Primary
Amanda Elliott
Head Montessori Teacher (Primary)
Ms. Amanda Elliott has known since early childhood that she wanted to be a teacher. While other children were dreaming of being a ballerina or an astronaut, she was dreaming of having her own classroom. Amanda has been working with children in different capacities for over fifteen years and graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Eight years later she was introduced to the Montessori Method which opened her eyes to all of the possibilities for children. Amanda attended the Montessori Institute of San Diego and Loyola University of Maryland to earn her Montessori Certificate and Masters of Education with an emphasis in Montessori respectively. She believes strongly in the Montessori Method and looks forward to growing as a guide in the Montessori environment.
Dalinda Arenas
Assistant Teacher
Ms. Dalinda was born and raised in Orange County in a bilingual home. She is currently attending Santiago Canyon College to earn her degree in Human Services. Her interest in working with children started when she took some Child Development and Education courses in college. This led Ms. Dalinda to work for an after-school program at an Elementary school and to volunteer as an aide for the Tustin Family and Youth Center preschool program. By joining LePort Montessori, Ms. Dalinda will learn the principles of Montessori culture, environment, language, and values demonstrated to children versus general public education. Ms. Dalinda enjoys spending time with her husband, family, and friends. She also likes to volunteer for her local youth group in her free time.
Ruth Stephens
Head Montessori Teacher (Primary)
Ms. Stephens, born in Erith, Kent, England, came to the U.S. in 1980. She received her A.A. in Early Childhood Education from State University of New York, Farmingdale, and her B.S. in Education from C.W. Post, Long Island University, New York. After four years in New York, Ms. Stephens moved to Southern California. She continued her education and earned her AMI Diploma from The Montessori Institute of Los Angeles in 1986.
Ms. Stephens brings to her teaching a wealth of enthusiasm, experience and talent. She is deeply committed to the Montessori method and continues to attend seminars, refresher courses, and lectures to deepen her understanding and appreciation of Maria Montessori’s approach to education. She has long been an active equestrian, and has a great interest in travel, the arts and nature. Since 1986 Ms. Stephens has been a teacher right here in Orange County, and has been a Head Primary Teacher at LePort Montessori since 2009.
Ms. Stephens brings to her teaching a wealth of enthusiasm, experience and talent. She is deeply committed to the Montessori method and continues to attend seminars, refresher courses, and lectures to deepen her understanding and appreciation of Maria Montessori’s approach to education. She has long been an active equestrian, and has a great interest in travel, the arts and nature. Since 1986 Ms. Stephens has been a teacher right here in Orange County, and has been a Head Primary Teacher at LePort Montessori since 2009.
Anoma Panditha
Head Montessori Teacher (Primary)
Ms. Anoma Panditha was born and raised in Sri Lanka and moved to the United States with her family in 2005. She was interested in Montessori education after caring for her two children. Before her Montessori teaching, she worked in the accounting field in Sri Lanka. She attended Irvine Valley College and Monarch Bay Montessori Academy. Ms. Panditha has been teaching Montessori since 2016 and enjoys watching the children grow in a normalized prepared environment. Outside of work, she loves hiking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two children.
Dushyanthi Nainanayake
Assistant Teacher
Ms. Dushyanthi Nainanayake was born and raised in Sri Lanka. She earned her degree in Business Administration and received her Flight Operations Officer license. After obtaining these qualifications, she started working in the aviation field as a Flight Operations Officer for an international airline in Sri Lanka. After having her son, Ms. Dushy developed an interest in the Montessori method. Upon migrating to the United States, Ms. Dushy completed her Early Childhood Education courses to pursue a career in teaching. Before joining our LePort Woodbridge community, Ms. Dushy worked as a Montessori Assistant Teacher for over 2 years. Ms. Dushy loves to spend time with her husband and son. She also has an interest in designing and crafting greeting cards.
