Our Team
The "Aunties"
Unlike the teacher in a traditional school, The Montessori Auntie is not the centre of the classroom. Instead, she is very often hardly noticeable in the room as the children are working. She has no desk and spends her time working with children individually at their child-sized tables or on a floor mat. She is a keen observer of children and needs to have a clear idea of each child's individual level of development. She then determines what materials are best for each child to work with; she guides each individual child in this way and helps her to learn the proper use of each material. She then leaves her with it and returns to observing. She interferes only when necessary. She must be flexible and willing to try new ideas to help each child. Your child will come to see all the Aunties as friendly and loving helpers and guides, someone who is there when needed, but mainly someone who helps her to do things for herself.
Your child will be the Centre of our Montessori Family.
Please feel free to veiw our team's profile by clicking on the individual Aunties' names.
If a vote had been taken at the end of my time at school to choose the person least likely to become a teacher I would have received all of the votes...including my own!
However, when my two boys began attending a local Montessori School, I began to wonder what it was all about! So, I went to Barbados to a Practical Workshop on The Montessori Method at Happy Vale School, St. Michael, Barbados, given by the Director of The St. Nicholas Montessori College, London, England. It was there that I met my mentor and friend Mrs. Jackie Banfield, owner of the school and President of the Caribbean Montessori Society to which we are affiliated. After just three days of "hands-on" Montessori experience...I was hooked! That was in 1985... Soon after, two young enthusiastic St. Lucian women, Anne Marie Leon & Juliana Auguste joined me at my home and we began to "build" Happy Vale Montessori School Saint Lucia! In April 1986 we moved to our present location at Tapion. In 1988 I began a two year Teaching Diploma Course at St. Nicholas Montessori College and graduated in 1990. It was a splendid and richly rewarding experience and every day since my return, as a fully qualified Montessori Teacher, has proved to be more fulfilling than I ever imagined teaching could be! I am absolutely committed to Dr. Maria Montessori's methods and philosophies of early childhood development and also to every child who attends Happy Vale. They are the centre of everything and it is a joy to assist and encourage them during their creative and absorbent periods of development. Brilliant children...ALL!
I am a trained Montessori teacher with over 20 years experience at Happy Vale and serve as the Deputy Principal while being a full time directress of a class of 25 children. I love the Montessori philosophy and method of assisting children to learn through their own efforts and I continue to enjoy observing and assisting in the work and development of our Montessori children!
I have been at Happy Vale Montessori School since September 2001. I have enjoyed a motivating in-house training in the Montessori philosophy and its practical application as a classroom assistant and now I am the directress of a class of 25 children along with an assistant of my own. The calm, well ordered and nurturing environment at Happy Vale has allowed me to develop as an individual, with more self-confidence and greater determination to strive for success. As a young mother I look forward to applying the principals of Montessori in the upbringing of my son.
Like my cousin Auntie Mearline, I am a class directress and have also been at Happy Vale since 2001. The Montessori training and insight into the development of children has been invaluable to me in many ways. As a once shy and reserved individual I have become a very outgoing person and as a mother I have been able to give more knowledgeable encouragement to my child as she copes with the bigger world of primary school!
I am assistant teacher in Auntie Cynthia’s group and I am enjoying learning the Montessori approach to learning. I am a graduate of The Saint Lucia National Skills Development Foundation where I undertook a course in Early Childhood Development. Being at Happy Vale and being part of a supportive team of professionals has given me a zeal for working with so many young absorbent minds!
My experiences at Happy Vale have been a real blessing. I am a graduate of the Saint Lucia National Skills Development Foundation; where I studied Early Childhood Development. I am assistant teacher to Auntie Mearline and everyday is an amazing learning experience for me. I love working with the children and watching their progress, is a real joy.
I am a graduate of the Saint Lucia National Skills Development Foundation Early Childhood course and work with Auntie Juliet in the Kindergarten group. It is a small class of thirteen four and five year old children. I am enjoying being part of Happy Vale’s team and look forward to furthering my career in teaching.
I love working at Happy Vale Montessori School! Although my principle duties are in the administrative office there are still many opportunities to interact with the loving and adorable children and their kind encouraging ‘Aunties’. I am fascinated by the calm well ordered environment created here and the confident and happy children it serves. I want to learn all I can about the Montessori method so that I can become an ‘Auntie’ in the classroom too!