Our Team of Educators
Anna Rita joins us from Del Mar Academy, an independent, bilingual Montessori and International Baccalaureate school located in Nosara, Costa Rica. While there, she taught, consulted, and served as Head of School. Anna Rita has an Ed.M. in Educational Leadership Studies from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Zachary is excited to join Battery Park Montessori and is eager to translate his creative, collaborative, and organizational talents to support Green Ivy. He comes to us with experience in theatre administration production where he helped put together several plays in various locations around the U.S.
Stacey brings over 18 years of diverse education experience to Battery Park Montessori and has been with us since our first year! She earned her Montessori teaching credential from West Side Montessori and has a Masters in Early Childhood Education and SPED.
Ana Chico was born and raised in Ciudad Real, Spain, a city located in the center of her mother country. Ana pursued her Bachelors in Hospitality and Tourism management in Seville. Continuing her education, she obtained a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics of Teaching Spanish as a foreign language in Nebrija University in Madrid.
Stephy was born and raised in Suzhou, China. As a native Mandarin speaker, she also has a rich experience of studying abroad – she studied and worked in Canada for eight years. While there, she obtained an Associate Degree and subsequent licensure in Early Childhood Education, with a concentration in infant/toddlers and special needs.
Maria has a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education, a Montessori certification for children ages 3-6 and a New York State Teaching Certification in Early Childhood Education (birth-2nd grade).
Claire was born and raised in Taiwan where she received her Bachelor’s in Chinese Literature and Foreign Languages and Literatures. Claire graduated with a Master’s in General Education from Elmira College, where she also taught Mandarin courses to undergraduate students.
Marien earned her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education from Universidad Católica Andres Bello, in Caracas. She also holds a Spanish teacher Certification from Instituto Cervantes-London and a Montessori Certification for infants and toddlers from the North
American Montessori Center.
Emily has a B.A. in Psychology, a B.A. in Theatre from Converse College, and her Montessori certification for children ages 3-6. She's been working with Primary-aged children since moving to New York in 2015.
Jing earned her Master of Education in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been teaching young children from early childhood to early elementary level for the past 9 years and holds New York State certification in childhood education and early childhood special education.
Mariela joins the team with more than five years of teaching experience as a Spanish teacher in Montessori Education. She has a Masters in Early Childhood with Special Needs at Concordia University and completed her B.S. in Psychology and Childhood Development.
Pooja Jha has been with Green Ivy Schools as a sub for several years now. Beyond that, Pooja has more than 10 years of teaching experience. She holds the 3-6yo Montessori credential from the UK and has worked as a teacher in different countries like India, Singapore, and the United States (New York).
Green Ivy Schools Team
Dr. Jennifer Jones is the founder and visionary behind New York City's Green Ivy Schools network and a lifelong entrepreneur and advocate for evolved learning experiences for children from birth to high school and beyond. She has developed 24 schools and draws from a rich background as school developer, international policy consultant, and teacher.
Rosa leads Nursery 2s to 5th Grade Admissions at Green Ivy Schools, building the community by sharing our unique and forward-thinking programming. Prior to Green Ivy, she worked at the Chinese Cultural Studies Program for Children at Columbia University as their Admissions and Operations Lead.
Barb is a CPA with over 20 years of experiences in organizations large and small. She handles strategy development, financial forecasting, budgeting and more for our rapidly evolving schools.
Gail holds a B.A. in Business and a B.A. in Accounting from Lakeland College Sheboygan in Wisconsin. Gail's background is primarily in tax accounting and general accounting in non-profits and a start-up meal preparation businesses.
Michael brings 12 years of experience across camp and school programs, having served as a camp director, program developer and counselor as well as a drama and history teacher. From NYC day camps to outdoor challenge courses in his native state of Florida, he believes that one of the most important things for any child is having a safe, enriching space for play, creativity, exploration and personal expression.