Sophia Rowles – Preschool/Kindergarten (Head Teacher)

Sophia has a deep love for guiding and empowering children, spanning the last 14 years. Her passion for child development began as a teacher and later as an Administrator in Bilingual and English Immersion Kindergartens in Beijing. In the United States, Sophia was captivated by Montessori education and soon earned her Montessori certificate. She has worked for the last five years as a Montessori Head teacher in both English and Mandarin immersion environments, joining DVMS at the beginning of 2022. When Sophia is not in the classroom, she loves hiking, exploring new food, and going to the beach with her husband Christopher and their 5-year-old son, Calvin.

Paula Ruiz – Preschool/Kindergarten (Lead Teacher)

Paula was born in Colombia, South America. She earned her degree in Microbiology from Major College of Antioquia and received her Masters degree in Public and Occupational Health. She later went on to earn her Montessori certificate from the International Montessori Council in 2007 and worked in Oakland at a Spanish Immersion Montessori school. In 2018, Paula joined DVMS as the Head teacher for one of the Preschool/Kindergarten classes. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her husband, children, and family.

Matti Haghighi – Preschool/Kindergarten (Assistant Teacher)

Matti was born in Iran and later moved to the United Kingdom where she spent 26 years of her life, got married, and had two daughters. All of her education and academic certifications were completed in the UK through the National Vocational Qualifications of Children’s Care, Learning, and Development. Matti started off her Montessori career path volunteering at her daughter’s school. She then became a Montessori Practitioner and progressed to work for 17 years within Montessori Education. Matti finds her work in childhood education very rewarding and she has learned a lot of valuable life lessons through the children. The most important lessons children have taught her are how to be fearless, how to love, and how to be honest no matter what. In 2014, Matti moved to the California and joined DVMS. She enjoys working at DVMS and holds every experience very close to her heart.