Primary Campus
Valerie Garcia Gonzalez
Primary North Lead Teacher
This will be Valerie’s first year at Khalsa, though she comes with two years of experience as an assistant guide before this exciting role of Primary Lead Guide. Born in Puerto Rico, Valerie moved from Florida to Arizona to complete her AMI Diploma from the Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies in the summer of 2023. Having graduated from Stetson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and a minor in Psychology, she worked in Corporate Marketing for 6+ years before making the change to Education, following her passion for working with children and pursuing the Montessori philosophy. In her free time, Valerie enjoys traveling, hiking, and enjoying the great outdoors. She loves nature, spending time with her dog Yuni, reading, and doing yoga.
Deana P.
Primary North Assistant
Deana began working at Khalsa in August, 2025. She comes with 23 years of experience working with developmentally delayed children. Deana is passionate about helping children learn about themselves so they can thrive in their environment. The Montessori community, compassion, and dedication to children are what she appreciates about Khalsa. Deana’s educational background is in child development, psychology, and social-emotional learning. She previously taught social learning and self-regulation skills in small group settings. Deana has one son in Lower Elementary. They love exploring and being creative in nature together.
Donna Koenig
Primary North Assistant/Outdoor Environment Teacher
Donna recently returned to Arizona with her husband and family after living in Florida for many years. As a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, her family roots run deep in Arizona. After graduating from Coronado High, Donna attended Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. She later went on to get her A.M.I certification from the Southern Montessori Institute in Miami, FL. As an A.M.I Primary teacher with 30 plus years of experience, Donna is excited to continue her passion for teaching here at Khalsa Montessori!
Dyanna Jiron
Primary South Lead Teacher
Dyanna’s journey with Khalsa began in the summer of 2018, when she was recruited as an aftercare assistant. Her passion for the primary children and the Montessori Method led Dyanna to the primary north classroom as a classroom assistant for two years. Since then, Dyanna has taken training through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies (CGMS) to become a lead teacher. Outside of school, Dyanna enjoys swimming, hiking, crafting, and spoiling her fur family of one dog and three cats (Ollie, Mo, Frank, and Maxine).
Pamé Arteaga
Primary South Assistant
Pamela goes by Pamé (“Pah-may”). She is originally from Quito, Ecuador, so her first language is Spanish. She moved to the States in 2020 to live with her now husband, John. They have lived together in Idaho and Georgia before moving to Phoenix with their beloved dog Stella!
Pamé has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Universidad San Francisco de Quito. She has taught in several classrooms both in the US and Ecuador for the past 6 years. Pamé has experience as a classroom teacher and a teacher assistant. She loves being part of Khalsa’s community and looks forward to growing and learning with Ms. Dyanna and the children! In her free time, she enjoys being outside with her husband and dog. They like hiking and being in nature. She also enjoys working out, doing yoga, hanging out with friends, and eating all kinds of good food! She loves art and dancing too. She has a minor in theater and acted in community theater back in South Georgia.
Ninfa Hartley
Primary Tutor
Ninfa joined the Primary South classroom in August 2004. Ninfa is Montessori Primary trained and certified through the Center for Montessori Teacher Education. For thirteen years, she has been a Primary South teacher: giving lessons, overseeing areas of the classroom, and leading the classroom when needed.
Ninfa is from Honduras and moved to the United States in 1992. She worked as an ophthalmologist assistant for eight years and became interested in Montessori teaching in 2002. She was an assistant teacher at Community Montessori School before coming to Khalsa.
Ninfa attended the National Pedagogical University in Honduras and has a bilingual secretary diploma. She has been a Sunday School teacher for 18 years and is now the coordinator of the Sunday School program at her church.
Jaime Williams
Primary After Care Coordinator
Alizah Marcado
Primary After Care Assistant
Lupita Juarez
Yoga Instructor
Toddler Campus
Revay Cargo
Toddler North Lead Teacher
Revay has been with Khalsa for 6 years, and she is Infant and Toddler Certified. Revay loves Montessori for so many reasons, but a major one is that Montessori education honors each child as an individual with their own rhythm, interests, and abilities. Children are seen as capable and are trusted to do meaningful work. Being a toddler teacher means that a child’s experience with school all starts with her, and that is such a special feeling. When Revay is not in the classroom, she loves spending time with her Partner and their two cats, Jasper and Stella. They love to watch movies, do puzzles, build Legos, and spend time with friends.
Ebony Ramirez
Toddler North Assistant
Diana De Leon
Toddler South Lead Teacher
Diana joined Khalsa Montessori in 2025 after moving from San Diego to Phoenix. She earned a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the Autonomous University of Baja California in Tijuana, MX in 2016, obtained the primary AMI assistant course from MISD in 2013, earned the AMI Assistant to Infancy (0-3) diploma from Montessori Stoppani in 2022, and completed a Master’s in Special Education from CETYS University in Tijuana in 2024. She started an infant community in Tijuana, where she worked for 3 years. Diana gained experience working with autistic children using ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy. She believes in sharing the Montessori philosophy as a way of living, changing the way adults see children, and how we educate future generations. Diana grew up in Tijuana, MX, and has a 5-year-old son who attends Khalsa. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, going out with friends, finding new places to eat, museums to visit, and activities to do with my son.
Jasmine Vega Moron
Toddler South Assistant
D. Moron
Infant, Pre-Toddler Lead Teacher
Ms. Moron became a part of the Khalsa Toddler family in 2021. She has worked in Montessori schools since 2015. She has experience teaching children 0 – 11 years old.
In her free time, she is very outdoorsy; she enjoys any activities that will keep her busy. In 2020, she entered the beauty industry to become a licensed esthetician to run her own business.
Carmen Barba
Infant, Pre-Toddler Assistant
Carmen is an assistant in Toddler South with Ms. Diana. She has been at Khalsa for five years now. She is very excited for this school year and plans for the best experience for our toddlers.
Charlie M.
Floating Toddler Assistant
Charlie has been working for Khalsa since February of 2024. Charlie’s favorite part about Montessori is the kids having more freedom for expression and using their ideas to problem solve! When he has free time, Charlie enjoys his time at the library, going out with friends, or on road trips. Charlie is a proud cat and tortoise dad.