Mojdeh

Mojdeh is a passionate teacher who loves children. She has over 15 years of teaching experience both at the preschool and elementary levels. She is a BC certified teacher, with a Master of Arts in Education from Simon Fraser University. She is also a certified Montessori teacher as well a certified ECE assistant. Having taught for many years at the elementary level, Mojdeh appreciates the value of a strong foundation for learning and recognizes that much of that foundation is laid long before children enter Kindergarten. Hence, the preschool years are of special interest and importance to her.

Shannon

Shannon is a caring and patient guide to children, with an extensive background with the Montessori philosophy. She attended a Montessori school, herself, from Primary all the way through to grade 7. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a particular interest in early child development, from the University of Victoria. She also received her AMI Primary teacher training from the Montessori Training Centre of British Columbia, in Vancouver, where she also obtained her Early Childhood Educator licence. Shannon spent her first year teaching at Selkirk Montessori School, aiding two children with special needs, as well as co-teaching a classroom of 20 children aged 3 to 6. She has a love for watching children learn and discover themselves, and believes that the Montessori environment is a beautiful cocoon for this metamorphosis to occur.

Christine

Christine was born in Victoria but spent her formative years (ages 2-7) living in Germany where her family embraced the local culture and where her love of nature was sparked. After a 23-year career in the financial sector, Christine decided to follow her passion for early childhood education. In 2013 she started with the Sooke Family Resource Society assisting with childcare support, and parent/tot classes. Christine also has volunteered for school district # 62 and BC Agriculture and Farming, educating students about local farm produce. Recently she co-facilitated parent and tot programs (Mother Goose) in the Western communities, providing support to parents and teaching them about the importance of song and story telling to young children.
While her younger daughter attended Bloom Montessori, she was introduced to the Montessori method. She started working casually at Bloom in early 2015 and was so inspired by the experience, she decided to enrol in and successfully complete the Montessori Certificate and Diploma program delivered at West-Mont Montessori School in Metchosin. She has also recently completed her ECE certification. Christine delights in supporting children on their road to independence.

Gisella

Gisella was born and raised in the Tuscany region of Italy. She’s travelled extensively since she was small and speaks English, Italian and Spanish. After completion of the Office Administration program at Camosun College she pursued an interest in children that she had since she was young. She completed the IAPM Primary teacher training for children ages 2 ½ to 6 years from the Angela Martin Montessori Training Centre at Maria Montessori Academy followed by the ECE program with the Pacific Rim Institute. Her experience has been working in daycares, childcare centers and preschools. She worked at Selkirk Montessori School for several years. She is dedicated to providing the best positive influence through childcare and Montessori preschool to children. She loves animals, travelling, music, sports, and the outdoors.

Jatinder

Jatinder was born and brought up in India. She is a passionate teacher from a family of teachers, both her parents are retired teachers. Jatinder obtained a Masters Degree in Computer Science and worked as an Assistant Professor for 10 years before moving to Canada in 2016 along with her husband and daughter. She started working as an early childhood educator and found it to be a rewarding and fun experience and decided to pursue a career in the field. She particularly loves learning and being in a learning environment. Jatinder believes this is the perfect way to serve her community and help shape the next generation. She holds an ECE certificate and is currently pursuing her Montessori certification

(Masha) Maria

Maria

Maria was born and raised in Ukraine. She moved to Victoria in June 2022. She worked for 12 years in the banking sector, but after she enrolled her son in a Montessori school in Kyiv, she was inspired to learn more about the Montessori method and philosophy. Thus began her career as a Montessori teacher. She successfully graduated from the Ukraine Montessori Center and obtained a Montessori Diploma. She has been working as a Montessori teacher for 9 years in an international network of Montessori schools “Hopscotch Montessori”. She is very passionate about her calling in the Montessori field.

Shazia

Shazia was born in Pakistan and is fluent in English, Urdu and Hindi. She has an MBA in Marketing. Shazia’s interest in Montessori was sparked when she was the administrator for an International Montessori School in Pakistan. When she immigrated to Canada in 2002, she followed her passion and obtained a Montessori Diploma from CMTTI. In her spare time, Shazia likes to volunteer at the local food bank and the South Asian Women’s Centre. Shazia learned first hand about the positive effects of the Montessori method as both of her children attended Montessori schools from the age of 2 and through Grade 8. Shazia loves to travel and brings her diverse background and years of experience to her teaching. Shazia has been at Bloom since 2002 and is currently working on obtaining her ECE certification.

Cassie

Cassie grew up in Oak Bay and has lived on the island her whole life. She attended Island Montessori Preschool as a child. Cassie completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Victoria with her main focuses of her studies in child development, developmental and learning disabilities, psychological disorders and mental health. Inclusion is very near and dear to Cassie’s heart. To her inclusion means quality of life. Creating an atmosphere and practice of inclusion means Inviting, Informing and Involving with Intention. Cassie has her ECEA and is currently working toward her ECE and Montessori Certification. Outside of the Montessori classroom, Cassie teaches Musical Theatre to youth ages 6-12. She also enjoys traveling and has been to 18 countries and hopes to see more!

Jennifer

Jennifer Weening was born, raised and resided in the city of Victoria her entire life. At an early age, Jennifer took an interest in caring for others, adults, animals and especially young children. She completed the Early Childhood Care and Education program at Camosun College in 1999, her Early Childhood Educator License in 2002 and worked in the early childhood field for over 20 years. Jennifer’s experience at a local Montessori preschool, working alongside children with special needs in an inclusive setting, was her first introduction to the world of Montessori Education. Jennifer fell in love with Montessori philosophy towards the early years of a child’s education. She completed the West-Mont Montessori Teacher Training program and earned her Montessori Partnership Early Years Diploma in June 2020 through the Montessori Partnership UK. Jennifer has a strong passion for teaching young children following the principles of the Montessori method. She believes in creating a strong, nurturing, caring, respectful and loving environment for each child to grow and learn at their own pace. Jennifer has a deep, loving and caring nature towards all children in her care and treats each child with love and compassion. Her philosophy is to treat each child with love as a family member and embrace each learning opportunity as a unique experience. She enjoys creating visual aids during circle time such as felt stories, educational games, and songs, making multiple types of mediums of materials for children to explore and promote their inner passion for learning in all areas of the Montessori classroom. Jennifer plans to continue her education in early childhood education towards her diploma for infants and toddlers and inclusive care for children with special needs. Jennifer has multiple hobbies including spending time outdoors, gardening, knitting, crocheting, creative writing, travelling abroad, and caring for animals, especially her older cairn terriers and family members’ farm animals. Her lifelong dream is to own a hobby farm with animals and gardens for children to explore, providing childcare and respite care for children who may require extra support in her community.

Alisha

Alisha grew up in Victoria, and went to a Montessori Kindergarten. She spent some time working at schools in England after high school where she met her husband. She completed Montessori (IAPM) and ECE at the Angela Martin Montessori Training Centre at Maria Montessori Academy in Victoria, then worked at MMA in 2.5-6 classroom for 5 years after training. Alisha has 4 children and stayed home with them for a few years and did home day care for other families, getting lots of experience with preschool children and using Montessori inspiration in parenting. Now that her children are all in school, she’s enjoying going to work outside the home again and working with little ones. Outside of work, she loves cooking, sewing and crafting, and hiking and biking around our beautiful city with her family.

Jill

Jill was born in China and has loved music since childhood. She began learning piano at an early age and earned an 8th-grade piano certificate. Over the years, she also taught herself to play the violin, harp, and ukulele. She enjoys lively gatherings as much as peaceful moments of solitude. She graduated from Jinlin University of Art in 2012 and worked in the film and internet industries from 2012 to 2019. During her pregnancy in 2016, she became deeply interested in children’s development and was introduced to the Montessori philosophy. Inspired by this educational approach, she began her journey in early childhood education in 2021. She has since earned her Teaching Certificate and Director Certificate in China, along with the AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) 3–6 Diploma and 0–3 Certificate. Since moving with her family to Victoria in 2024, Jill has continued to pursue her passion for early childhood education. Through her work and studies, she has developed a strong ability to observe and understand children’s needs, interests, and developmental rhythms. She finds great joy in quietly observing how each child explores the world in their own unique way, and she believes that careful observation is the key to truly supporting every child’s growth and individuality.

Tina

Tina (baptismal name Florentina) was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. She has a deep passion for supporting and guiding children in their growth and development. This passion motivated her to study Montessori education in Korea, where she earned a Montessori certification and worked directly with children, applying what she learned in the classroom. Tina is particularly inspired by Maria Montessori’s philosophy: “Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence.” This quote reflects the approach she strives for as an educator, nurturing each child’s curiosity and inner potential. In 2019, Tina moved to Ontario, Canada with her family and studied Early Childhood Education at Fanshawe College, while working in early childhood settings, supporting children’s individual developmental needs. Tina loves helping children explore, learn, and grow independently. She finds great joy in preparing materials and providing activities that spark their curiosity and creativity. Tina feels grateful to grow alongside children in the classroom every day. She loves living in beautiful Victoria, and in her free time, she enjoys exploring the natural beauty of Vancouver Island with her family, which gives her new energy and inspiration.

Pri

Pri was born in India and has been living in Canada since 2016. She has spent the past three years working with children and developing a deep passion for early learning. The last two years Pri has been working at Bloom Montessori as an Early Childhood Education Assistant (ECEA). She brings care, patience, and creativity to her work every day. With an Associate’s degree in Psychology, she strives to support each child’s emotional and cognitive growth in a nurturing environment.

Tessa

Tessa has a warm and nurturing presence. She loves to encourage children’s natural curiosity through exploration and inquiry. She grew up in Edmonton where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in English, followed by a Personal Fitness Trainer diploma. Tessa enjoyed a passionate career in personal fitness training before deciding to stay at home after the birth of her children. She moved to Victoria with her family in 2020, where she continued to stay at home until her youngest started kindergarten. Tessa enjoyed watching her preschool-aged children and their peers learn and grow in their Montessori preschool. This sparked a new found interest in early childhood development and the Montessori method. Thus she decided to become an Early Childhood Educator. She returned to the workforce at a Montessori preschool while working towards her ECE certification, which she completed in July 2025. In the classroom, Tessa places a special importance on language and literacy development, which includes, among other things, a lot of fun reading and conversations with the children. When she is not teaching, Tessa is a proud and busy mom who enjoys her quieter moments learning new things and being active (running, hiking, kayaking, yoga and weight training).

Denyse

Denyse grew up in Victoria and from a young age knew that she wanted to work with children. She is inspired by and greatly respects the process of growth and development of each child with whom she gently supports and guides. Denyse completed her ECE certification at Camosun College and her Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in Child and Youth Care from the University of Victoria. Her desire to learn how to support the holistic growth and development of children led her to study and obtain her Master of Arts with a focus in curriculum development at UVic. Denyse has almost 10 years of experience guiding children in a learning through play, emergent, and nature based preschool environment and she believes deeply in the importance of Montessori education’s respect for and inclusion of nature and outdoor experience in the daily lives of children. Denyse received her Montessori Teaching Diploma for children ages two years eight months to six years in June 2016. She has worked as a volunteer with children living in orphanages in Romania and China, as a volunteer camp nurse at children’s summer camps.

Other Staff Members

Amanda

Amanda moved to Victoria in 2008 where she completed her Associate of Arts Degree, majoring in Criminal Justice. She then met her husband and started their beautiful family. All three of her children attended Bloom, during which time she created long lasting friendships and a passion for the Bloom Montessori community. Both her and her husband agree it was the best parenting decision they have made to date. She currently is handling email correspondence for the school, and looks forward to connecting with new families who come through the doors.

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