Lower Elementary Team Bios
Wellington Pontes Filho
Wellington has over 17 years of experience in education. He began his educational career as a middle and high school math teacher. Originally from Fortaleza, Brazil, Wellington holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a degree in Education with an emphasis in Math from the Universidade Estadual do Ceara, and a degree in Special Education, specializing in the hearing-impaired, from the Universidade Estadual Vale do Acarau in Brazil. Wellington taught elementary through high school students before coming to the U.S. Ever since, he completed the AMI Primary Montessori training in Mountain View, California as well as an AMI Elementary Montessori training program in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Wellington has been working at TRIS since 2005, where he has taught in Primary and Elementary; he is currently teaching in Upper Elementary. During this time, he has trained many teachers in his classroom on classroom management, and how to use and integrate the Montessori philosophy in their lessons. Wellington has four children at TRIS. He believes that every child should be valued and treated with respect. An education should empower a child and help her or him make a positive contribution to our world. Wellington is thrilled to be working with an international community, dedicated teaching staff, and sharing his passion for math and Montessori education with his students.
Michelle Kim
I have been at TRIS since 2022 and I was born in Danbury, Connecticut. I was raised between a number of countries and states, including CT, IL, CA, CT, WA, HI, as well as Korea, Russia, and Singapore. I love languages and am constantly trying to learn more. I currently speak English, Korean, Spanish, Russian, et un petit peu de français! The next language I’d like to learn is Levantine Arabic, so please hit me up if you speak it already! When I have free time I love to hang out with friends, make and listen to music, and of course eat onions and drink coffee (though separately).
Ramiro Ruiz
Ramiro was born in Colombia. He received a B. A. in Philosophy and Literature from the University Pontificates Bolivariana. He is also a specialist in Educational Planning and Personalized Education. He has taught at the university and high school level. He also worked as a school superintendent and assistant principal. He holds an AMI Elementary Montessori certificate. Ramiro has been at TRIS since 2010.
Lidia Derridj
Lidia joined TRIS in 2024. She is the French Teacher in the Cedar classroom. Originally from Algeria, Lidia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Finance. She previously taught Comptabilité des Sociétés at the International Institute of Management in Algiers before moving to the United States, where she managed a business for 12 years. Her passion for education, inspired by her father — a university professor at the University of Economics in Algiers — led her to teach French at EFBA and in a preschool in Oakland. Lidia believes that education should nurture both the mind and the heart, helping each child grow with confidence and joy. As she likes to say, “Enseigner, c’est semer l’amour du savoir.” (To teach is to sow the love of knowledge.)