GLYNIS HAMILTON
Owner/Operator
I am Glynis Hamilton, the owner of the Montessori School of Wellington.
When I had my children, I knew exactly what I wanted for them in terms of early childhood education. It was only when I visited a beautiful Montessori school in Toronto that I knew I had found what I was looking for.
I became intrigued by Montessori and so, at the ripe old age of 44, I went back to school and then switched career from legal secretary to Montessori teacher. Since that time, Montessori has become a way of life for me. The past 25 years have been a joy rather than a job.
I have moved from being front line in the classroom to the office doing more administrative work, but my office door is almost always open to the classroom where I can hear the children’s laughter and welcome them in for a visit.
I truly love what I do.
SHERRY BONELL
Office Administrator
Greetings! I joined the MSW team as the Office Administrator in 2010 and have really enjoyed each year working with staff, parents and the children.
I have over 30 years of experience as an Early Childhood Educator (RECE) working with children from 3 months to 12 years.
I took a keen interest in RIRO (Reaching In Reaching Out) a program designed to promote resiliency in young children. The Montessori environment promotes independence and is a fundamental component of the Montessori philosophy, which helps even the youngest of children gain a resilience that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
On a personal note, I have two grown sons, and my husband and I enjoy travelling to new places and have fun doing DIY projects around the house.
Please feel free to stop by the office to say hello.
SUTHARSANI YOGANATHAN
Montessori Casa Assistant and Before school teacher
I am an early childhood educator with over 30 years of experience working with children both in my home country of Sri Lanka and here in Canada. My teaching journey began when working with children in refugee camps during the war in Sri Lanka. It was their enthusiasm and joy for learning that propelled me to seek further education in the area of education. In 1991 I received my diploma in Montessori Education in Sri Lanka. It was during this time I learned about Maria Montessori, which completely revolutionized the way I thought about children and how they learn.
Due to the escalating war in my country, my family and I were forced to flee. I arrived in Canada in the summer of 2004 and have worked at the Montessori School of Wellington since 2005. To update my credentials, I took the Emergent Curriculum course offered at the Ontario Early Years Centre. I have also studied in the area of managing individual and group behaviors with a focus on developing self-esteem in children by establishing routines and giving positive guidance. In 2014 I successfully completed the Fundamentals of Montessori course through CGMS continuing education. And now with my 3 decades of teaching experience, I still continue to seek new opportunities to improve my teaching skills.
In my daily teaching, I keep a quote by Maria Montessori in my mind, “…education is not something which the teacher does, but … is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.”
RAYNA LEW
Montessori Guide
My name is Rayna Lew and I am a Casa guide at the Montessori School of Wellington. I graduated from the Toronto Montessori Institute in June of 2014 and began working in September, 2014.
I have grown up with the Montessori philosophy, as I attended MSW in 1996 when my mother – Glynis Hamilton – opened the school. Once I finished my third year of Montessori, I moved on to public school.
Over the years, I’ve attended a variety of Montessori conferences, workshops and seminars. I also attended a workshop offered by Stuart Shanker on methods of developing self-regulation in young children.
Some of my hobbies include: weightlifting, taking Stella on adventures, caring for my collection of plants and caring for my adopted cat, Clyde.
AMBER KEOGH
Toddler Teacher
My name is Amber Keogh and I joined the MSW team in October, 2019 where I started off as an Administrative Assistant and an After School Program Coordinator. In December 2019, I also started in the position of MSW French Teacher where I enjoy working with the children one on one.
I graduated from the Early Childhood Education program at Niagara College and am a Registered Early Childhood Educator (RECE) with several years of experience working with children in various settings (schools, daycares, drop-in programs, summer camps, etc.). I grew up in rural Quebec and later moved to Ontario, so I grew up immersed in both English and French culture and language. I come from a very large family with many younger cousins, which sparked my passion for working with children. In my free time I love spending time with my family, reading and volunteering in the community.
I became familiar with Montessori during my days as an ECE student where my final practicum was at a Montessori inspired school in Niagara Falls. This resulted in my being hired as a Casa teacher the following year. After moving to Guelph, I found that I was unsatisfied working at regular daycares and missed the Montessori environment. It was with great joy that I joined the Montessori School of Wellington where I look forward to continuing to work with families and staff.
VALENTYNA ZINKEVYCH
Montessori Casa Assistant and After school teacher
I started my career in Early Childhood Education 10 years ago after graduating from Hrinchenko Kyiv University with a BA in ECE. I hold a Master’s degree in Education from Herzen University in Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Having a truly multicultural background and experience, I never stop learning. I joined the Montessori School of Wellington in early 2019 as a Montessori Classroom Assistant and After school Teacher. I enjoy every day with my students as we explore the world, learn new skills and cultures.
MARIEKE OUDEJANS
My name is Marieke Oudejans and I am one of the most recent additions to the Montessori School of Wellington. I graduated from Western University in 2019 with a BA in sociology and family studies. After graduating I was introduced to the Montessori approach when I worked as an assistant teacher at the Royal City Montessori Academy. During this time I also acquired my Montessori Assistant Teaching certification. Prior to this I had worked with children in various settings for many of years including at summer day camps, overnight camps and teaching swimming lessons.
I am excited to now be part of the team and working in the beautiful new facility here at Montessori School of Wellington.
HALEEMAH RAHMAN
My name is Haleemah Rahman. I recently joined the Montessori School of Wellington. My love of working with children led me to switch my career from an Aquaculturist to an Early Childhood Educator.
During my ECE program at St. Lawrence College I had a placement at a Montessori School which made me realize I knew that was the way I wanted to work with children. I took the Montessori Casa Diploma Program (Casa) while working and I graduated from the Montessori Teachers College in June 2019.
I deepen my knowledge in working with children by regularly participating in different Montessori workshops and professional development offered to RECE’s in Wellington County.
I am looking forward to working with children, families and colleagues at the Montessori School of Wellington.
TAYLOR LEWIS
French Teacher
My name is Taylor Lewis. I recently began working in Casa Blue as a French teacher. I am an accredited and board-certified music therapist (MTA, MT-BC) who has worked with various populations including older adults who experience memory loss and children with special needs. I completed my Graduate Diploma in Music Therapy as well as my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music at Concordia University. I also hold a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Gender Studies from McGill University. I became very interested in the Montessori method in 2013, while working as an assistant educator at a semi-Montessori preschool based in Montreal. Since then, I have thought a lot about the importance of using a soft tone when speaking to children so that they will be inclined to listen.
When not in the classroom, I appreciate reading, spending time in nature with my very tall Saluki-cross dog, and singing or playing the guitar. Having lived in Quebec for 17 years, I am proficient at written and spoken French. I enjoy taking a child-centred approach to French education. It brings me joy to see the spark of curiosity that learning a new language can bring to a child.
