John Page is the Founder and Executive Director of our school. He founded the Meher Montessori School in Altadena in 1972. He taught there, as well as administrated, until 1982 when he started an affiliated school in Alhambra. Then for the next 2 years he taught in Alhambra, as well as doing its administrative work, until starting our Monterey Park School in 1984. He is a graduate of UCLA and the AMI Montessori Institute of Los Angeles. Mr. Page holds an AMI Primary teaching credential from the Montessori Institute of Los Angeles and an AMI Elementary teaching credential from the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee. He is currently teaching the Upper Elementary classroom for children 9-12 years of age. Click here to see Mr. Pages's 2011-2012 class photo.

Eugene George is our AMI Montessori elementary teacher for the Lower Elementary classroom with children from 6-9 years of age. Mr. George graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts degree and later traveled to Bergamo, Italy and spent a year taking his Montessori Elementary Teacher Training. Mr. George has more than twenty years experience teaching Montessori elementary children. He taught for us for three years from 2000 to 2002 and returned to us in 2006 after a three year hiatus. Click here to see Mr. George's 2011-2012 class photo.

Nichole Muñoz is with us for her eleventh year. She completed her required Child Development course work at East Los Angeles College. Nichole graduated from The Montessori Institute of San Diego with her AMI Primary Teacher's Diploma. She is a teacher in one of our downstairs primary classrooms. Nichole is also in charge of our School's web site. Click here to see Ms. Muñoz' 2011-2012 class photo.

Maria Rivera is with us for her tenth year. She is a teacher in one of our primary classrooms. She is a graduate of Western Mindanao State University in the Philippines where she achieved two B.S. degrees. One is in chemistry and the other in elementary education. In addition she has a Certificate of Specialization in Pre-school Education. Maria graduated from The Montessori Institute of San Diego with her AMI Primary Teacher's Diploma. Click here to see Mrs. Rivera's 2011-2012 class photo.

Philomena Thomas is an AMI Montessori teacher in our northern downstairs primary classroom. She is a 1963 graduate of the Good Shepherd Maria Montessori AMI Training Centre in Sri Lanka. In 1968 she founded the Montessori program at De Sales Heights Academy in Parkersburg, West Virgina where she taught for 11 years. Philomena later went to South Africa and established a Montessori School in Johannesburg. She then taught for 3 years in Hawaii before joining our staff in September 1986. Click here to see Mrs. Thomas's 2011-2012 class photo.

Althea Wildhaber has worked for Meher Montessori Schools off and on since 2000. She has worked in the primary classrooms at both the Monterey Park and Altadena schools, as well as before and after school daycare. In addition to completing her required child development course, she has also earned an AA in Social Sciences from PCC. Althea graduated from The Montessori Institute of San Diego with her AMI Primary Teacher's Diploma.

Xavier Barrameda’s Montessori experiences began when he was of primary age. His mother received her AMI Teaching diplomas for all levels from 0-12 years of age, and opened a small school in the Philippines for his siblings and neighbors. It has now grown to six schools. Xavier’s father also completed the Montessori Adolescents Program. So as you can see, Xavier has been submerged in Montessori most of his life, and that inspired him to become a Montessori teacher. Xavier recently completed his Elementary training at the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee, and received his Masters in Montessori Education at Loyola University in Maryland. Xavier has had the added benefit of learning and training in his own homeland with his parents’ keen Montessori environment and rigorous in-home training. Mr. Barrameda is familiar to many of our children as he was here as a volunteer in Mr. George’s class in the Spring giving the children many lessons. The children are quite fond of him. Xavier continues working with Mr. George giving lessons in the Lower Elementary.

Allison Tenold is assisting Mr. Page in the Upper Elementary. Allison is a bright young star hailing from the great state of Washington. This summer she completed her first summer session of Montessori Elementary training at Mr. Page’s Alma Mater… Montessori Institute of Milwaukee. Allison has many years in the field of Education. She holds a Masters in Education from Eastern Washington University and is credentialed to teach in the WA public schools. Most importantly, Allison is passionate about the Montessori philosophy as she was a Montessori child herself. Meher looks forward to a strong team in the Upper Elementary class. In addition to her passion for teaching she is a volunteer soccer coach in her spare time. We are very pleased to have Allison join our family.

Salena Bayon is with us for her eleventh year. She is in her fourth year as Mr. George's full time asistant in the Lower Elementary Class. Her daughter Kaya is starting her second year in Ms. Munoz' primary class.

Cynthia Martinez is an assistant in Ms. Munoz' class and works in our after school primary day care. Cynthia is a very special staff member because this is her twenty-seventh year of service in our school. She started with us in September 1984 when our Monterey Park facility opened. Besides having completed course work for her Child Development I certificate, she has completed a special two-week course on the Montessori Method for the paraprofessional.

Michelle Gonzalez (Samantha & Jacqueline’s mom) joined our staff four years ago as a substitute teacher and a librarian. This is her third year assisting full time in Mrs. Rivera's class. Michelle recently earned her certificate in Child Development from Rio Hondo College.

Anette Mills (nicknamed "Coach") started working at the Meher Montessori School in Monterey Park in 1992 as a park-time P.E. teacher. She also worked with the primary children in extended day care in the afternoon. She completed her required child development courses at East Los Angeles College. In 2001 she transferred to the Altadena Meher Montessori School to assist in the classroom and afternoon daycare and now she's back at our Monterey Park facility. She is assisting in Ms. Munoz' class.

Nancy Ramirez is back at Meher Montessori School. She currently works part-time in Mrs. Rivera’s classroom. She attends East Los Angeles College and has seventeen years experience in child care.

Marta Ruvalcaba works with the primary children in the extended day care in the afternoon. She began working at Meher Montessori School as a substitute in 1992. Marta has many years of experience working for El Rancho Unified School District Childrens Center for ten years and The Los Angeles Unified School District Childrens Center. She holds a Children Center Teachers Permit from the State of California and an A.A. degree. She celebrated 30 years of service providing childcare for children.

Ji Young Suh is Philomena Thomas's full time teaching assistant. She is starting her eighth year as Mrs. Thomas's assistant. Ji was with our school for many years as a parent. Her two children, Joon-Woo and Erica are former students. She is a graduate of Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul, Korea and received her Child Development Certificate from Patten University.

Gail Shaeffer, is our former school director and has been with Meher Montessori School since 1984. Gail has many years of teaching experience, as well as 9 years experience administrating at MMS. Gail has a B.S. in elementary education from Boston University, a California Elementary Teaching Credential, and is a graduate of the AMI Montessori Institute of Los Angeles. This year will be Gail’s nineth year as our art director. She works with staff members as well as children to bring more art into the school. Mrs. Shaeffer also gives special art lessons in the afternoon after school to children who sign up.

Adela Muñoz is our School's Director. She started with the school as a part time substitute teacher in September 1992 and became our assistant director in July of 1993. Adela graduated from the AMI Teacher Training at the AMI Montessori Institute of Los Angeles and holds an AMI Primary Teacher’s Diploma.

Elodia (Kookie) Chavez (parent of Meher Alum Evita & Eli) is the school's buisness administrator. She is in charge of all student records, county required student reports, payroll, and human resources.

Linda Joe (aka Mrs. Yoshida – Taylor & Timmy’s mom) will be in the office a few of days a week. She is in charge of the school newsletter and with her graphic arts background also makes materials for the school. She also assists Mrs. Shaeffer with the after school art program.

Karina Page Karina Page is the wife of John Page, and has been helping with the Schools in various ways. She currently keeps the gardens, purchases regular supplies, works the “Downstairs Library,” and assists in special events. You will most often see her in the garden, tending to its needs throughout the year.

Sharon Hyde joined the Meher Montessori family in 1982, working as an assistant teacher and eventually taking the AMI training in 1989 earning her the AMI diploma. She worked for a year at the Monterey Park location and was invited to be the Director/Teacher of the Meher Montessori School in Altadena in 1992. Sharon lives in Altadena with her husband of 40 years. She has two grown children who both live in the Pasadena/Altadena area. Click here to see Mrs. Hyde's 2008-2009 class photo.

Gracie Avila returned to us two years ago as an assistant in our Altadena school. She also works in our after school day care.

Victoria McCray has been with the Meher Montessori School since 1986. She completed her child development classes at Pasadena City College. Victoria is the assistant teacher in Mrs. Hyde's classroom and she also does the day care in the mornings, greeting the children and parents.

Sue Hoshimiya was our office manager from 1983 until her passing away in November, 2004 after a long illness. Sue was our dear friend and a member of the Meher Montessori School staff for over 20 years. She was the business manager for both the Monterey Park School and the Altadena School. Sue first came to Meher Montessori School when her son Dru was 3 years old. He attended our Alhambra School and Sue was a parent volunteer. She became a permanent staff member a few years later and has been one of the backbones of Meher Montessori School ever since. Most of you may have never met Sue or known of her work for Meher, but if you had the chance to meet her you would never forget her. She was kind and she would do everything she could to help you. Her smile, her laugh, her homemade treats and handmade gifts will be forever in our memories. Meher Montessori School is a better place because of Sue.

Rudy The Dog: We are sorry to report that our beloved friend and school mascot, Rudy the dog, died on Wednesday, May 22, 2002.