Co-Director
Received Outstanding Educator of the
Year Award from Good Beginnings
Alliance in 2002
Sylvia has been a Montessori educator for twenty-five years. She holds a B.A. in Psychology
and Sociology from the University of Hull, England and Master’s in Education from Chaminade
University of Honolulu. She earned her American Montessori Society (AMS) credential in 1983
and also holds a Master Teacher certificate for Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Hawaii.
Starting as a Montessori preschool teacher in Honolulu in 1983, Sylvia was invited to join the faculty of Chaminade University as an adjunct professor in 1987. In that capacity, she taught Early Childhood Education classes at the main campus in Honolulu, as well as on the “big Island” of Hawaii and on Maui, for the next nineteen years. In the 1990’s she served as a University supervisor of student teachers in addition to her work as a professor. Sylvia has been a consultant to a public school starting a Montessori track, and has been a presenter and facilitator at several ECE conferences and workshops.
In 1999 she founded and was the Director of her own Montessori school in Honolulu. She has been the recipient of two awards for her work in education: the Castle Honors in Leadership Development (C.H.I.L.D.) Award in 2000, and Outstanding Educator of the Year Award, from Good Beginnings Alliance, in 2002.
In 2006, Sylvia and her husband relocated to the Sacramento area to be near their children and grandchildren. In 2007 she joined Claire’s Montessori School as a trainer and teacher mentor.
Sylvia cherishes the opportunities to work with young children. Her own grandchildren currently are thriving at Claire’s Montessori.
