Our Staff

MISS SANDY

HEAD OF SCHOOL & LEAD TEACHER

Miss Sandy moved to Hawaii in 1975 and now resides in Mililani. She is a graduate of Mililani High School and Chaminade University. Sandy has a Bachelor of General Studies Degree specializing in Early Childhood Education with a Montessori emphasis. She is also certified as a Montessori Directress with the American Montessori Society in New York. Sandy has worked as a Montessori preschool teacher for more than thirty-five years.

MISS MAILE

LEAD TEACHER

Miss Maile attended the Singapore American School and graduated from Bridgeway Academy. She joined our staff shortly after she moved to Hawaii from Singapore in 2009 as a Teacher Aide, then as an Assistant Teacher after graduating from Leeward Community College in December 2013 with an Associates Degree in Teaching. Maile graduated from Chaminade University with a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education with Montessori credential in May 2016.

MISS KAE

TEACHER AIDE

Miss Kae was born and raised in Japan where she studied Cross-Cultural Studies and Japanese Studies at Kanagawa University, graduating with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Literature. She moved to Hawaii in August 2022 with her husband who is in the Navy.  In addition to working with us, she teaches Japanese at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Outreach College.

MISS SATOMI

TEACHER AIDE

Miss Satomi was born and raised in Japan where she attended school in Kanagawa and became certified by the Japan Kennel Club as a professional dog trainer and groomer in 2015. She came to Hawaii in 2023 to join her husband who is in the Navy.

MISS ANA

TEACHER AIDE

Miss Ana was born and raised in South Carolina where she graduated from Probost Academy and received her CDA from the Early Childhood Education Institute. She spent a year working at a Montessori school in South Carolina before moving to Hawaii in 2022 with her husband who is in the Navy.

MRS. RUTH E. NUNNARI

FOUNDER

Mrs. Nunnari was originally from Germany where she graduated with a business degree. She obtained a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education from Chaminade University and a Montessori Diploma from the American Montessori Society after graduating from Chaminade’s very first class of Montessori teachers in 1977. Mrs. Nunnari operated preschools in Mililani and Wahiawa before starting our Montessori Center at the request of Admiral Boyle in 1986 to serve the military community. Over the years Mrs. Nunnari’s schools have served as intern sites for 27 students from Chaminade University, all of whom graduated and became certified Montessori teachers.  Mrs. Nunnari passed away in September 2014 after years of battling illness.