Our Staff
Parisa Lo Bianco
Parisa is the owner of Starlight School. She holds a California teaching credential from San Francisco State University and is a member of the American Montessori Society. She has owned Starlight School since 1998 and has worked as a Montessori teacher since 1996. She has served as a teacher in public elementary schools, a provider of in-home child care, and a behavior specialist for a private school.
Julie Vazquez-Torres
Julie is the director of Startlight School. She joined Starlight School in the fall of 2003. She earned a B.A. in Social Services from Notre Dame de Numur University and a M.A. in Early Childhood Education from San Francisco State University. Julie received her Montessori training from the Maria Montessori Teacher Training Center in San Francisco. She worked in a Montessori preschool for three years before becoming a nanny caring for twin boys for four years. In addition to teaching, Julie has also served as program director.
Jan Lee
Jan joined Starlight School in September 2006 as the head teacher for the toddler program. Jan has 18 years experience in Montessori education, 15 of those years in the toddler classroom. She received her Montessori infant-toddler credential from the San Leandro Teacher Training Center. Jan also has pre-school and elementary Montessori training from St. Mary’s College. She is currently completing her MEd at St. Mary’s. Jan has helped develop teacher training programs, created parent education curriculum, and spoken at education conferences.
Marnie Brines Chapa
Marnie started substituting for Starlight School in 2006 and joined the team full time in 2009 as co-teacher in the toddler program. She graduated from Holy Names University with a BA in Psychology, minoring in Child Development and holds a graduate level 2 year preprimary Montessori Certificate from St. Mary’s College. She also is a Master’s candidate in Early Childhood Education at St. Mary’s College. Marnie has been teaching for 14 years, 13 of those years as a Montessori preschool teacher.
