall 2015.
Ms. Valeria Chaparro
Valeria Chaparro worked with children for over 4 years before becoming a Montessori teacher in one of our Pre-Primary Toddler classrooms. Her passion for Montessori and her dedication to working with children is what led her to take the Montessori teacher’s training at the Barrie Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies. Born in Venezuela and raised in Colombia, she pursued her dream of learning English in the United States right after finishing college in her country. After starting her studies in Infants and Toddlers, she joined Norbeck Montessori in August of 2023 as an assistant toddler teacher and quickly stepped up as a Lead Teacher in January of 2024. Valeria leads Norbeck’s first Spanish Integrated Toddler classroom. Committed to fostering a nurturing environment, Valeria aims to instill a love for learning and empower toddlers with the foundational skills needed to acquire a second language. Her warmth, patience, and dedication inspire young minds to grow and thrive.
Our Primary Lead Teachers
Mr. Denis Cerritos
Denis Cerritos has been a lead Montessori teacher at Norbeck Montessori since 2006. He majored in Psychology at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. While attending UMCP, Denis also played intramural soccer and worked at the Episcopal Center for Children as a counselor for children with emotional and behavioral problems. Denis started working at Norbeck Montessori in 1997 as a teaching assistant in our Kindergarten classroom. Working here part-time throughout his college career, Denis later became a full-time staff member after graduation. In 2007 he knew his passion was to teach Montessori and began his training to become a primary teacher and opened his own classroom the following school year. Three years ago, Denis began running our Spanish Integration Program where he leads lessons in Spanish for our youngsters as part of his Primary Montessori program. Originally from Mexico, Denis brings his native Spanish speaking skills to the forefront. In addition to teaching in his Primary classroom, Denis also created and runs Norbeck’ s science program, specifically developed for our Big K students.
Ms. Betha Tamayo
Betha is the lead guide in a primary classroom at Norbeck Montessori. She began her teaching journey with Norbeck in 2022. She has just completed the American Montessori Society (AMS) Early Childhood (3yr. – 6yr.) Montessori Credential from Barrie Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies. She was a Montessori assistant for 3 years before deciding to take the training. Ms. Betha studied Family Science at the University of Maryland and is now continuing her degree in Early Childhood Administration with Purdue University. Prior to becoming a Montessori guide, Ms. Betha taught at a traditional preschool where she also took an internship role. Ms. Betha is passionate about the Montessori Philosophy of following the child and creating an environment that fosters the child’s independence. She is extremely dedicated in guiding children to reach their full potential.
Ms. Laurie Naly
Laurie Naly is a native of the beautiful island of St. Lucia. Upon arriving in the United States in 2001, she started working with kids as a nanny, and ever since then, she knew she wanted to work with children. She has an Early Childhood certificate and a Montessori certificate from NAMC. She started work at Norbeck Montessori in 2017 as a Montessori teacher’s assistant and knew then that she loved the Montessori method. She enjoys being in the classroom and seeing the children grow and mature is her favorite aspect of the program. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, going to outdoor activities, bike riding, and spending time with her teenage son.