Ms. Alicia (she/her)
Coming soon.
Ms. Bright (she/her)
Ms. Bright was born and raised in Oakland. She loves her hometown and appreciates all of the diversity of people living within it. She has a twin brother and was raised in a diverse family with a host of cousins, aunties and uncles. Her interest in working with children began when she was in high school and was involved in a program called the Future Teachers Academy, as well as through time spent taking care of her younger cousins, nieces and nephews. She began working at Grand Lake Montessori in 2001. During her time at GLM she has earned her AMI Montessori Primary teaching credential. She strongly believes that children should have fun while learning. Her goal is to help them develop a love of learning, so that they continue to pursue their passions and interests throughout life. Her own passions include music, dance and a new-found love for theatrical arts.
Ms. Mollel (she/her)
Ms. Mollel was born and raised in Arusha Tanzania, East Africa, as were both of her parents. After finishing college she worked at the the NGO-Tanzanian Norwegian Aids Project in Arusha and the Kilimanjaro region as an account assistant for five years. She traveled to the United States and Oakland, California where she worked as a nanny for several years before joining GLM. She has worked as a support teacher in one of our toddler classrooms for more than 10 years. Her philosophy in her work with both children and adults is for all to be acknowledged, respected and treated with love. Her passions includes cleaning, organizing, music and spending time with family and friends.
Ms. Cooper (she/her)
Ms. Cooper began her journey in education over 25 years ago through volunteerism. The process of learning and early development quickly became a passion and she obtained her BA in Early Childhood Education Program Administration. Since then, she has served as a Teacher in multiple age groups as well as an Administrator. Her career path has led her to work with Preschools and Elementary Schools, in the public, parochial, and private sectors. Along her journey, she has built several pilot programs for non-profit organizations as well as client-based programs. Ms. Cooper has additional experience in Regional Education Management and Educational Consulting with licensed programs. She takes great pride in building communities and providing a quality experience for the children and families in the schools she serves. In her spare time, Ms. Cooper enjoys the beach, spending time with loved ones, movies, culinary experiences, and traveling.
Ms. Somsy (she/her)
Ms. Phonexaysitthidet (PON-SE-SIT-TI-DAY) was born in Laungprabang, Laos and came to the United States in 1980. She graduated from high school in 1984 at Fremont High. In 1985 she began working at a public elementary school as a Laotian bilingual support teacher and stayed until 2003. While in the service of public education, she went back to college for five years to study liberal arts. In mid 2003 she was introduced to Montessori and impressed with the philosophy, she decided to take the Montessori training at the Montessori Teacher Education Center in San Leandro. She then worked at Rising Starr Montessori school for seven years years, before joining GLM in 2011. She has been living in Oakland for three decades and married for thirty three years to a wonderful husband who served in the social services in Oakland. It is an honor for her to support and teach within the GLM community. In her spare time she enjoys working out at the gym and cooking healthy food from scratch.
Ms. Pratt (she/her)
Adrienne grew up in Fort Worth, Texas where she attended a public Montessori school from 2nd-5th grade. She graduated from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema and Photography and moved to the Bay Area in 2003. As an elementary student, Adrienne fell in love with Montessori principles and experienced first-hand the benefits of a Montessori education. It was this experience that led her to Montessori teacher-training. She earned her American Montessori Society Primary Certificate from St. Mary’s College in 2008. During her training, she interned at a Montessori school that was also a farm- complete with goats, chickens, horses, vegetable gardens, and fruit trees. She taught there for seven years, serving as the Lead Teacher and Director for the last four years. Adrienne stopped teaching full-time to have her first child. She is delighted to be a part of the GLM community as a staff member and parent. She enjoys spending time with her husband and sons exploring all that the area has to offer and is passionate about travel, reading, and photography.
Ms. Lampkin (she/they)
Ms. Lampkin was born and raised in the SF East Bay where she explored her love for music, drama and athletics. She loves to cook, read, and is a self proclaimed craft Queen. She is the daughter of two Early childhood educators and the middle child of six! Ms. Lampkin Studied at the University of Santa Cruz California where she received her B.A.s in both Education and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. Ms. Lampkin looks forward to her first year with Grand Lake Montessori where she will learn how to teach students self-reliance and compassion for their peers.She is passionate about providing playful, engaging and equitable education to the next generation and hopes to instill confidence in all of her students.