OSMS Leadership

Prior to her role as Head of School, Amy was a Montessori teacher in the Ocean State Montessori School's Primary Program for 15 years. She has also served as OSMS's Curriculum Coordinator for the Primary and Wee Three programs for seven years and was instrumental in shaping and aligning the teaching practice in these classrooms. Before coming to OSMS in September 2000, Amy taught at the Bedford Montessori School in Bedford, MA. Amy also served as the Sensorial instructor at the New England Montessori Teacher Education Center for 19 years, where she trained hundreds of individuals to become Montessori teachers, including some of our current faculty and staff as well as other Montessorians from around the world. Both of Amy's daughters attended and graduated from OSMS. Amy has a BA in Psychology from Ithaca College and earned her AMS Early Childhood Credential from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in NY. 

Leah has been involved with the OSMS since 2000 when her daughter enrolled as a three-year old Primary student. Through her involvement as a parent, Leah became more interested in the Montessori philosophy and began her training at the New England Montessori Teacher Education Center in 2005. Leah received her AMS Early Childhood Credential in June 2006 and assumed the Lead Teacher position in her own classroom the following September. In 2015 Leah took over the role of Curriculum Coordinator for the Primary and Elementary programs. Leah is also a teacher trainer at the the New England Montessori Teacher Education Center, where she is the Sensorial instructor. Leah has a BA in French Literature from Boston University. Both of Leah's children graduated from our school.

Erin joined OSMS in 2019 as a Communications Coordinator. In her current role as Director of Communications & Advancement, she oversees various constituent touchpoints in communications and marketing, admissions and development. After earning her BA from the University of Rhode Island, Erin first became involved in Montessori education in a childcare role while pursuing postgraduate coursework. She was captivated by the capabilities of her students and inspired by the Montessori ethos of promoting peace and social justice. She later developed a deeper appreciation for the method as she observed its positive impacts on her own children’s growth and development. Before teaming up with OSMS, Erin was a freelance photographer who frequently dedicated time at her children’s previous Montessori school in Louisiana and served as a volunteer for arts-based non-profit organizations. In her leisure time, Erin enjoys the arts, sports and activities with her children.

Tamayra "Tammy" Pearce joined the Ocean State Montessori School in the Spring of 2020 as Office Manager. In this role, her responsibilities included working with vendors, maintaining student files, managing IT issues, and providing overall support to the administrative team and OSMS families. In 2022 she transitioned to Remote Business Manager and now oversees payroll, billing and tuition management and assists with school budget-related projects. Prior to joining OSMS, Tammy worked as a business manager at a privately owned multigrade class school. She has knowledge and experience in IT support, administrative duties, financials and admissions management. Outside of OSMS Tammy enjoys, reading, cooking, baking, playing her cello, and spending time with her husband and their two boys.

Brenda joined Ocean State Montessori School in 2022 as Director of Operations, responsible for assisting in the implementation of policies and procedures for the school’s day-to-day operations. Prior to her work here, Brenda owned and operated two small Montessori programs in Rhode Island for 27 years. Her Montessori path began when she was offered a position to run a school where she could bring her young daughter with her. Though she had no knowledge of Maria Montessori, she readily accepted the position and fell in love with the philosophy and the peaceful nature of the classrooms. Brenda went on to pursue Montessori training and received her Early Childhood Certification from Northeast Montessori Institute in 1998 and then opened her own schools. She considers it a blessing to have been a part of the educational journeys of so many children, including her two daughters and her grandson, and is excited to continue on her own Montessori journey with OSMS.

Jill Malin brings deep experience as an early childhood music and movement specialist to her role as the Lead Teacher of the Wee Threes program. Holding a BM degree from Northwestern University and a Masters of Music degree from New England Conservatory, she directed Blue Hills Music Together in MA for 16 years while

Betsy Facincani began her career at OSMS as a Teacher Assistant in a Primary classroom. Betsy fell in love with the Montessori philosophy and decided to pursue her AMS Early Childhood Credential at the New England Montessori Teacher Education Center. She earned her Montessori credential in 2004 and shortly thereafter became a lead teacher in her own classroom. Betsy has a BA in English from Tufts University and a Master of Library Science from SUNY-Albany.

A former Montessori child herself, Rebecca joined the OSMS community in 2020 assuming the role of Montessori Guide in Primary. Rebecca holds a BA from Hampshire College with a concentration in contemporary classical composition and musicology. Rebecca brings years of experience as a musical educator in private instruction. She completed an internship at the Institute for the Musical Arts in Goshen, MA where she served as a private instructor, group ensemble leader, and mentor for girls and nonbinary youth. Rebecca has also worked as a Direct Support Professional in Vocational Services supporting adults with disabilities. Rebecca earned her Montessori Credential in 2024 through the New England Montessori Teacher Education Center. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys singing and playing guitar/piano/banjo, writing music, rockhounding local beaches, patronizing local aquariums, and playing board games.

Jennifer has been a part of the Ocean State Montessori School since 1997 when she brought her Creative Movement/Gymnastics program to the school. In 1999, she became our Physical Education teacher when the elementary school opened. Jen is now an Upper Elementary Guide and teaches all our Physical Education and Health classes to the P3 and elementary students. She is proud to be a parent of two former OSMS students. Jennifer has a BA in Health & Society from Brown University, as well as several certifications from USA Gymnastics.

Lily joined the OSMS community in 2001.  She has a bachelors degree in painting from Rhode Island College and has also studied scientific illustration and surface design. Lily has taught at Brown Play School and also works in gardens and designing chalkboards. Lily has two daughters, two dogs and two cats.

Josh has been a part of the OSMS community since 2020 when his son, Nyjah, joined Ms. Brooke's class as a P3. His family immediately fell in love with everything to do with the school and he has been involved ever since. Nyjah is now in Ms. Elizabeth's LE class and his younger son, Zion, is in the Primary program. He lives in Riverside with his wife, Laura, and their two sons. As a Realtor and broker, he is co-owner of June Realty. He also is a trained life coach and owner of Positive Vibrations Coaching. In his free time, he enjoys making music, reading, cycling, kayaking, and fishing. He spends his weekends coaching youth soccer in the spring and little league baseball in the fall.

Laura joined the OSMS community in September 2021 and the OSMS Board of Directors in August 2022. As a native Rhode Islander and current Providence resident, Laura is committed to the community both personally and professionally. Laura has worked at Brown University for ten years in various roles, and has extensive experience managing programs, grants, and partnerships in local and international higher education settings. Laura received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her Ed.M. in Higher Education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Laura is a parent to Finn (LE 1, Periwinkles), Josie (P2, Pufferfish), and Leo. Laura enjoys spending time with her family (often at the beach or in the woods), running, yoga, and knitting.

Tom attended Ocean State Montessori's primary program as a child from 1988-1991. He was reintroduced to the Montessori method when he and his wife, Jocelyn, were looking for a preschool for their oldest son Damien. Upon touring OSMS, Tom and Jocelyn fell in love with the school. Their son Damien has been attending since 2019, and their son, Theo, since 2020. Tom lives in Warren, RI with his family. Tom and his wife co-own and operate the Ice Cream Barn in Swansea, MA, where they are committed to delivering high quality ice cream made using locally-grown ingredients in a sustainable way. In his free time, Tom enjoys bird-watching, traveling, and organizing fun activities for his family.

Julie has been a part of the Ocean State community since 2020 when her eldest enrolled, and is excited to have her youngest here now, as well. She works as a product designer for a technology services company, creating user interfaces for AI-driven software applications for healthcare and life sciences clients. Julie is also the author or coauthor of multiple books, reports, and articles on data visualization and data science. When she's not hunched over a laptop, you can find her cooking, gardening, or outdoors with her family. She lives in Pawtucket with one spouse, two kids, and three guinea pigs.

Anthony Febo

Ezekiel Payne

Nancy Rojas