Meet our Teachers at Copperfield

The Copperfield campus is the flagship campus of Montessori Preschool, originally started in 1996, and home to faculty working in early education for nearly 25 years. The school is situated on an acre of land, nestled between the Copper Lakes and Copperfield subdivisions. Our 1/2 acre backyard was designed using our children’s ideas and includes a handmade maze and its own hill with a slide buried inside for extra fun.

In our school, children can discover their true selves.

Ms. Jennifer

The Children’s House

Ms. Elva + Ms. Alexis

Ms. Alexis (left) and Ms. Elva (right) work together in our Children’s House community.
Ms. Elva works alongside one of her students, who is completing the movable alphabet. This classic Montessori Material uses a collection of wooden letters that a child playfully arranges to form three-letter words.

Meet Ms. Elva, Lead Montessori Guide and Associate Director

Ms. Elva is the Lead Montessori Guide for our Children’s House community and also leads the day-to-day operations of the Copperfield campus. We strongly believe teachers should play an important role in the management of early education – not business people. She was recently recognized by Governor Greg Abbott as a “Teaching Superstar” for her leadership of our North Cypress campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. She led the school without incident, keeping her students and faculty safe.

What do you do for fun?  I really love to swim and spend time at the pool.

What’s your favorite dessert? I enjoy coffee ice cream. It’s so delicious! I don’t have a big sweet tooth, and I normally prefer fresh fruit (but give me ice cream anytime!)

Why did you become a Montessori teacher? I started working with Toddlers, and I fell in love with the Montessori Method. I appreciate that teaching and learning is methodical at the pace of each child. But, I also believe in challenging in each child. My students will never be complacent. I want them to enjoy challenges, and I want them to intentionally seek them out. There is no other place like this school! It’s so special, and it feels like home.

Were you born in Texas? No, I was born in Cuernavaca, Mexico. It’s known as the Eterna Primavera – the eternal spring – because the weather is beautiful and temperate all year long.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Paris, France! I did go to the (fake) one in Las Vegas, but it’s been a dream to visit the actual city in Europe.

Ms. Alexis works with one of her younger students, helping him develop skills in concentration through a spooning activity. This activity is an important precursor to writing and independence by helping the child master the pincer grip through the use of everyday materials.

Meet Ms. Alexis, Assistant Teacher

What do you do for fun? This may sound odd, but I love to walk. I enjoy exploring places, and I really like to spend time observing people and nature. I normally walk around my neighborhood, but before the pandemic struck, I enjoyed exploring Houston’s historic downtown.

What’s your favorite dessert? Honeybuns! But, I don’t have a big sweet tooth.

Why did you want to work in education? I really enjoy being with children. My favorite part is their jokes and silliness in class. I am always amazed at how much children learn in our classroom, and I feel that our children can do even more.

Were you born in Texas? Yes, I was born in Houston, Texas. I even went to school down the road.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Amsterdam. My sister and I always wanted to do an adventure in The Netherlands. I want to wander the city and explore its history.

There is no other place like this school. It’s special, and it feels like home.

Ms. Elva

Ms. Neha + Ms. Sujeewa

Ms. Neha (left) and Ms. Sujeewa (right) lead another Children’s House community.
Ms. Neha works with one of her older students using The Bead Stair, a Montessori Material to demonstrate knowledge of quantity and figure. This will be a precursor to the four arithmetic operations, as the material is used in diverse ways in the Montessori classroom.

Meet Ms. Neha, Lead Montessori Guide

What do you do for fun? I love to paint and read books. I especially enjoy contemporary painting using acrylics. I also love fiction and any books to do with The Montessori Method.

What’s your favorite dessert? I love sweets! I really enjoy Indian sweets, especially Rasgulla, which are small, sweetened dumplings made of a light cheese soaked in a syrup. It’s delicious!

Why did you become a Montessori teacher? I was actually inspired by Ms. Ann (our Head of Montessori Education). I chose this school for my own child nearly 24 years ago, and I became enamored with The Montessori Method. I like that we are methodical in our teaching practice, and learning is very hands-on.

Were you born in Texas? I was born in Rajasthan, India. Rajasthan is known for its beautiful art work and Rajasthani dishes.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? I really want to visit Antarctica. I’ve heard it’s a beautiful place to see, and I want to see why it is so unique.

I chose this school for my own child nearly 24 years ago, and I became enamored with The Montessori Method.

Ms. Neha
Ms. Sujeewa works with a student on her reading skills. The child reads three-letter words and places the tags next to the corresponding object. Ms. Sujeewa also leads the school’s Art Program and curates our annual Children’s Art Show.

Meet Ms. Sujeewa, Assistant Teacher and Art Guide

What do you do for fun? I enjoy spending time with my family, and I enjoy experiencing nature. I like waterfalls, mountains, and even the beach.

What’s your favorite dessert? I like a classic dessert: fruit salad with ice cream. I prefer vanilla ice cream (Blue Bell, of course!)

Why did you want to work in education? I enjoy being with children immensely. I like watching them grow and develop, and I take pride in being part of their educational journey. I also love teaching art, my favorite subject. Art is so important for our lives, and we learn to be creative and imaginative through the fine arts. Through my art classes, I want my students not to just be creative and imaginative, but I want them to learn specific visual arts techniques as well, so they are able to express themselves more fully. I must admit that I am proud of my own children and their accomplishments in science and engineering, but I am especially proud of their love of the fine arts.

Were you born in Texas? I was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, a small island nation off the tip of India. We have beautiful beaches, and we’re known for extremely good food. Sri Lankan food reflects a range of cultural influences, from the Sinhalese to the Tamils, to colonists like the British, Portuguese, and Dutch.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? I want to visit Israel, and I want to experience the footsteps of Jesus Christ. My faith is important to my family and me.

The Toddler Community

Meet Ms. Jasmine, Lead Montessori Guide

Ms. Jasmine leads one of our newest students in using the Color Tablets. The color tablets are a series of colored bars, originally designed using spools of expensive silk. The tablets are used to teach color but also meet the child’s needs for precision and order in the way they use the material.

What do you do for fun? I love to spend time with family. We play Bingo together every weekend, and we play for money. It’s all meant in good fun.

What’s your favorite dessert? I love strawberries. I enjoy strawberry cake with frosting. I’ll take it from anywhere (even the box!).

Why did you choose to lead a Montessori Toddler classroom? I’ve known I wanted to become a teacher since grade school, and I love Montessori education. The classroom environment is more calm and relaxed, and we believe children can do more than we expect. I believe my students are incredibly smart.

Were you born in Texas? I was born in Houston, Texas! I like the warmth in Houston. I could never live any place that’s cold.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? I really want to visit Hawaii. I love the beach, and I enjoy spending time by the water.

Ms. Jasmine introduces a counting activity to one of our Toddler students. The Toddler classroom includes a range of extensions of traditional Montessori materials in order to engage the child in repetitive practice and introduce basic phonics and numbers.

Meet Ms. Jennifer, Operations

Ms. Jennifer holds a CDA in Child Development with extensive experience in our Nido/Infant, Toddler, and Children’s House communities. Trained in the use of Montessori principles and materials under Ms. Ann (our Head of Montessori Education), Ms. Jennifer also supports Ms. Jasmine in the Toddler community and Ms. Elva with day-to-day school operations. Ms. Jennifer greets you every morning, and our children adore her fabulous birthday parties in school.

What do you do for fun? I am very family-oriented. I love to watch good movies – Disney, Pixar, and so many others – at home. We really love good stories.

What’s your favorite dessert? ICE CREAM! It better be vanilla. Any brand is great. No toppings. Keep it original.

Why did you want to work in education? I love children. I love seeing them grow from their youngest years and then transform in our Children’s House classroom. I really value Montessori education because it celebrates a child’s independence. In our school, children can discover their true selves – and not who we think they should be. The education here is hands-on and not robotic.

Were you born in Texas? I was born right here in Cy-Fair. I even went to Cy-Falls High School!

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? I want to go to Australia. I want to see koalas and kangaroos. (I also really like the accent!). I want to see other Australian animals as well (except the scary ones – no spiders please). I also would love a visit to Scotland.