Faculty
Sarah Colucci (Director) - Sarah began her career in early childhood at the Montessori School of Millburn in 1991. She began teaching with the younger children and became the kindergarten teacher in 1996. In 1999 she took on the role as Director. She holds a BA degree in Psychology and Early Childhood Education from Seton Hall University. She is also P-3 certified from Morris County College and trained in the Montessori philosophy. She is trained in CPR and First Aid.
Patricia Stroman (Teacher) - Patricia currently is the Kindergarten teacher and has been working at Alpine Montessori for the past 15 years. Prior to Alpine she taught Kindergarten for 5 years at Kindercare Learning Center and has been working with children of many different ages since 1993. Patricia has a degree in Psychology from Caldwell College. She continues to receive ongoing training in the Montessori method of teaching and is CPR certified.
Melinda Price (Teacher) - Melinda is beginning her 9th year at Alpine Montessori in Millburn. She attended Douglass College and Kean University and holds two bachelor degrees: Early Childhood Education and Art/Design. She is NJ State Certified to teach Pre-K-8 and Art K-12. Her twenty years of teaching experience include public school kindergarten and pre-school Director both in NJ. Melinda is certified in CPR.
Susan Palumbo (Teacher) - Susan has been working at Alpine Montessori for the past 16 years. Susan has degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Psychology from Rutgers University. She continues to receive ongoing training in the Montessori method of teaching.
Angela Arnold (Teacher) - Angela has been teaching for 27 years, with the last nine years devoted to Montessori educational principles. She graduated from Jersey City State College with a degree in Biology, and continued her studies with a degree in Nursery and Pre-K Education from Rutgers University. Angela taught Kindergarten for two years, then developed and implemented a "Mommy and Me" program which she managed for nine years.
Laura Picinisco (Teacher) - Laura has been a teacher for the last 28 years, with cum laude degrees in Elementary Education and Psychology from Rider University and a specialization in Special Education at California State, Los Angeles. Laura has been teaching in the Montessori system for the last six years. She continues to receive ongoing training in the Montessori method of teaching.
Rhonda Morelli (Teacher) - Rhonda has been teaching in the Montessori School for the past six years. She has a B.A. degree in the field of Early Childhood Education from William Paterson University. She also holds a New Jersey Teacher Certification in grades K-8 and Preschool. She has taught in the Public School System for five years in grades K-2. She has also taught in private preschool for nine years. She continues to receive ongoing training in the Montessori method of teaching.
Gilda Abaza (Teacher) - Gilda has been with Alpine since January 2012. Prior to joining Alpine she had been employed by Montessori Schools as a Spanish teacher since 2003 and a child care provider for over twenty years. Being of Argentinean decent, Gilda's education was completed in Argentina.
Kathy Lunn (Teacher) - Kathy began with Alpine in September 2012. She earned both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Kean University. She her American Montessori Society certification from the Christopher Academy Teacher Education Program. Prior to joining Alpine she has held positions in three other Montessori programs as a teacher and assistant. Kathy also co-lectured for the Christopher Academy's Teacher Education Program.