Teachers & Staff

  • Patti Johnson

    Lead Teacher Primary

    Miss Patti has been teaching in room 1 since 1989 and has enjoyed working with Miss Biljana for over 18 years! Miss Patti’s two children also attended the school.

  • Biljana Monteleone

    Assistant Teacher Primary

    Miss Biljana has been teaching in Room 1 with Miss Patti since 2004. She loves this age group and seeing the children grow over time at their own pace.

  • Karen Wineck

    Lead Teacher Primary

    Miss Karen was the director and head teacher at the Coronado Sandpiper Montessori School for 20 years before joining the Montessori School of San Diego at Mission Hills. Miss Karen has been teaching in room 2 since 2018.

  • Rizelle Bernal

    Assistant Teacher Primary

    Miss Rizelle began as a roving and aftercare teacher at The Montessori School of San Diego and got promoted to assistant teacher in room 2 in 2023.

  • Gina Abril

    Lead Teacher Primary

    Miss Gina graduated from The Montessori Institute of San Diego in 2005 and I has been teaching since then! Working with children is her passion. She loves to work with little minds and also learn from them the many beautiful things they teach us as adults

  • Stephanie Cota

    Assistant Teacher Primary

    Miss Stephanie has worked at the school since 2016 and in room 3 since 2022. Previously she worked at various elementary and middle schools in San Diego as an assistant supervisor for after school programs.

  • Mary Rodriguez

    Lead Teacher Elementary

    Miss Mary has been teaching since 2007. After earning her Montessori Diploma from Centro de Enseñanza Montessori in Tijuana in 2009, she has found even greater joy in teaching. Working with children is her passion, and Montessori is her path.

  • Litzy Noriega

    Assistant Teacher Elementary

    Miss Litzy has worked at The Montessori School of San Diego as a roving teacher before joining Room 4 and loves spending time with the children.

  • Jenny Davis

    Assistant Teacher Elementary

    Miss Jenny started teaching at the school in 2010. She worked as the assistant teacher in room 3 before moving to room 5. Miss Jenny previously worked at a private school in Louisiana in an Elementary classroom.

  • Barbara Taylor

    Lead Teacher Elementary

    Miss Barbara has been teaching in room 5 since 2012. She spent the beginning of her teaching days working with children in New England where she’s from, including heading a group home for children with Autism in Connecticut. Upon moving to San Diego, Miss Barbara completed her Montessori training and has worked in both Montessori primary and elementary classrooms.

  • Vicky Gonzalez

    Roving Teacher

    Miss Vicky is a Montessori trained teacher who started at the school as an aftercare teacher in 2020. Miss Vicky was previously a head teacher at Taproot Montessori Preschool.

  • Maria Noriega

    Roving & Spanish Teacher

    Miss Maria is as a roving teacher and works in aftercare. She loves working with children and previously taught at a catholic school as a TA. She has also worked with small groups teaching Spanish class and with special need children.

  • Melody Elisseos

    Roving Teacher

    Miss Melody joined The Montessori School of San Diego in August of 2023. She has been a teacher assistant at other schools teaching ages 3 months through 5 years old.

Administration

  • Jim Turner

    Owner & Founder

    Jim Turner opened the Montessori School of San Diego in Pacific Beach in 1975. The school has grown and expanded over the years, moving to the current Mission Hills location in 1980. Jim was introduced to the Montessori method by his wife, Shannon, a trained Montessori teacher, who taught at the school for several years. Their 3 daughters also attended the school.

  • Lizzie Smith

    Administrator

    Lizzie Smith was a student at the Montessori School of San Diego when she was a child and worked as the assistant teacher in the elementary classroom before transitioning into office administration for the school.

  • Paula Clairmont

    Curriculum Director

    Paula Clairmont is a Montessori trained teacher who has been at the school since it opened in 1975! Throughout the years she has worked in many of the classrooms, and has worked in administration since 2017.