ORION MONTESSORI - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership and Management Team
- Director of Operations & Admissions
- Is Director of Operations & Admissions at Orion Montessori School
Anita Herbert is Director of Operations & Admissions at Orion Montessori School.
Anita Herbert has been with OMS since 2016. She holds a Bachelor's and Master's in Engineering from Dallas, Texas. Additionally, she also has an AMI Administrator's training from Houston, Texas.
She comes with extensive years of Administration and Management experience. Her Administration and Management expertise comes from leading various multinational companies in Dubai, India, and the U.S. Anita has always had a love for children and the field of education. We are extremely privileged to have Anita at OMS.
Job Titles:
- Assistant / Floater Teacher
Ms. Jee Hye "Jessie" Huh became a part of OMS in the winter of 2023, bringing with her a Bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Gachon University in South Korea.
With over a decade of experience working with children in Canada, Ms. Jessie demonstrates a profound passion for educating children. She firmly believes in the Montessori philosophy as an effective means to nurture young minds.
Her keen interest in child psychology and unwavering enthusiasm to unlock each child's unique potential are evident in her dedicated approach.
Job Titles:
- Toddler Assistant Teacher
Ms. Karina Ruiz-Valencia joined OMS in August 2023.
She was a teacher assistant for transitional kindergarteners through 5th graders. Ms. Karina also has guest service experience and worked as a lifeguard.
Caring for her four younger sisters ignited her passion to pursue a teaching career and she looks forward to helping and caring for children so that they can have bright futures ahead.
We are pleased to have Ms. Karina on the OMS team.
Ms. Mala Kodippily joined OMS in the fall of 2021. She comes to us with a rich Montessori background as she holds one of the original AMI Montessori diplomas for ages 0-8 years from Sri Lanka and has more than 40 years of teaching experience as a Guide in several leading Montessori schools in the Bay Area.
Ms. Mala has a passion for Montessori education and enjoys working in all areas of the philosophy. She especially has a heart for studying and teaching children about different cultures and countries through songs and books.
Mr. Shawn Kreider joined OMS in fall 2022.
He has always had a passion for helping children and families learn and grow. Mr. Shawn grew up in Michigan and received a Bachelor‛s degree in psychology from Michigan State University which led to him working as a counselor at a children‛s psychiatric hospital and as social worker, before returning to school for his teacher certification. He holds a Master's degree in Curriculum and teaching through MSU. His Montessori training includes an AMI Elementary diploma from Montessori Institute of San Diego.
Mr. Shawn has experience teaching in a variety of age groups of children and teaching settings. He brings a passion for music into his classroom by singing and writing songs with children including operas, having begun his college education as a music major. In his free time, he enjoys biking, hiking, and camping. At home, Mr. Shawn enjoys to cook, read, and play the guitar. He has three grown sons whom he continues to learn from.
We are delighted to have Mr. Shawn on the OMS team.
Job Titles:
- Toddler Assistant Teacher
Ms. Alice Yu joined OMS in the fall of 2021.
She has an accounting degree from the College of Information of East China Normal University and has completed her Early Childhood (EC) Teacher Credential Course at Montessori Teacher Education Center. She has previously worked at three Bay Area Montessori schools.
We are glad to have Ms. Alice on our team!
I am very happy I decided to enroll my son at Orion. I can tell he loves it and I feel he is thriving. He always asks to go to school in the morning and talks about his teachers with joy. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a place were your child is well taken cared off and comes home everyday with a smile on his face.
Ms. Janani Bhuvaneswaran joined OMS in fall 2022. She has completed AMI Primary (3-6) Diploma at Bangalore, India & the AMI A to I (0-3) Diploma at Denver, CO. She also holds a Master's in Education from Loyola University, Baltimore, MD.
Ms. Janani is passionate about infant mental health and has worked one-on-one over the years supporting families the early years of their child's life. In her leisure time, she loves to read or sing and also to host, and especially, cook for her friends and family. She and her husband and have a 3-year-old son.
We are glad to have Ms. Janani at OMS.
Ms. Rina Ayala joined Orion Montessori School in 2017. She has an AMI Primary diploma (3-6 years) from Montessori Northwest and multiple early childhood education credentials.
Ms. Rina was trained under the tutelage of Ms. Shriee. She has an innate love for children, especially the infant-toddler age group (birth to 3 years). Working with children comes naturally to Ms. Rina and the children take a quick liking to her and gravitate towards her easily.
We are privileged to have Ms. Rina at OMS!
I am very happy I decided to enroll my son at Orion. I can tell he loves it and I feel he is thriving. He always asks to go to school in the morning and talks about his teachers with joy. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a place were your child is well taken cared off and comes home everyday with a smile on his face.
Job Titles:
- Head of School
- Member of the Leadership and Management Team
Ms. Soraya Rafat joined Orion Montessori School in 2016. She holds a Bachelor degree in Political Science and Humanities, and an AMI Primary diploma (3-6 years) from MTTCofNC (Montessori Teachers Training Center of Northern California).
Ms. Soraya has more than 30 years of experience as a Montessori Guide working in various schools in CA and has a passion for Montessori education and working with children.
We are glad to have Ms. Soraya at OMS!
Ms. Tuyen "Sally" Le joined OMS in the fall of 2021. She has a Bachelor's in Tourism and Hospitality Management from Lotus University in Vietnam.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Founder
- Member of the Leadership and Management Team
- CEO / Founder of Orion Montessori School
Shriee Srinivas is the CEO/Founder of Orion Montessori School.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership and Management Team
- Advisor to Orion Montessori School
- Director of Finance & Communications
Sunita Pilli has been an advisor to Orion Montessori School. In fall 2021, she assumed the position of Director of Finance & Communications. Sunita has dual Bachelor degrees in Science (International Business) and Arts (Organizational Communication) from San Francisco State University. Additionally, she has completed numerous Executive Education and leadership courses at University of California, Berkeley.
Sunita was previously Communications Manager, Assistant Manager of Customer Service and Senior Analyst at San Francisco International Airport. She has always had a love for children and the field of education.
We are extremely delighted to have Sunita at OMS.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Leadership and Management Team
- Co - Founder of Orion Montessori School
Vivek Nandalike is Co-Founder of Orion Montessori School. He gained a Montessori education as a child from ages 3-9.
He went on to acquire a Bachelor's in Telecommunication Engineering with a Master's in Business Management and Finance. Vivek has helped found many multinational companies in India and the U.S. He enjoys investing in prospective ventures/companies worldwide.
In 2015, Vivek felt the need to be a part of the AMI Montessori philosophy and give back to the education that has shaped him today, and OMS was born.