LEADERSHIP AND FACULTY
LEADERSHIP
Priya Venkateswaran
Program Director, Wellan Institute Teacher Education Program
Instructor:
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Montessori Philosophy
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Observation
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Classroom Leadership
Beth Black
Head of School, Wellan Montessori School
Executive Director, Wellan Institute
Instructor:
Parent Engagement
Human Sexuality
FACULTY
Jess Brennan
Instructor:
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Record-Keeping
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Sensorial
Amanda Cusanno
Instructor:
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Language
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Art
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Cultural Studies
Sandra Fernandes
Instructor:
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Math
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Science
Sachié Karmacharya
Instructor:
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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Ana Marban Lorenzo
Instructor:
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Practical Life
Kayla Stiffler
Instructor:
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Child Development
Priya Venkateswaran
Priya was born in India and moved to the US in 2006. She was a certified primary school teacher in India, and taught in private schools before moving here. She stumbled upon the Montessori philosophy while exploring careers and fell in love when she realized how effective it is. Priya began teaching in a Montessori classroom in 2009, completed her training in 2010, and co-taught in a 3-6 classroom at Wellan from 2015 to 2021.
While a classroom teacher, Priya helped coordinate a training class for interns and non-Montessori-trained support staff. In 2021, Priya was asked to join the administrative team and design an adult training program for Wellan Institute. She led the team that developed the Teacher Education Program (TEP) and the Early Childhood Certification course, successfully obtaining both MACTE accreditation and AMS affiliation.
Priya is keen to grow her career as an instructor and administrator. As the Program Director of Wellan TEP, she is very excited to work alongside a team of very enthusiastic educators and to welcome adult learners into the world of Montessori education.
When Priya is not teaching or convincing others about the benefits of Montessori, she likes to read, cook, and spend time with her family.
Beth Black
Beth grew up in Andover, Massachusetts but spent much of her adult life in Wisconsin (with a five year interval in Texas) before returning to the East Coast. She is a strong advocate for Montessori education through her own experiences as a child, as well as the values she has come to hold after many years working and teaching in a variety of educational settings. Beth believes “that real learning happens when connections are made not only in the brain, but in the heart. A child who feels safe, valued, and free to explore is able to learn and grow at a deep, spiritual level. He or she can find joy in striving, recognize mistakes as learning opportunities, and integrate abstract thinking with practical life lessons.”
Beth holds degrees from Fairleigh Dickinson University (B.A. in Humanities / Spanish), the University of Wisconsin, Madison (M.A. in English Literature) and Northwestern University (M.S., Learning and Organizational Change). A believer in the symbolic and inspirational power of words, Beth is proud of her work to change the school’s name to Wellan. This Old English word means “to cause to bubble up from deep within,” which is evocative of the Montessori approach to teaching and learning. Beth is committed to supporting both teachers and parents in learning ways to help children flourish as their truest selves.
When she is not busy with Head of School responsibilities, Beth enjoys reading, gardening, quilting, international travel, and spending quality time with family and friends, including her husband, Keith; her two grown children, Colin and Emma; and her granddaughters Quinn and Fiona.
Jess Brennan
Jess grew up on a small island in Maine. After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology from the University of Southern Maine, she spent a few years teaching Elementary Special Education and in early childcare centers. Jess completed her Montessori training through the Northeast Montessori Institute in 2018. She currently co-teaches in a 3-6 classroom at Wellan. When Jess isn’t at Wellan, she can usually be found at her home-away-from-home, Fenway Park! She and her husband, Thom, enjoy traveling to watch baseball games at new ballparks and stadiums. Jess is a retired roller derby skater, who still loves to cheer on her former teammates! She loves to crochet and spend time with her daughter Ripley.
Amanda Cusannno
Amanda grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut. She received her B.S. in Criminal Justice, Psychology and Spanish from Roger Williams University and her M.Ed. in Education and Administration from Champlain College. She trained with the Montessori Institute of New England for her 3–6 certification and with the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative for her 6–9 certification. Amanda started at Wellan in 2016 and taught in both the Primary (ages 3-6) and Lower Elementary (ages 6-9) divisions. In 2023, she joined the administrative team as Assistant Director for Admissions. Outside of school, Amanda loves to spend time gardening, swimming and hanging out at the beach.
Sandra Fernandes
Sandra was born and raised in India. She first earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, then received her Montessori training from the Northeast Montessori Institute. Prior to becoming a Primary co-teacher at Wellan, Sandra taught for 17 years at the Montessori School of Leesburg, Virginia. One of her lifelong passions is working with children and guiding them to discover, develop, and enhance their unique gifts.
Sandra has two daughters who are in college. She loves reading, traveling, going to museums, playing board games, walking and the beach.
Sachié Karmacharya
Sachié Karmacharya is a Primary co-teacher at Wellan. She also leads the Kindergarten Health Safety Wellness and Community workshop where her goal is to integrate important topics to create awareness, curiosity, and compassion. Sachié was born in San Diego, CA., and spent her childhood years in Springfield, IL, moving to Massachusetts as a nanny before receiving her Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education and her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with a focus on Children and Families. Sachié obtained her ABAR (Anti Bias Anti Racism) Certificate after attending AMS' 12-week course in 2022. Sachié is passionate about human rights and social justice and was one of Wellan's 2023 Travel Grant Recipients; She used the grant to travel along a portion of the Civil Rights Trail from South Carolina to Alabama. Sachié has played an instrumental role in Wellan's DEI initiatives, actively participating in Wellan's Affinity Task Force group, chairing the annual Pride events, and assisting the PA (Parent Association) in a Peace Walk and Solidarity Walk around the local lake. Sachié is AMS certified through NEMTEC.
In her spare time, Sachié enjoys hot yoga, running along the Charles River, and reading and collecting books - including but not limited to children's and nonfiction books about history and education. Sachié can also be found traveling the world with her husband, Santosh - originally from Nepal - and their two active Montessori-educated kids, Ashwin and Syrus.
Ana Marban Lorenzo
Ana is originally from Spain, and grew up in Belgium. She returned to Spain as a young adult to complete her LLB and Masters in tax law from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. When she first moved to the United States, she lived in New York City and eventually moved to Boston to complete an LLM in American law from Boston University. Ana worked in international trade and business development until she discovered and fell in love with the Montessori philosophy of education. Ana began teaching Montessori primary students in 2017 and received her certification from the New England Montessori Teacher Training Collaborative (NEMTEC) in 2018. Ana was drawn to Montessori because of the child-centered approach. She enjoys the process of preparing the environment to enable children to find and follow their interests and move at the right pace.
Ana lives in East Boston with her husband and son, who attends Wellan. Ana loves to travel and is lucky to have visited over 30 countries in 5 continents. Ana loves the ocean and spending summers with her family in Spain!
Kayla Stiffler
Kayla grew up in Methuen and moved to Boston after earning her BS in Elementary Education at Framingham State University. She later completed her graduate studies at the same university and earned her M.Ed in Literacy and Language. Kayla trained in Montessori education with the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative and received her 6–9 credentials. Before working at Wellan, she worked in public schools as well as other Montessori schools in the Greater Boston area. Kayla is an administrator at Wellan. As Lower Elementary Division Leader, she supervises teachers and oversees daily activities.
When she is not in the classroom, Kayla enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two daughters, both of whom attend Wellan.