Elementary Faculty

Donna was first introduced to Gladwyne Montessori as a parent. All four of her children attended the school over the span of 14 years. Donna began working at Gladwyne Montessori in 2008 and has served in the Primary, Toddler, and La Casa programs. In addition to these years of experience, Donna completed an assistant training program in the summer of 2018 at the Princeton Montessori Training Center. When Donna is not in the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to the beach in Margate, New Jersey for the summer, traveling, cooking, reading, and sports.

After having worked in the corporate world specifically in customer relations and banking roles, Raj decided it was time for a career change. She was always interested in shaping young people's lives and having previously volunteered her time in a Montessori school in Boston several years ago, she decided it was time to make that career change. Raj found herself fitting into Gladwyne Montessori's culture and its ethical work environment extremely well. The focus on enriching the student's lives with all the necessary foundational skills was exactly what she was looking for in a rewarding career. She looks forward to many more years of being a part of the students' lives and contributing to their development and well being. In her free time, you can find Raj relaxing at home listening to music, reading, cooking up new recipes, baking, painting, etc. She loves to spend time traveling with her family exploring new places, sights, and cultures. She also enjoys practicing yoga and meditation.

Andrew has always loved to learn and help others learn, too. When he and his wife first visited Gladwyne Montessori School, they saw this same passion for learning and helping others learn permeating the school; it felt like home. They have enjoyed seeing their children, Marley and Xavier, develop, create, socialize and get excited about school and the learning process. Andrew has been teaching yoga for almost a decade, and teaching science for several years. No matter the subject, he believes all learning follows a similar process: within loving structure and collaboratively created boundaries, freedom and independence allow us to find our unique voice, self-expression, creative power, and joy in process. In his free time, Andrew enjoys hiking, camping, dancing, singing, biking, playing sports, reading, and writing. He also enjoys simply being: getting absorbed in nature while taking in the sights and sounds, practicing yoga and meditation, being with his wife, kids, family and friends. It is a joy to be and to do. What a life to explore!

Dan joined Gladwyne Montessori in 1995 and worked as an assistant to Maggie Dougherty until 1998. After student teaching in the fall of 1999, Dan transitioned to long term substituting in the Upper Elementary classroom until June of 2000. After several years working in the Camden School District, Dan returned to Gladwyne Montessori in 2004. Because of his love for working in this environment with the students and families as well as colleagues, Dan has been here ever since. In his spare time, Dan loves to spend time outdoors with his family at the beach. He likes surfing, playing various sports including softball and basketball. He is a Philadelphia sports enthusiast and Eagles season ticket holder. He also enjoys photography.