Angelina Hawley-Dolan
Head of School
Co-founder and lead teacher Angelina Hawley-Dolan is an AMS-certified Montessori primary teacher through New England Montessori Teacher Education Center (NEMTEC). She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Boston College. Her research focuses primarily on art and morality and is published in leading developmental journals such as Psychological Science, PLoS One, and Cognition.Angelina has presented her work nationally and internationally. She has worked with children from the preschool level to young adulthood and is passionate about joyful learning.
Angelina is a certified Yoga instructor and teacher trainer in the Boston area. She resides in Winchester with her husband, son (a graduate of Aster!) and daughter (who currently attends Aster!). She grew up in New England and every chance she gets to be outside and experience each season, the better!
Kanan Patel
Head of School
Co-founder and lead teacher Kanan Patel is an AMI-certified Montessori primary teacher through the Ratan Tata Institute in Mumbai. She has been a Montessori educator for over a decade, teaching in Montessori schools both in India and the United States. Kanan holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Gujarat University in India.
Kanan was born and raised in Ahmedabad -- a vibrant city located in western India that is known for its association with Mahatma Gandhi, and is endowed with rich architectural heritage. She is fluent in three languages, English, Hindi, and Gujarati. Kanan is married and has two daughters, one of whom is a graduate of Aster. Aside from being passionate about Montessori education, she enjoys cooking with her family and friends; she feels it nourishes her soul!
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Erin Voskeritchian
Teacher Leader
Erin Voskeritchian has been teaching for the past nine years. She is a licensed Elementary teacher in both Virginia and Massachusetts. She holds a Master’s degree of Teaching and a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Early and Elementary Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has been living in Cambridge for the past seven years and has taught in the Cambridge public schools. Erin has taught and worked with students from kindergarten through 8th grade in both Richmond and Cambridge. She has been the coordinator and instructor in creative arts programs in both cities.
Erin is AMS-trained as a Montessori primary teacher through the New England Montessori Teacher Education Center (NEMTEC). Erin’s love of nature and her background in athletics, art, and music is reflective in her teaching. She is passionate about fostering creativity and helping children build their confidence by focusing on their unique strengths.
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Dandan Youdan Cui
Teacher Leader
Dandan Youdan Cui is an AMI-certified Montessori primary teacher through Montessori Training Center Northeast (MTCNE). Dandan holds a Bachelor degree in International Business from Swansea University in Wales. She has been working with children in an English and Spanish classroom at preschool level for one year.
Dandan was born near Beijing and raised in Qingdao, China. She is fluent in English and Mandarin. She is passionate in exploring diverse cultures and has traveled more than fifteen countries. She enjoys outdoor activities and cooking. She is now engaged to Polo who was born in Korea and raised in Taiwan. Both of them love children and do various volunteer works.
Helen Weeks
Teacher Leader
Helen Weeks has joined the Aster community Fall 2019! She earned her BA in Environmental Studies at Pitzer College in Los Angeles, CA, and then her MS in Ecological Teaching & Learning from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She lives in Arlington, MA, and spends most of her free time outside. She especially enjoys hiking, boating and traveling! When she's not at Aster, you can find her working at the Mass Audubon Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary in Belmont. She looks forward to exploring the local Cambridge community with students in all types of weather!