Our Staff

staff At the Montessori School of Pointe Claire we are proud of the quality, qualifications and dedication of our staff and our better than average staff/child ratio. Our very low turnover rate helps provide a stable environment for the children.

All our classes have two to four teachers. In the event one teacher is temporarily absent and one of our support staff is called in, the children will always have a familiar person in the room with them.

All our staff are trained in First Aid and CPR and are familiar with the procedures and precautions required by those children with allergies or other medical conditions.

School Founder

Eva Stratis
Mrs. Stratis is the founder of the Montessori School of Pointe Claire. Trained in Athens, Greece, Mrs. Stratis first opened the Montessori School in Pointe Claire in 1965 in a home, and expanded the school to its present location in 1972. Mrs. Stratis' progressive ideas have made the school the unique establishment it is today. Mrs Stratis visits the school every day and enjoys seeing the children happy in their classrooms.

School Director

Artemis Erfle
Artemis started as the Assistant Directrice at Montessori in 1986, and became School Director in the fall of 2000. Artemis is the daughter of Mrs. Stratis and has four children of her own who attended Montessori, and now range in age from 11 to 20 years old.
She has her BSc from McGill University and an MSc from Guelph University in Environmental Sciences and taught for five years as an assistant at the University level. Artemis also has her Montessori Teachers Diploma from the North American Progressive Montessori Teacher Training Centre and has considerable experience teaching Montessori at the preschool level.
As director of the Montessori School, Artemis works closely with the teaching and support staff and with the Parents Committee to keep things running well. She is there with a smile to answer questions and help out wherever she is needed.
Artemis is also actively involved in promoting sports for girls in the community. Her volunteer work includes coaching girls' hockey, ringette and soccer as well as being involved at the executive level in various organizations.

Support Staff

Cindy Batten
Cindy has been working at Montessori since 2002, and has several roles. Cindy is currently in charge of our kitchen and menu, and is an excellent chef. Cindy prides herself in providing healthy and tasty lunches for the children at Montessori, and is happy to be available to speak with the parents if they have any questions about meals at Montessori. Cindy also loves working with the children as a regular teacher's assistant. In addition Cindy helps out in our office. Cindy has her diploma in Hotel and Restaurant Management. She has a daughter, 19, a son, 17, and a dog. Cindy was a Girl Guide leader for 10 years, worked for many years as a monitor at Northview School, and just really enjoys being active.
Pina Cinciripini
Pina is one of our chefs and is also a teacher's assistant in the afternoons. Pina has been at Montessori since 2006. Prior to coming to Montessori Pina has worked as a restaurant chef, and also runs her own excellent Italian catering service. We all love Pina's cooking! Pina loves the children and is thrilled to be a teacher's assistant. Pina now has 3 grandchildren of her own and her specialty with all children is lavishing them with love.

Special Instructors

Daryl Breckman-Germani
Daryl is our very special music teacher. She is here twice a week to teach music to the children, including rhythm, songs, and use of percussion instruments. Daryl's program is a lot of fun as well as being educational. Daryl has over 15 years of experience teaching preschoolers and teaches the children with love and enthusiasm.
Stephanie Sohan
Stephanie is the fitness instructor for the Montessori School of Pointe-Claire. She has taught group fitness, yoga and pilates for the past 6 years in various gyms and community centers, as well as athletic training for a children's soccer skills program. As a mother of 3 boys, she realizes how important physical activity is to the well-being of children. Stephanie's program will help the children build motor skills, learn about physical fitness and lay the groundwork for an active, healthy lifestyle through organized movement in a fun, stimulating environment.

Teaching Staff

Adriana Alberga
Adriana started as a teacher at Montessori in the spring of 2000, and has been loved by everyone from her first day here! Adriana has four children of her own and prior to coming to Montessori worked as a lunch supervisor at her daughter's school and in the school library. Adriana is organized and helpful and very much appreciated by the children, teachers and parents. Adriana is trained in the Montessori Method and actively encourages the children to use the material in the classroom. Adriana is very creative and prepares numerous arts and crafts projects for the children.
Bonnie Edmond
Bonnie started at Montessori in January 1992. Prior to coming to Quebec, Bonnie worked as the head of an infant centre in daycare in Ontario. Bonnie is trained in the Montessori Method and at our school she is in charge of our youngest group of children. Bonnie is an expert at helping children to adjust to their new surroundings, and encouraging them to make full use of the Montessori material in the classroom. Bonnie also loves arts and crafts and has experience working as a floral decorator. Bonnie has a grown son who always keeps in touch with his mom, and she loves looking after all "her other children" in her classroom. The children in Bonnie's class appreciate the friendship and the love she gives them, and how she helps them feel "at home". Parents have often told us that they appreciate Bonnie's advice and her warm heart toward their children.
Brittany Batten
Brittany works as a teacher's assistant at Montessori and has been here since 2003. Brittany is a competitive swimmer and enjoys encouraging the children to play and be active. Brittany works with all our groups and especially loves playing with and cuddling our younger children.
Camille Pyle
Camille has her Bachelor Degree in Sociology from Concordia University, and has been a teacher at Montessori since January 1998. Camille had previously worked in home daycare and has also done volunteer work in the community helping children with special needs. Camille is creative in her work with the children. The children love her because she loves to be with them and students and parents alike appreciate her happy personality and her excellent ability to organize her classroom and make every day fun. The parent' comments about Camille are that she is an "exceptional!" teacher.
Cindy Batten
In addition to being our full-time chef, Cindy has been one of our afternoon assistants since 2002. Cindy enjoys being with the children and is an excellent supervisor during our busy afternoon playtime.
Cindy Parent
Cindy has been a French Teacher at Montessori since the fall of 2000, and has been working in daycare since 1999. Cindy loves to play with the children and they love to play with her. Cindy is very creative and makes up great games for the children. She is an expert at making French fun. Cindy has her Montessori training and is very good with the Montessori material. Cindy enjoys teaching many subjects to the children and they certainly enjoy having her as their teacher.
Diane Durant
Diane started teaching at Montessori in 2003. Diane has worked for many years as a lunch supervisor at elementary school. She has been very active at her children's schools, being on the Health and Safety Committee as well as a volunteer to read to children and as a teacher's assistant. Diane has three grown boys of her own, and is used to active children. She enjoys being surrounded by them, and has a wealth of patience and understanding for young children.
Herla Joseph
Herla has been a French teacher at Montessori since November 1988 and is trained in the Montessori Method. Herla has both a "Baccalaureat d'Enseignement" and a "Certificat en éducation en milieu de garde" from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Herla has a very positive attitude towards learning and she makes sure all the classroom activities are interesting and enjoyable. Herla especially enjoys promoting science and environmental awareness, and believes in encouraging the children's curiosity about the world they live in. Herla has a daughter aged 7 years old who we also had the pleasure of having as one of our students at Montessori.
Lorraine Lepage
Lorraine has been a French teaching assistant at Montessori since the fall of 2000. Lorraine's cheerful personality attracts the children to her and they love playing (in French) together. Lorraine's specialty is organising games and parties for children; however the children love to play with Lorraine also when she takes out her letter and number games. Prior to working at Montessori Lorraine was working with seniors at Manoir Pierrefonds and has her diploma as a Nurse's Aide. Lorraine's own children are now grown, and she is devoted to her little ones at Montessori.
Nadine Peck
Since 1987, Nadine has been teaching and taking care of children at Montessori. Nadine holds a diploma in social services, and is very dedicated to her work. Nadine has a very mild manner with the children and they find it easy to trust her. Nadine is well trained in the Montessori method and organizes many stimulating activities for her class. Nadine has worked with all our age groups and is wonderful at understanding the needs of each individual child. The parents appreciate Nadine's help in integrating their children into the classroom as well as her helpful advice. In addition to being a senior teacher, Nadine is also responsible for opening the school in the mornings at 7:00 am.
Tammy Greenspan
Tammy has been teaching at Montessori since the fall of 2002. Tammy works with our oldest group, and enjoys teaching all subjects to the children, who she finds are so eager to learn at this age. Tammy loves seeing how much interest the children show in their work. Prior to coming to Montessori, Tammy worked as a teacher's assistant and substitute teacher at the elementary school level.