Gingi founded Parkside in 1987 and has remained ever since. She was the Director until 2014, and she now assists Annie in administration and also helps out the other teachers in both classrooms. Gingi has 3 children and 6 grandchildren, all of whom attended Parkside. She is in charge of our library, and enjoys reading, singing and moving with the kids using her long-time repertoire of songs, exercises, and moving games. She is also the author of our Monthly Notes.

Annie has been at Parkside since September, 1989 and has served as Director since September, 2014. She has extensive Montessori training and full certification. Annie has many responsibilities and wears many hats, but her greatest love is to be in the classroom working with the children, implementing with great knowledge and understanding our Montessori curriculum. She has 3 children, 2 of whom attended Parkside, and 6 grandchildren.

Sadia has worked at Parkside since September of 2014. She has 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Before she came to Parkside, she was part of the staff of a Montessori school in Verona. Sadia is Montessori certified and works with Rhonda Davis on our Math curriculum. She really enjoys doing individual math exercises with the students. She also likes to help the children with the more complicated Sensorial materials. In fact, she creates materials for all classroom areas.

Rhonda joined our Parkside family in 2021, bringing with her 19 years of experience in Montessori education. Certified and passionate about her work, she often introduces creative, hand-made Montessori exercises to the classroom. Rhonda is known for fostering a warm, family-like atmosphere where each student's unique personality is valued. Outside of school, Rhonda is a devoted wife and a proud mother of two sons who enjoys evening walks and lively family game nights.

Colleen started working at Parkside in 2021. She graduated in 2024 from Montclair State University with a degree in Educational Foundations. Colleen along with her three brothers attended Parkside and is very happy to be back working at her first Alma Mater! She received her Montessori Assistant Teacher Certificate in 2023 and continues to enjoy learning new Montessori lessons. She loves working with the children in all parts of the classroom, but her favorite area is the art table!

 

Before I became a regular staff I was a substitute, and on a long break from being in a classroom to raise my three children.  Working around preschoolers is like a breath of fresh air everyday, and I feel like I learn something from them each day as well.  I moved to Montclair 13 years ago from California.  My favorite things are being with my family.

 

 

 

This is Maureen McCormack’s second year as a proud member of the Parkside Family. She retired after 30 years as a NJ public school elementary teacher/administrator, 23 of those years spent serving the Montclair community in their public schools - and she is so happy to be back and working with our littlest learners! Residing in Essex County, she is the mother of three grown boys (men?) and completely enjoys traveling with her husband Jim and new white

lab puppy, Dakota!

Jenny Donohue is a former Parkside parent who began substituting in 2024. She has lived in Montclair since 2007, sending her three children to Montclair Public schools. In a former life, Jenny was a marketing and communications professional. She truly enjoys being around the Parkside students - and in her free time she likes to read, play tennis, and spend time with her family.

 

 

Susan has been here since September, 1989. She has 3 children and 2 grandchildren. Her youngest attended Parkside. For Susan “it has been a pleasure watching children grow, learn and enjoy school” over her many years with us. She has always strived “to help children acquire a positive experience in their early learning years.” Susan is in charge of efficiently and carefully organizing our art program and materials, and she is also the creator, director and producer of our puppet shows….hugely popular with our children.

Meg joins the Parkside family after taking a long break from her social work career to raise her three children. She loves working with young preschoolers because it’s almost as if you can see them growing, it seems as if they gain a new skill or learn a new word every day! Meg and family moved from Manhattan to Montclair in 2001 though she still calls North Carolina home and spends as much time as possible on the Outer Banks each summer. Meg’s newest hobby is pickleball which she now enjoys playing with her entire family.

 

 

Patti has been at Parkside since September of 1990. She is Montessori certified. She has 2 children and 4 grandchildren, 2 and 2. Her daughter is a Parkside graduate and 2 of her grandchildren are matriculating. In addition to her teaching duties in both classes, she keeps our many files including state and health records efficiently organized. She brings her fun-loving spirit and great sense of humor to the job every day. She and Annie have been friends since high school!

Sue joined us in 2000 and is Montessori certified. Her 2 children both attended Parkside. Sue’s passion is art. She creates beautiful projects in a matter of minutes on any given day. She loves glitter! Sue’s circles are amazing, full of information and interesting facts. She has great knowledge of natural science (animals, birds, dinosaurs) which she shares with her students in incredible detail. Sue is responsible for organizing and changing the monthly thematic materials. Outside of school, she enjoys cooking, catering and spending time with her large family.