The Core Values of
La Maison Montessori
La Maison Montessori Kingston is the only full-time French Montessori School in Kingston. We are a private, independent and multicultural Montessori School in the heart of Kingston, conveniently located walking distance to downtown, KFL&A, St.Lawrence College and Queen’s University.
We take pride in being a leader in equity, diversity, and inclusive initiatives by valuing our differences. Our school hires highly qualified, certified, diverse staff and welcomes families from rich backgrounds. Our team works diligently to provide an inclusive environment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, ability, or sexual orientation.
La Maison Montessori Kingston follows Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy and methodology.
Dr. Maria Montessori was the female doctor who founded the first Montessori school in Italy in 1907.
The foundations of the Dr. Montessori were to support, encourage, and cultivate children’s inherent desire to learn. Dr. Montessori discovered through research and experience that all children have fundamental needs:
- The need to organize, classify and personalize reality;
- The need to be self-sufficient;
- The need for interactions to cultivate relationships, and
- The need to understand reality through imagination.
“Montessori” is both a philosophy and a method of learning. At its core, the Montessori method fosters independence, freedom within parameters, and respect for every child.
Classroom spaces are purposefully designed placing materials and resources carefully placed to increase accessibility and provide choice. Our Teachers strategically prepare the classroom environment and direct the activities within the classroom. The environment is carefully designed for the students to learn.
According to Dr. Montessori, all students are motivated by the task itself, and that students, similar to adults, learn optimally by doing with their hands, bodies and feet, rather than being filled with rote facts which are abstract in nature.
A quote, we at La Maison Montesorri keeps close is:
“What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand.”
“Ce que j’entends, j’oublie. Ce que je vois, je me souviens. Ce que je fais, je le comprends.”
Attentiveness, grit, and persistence established in early most foundational stages of childhood lead to confident, prosperous life-long learning. At La Maison Montessori Kingston, we build capacity in students to learn ways to observe, reason, assess and experience first-hand, the joy of learning by being engaged.
The Montessori methodology is not a menagerie of traditional educational approaches. The Montessori methodology is a unique way of learning where strategic teachings are purposely designed to guide students for success in a vastly complex, fast-paced, and challenging world.
At La Maison Montessori Kingston, the younger-aged students have an opportunity to witness and emulate the older-aged students as they work and engage with their peers. Older-aged students are given opportunities to strengthen individual knowledge by describing what they are doing, guiding and mentoring younger-aged students. The goal is to provide opportunities for each student to learn, develop confidence, and flourish at one’s pace that accommodates and supports a variety of levels of abilities and intricacy.
At La Maison Montessori, we recognise that the education of our students is one that requires support and care; the saying that it takes a village to raise a child, is one that we take to heart. Our students will be surrounded by a cohesive team of professionals and volunteers, fostering the foundational blocks:
- Spiritual
- Intellectual
- Emotional
- Physical
while including their families to foster a holistic approach to education and practical skills yielding confidence, risk-taking, perseverance, mutual-respect, exploration, communication, love and care.
Our Teachers & Staff
Our staff is deeply committed to all students. Our teachers are invested in all students’ academic, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical development.
Teachers engage all students mainly in French, and at times in Spanish and English as secondary languages.
All or staff engage in monthly professional development enhancing their training, and highlight strategies. Professional development days are also used for organization of resources, rotating of resources, and meetings with families.
All staff members undergo police background verifications, vulnerable sector check, and CPR/First Aid training.
Mme. Deepa Mansharamani Martell
Director, Administrator ◇ B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed. ◇ she/her
Born in Bombay, India, Mme. Deepa came to Canada as a child and grew up in Toronto. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (with Honours), a Bachelor of Education, and a Masters in Education, all from Queen’s University. Mme. Deepa is also a member of the Ontario College of Teachers. Her passion and post-secondary training is in education, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Mme. Deepa has additional qualifications in senior mathematics, special education, and family studies, and again, all obtained from Queen’s University. She has training, certifications, and extensive experience in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) from Geneva Centre for Autism. Over the course of two decades, she worked for three different school boards in Ontario. Mme. Deepa has international teaching experience acquired in Egypt and Ghana, Africa with the Canadian Teachers Federation. In early 2023, she received awards from the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, and her Member of Provincial Parliament for her life-long commitment as a volunteer. Mme. Deepa believes that education isn’t just in books, and research but also in rich lived experiences of all peoples. She actively lives by the words of Isaac Asimov, “Education isn’t something you finish.”
Mme. Deepa is a proud mother of two teenage sons, Cameron and Rylan. Cameron and Rylan are of French/Metis and East-Indian heritage. They are graduates of Madeleine de Roybon and currently attend École Secondaire Publique Mille-Îles. At the age of 3, both boys started to play hockey, with Cameron as the goalie and Rylan as defence. Mme. Deepa loves to garden, volunteer with the elderly, and read. Mme. Deepa actively invests her time and energies into creating a ripple for change in which every member of society is heard, seen and valued because inclusion must happen purposefully, meaningfully and daily.
Mme. Deepa Mansharamani Martell
Director, Administrator ◇ B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed. ◇ she/her
Born in Bombay, India, Mme. Deepa came to Canada as a child and grew up in Toronto. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (with Honours), a Bachelor of Education, and a Masters in Education, all from Queen’s University. Mme. Deepa is also a member of the Ontario College of Teachers. Her passion and post-secondary training is in education, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Mme. Deepa has additional qualifications in senior mathematics, special education, and family studies, and again, all obtained from Queen’s University. She has training, certifications, and extensive experience in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) from Geneva Centre for Autism. Over the course of two decades, she worked for three different school boards in Ontario. Mme. Deepa has international teaching experience acquired in Egypt and Ghana, Africa with the Canadian Teachers Federation. In early 2023, she received awards from the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, and her Member of Provincial Parliament for her life-long commitment as a volunteer. Mme. Deepa believes that education isn’t just in books, and research but also in rich lived experiences of all peoples. She actively lives by the words of Isaac Asimov, “Education isn’t something you finish.”
Mme. Deepa is a proud mother of two teenage sons, Cameron and Rylan. Cameron and Rylan are of French/Metis and East-Indian heritage. They are graduates of Madeleine de Roybon and currently attend École Secondaire Publique Mille-Îles. At the age of 3, both boys started to play hockey, with Cameron as the goalie and Rylan as defence. Mme. Deepa loves to garden, volunteer with the elderly, and read. Mme. Deepa actively invests her time and energies into creating a ripple for change in which every member of society is heard, seen and valued because inclusion must happen purposefully, meaningfully and daily.
Mme. Elsa Soriano
Chef, Teacher ◇ B.A. ◇ she/her
Born in San Salvador, El Salvador, Mme. Elsa Soriano has been living in Canada for over 30 years. Mme. Elsa holds a Bachelor of Arts and chef certification from El Salvador. While in El Salvador, she worked as a secretary in the Laboratory Ferson, and as an accountant in the Government office at the Livestock Development Center. After coming to Canada, she worked at the Ambassador Hotel in Kingston for 14 years.
In 2020, she started working at La Maison Montessori Kingston as the in-house chef. Mme. Elsa is responsible for creating and developing the wholesome and nutritious menus for all students. She works every day in the kitchen with the preschool students, teaching skills needed for kitchen safety/hygiene and food preparation, often incorporating mathematics and increasing French vocabulary. Engaging with students brings her much joy which is evident during their interactions in the kitchen and the many empty dishes at the end of each meal time.
Mme. Yasmin Kijowski
Teacher, Pre-School ◇ RECE ◇ she/her
Originally from Red Deer, Alberta, Mme. Yasmin received her diploma in Early Childhood Education from St. Lawrence College in 2022 and is currently completing her MACTE certification to be Montessori Teacher. She spent 7 years in the French Immersion program in Elementary and Secondary School. Additionally, Mme. Yasmin spent one month in France during a student exchange program. Mme. Yasmin taught English as a Second Language in Thailand for two years.
She is passionate about helping children to be the best that they can be. She strongly believes that allowing children to learn how to do things for themselves is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. She was drawn to the Montessori method because she believes that students benefit from taking responsibility for themselves and being in a calm, orderly classroom. She brings her unique perspective on the Montessori method to the preschool classroom at La Maison.
Mme. Hitomi Suzuki
Assistant Teacher, Pre-School ◇ she/her
Originally from Sendai, Japan, Mme. Hitomi Suzuki studied Education at Miyagi University and has been working in Early Childhood Education for 3 years. She is fluent in French, English, and Japanese. Mme. Hitomi’s vast experience includes working in Montreal, Quebec bilingual childcare centers.
The Montessori method has been of interest to her ever since she started working with children. She is very excited to expand her knowledge and experience in early childhood education at La Maison and is working towards her Montessori certification from The Canadian Montessori Teacher Education Institute. Mme. Hitomi is a mother of four adults who have recently relocated to Kingston. Her family enjoys nature around the Kingston area by hiking and star-gazing.
Mme. Kim Lafontaine
Lead Teacher, Toddler ◇ B.A. ◇ she/her
Mme. Kim is a native of Kingston, Ontario but has also lived in: New Brunswick, Germany, Bordon, on account of being a military child. Her first language is French and she is fluent in English. Mme. Kim child attended La Maison Montessori in her formative years for four years.
Mme. Kim graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies. This has helped anchor her love of history and art which she imparts on the students through the activities organized and the murals she paints at the school.
She has been a part of the La Maison family since 2015, starting as a teacher in the preschool class and moving to toddler class in 2020. Mme. Kim is in the process of obtaining her AMI Montessori teacher certification (Age 0-3).
Mme. Elizabeth "Betty"
Part-Time Teacher, Pre-School ◇ B.Sc., B.Ed. ◇ she/her
Born in Pune, India, Mme. Betty completed a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology, and a Bachelor of Education from Bangalore University. Mme. Betty is an Ontario Certified Teacher and has completed additional basic qualification courses in primary and junior divisions. She has over 15 years of experience teaching kindergarten to grade 9 in India and as well in Oman. In Canada, Mme. Betty was a support teacher at the Peel School Board for six years where she focused on one-to-one support for students with individualized education plans. The highlight of her career was while volunteering at an orphanage in India, as it allowed her to make a direct and visible difference.
Mme. Betty is a part-time teacher at La Maison and loves to witness students grow. Her personal teaching philosophy is to foster moral and character centered learning creating connections between children’s lives and the world around them. Mme. Betty aims to equip students with strategies, GRIT, and empathy as they start to come into their own.
When Mme. Betty is not in the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, cooking, hosting dinner parties, gardening, and cycling. She also loves singing in the church choir, training children for songs and plays in the Sunday School.
Fun Fact: Mme. Betty used to be a Kabaddi sport champion back in her school days!