Faculty

Sandra Girlato
AMI Primary Director of Training

Sandra Girlato holds a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, English and fine art history from the University of Toronto, a Master’s Degree in Education from Loyola College, as well as an AMI diploma at the Primary level. Sandra worked with children aged 3 to 6 in a Montessori Casa prepared environment for several years. She is currently the Director of Training of the Foundation for Montessori Education in Toronto, a past member of the AMI Scientific Pedagogical, Materials and Translation Committees, an AMI examiner, as well as a consultant, lecturer and parent educator. Sandra was trained by Mrs. Renilde Montessori.

Lynn Woodward
AMI Primary Trainer

Lynn Woodward holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo, a diploma in Applied Photography from Sheridan College, and an AMI diploma at the Primary level. Lynn worked with children aged 3 to 6 in a Montessori Casa prepared environment. She is currently an AMI Trainer and the Course Administrator at FME, and is a national examiner, consultant, lecturer and parent educator. Lynn was also trained by Mrs. Renilde Montessori.

Renilde Montessori
Past Director of Training

Renilde Montessori, former Director of Training, is Maria Montessori’s youngest grandchild. She lived and traveled with her grandmother as a child. She attended Montessori schools in Barcelona, Spain and Laren, the Netherlands, and completed her secondary school studies at the Montessori Lyceum in Amsterdam. In her late teens, she audited one of Dr. Montessori’s courses in Adyar, India.

Renilde Montessori worked in various fields of endeavour before joining the Montessori movement as personal assistant to her father Mario Montessori in 1968. She went on to graduate from the Washington Montessori Institute in 1971 and from that time onward was actively involved in the work of the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) as lecturer, trainer and examiner.

She served as Director of Training at the Foundation for Montessori Education from 1989 to 1995 when she took on the position of General Secretary of the AMI. She left this function in 2000 and served as President of AMI until 2005.