Little Hoku Montessori Academy serves preschool children between the ages of 2.5 and 6. Our preschool is conveniently located right off Piilani Highway in North Kihei, on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Our classrooms are inside the Kihei Lutheran Church. The preschool is an easy commute for Maui residents of Kihei, Wailea, Kahului, and Wailuku. It is also less than 30 minutes to Paia, Makawao, and Kula.
The facility is equipped with air-conditioning, fire sprinklers, and a 4500 sq. ft. grass gated outdoor area for children to play and enjoy, as well as an outdoor sink for maximum cleanliness. Our Montessori school is licensed for 24 preschool and kindergarten aged students, but sets the capacity at 18 for an optimal student-teacher ratio.
Take a few minutes to explore the website to learn more about Little Hoku Montessori Academy and our philosophy.
Mission
Little Hoku’s mission is to provide a safe and fun environment for toddlers to grow to be independent and creative individuals. Our school follows the Montessori philosophy. Little Hoku focuses on activities by directing our toddlers in various Montessori activities to nourish their creativity and academics.
The lead teacher is Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) certified.
Core Values
- Know every child and strive to instill and teach them the love of learning.
- We value transparency and good communication.
- We share a respect for self, others, our world and our environment.
- Parents are partners and all adults are role models.
Program
Little Hoku Montessori Academy is a program for children ages 2.5 to 6.
Little Hoku has one classroom with a Lead teacher. The teacher is an Association Montessori International (AMI) certified. We also have a teacher’s aid, which is People Attentive To Children (PATCH) certified. Our program offers Preschool and Kindergarten. Finally, we are licensed for 24 students, but we set the capacity at 18 for an optimal teacher to student ratio.
Accreditation
ABOUT US - MEET OUR STAFF
Shadi Naderi, PhD
Founder and Owner
Dr. Naderi has earned her PhD degree in Mathematics and has spent the last 8 years in Research. Her passion for education and the undeniable need for preschool in the beautiful Island of Maui have convinced Dr. Naderi to open the Little Hoku Montessori Academy.
Ms. Lory
Teacher’s Aid
Ms. Lory’s experience with children goes back to when she had her own small childcare business. Ms. Lory has worked as a teacher’s aid past year at Hale O Keiki Montessori. In addition to childcare experience, she has worked as a health assistant bringing all that knowledge to Little Hoku families. Ms. Lory is working on her early education childhood credits and soon will be certified as an assistant teacher in the state of Hawaii.
Ms. Eva
Lead Teacher
Ms. Eva is originally from North Florida but has lived in Germany, England, France, Seattle, Portland, and Maui. While working as a drama teacher in Seattle she discovered her love for working with toddlers. This passion continued through her work as a teaching artist with the Maui Academy of Performing Arts. During one of her drama residencies, craving more time in the classroom and the opportunity to develop deeper relationships with her students, she decided to pursue her Montessori training. In 2011 she received her AMI training from Montessori Northwest. She has worked as an assistant at the Montessori School of Maui, and as a lead teacher at South Maui Montessori Hale O Keiki. She creates a loving environment where children’s curiosity and wonder is nurtured, where exploration is supported, and artistic expression is valued. Ms. Eva is currently working on her Masters in Education with an emphasis in Montessori and Reggio Emilia. Her greatest blessing recently was welcoming a baby girl into her family.
Alisa Shtromberg
Director of Marketing
Ms. Shtromberg began her career in the field of science. She earned her B.S in Astrophysics, and a M.S in Physics. After several years of working as an Optics Instrumentation Engineer, in 2010 she made a career leap into digital marketing, specifically web content strategy, design, and development. While her love for science remains, her passion is helping organizations with their web and digital content needs. Ms. Shtromberg joined Dr. Naderi in her venture into education initially as a web designer, only soon to realize her role was far beyond just building the website for Little Hoku. As the Director of Marketing she helps drive the marketing, brand, and PR strategy for Little Hoku. In her spare time, Ms. Shtromberg enjoys spending time with husband and two young boys. She currently resides in Seattle, Washington.
Dr. Maria Montessori
Physics and Educator, Inventor of the Montessori Education Method
From Childhood to Adolescence, p. 67
The Absorbent Mind, p. 257
