Angela Galarza, a Montessori teacher from Florida with 19 years teaching experience, is gladly switching professional roles and is now serving as the Executive Director for BWMCH. In addition to her experience 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 an Assistants Training Program, Character First Cheerleading Program and French Music yearlong program 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 (4 and 10 years old) are happy to have made Columbia, MD their new home.

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.

Our Co-Directress, 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.

Our Spanish teacher: 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.

Martine Foster (Teacher Assistant) - Ms. Martine is excited to begin her first year as assistant teacher at Bryant Woods Montessori. She holds a bachelor's degree in Human Services from St. John University. She thoroughly enjoys working with young children and helping them start on the path towards the excitement and love of learning. Ms. Martine has been teaching in Early Childhood Education for four years. She enjoys reading, old time movies, traveling, and spending time with her family.