AMS-Accredited School
100% of our teachers are Montessori credentialed   ➤

Our Faculty

Donna Fiumara
Head of Schools

Donna has been with our school as both a parent and an employee since 1999. Donna is a former Master Teacher, Kindergarten Enrichment Teacher and Educational Director. She is a consultant for the American Montessori Society (AMS) as well as a Redirecting Children’s Behavior (RCB) Course Instructor.

MA Education – St. Catherine University
BS Accounting – St. John’s University
Montessori Credential (Infant through 1st Grade) – St. Nicholas Center, London (MACTE)
Montessori Credential (1st through 3rd Grade) – N.A.M.C.

Nancy Tamburello
Educational Director

Nancy has worked at Cherry Blossom Montessori School since 2003. She has taught in both the Primary and Elementary Programs. Nancy has worked as a field consultant for Princeton Center for Teacher Education. She has been a parent in our school since 2008.

BA Psychology – University of San Diego
Montessori Credential – AMS Early Childhood and AMS Elementary I – Princeton Center for Teacher Education
Montessori Credential – AMS Elementary II – WSMS – TEP

Ann O’Connor
Office Manager

Ann previously worked for 18 years as a software engineer for an insurance company. She joined Cherry Blossom in 2019.

BS Mathematics – James Madison University

Sunyoung Lee
Head Teacher

Sunny has experience teaching in Montessori Programs since 2010

MA Western Kentucky University
Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education
Montessori Credential – AMS Infant & Toddler, Princeton Center for Teacher Education

Yosy Defex
Assistant Teacher

Yosy has been teaching in early childhood education since 2013.

Montessori Credential – Montessori Assistant Teacher Training – PCTE

Carol Nittoli
Co-Teacher

Carol has taught in our Primary Program since 1993. She became a grandparent in our school in 2014.

Montessori Credential – Early Childhood Program – N.A.M.C.
Montessori Assistant Training Course – New Rochelle, New York

Geetha Sethuraman
Co-Teacher

Geetha joined Cherry Blossom Montessori in 2021. She has experience teaching in a Montessori Program since 2012.

BS English Literature, Auxilium College
Montessori Credential: Early Childhood Program – Calcutta Montessori Training Institute

Melissa Phelan
Lead Teacher

Melissa joined CBM in 2018 and has worked in a Montessori Primary Program since 2015. She has been a parent in our school.

BA in Early Childhood – December 2018
Montessori Credential – AMS Primary Program – MCTD

Prathiba Selvaraj
Assistant Teacher

Prathiba has worked as an assistant in a Montessori Program since 2022.

MBA – Madras University
Montessori Credential – Montessori Assistant Training , Princeton Center for Teacher Education

Stacy Catoggio
Lead Teacher and Kindergarten Enrichment

Stacy has worked at Cherry Blossom Montessori since 1996.

Montessori Credential – AMS Early Childhood, New Gate School

Minakshi Chaudhary
Assistant Teacher

Minakshi has been teaching in early childhood education programs since 2002.

Bachelor’s Degree in Education – Saurashtra University
Montessori Credential – Assistant Training Course, Princeton Center for Teacher Education ( in process)

Anu Krishnan
Lower Elementary Teacher

Anu joined Cherry Blossom Montessori in 2003 as an employee and as a parent. She has worked as a field consultant for the Princeton Center for Teacher Education program.

MA Education, University of Phoenix, BS Biology, N.S.S. College, Associates Degree in Computer Science, Middlesex County College
Montessori Credential – AMS Early Childhood – Princeton Center for Teacher Education
Montessori Credential – AMS Elementary I – Princeton Center for Teacher Education

Cindy Fonzetti
Assistant Teacher

Ms. Fonzetti has taught in our Toddler, Primary and Elementary Montessori programs since 2000.

BA Early Childhood – NJ City University
Montessori Credential – North American Montessori Center

Nancy Cesta
Music Teacher

Nancy joined our faculty in 2005 and is responsible for Stepping Stone, Primary, and Elementary music education. Music has always been the main course of her life, studying piano, vocal performance, and extensive music theory in college.

BA, Psychology, Marketing – Muhlenberg College

Sandra Hurtado
Elementary Spanish Teacher

Sandra is a native of Colombia, South America and joined our school in 2002 as an employee and as a parent in 2005. Before joining Raritan Valley Montessori and Cherry Blossom Montessori, she taught at both the Elementary and High School level.

MA Spanish Linguistics – University of Medellin
BA Pedagogy – Javeriana University
BA Modern Languages- University of Antioquia
Montessori Credential: AMS Elementary I – WSMSTEP

Deisy Escamilla-Benitez
Primary Spanish Teacher, Head of After School Programs

Deisy has been teaching in early childhood education since 2016.

Montessori Credential: Montessori Assistant Teacher Training – PCTE

Amber Roselle
Fine Arts Teacher/Office Assistant

Amber joined Cherry Blossom Montessori as a staff member in 2020. She was a student at our school and has been a CBM parent since 2017. She teaches Art at both the CBM and RVM campuses.

BA in Interior Design – Kean University
AA in Graphic Design, Visual and Studio Arts – RVCC