DIRECTOR/LEAD GUIDE

Persy Kreider was born and raised in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. She discovered the Montessori Method while taking a Special Education class in college. After graduating, Persy moved to Maitland, Florida, where she started working as a Montessori teacher’s assistant. When she first entered the classroom, her attention was caught by the children working independently, deeply engaged in their work, and the beautiful materials throughout her surroundings. She was fascinated by how the prepared environment allowed the children  to move freely to explore and work with the materials of their choice. Immediately, Persy fell in love with the Montessori Method and knew that this was her passion. She has worked as a toddler and primary teacher in Florida, Utah, and now California. In addition, she has home-schooled her children using the Montessori Philosophy. She comes to Crescent Montessori with 16 years of experience and is proud to be joining the community. In her spare time, Persy enjoys taking walks in nature with her two daughters.

Undergraduate Education
University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus, B.S Psychology

Montessori Training
National Center for Montessori Education

It is my goal to create a classroom environment that accommodates the needs of every child.  It is my belief that every child deserves to be treated with love and respect.  Daily I feel great gratitude for having found my calling.

ASSISTANT GUIDE

Isabella Silvi, is a Montessorian at heart, having attended Crescent Montessori for 10 years from primary through 6th grade. She has been enrolled in an independent study program since 2018 to allow a more flexible schedule to pursue her interests in dance and child development. She recently completed an Introduction to Montessori course at Montessori Northwest. Having been blessed with a strong foundation in the Montessori method, she has fully experienced how an inviting environment allows the curiosity and joy of lifelong learning to be nurtured and developed in a child. She has a gift with children, loves to babysit, and volunteers at her church nursery and summer camp to care for and teach preschoolers. Isabella is a seasoned dancer and studied ballet for 11 years, and she also plays the piano. Sonoma is her beloved hometown, and she is proud of her Italian and Filipino heritage. In her free time, she enjoys baking, cooking, biking, traveling, and spending time with her family. She plans to focus on early childhood education in college, and become a Montessori educator.

ASSISTANT GUIDE

Auren was born in Michoacan, Mexico. She grew up in Sebastopol, California and currently lives in Sonoma. She has had a passion for children since High School, where she was able to do her Senior internship at The Children's House in Sebastopol, where she had her first job. She worked as a preschool teacher/substitute teacher for the Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County for 2 years. She learned and fell in love with the Montessori Teaching Method while studying Early Child Development at Santa Rosa Junior College and doing her course hours at Montessori School of Sonoma. She currently has the privilege to have her daughter enrolled at Crescent Montessori School.

TAEKWONDO MAS INSTRUCTOR

Carmen Arriaga has been teaching Taekwondo for 35 years and is a black belt in Lima Llam Polynesian martial arts. Carmen is passionate about sharing her craft with the world, teaching at Sonoma Taekwondo Center which she opened in June of 2021.

Dance and Movement Instructor

Elizabeth Piazza is a dancer, mother, student and teacher. 

Elizabeth earned her BA from Prescott College in Integrative Studies for Dance and Spirituality (2005).  Prior to that she spent her early years training in ballet, competitive figure skating, and modern dance.    Her classes create a nurturing environment for young dancers to learn the foundations of technique and self expression. Elizabeth completed her Wee Yogis certification in 2017, allowing her another avenue to empower and educate young people and families.  She

 utilizes her unique skill set to help train, inspire and encourage people to live a life of creativity and discover their own magic.  

FACULTY EMERITUS, FOUNDER & CURRICULUM ADVISOR

Karin Niehoff founded Crescent Montessori School in 1994. Formerly a teacher at Vintage Country Day School, which closed in 1994, Karin carried on the Montessori tradition at the Pre-School level for 12 years before opening the school to Elementary classes in 2006 and to a Middle School class in 2014.

Montessori Training Montessori trained at all levels from pre-school through adolescent, Karin continued in the dual role of Teaching Head of School until her retirement at age 70. Today the school continues her legacy of an authentic Montessori pre-school class in its original location at the Sonoma Community Center.

About Karin
The blessing of a wonderful and productive career that spanned 44 years in the Montessori classroom surrounded by curious, happy learners, inspires Karin to continue on the learning path at Art Farm Sonoma where she continues to learn, paint and be surprised by the everyday work of art.

FACULTY EMERITUS

Pam has 40 years of Montessori teaching experience, and taught at Crescent since it opened in 1994 through 2017.

Montessori Training
Pam received an AMI Montessori Diploma in 1975 from the Montessori Institute of Los Angeles. She has been a Montessori Directress for the past 40 years, teaching in Southern California, Santa Rosa and at Crescent.

About Pam
Pam walked into a Montessori classroom for the first time when she was 14 years old. She was babysitting for a family who were realizing their dream of opening a Montessori classroom in southern California. Pam spent that summer helping the family convert an old house into the beautiful three classroom Montessori school. There was a lot of work to do, including painting, sewing curtains and tending three children as the old house transformed into a school not so different from Crescent Montessori. This transformative experience introduced Pam to the discoveries of Maria Montessori, and she knew that becoming a Montessori Directress was the work she wanted to do.


Working with the families and staff of Crescent Montessori as we support children through an essential time in their development is an honor and joy. Crescent is a nurturing and supportive place to learn through discovering, which brings out the best in me, and all of us!

PRESIDENT

Alison was born, raised and has returned to Sonoma because of her love of the diversity of the town that keeps it vibrant and welcoming. She graduated from business school, Tecnologico de Monterrey, in Guadalajara, Jalisco in Mexico, and later took a certification to be a Health Coach at the IIN in New York. After finding her passion in healthy food, she pursued a degree as a Holistic Chef at Bauman College in Berkeley, California. Currently she is working towards a certificate in Horticulture Landscape Design to help support her father’s landscaping business in Sonoma. Growing up with hard working immigrant parents who are successful entrepreneurs motivates and empowers her to follow her own passions in business. Alison and her husband run their own successful car detailing business in Sonoma called Sonoma Autospa. With a neuro-divergent child, Alison found that Crescent Montessori was a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for their son to thrive and learn. She is committed to ensuring Crescent continues to grow and remain a welcoming place for children of diverse learning styles and cultures.

TREASURER

A California native, Jackie grew up on the Central Coast with a passion for the outdoors, ocean waves, and viticulture. Jackie has lived in Sonoma since 2002, where her career has focused on Finance/Accounting and Operations in the wine industry and now as the COO of Sonoma Wealth Advisors. As an older mom, Jackie discovered Crescent Montessori from Dulce Silvi and has found a wonderful educational home for her son, Ben. Jackie, her husband Matt, and Little Ben enjoy kayaking, hiking, and exploring sandy beaches whenever possible.

SECRETARY

Dulce is the proud mother of Crescent Montessori alumni, Joseph, Isabella, and Alegria, and whose husband, Greg, is a former Crescent board member. She was born in the Philippines, grew up in Manila and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and finished her undergraduate studies at the University of the Philippines. Her ties to the school run deep, and began in 2005 when her eldest, Joseph, joined the primary program, and Isabella and Alegria followed suit in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Joseph is an engineering student at UC Berkeley, Isabella, who just completed an enriching internship at Crescent in the Montessori After School (MAS) pilot program, will be a high school junior this fall, and Alegria will be entering her sophomore year in high school. For 14 years, Dulce volunteered at Crescent, organizing and leading fundraisers, gala auctions, as well as researching and writing grant applications. In 2015, she was hired by the school to oversee school tours, admissions, and community relations. She and her husband are grateful for the countless ways that Crescent has inspired their children to blossom into independent, joyful, confident, kind, and curious individuals who have a heart for others, and who strive to be a blessing to the community.

Daniela is dedicated to ensuring there are great educational opportunities available for the Sonoma Community. Having relocated from San Francisco during the pandemic, Daniela was looking for school options to match the caliber of schools available in the city, which led her to Crescent. Her son Vincenzo is currently in his second year in the Crescent Primary program and thriving. Daniela received her BA from Stanford University and her Masters in Social Work from USC. Daniela is the founder of The Tempesta Group, a coaching and psychotherapy practice for high achieving millennials in the Bay Area. In addition to practicing psychotherapy for the last 18 years, Daniela also has experience running a small food business and teaching in the undergraduate and graduate Psychology program at Holy Names University. Daniela is passionate about educating not only her clients, but the community at large, about issues relating to our psychological health, well-being, and how to build a meaningful life. She does this through her writing and creation of online courses. Her writing has been featured in The Huffington Post and The New York Times.