Administrative team

Mary is the owner and Director of Bella Montessori. 

Mary began her journey at Bella in 2022 when she purchased the school from its amazing founder, Davina Goff.

Mary resides in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, four children and a zoo’s worth of pets. Mary is a lifelong learner and has earned her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Arizona State University, her Post Baccalaureate in Special Education from Rio Salado College, and her Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. She holds Montessori 6-9 certification from Arizona Montessori Teacher Education Program and Montessori 6-12 certification from Houston Montessori Center. She is currently working on her 0-3 Infant/Toddler Certification through CGMS.

Outside of Bella, Mary is a Montessori Teacher Trainer for the Center of Guided Montessori Studies and AMTEP.

Ms. Tessie serves at the Primary Lead Guide in the Morning Glory Room and Assistant Director to the school.  

She began in traditional early childhood education in 1991.  The route changed from traditional to Montessori in 1994, as an assistant in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (the Atrium) at her parish of St. Anne.  Tessie received her Montessori certificate in 2002 and has never stopped honing her craft!  

She is an Arizona native, born in Morenci, and the third of six.  She has lived in Tucson, Glendale, India and now Gilbert.  She has one daughter who is currently in residency at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California.  Tessie enjoys spending time with her daughter, reading and volunteering behind the scenes for the Atrium.  Her favorite quote is “We can only do small things with great love” from Mother Teresa.

Ms. Tessie serves at the Primary Lead Guide in the Morning Glory Room and Assistant Director to the school.  

She began in traditional early childhood education in 1991.  The route changed from traditional to Montessori in 1994, as an assistant in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (the Atrium) at her parish of St. Anne.  Tessie received her Montessori certificate in 2002 and has never stopped honing her craft!  

She is an Arizona native, born in Morenci, and the third of six.  She has lived in Tucson, Glendale, India and now Gilbert.  She has one daughter who is currently in residency at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California.  Tessie enjoys spending time with her daughter, reading and volunteering behind the scenes for the Atrium.  Her favorite quote is “We can only do small things with great love” from Mother Teresa.

Ms. Corina joined Bella in June of 2022. She studied Early Childhood Development in college and has been working with children in a Montessori setting since 2017. In 2022, Ms. Corina completed her Primary Montessori training and earned her AMS 3-6 certification. When it comes to Montessori, Ms. Corina is passionate about material making and outdoor environment learning. Ms. Corina enjoys crafting, thrifting, gardening and exploring new coffee shops. Ms. Corina loves teaching and is happy to be a part of the Bella Community.

Ms. Kelsey grew up by the Pacific West Coast waters in British Columbia, Canada. She became fascinated with the Montessori philosophy when she had her daughter in 2014. She is a forever passionate student when it comes to child development, Conscious Discipline and education. After moving to sunny Arizona in 2016, she began assisting in outdoor, play-based preschool classes. She has been teaching in a Montessori early childhood classroom setting for 2 years and is currently working on her AMS Early Childhood Certification.  In her free time she enjoys spending time with her daughter, reading, weight lifting and exploring Arizona. 

Nikki Black is out Lower Elementary Guide. She is a Military wife and mother of two children (ages 14 and 12).  She is from El Paso, TX, and has resided in Arizona (Phoenix and surrounding areas) since 1998.  She received her Elementary training from Arizona Montessori Teacher Education Program (AMTEP).  She has been teaching in a Lower Elementary Montessori environment since 2014.  She likes to share her knowledge and experience with the community, and she loves to make connections with each child and family she serves.  When she has spare time, she likes to create art and crafts, read books, and spend quality time with her family. 

Clarissa leads the Montessori Music program at Bella Montessori. She started playing violin at age three and attended Montessori schools throughout her childhood. Clarissa holds Montessori 3-6 certification and discovered her love of music in the Montessori classroom as a Primary lead.

Clarissa creates and delivers music classes tailor-made to suit the developmental needs of each Montessori classroom. Building on over 25 years of experience as a classical violinist and vocalist, her music classes are at once fun and engaging while remaining deeply rooted in classical music training. Following the musical education guidelines created by Dr. Montessori, students gain skills such as pitch matching, ear training, rhythm training, vocal mastery, turn-taking, enhanced listening skills, and community cooperation through vibrant music-making experiences.

An internationally accredited yoga instructor, Clarissa also loves leading occasional yoga classes at Bella. She is an outdoor education consultant, landscape designer, and certified Arizona Master Gardener. Clarissa lives in Gilbert with her husband and their two children and they all adore being part of the thriving Bella Montessori community.