Enrichment

Nick Filippides, M.Ed., has taught music lessons to students of all ages and backgrounds since 2016. He holds a master’s degree in Music Education and has experience teaching in elementary schools, directing high school choirs, and working with community groups.

He believes that everyone has a voice in music and works with students of all abilities. His approach is personalized, using customized lesson plans tailored to each student’s interests and goals rather than a standard method.

Brandi holds Montessori credentials for Secondary I&II from Houston Montessori Center as well as a Master of Arts Education K-12 Certificate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has over twenty years of teaching experience, a total of eight at Phoenix Montessori Academy. Currently, she is the Art teacher for first through twelfth grades.

Her son, Phoenix’s first toddler, is attending her alma mater UNCC, where he is studying computer science and robotics. Brandi’s free time is spent playing with her two shih tzus, planning family travel adventures, and endlessly painting flowers.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - William Butler Yeats

Marcus Norwood serves as the Physical Education Teacher and is passionate about helping students build confidence, independence, discipline, and healthy habits through movement and teamwork. He believes physical education plays an important role in the whole-child approach embraced by Montessori education, encouraging students to grow socially, emotionally, and physically in a positive and supportive environment.

Marcus attended Wayne State University and brings three years of experience working in education. In addition to teaching, he has experience as a basketball coach, coaching both overseas and at the high school level since 2009. He has also worked extensively as a basketball trainer, helping athletes strengthen their skills, confidence, leadership, and work ethic both on and off the court.

His teaching approach aligns with Montessori values by encouraging independence, self-motivation, respect, collaboration, and personal growth. Marcus enjoys creating engaging activities that allow students to stay active while developing teamwork, communication skills, and self-confidence.

Outside of school, Marcus enjoys sports, fitness, mentoring young athletes, and spending time with family and friends. He is excited to be part of the Montessori school community and looks forward to helping students grow into confident, healthy, and well-rounded individuals.

Sarah Perry has been in education for since 2017. Sarah joined Phoenix Montessori Academy in 2023 as both a Primary Guide and an Art Guide. She recently received her Primary 3-6 Montessori credential through CMTE. Sarah has experience working with a wide age range of children from 2 years old through High school.

Sarah is passionate about the Montessori method because of its ability to support every child, especially those who might otherwise "slip through the cracks" in traditional settings. As an educator on the autism spectrum, Sarah brings a unique perspective that enhances her ability to connect with children and think creatively when problem-solving.

Outside the classroom, Sarah enjoys experimenting with new art techniques and materials, exploring new places, and spending time with her loved ones. Her favorite children’s book is “The World Needs More Purple People” by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart because it encourages children in a fun and engaging way to be unapologetically themselves and always continue learning by asking questions about the world around them. 

Elizabeth Ruiz Sanchez is a theater educator with an Associate degree in Theater Arts and an Infant/Toddler Montessori Credential. Originally from Mexico, she moved to the United States and found that Montessori education was the one constant that connected both experiences, shaping her foundation in learning and teaching.

She began working as a Toddler guide in 2021 and transitioned into a Musical Theater guide in 2024. She believes Montessori and the arts are deeply connected, both fostering self-expression, independence, and community. Through theater, she helps students build confidence, explore identity, and collaborate creatively.

Outside the classroom, she remains active in the theater community and enjoys cooking and visiting farmer’s markets to buy flowers.

Elizabeth loves teaching because her students are unafraid to be extraordinary. They keep the spark for the arts alive, and she finds joy in watching them grow in confidence and shine on stage.

Ms. Rachel, also known as “Ms. Cosmic” by her students, has been an educator since 2000, including with Phoenix Montessori Academy since 2015. She began her career as a college art history and humanities instructor and has consistently approached teaching as an interdisciplinary, project-based process that honors the curiosity of each child.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Art History from Washington University in St. Louis in 1993. She continued her graduate studies at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, with an emphasis in Anthropology, Archaeology, and Non-Western Art, and earned an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certification in Museum Education. During this time, she studied Ancient Mayan sites through a Latin American Studies grant and spent a summer abroad in Rome, Italy.

Ms. Rachel began teaching at the college level in 1997 but maintained a strong interest in childhood education and Montessori philosophy. She joined Phoenix Montessori Academy in 2014 as a co-teacher in Upper Elementary. In 2018, she worked in Lower Elementary while completing her Elementary I and II Montessori Certification through CMTE/NC. In 2019, she transitioned into her role as a Cosmic Education teacher.

Her classroom is grounded in the Great Lessons and cultural works of Dr. Maria Montessori and is designed to foster curiosity, exploration, and a scientific sense of discovery. She believes the world itself is one of the most powerful teachers and that each moment offers an opportunity to learn.

She is guided by the words of Dr. Maria Montessori: “The child is endowed with unknown powers which can guide us to a radiant future. If what we want is a new world, then education must take as its aim the development of those hidden possibilities.”