Torit Administrators and Faculty
The Torit staff are the key ingredient to the educational experience that makes our students’ time at Torit so enriching and successful. Torit administrators and teachers come from more than a half-dozen different countries, speak multiple languages, hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and bring a vast array of educational and life experiences to the classroom. Our lead teachers and teachers are certified/licensed, and all of our faculty and staff undergo regular background checks and fingerprinting, in accordance with state requirements.
AdministratorS
David Liebmann
Head of School
David Liebmann joined Torit in 2023 as head of school after previously serving as Assistant Head of a Montessori school in Back Bay.
“After 30 years as a teacher and administrator in five nationally-recognized PK-12 and PK-8 independent schools, I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to lead Torit forward,” he said.
David notes that Maria Montessori was one of Italy’s first female physicians. “Trained as a scientist but stymied by the gender biases of the early 1900s, Montessori became interested in education,” David said. “She used her training as an observer to develop child-centered theories that put human growth first, that prioritized curiosity and intrinsic motivation, and that used materials to allow children to discover the world around them.”
“Young children build the foundations for productive, meaningful lives from their earliest days. Torit engages all their senses and all their abilities in ways that are unique to our Boston location. As an infant through sixth grade school literally across the street from Mass General Hospital, I’m excited to see our students embrace learning in many domains: intellectual, physical, and emotional.”
David greets families every morning at drop off, waves goodbye at pick up, and values the opportunity to know students and their families in a community like Torit. “I hope to make everyone at Torit feel known and needed,” he said.
A graduate of Middlebury College, Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, David also writes for magazines ranging from Independent School to Net Assets to Birding. He and his family live on the North Shore with their mini goldendoodle, Gnocchi.
Sherla Collymore-Phillips
Associate Head of School, Montessori Certified
Sherla has spent more than thirty years in education at the primary and secondary school levels. She has been a teacher and administrator at Torit since 2010. She is Montessori certified for preprimary and elementary, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in literature, linguistics, and sociology from the University of the West Indies.
Khalil Paige
Engagement manager
Khalil joined Torit in 2025, bringing over ten years of experience in marketing, design, and digital communications. He holds a B.S. in marketing with a minor in graphic design from Newbury College and certifications in Google Analytics and HubSpot. A former NCAA volleyball player and team captain, Khalil brings a collaborative, creative spirit to his work. Outside of Torit, he enjoys DJing, designing for his lifestyle brand, and blending culture with storytelling.
Cam Zarcone
Chef
Chef Cam, a proud hoarder of cookbooks, discovered the magic of child-led learning during the five years she spent educating her sons as part of Seattle's large and vibrant secular homeschool community. She later built upon those lessons when she created and taught a multi-disciplinary, multi-age culinary curriculum encompassing world folklore, science, history, and social studies at an innovative Seattle-area public school. A former journalist who has written about food for The Boston Globe, she received her professional culinary training locally at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and holds an M.A. in journalism from Syracuse and a B.S. in international affairs from Georgetown.
Faculty
Adriana Maisano
Toddler lead Teacher, montessori certified
Adriana has been with Torit since 2021 in the infant and toddler rooms. She has taught children of all ages since 2015 and is Montessori and EEC certified.
Alexia Cuellar
Elementary ARt, Extended Day, Float Teacher
Alexia was born in Panama City, Panama. Before moving to Boston in 2007, Alexia grew up and lived in Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Brazil. Upon relocating to Massachusetts, she began working with Boston Public Schools as a paraprofessional. Alexia started working at Torit in 2017 as a part of the extended day and summer programs. Her passions include art and travel.
Ali Colman infant/Toddler Lead Teacher, montessori certified
Ali completed her first year at Torit in the 2022-2023 school year. She has worked in the field of education since 2015, teaching in early childhood education—ages six months through five years—and as an ABA teacher working with children and young adults. She holds her M.Ed. in early childhood education from Worcester State University and her bachelor’s from Salem State University.
Alyssa Pelkey
Infant co-Teacher
Alyssa joined Torit in 2021 after moving to Boston from her lifelong home in Vermont. She graduated from Northern Vermont University in 2018 with a bachelor’s in elementary and early childhood education and has been working with children since her first job as a camp counselor. She most enjoys watching young children develop the same curiosity and love of learning that inspired her to become a teacher.
amanda hopson
Preprimary lead teacher, montessori certified
Amanda Hopson has worked with children for twenty years and has been teaching for a decade. Amanda grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, and holds a B.A. in English Literature from UVA. She moved to New York City and obtained her AMS Early Childhood certification in 2013 and then her master’s in Early Childhood Special Education and New York State Certification in 2015. Amanda taught in a bilingual French-English early childhood program at The École in Flatiron, and in the NYC Montessori school community at West Side Montessori School and at Metropolitan Montessori School teaching in the Primary classroom with a focus on kindergarten and literacy instruction. She joined Hopscotch Montessori School in 2019, taking on the role of Education Director full-time in 2020, and continuing in that role for three years. Amanda is very excited to return to the classroom as a co-lead teacher at Torit Montessori! Amanda loves travel, is fluent in French, and is a certified Music Together instructor. She and her fiancé, Nic, enjoy getting to know Boston!
Dan Scranton
Elementary LEAD Teacher, montessori certification pending
A teacher since 2015, Dan is a co-teacher in our Lower Elementary program. Dan studied anthropology as an undergrad and later earned his master’s degree in education at Endicott College. Dan loves gardening, all Boston sports, and outdoor activities. He is affectionately called “Mr. Dan” by nearly all Torit students, with the exception of his twins, who call him Dada. He is licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an Early Childhood Director I.
Dounia Kabbaj
Preprimary lead teacher, Arabic Teacher, Montessori certified
A native speaker of Arabic as well as French, Dounia is originally from Morocco and has been teaching at Torit since 2013. She earned her Montessori certification for ages three to six in 2015 and holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Suffolk University. She also earned a master's degree in education, focusing on early childhood with an emphasis in Montessori pedagogy, from Gordon College. She is a parent of a current Torit student as well as a past Torit student.
Chaymaa Chehboune
Toddler Teacher,
Arabic Teacher
On Leave 2025-2026
Chaymaa joined Torit in 2019. She grew up and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Morocco and worked in the field of pediatric physical therapy for five years before becoming a teacher. She is fluent in both Arabic and French. She is EEC certified.
Elena wickersham
infant/Toddler teacher
Elena came to Torit in 2022 and has enjoyed being a teacher in several toddler classrooms. She holds a B.A. in early childhood education from Elon University and a M.Ed. in reading education from Vanderbilt University. Elena loves spending time with young children and working alongside the wonderful staff and community of families at Torit. She is EEC certified.
Judy Cavanaugh
Elementary Lead Teacher,
Pre K/Kindergarten Liaison, montessori certified
Judy is one of Torit’s longest-tenured teachers and administrators. She has been an educator in Boston for more than 30 years and at Torit since 2011, where she has taught preprimary, lower elementary, and was Early Childhood Director. She holds certification from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a Childhood Teacher and Director II. She is Montessori certified for ages three through six. Judy holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Salem State College.
Katie Mcneill
preprimary LEAD Teacher, montessori certified
Katie joined Torit in 2024 after spending five years in Denmark, where she worked as an early childhood teacher. She has been teaching for more than twenty years, first as a language teacher in secondary and higher ed classrooms, before beginning her Montessori journey in 2014. Katie holds a bachelor’s in French and German from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s in German from Washington University in St. Louis, and is currently working towards a master’s in early childhood education. She is Montessori certified for ages three through six and holds a Marte Meo credential as an early intervention therapist.
Lisa Khalil
Toddler lead Teacher, montessori certified
Lisa joined Torit Montessori in 2014, and she is a currently a Toddler Lead teacher. Lisa has worked the summer program since coming to Torit, and relishes sharing her love for the city with her class, helping integrate many students new to Torit in the warmer months. Lisa has a myriad of professional experiences and credentials, including a Montessori infant-toddler certification. She also treasures creating memories with her four young grandsons.
Maria Acosta
assistant Teacher
Maria, originally from El Salvador, moved to Boston in 2005. She has worked with Preprimary and Early Preschool children at Torit since 2018 and has extensive experience working with children aged 2.5 to 6 years old. She enjoys engaging in art and reading activities with her students, as well as taking them on trips to the museum. Maria is also passionate about sharing her culture and teaching Spanish.
Natalia Sesma-Boussios
Preprimary lead teacher, Spanish Teacher, montessori certified
Natalia is a native Spanish speaker, born and raised in Mexico. She holds a bachelor’s degree in arts of education and is Montessori certified and language teaching certified. She joined Torit in 2013 as a Preprimary co-teacher and currently is focused on leading the Spanish program throughout the school. Culture and language are her passions, and she loves to see children learn new languages. She is a parent of a Torit student.
Sandy Krauss
infant Lead Teacher
Sandy joined the Torit team in 2010. Sandy truly enjoys our youngest students and partnering with families. She loves to see her student’s growth within our school community. Sandy holds an early childhood education associate degree from Mass Bay Community College and is a licensed EEC Lead Teacher and Director II. Sandy spends her free time with her family including her own children ranging from ages 13-33 and her guinea pigs.
Sunny lin
mandarin Teacher
Originally from mainland China, Sunny taught Mandarin in her home country. She started teaching Mandarin language, literature, and culture in the US in 2012. Sunny has taught Mandarin to students as a second or third language, to heritage learners, and native speakers. The independent schools she has worked at include Governor’s Academy, Nobles and Greenough, International School of Boston, and BB&N. She holds two master’s degrees from the University of Maine. Besides teaching, Sunny enjoys cooking, as well as reading, especially Chinese classics.
Xia Ling
Toddler lead Teacher, montessori certified
Xia Ling is a skilled educator and native Mandarin speaker. She holds state licensing in infant, toddler, and preschool education, and a master's degree in Fine Arts. She completed Montessori training after four years of teaching children aged 15 months to 5 years. Beyond education, she finds joy in movies, hiking, and cherishing the company of her two beloved cats.
Adjunct faculty
Shivaraj Natraj
Elementary Music Teacher
Shivaraj Natraj is a vocalist, beatboxer, percussionist, producer and multi-instrumentalist and a graduate of Berklee College of Music. He has collaborated with various artists like three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej; Stewart Copeland of the band The Police; Omar Hakim, drummer for Madonna; and various others. A fun-loving teacher, he likes to inspire his students through practicality and example and sculpt the best musical traits in them.