ROSA ALVANEZ

Toddler Spanish Language Teacher

Ms. Alvanez earned her A.A. in Early Childhood Education from Hudson County Community College and her B.A. in Spanish from New Jersey City University. She feels that children are the most important treasure we have, and we have to embrace them in order for them to reach their potential in life. Ms. Alvanez has over ten years of experience working with children professionally. She is the proud mother of three beautiful and amazing children and her passion for teaching children began when she became a mother for the first time. The Montessori Method of learning appeals to Ms. Alvanez because she believes each child has their own unique ways of learning.

ISABELLA FERNANDEZ

Toddler Teaching Assistant

Ms. Fernandez was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She has worked in the field of early childhood education for 4 years and has a big heart for children. She loves watching them grow and succeed. She joined the BLMS team in 2023 and is so grateful to be a part of the BLMS family. She is excited to learn more about the Montessori philosophy and grow in her teaching abilities. 

CHANTEL BROWN

Toddler Teaching Assistant

Ms. Brown graduated from Acorn Community High School in 2011. She is currently working towards obtaining her CDA (Child Development Associate) certification. She has always wanted to work with children, since she was a child and started babysitting at the age of 15 years old. She loves seeing the excitement in a child's face when she does activities with them. She would like to open her own daycare center or school one day and is grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the field of early childhood education while working at BLMS.  

STEPHANIE BRADY

Head Primary Teacher

Ms. Brady began her Montessori journey at BLMS in 2015 as a Teaching Assistant. She admired the mission of BLMS and fell in love with the Montessori philosophy. She decided to become a Montessori certified teacher and obtained her AMS Early Childhood Montessori teaching certification at The Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New York. Her goal is for every child to have an enjoyable experience at school.  She is committed to providing children with an authentic Montessori education through fun, hands-on experiences and is most passionate about developing a love of reading.  Ms. Brady actively seeks professional development opportunities to improve her practice and started pursuing her master's degree in Early Childhood Education-Special Education.  She is the proud mother of a bubbly baby girl, who happily attends BLMS, and follows the Montessori method at home with her.  She is grateful to be part of the BLMS community in both capacities.

SANDRA VALENCIA

Primary Spanish Language Teacher

Ms. Valencia graduated with a degree in Visual Arts from the Universidad Nacional in her home country of Colombia. Her ability to speak both Spanish and English motivated her to study ESL (English as a Second Language) and work in bilingual schools in Colombia, teaching visual arts to elementary children learning in bilingual environments. She recently relocated to the United States and is happy to bring her knowledge of bilingual education to the Primary students at BLMS.

PAULINA DARASZ

Primary Teaching Assistant

Ms. Darasz graduated from Kean University in 2020 with her B.A. in Psychology. She has worked with toddler and preschool-aged children for over 5 years.  In addition to serving as a Teaching Assistant in the Primary classroom at BLMS, she also leads the After-School Enrichment program and is excited to plan engaging and hands-on activities centered around Music, Art, Cooking, Physical Education, and STEM. Ms. Darasz is a passionate educator who is dedicated to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for the children of BLMS. 

GABRIELLE GRAY

Primary Teaching Assistant

Ms. Gray is currently pursuing her B.S. in secondary education with a concentration in mathematics. She has worked in the field of education for 9 years and dreams of becoming a classroom teacher one day soon. Prior to joining BLMS she lived in New York City and worked for the New York City Department of Education as a special education paraprofessional. She moved from Brooklyn to Jersey City in 2021 and has been a part of the BLMS family ever since. She hopes to inspire youth and guide them with her past knowledge and current experiences in the Montessori classroom. 

GEHAN BESHAY

Substitute

Ms. Beshay earned her CDA (Child Development Associate) in 2018. She is currently studying early childhood education at Hudson County Community College. Ms. Beshay was born in Egypt and is proud to speak both English and Arabic. She currently lives in Bayonne with her husband and three children. She is happy to be part of the school and loves her work with children, especially helping them learn to be independent and increasing their knowledge the world. Ms. Beshay’s hope is that all children in the world are happy, smiling, and enjoying their childhood.

VICTOR BENITO

Substitute

Mr. Benitor is a Brooklyn born, NJ native whose genuine passion is helping young people find their full potential and succeed. He is a music historian, visual artist and emcee who enjoys incorporating the arts into his work. As a northeast Philadelphia ITT Technical Institute graduate, he further connected his love for the arts and has later on evolved as a podcaster. He excitedly brings his expertise and passion for education into the BLMS school community to impact young lives.

ANGIE HARIPAL

Substitute

Ms. Haripal is currently pursuing her CDA (Child Development Associate) certification. She was born in Guyana and recently relocated to the United States. She believes children hold the dreams of future generations and that by joining together parents and teachers can have a great impact on the world. She believes that we can move all of our schools and communities toward being places where all children can learn, grow and thrive.