Gwendolyn Horton
Head of School
Lais Cristina Blanco Soares
Lead Teacher, Toddler Community
Marina Conrado
Lead Teacher, Mobile Infant Community
Mónica Fong
Lead Teacher, Primary Program
Crystal Cain
Assistant Teacher, Primary Program
Adrienne Edwards
Assistant Teacher, Primary Program
Tania Fuentes
Assistant Teacher, Infant Community
Gabriela Sanchez
Assistant Teacher, Mobile Infant Community
I joined Palisades Montessori in 2019 as Director and Lead Teacher at the Infant and Toddler Community. In that role, I focused on building an inclusive and student-centered Montessori environment. I also co-led the design of new learning spaces and operating procedures for the school during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Before coming to Palisades Montessori in 2019, I spent more than 18 years as a Montessori teacher at the Metro Montessori schools and Toddlers on the Hill, and served as an acting Directress at ToTH. Throughout my career, I have had a special interest in faculty professional development, and am also an Instructor of Adult Learners at the Montgomery Montessori Institute in Rockville, Maryland. My areas of expertise include Toddler Pedagogy, the Home Environment, and Leadership: How to Design an Anti-Bias Classroom. I truly believe in the authenticity of Montessori education, especially in early childhood. As a young child, I attended a Montessori school during my Primary years – and I still remember my experience as a student to this day. I am the proud mother of Christopher, and a bonus mom to teens Michael and Sayla. My pronouns are she/her, and my teacher name is Mrs. Gwen!
My name is Lais, I am originally from São Paulo, Brazil. I moved to the U.S in 2015 as an au pair, an exchange program where you live with a host family and care for their children. It was an amazing experience! I graduated with a degree in Education in 2012 and I have been a teacher since then. I love my profession, and that is why I decided to become a Montessori teacher. In 2020, I earned my Montessori certification from Barrie Institute. It is a great honor to share everything I learned with my students, but also, to learn every single day from the greatest people of all: The children. During my free time I love taking long walks around Palisades; listening to music and podcasts; and doing puzzles and crafts, such as wood burning and embroidery. My newest hobby is cultivating succulents. Every day with my students is a new chapter of a beautiful Montessori journey, and I feel lucky to have the chance to be part of their lives. As Dr. Maria Montessori said, “The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.”
I am a proud Brazilian who became a teacher 10 years ago, when I started teaching English as Second Language to children. However, during the course of this decade, I have taught people of all age groups (including seniors!). I have also had the pleasure of have been an Au Pair and nanny to children ranging from ages 0 to 10, who I have proudly seen blossom into incredible little (and some not so little anymore) human beings. In 2020, I graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with honors from the Associates of Education program. I also have a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, but I am the happiest around children. The symbiotic relationship between educators and children is something I hold very dear to my heart. After all, the whole purpose of life is learning and evolving by learning from and with others! Some of my hobbies are cooking, dancing, watching movies and series and makeup. So, do not be surprised if you see us dancing around or doing lots of art projects: we are all exercising our bodies and our brains!
My name is Mónica Fong. I am from the south of México. I graduated in 2019 with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. After completing my degree, I decided to come to the United States as an Au Pair. I lived in Bethesda, MD for more than two years. During this time, I realized how much I enjoy the company of children and I decided to pursue my Montessori teaching certificate. I truly believe that the children are the center of the classroom and that we must follow their tempo in order to help them grow. I am currently a student at the Barrie Institute and I am excited about being a part of the Palisades Montessori community. During my free time, I like being outdoors, exploring the DMV area, swimming, practicing yoga, and dancing! I also enjoy cooking and doing crafts. I really am happy to be part of your child’s learning experience!
Hello! My name is Crystal Cain. I’ve been an educator for three years. I graduated from Morgan State University with my BA in English and a creative writing concentration in 2019. I got my start in education in Baltimore City Schools before moving back to the DC area in 2022. I look forward to continuing my career in education at Palisade Montessori. Here are some fun facts about me! I love reading and writing young adult fiction. My top three hobbies are skateboarding, photography and rug making. My favorite painter is Van Gogh. I have a sneaker collection. My favorite color is green!
My name is Adrienne Edwards. I am 24 years old, a HUGE Star Wars fan, and I was a competitive swimmer for over 10 years. I have been working with children for over five years now. I began my journey as a summer camp counselor at Camp Pine Tree where I quickly realized that working with children is my calling. It truly fills my heart with joy to help children learn and watch them grow. Next, I worked at Kim’s Karate Learning Center as an afterschool teacher and eventually moved on to become a teacher’s assistant at the Greenbelt Nursery School in 2018. I love the creativity and hands-on learning that is encouraged through Montessori teaching. I recognize that every child is unique and learns at their own pace; I want to encourage children to always be curious and eager to learn. I am so excited to be a part of this wonderful team and help prepare our children for the future!
My name is Tania Fuentes and I have been working with children of all ages since I was a sophomore in high school. I am the youngest of four and I am a freshman in college. When I am not doing schoolwork, I enjoy painting and baking. I have worked in various environments such as elementary school and daycares, and I am so excited to join PMITC. I’m very excited to be working at PMITC because of how passionate everyone is about their work. It feels good to be in an environment that matches the loving energy that I am excited to implement as a teacher. I am looking forward to getting to know all the children and their parents one-on-one.
My name is Gabriela Sanchez! I am 21 years old, and I have been working with children since my sophomore year of high school. I first started at an internship through an elementary school, where I worked with Pre-Kindergartners three days a week. From there, I moved onto working at a daycare and childcare facility, mainly caring for infants and toddlers. I have a lifetime of experience with younger children, as I’m the oldest of three siblings and cared for my toddler cousin almost every weekday for the past three years. I’m excited to be working with Palisades Montessori, and so far have enjoyed the kind and inviting atmosphere. I look forward to many Montessori adventures to come!