Angela Galarza, brings to our school 19 years teaching and professional experience in Montessori education. She taught in Florida before becoming our school’s director and a member of the Board. In addition to her expertise in Montessori Education, Angela also holds a degree in Early Childhood Education/Child Care Center Management and is a certified Musicgarten music teacher for ages birth to five. Other positions Angela has held during her educational career have been: Music Teacher, Summer Program Coordinator, and Adult Education Instructor and Music Workshop Presenter for Summit Montessori Teacher Training Institute and South Florida Montessori Education Center. She also developed and implemented an Assistants Training Program, Character First Cheerleading Program and French Music curriculum for the schools where she taught in Florida. Being a wife and mother, reading aloud to children, performing in local plays and singing in choirs are Angela’s longtime passions. Angela, her husband Santos, and her two boys (5, who is currently enrolled in BWMCH, and 11 years old) happily reside in Columbia, MD.

Zahra Baig has lived in Columbia, MD for the past 35 years and is a graduate of Bryant Woods Montessori Children's House herself. She has a BS degree from the University of MD, College Park in Textiles. She received her Montessori teaching certificate from the Institute of Advanced Montessori Studies and completed her internship at the Barrie Day School. Zahra has also grown up in a family of Montessorians as her mother, four of her aunts, and several cousins are all Montessori teachers. This will be Zahra's fourth year teaching at BWMCH and also serves as the Education Program Director for the school. However, she has also taught 6, 7, and 8th grade at the Pyle Middle School in Bethesda, MD and has helped to set up and teach KG at two private schools. Zahra believe strongly that the Montessori Method helps to lay a great foundation for all future learning. In her free time she loves to read and enjoys cooking and entertaining for friends and family. She also likes to travel to other countries during her vacation.

Javacia Finney completed her Bachelors Degree from York College in Sociology. She received her Association Montessori Internationale Diploma from the Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola College and completed her Masters Degree in Education at Loyola College. Javacia has interned at the Supreme Court in Brooklyn, New York and worked at the Columbia Gym with children ages 6 weeks-13 years old as a Kid Space Attendant. For two years, she also worked for the Columbia Association in their School Age Services Department as a Before and After Care provider.

Senora Rachelle Woods was a Montessori student herself through second grade. She graduated from UMBC with a degree in Modern Languages and Linguistics (Spanish and Russian) and has taught Spanish in various settings, including Spanish I and II at Hammond High School. She has experience working with young children as an assistant at a local Montessori school.

Carie Martin (Morning Assistant) was on the Bryant Woods Montessori Parents Guild Committee for the two years her daughter attended BWMCH. She has completed the Early Childhood Assistant’s Course at The Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies. Before motherhood, she worked in the Secondary Marketing Department of Columbia National Mortgage Corporation. Her hobbies include hiking, traveling and enjoying time with her family.

Amanda Eichelberger (Afternoon and Aftercare Assistant) is thrilled to be joining the BWMCH staff this fall. Born and raised in Maryland she received her Associates of Arts in Anthropology from Howard Community College and is currently working on completing her degree in Early Childhood Development. Active in her community she has been a Sunday School teacher for twelve years at her church and has been a peer mentor for high school students with learning disabilities through Project Access at Howard Community College. She loves working with children and remembers the impact that her own Montessori experience had on her when she was a young girl.