Calm, welcoming spaces. Children who flourish.

I cannot recommend Diana Hashem highly enough. Having been part of the Norwood School community for 14 years, I have had the privilege of seeing many educators in action, but she is truly exceptional.

When Diana taught my daughter Emma in pre-K (who’s now going into fifth), it was immediately clear that she possessed a rare combination of warmth, intuition, and deep expertise. I remember thinking from our very first meeting how fortunate Norwood was to have her. Exceptionally fortunate.

With over 20 years of experience, including extensive Montessori training, she brings an incredible ability to understand each child as an individual and create an environment where they feel safe, confident, and eager to learn. She has a gift for partnering with parents, offering thoughtful guidance and practical strategies that strengthen both the home and school experience.

Any family or classroom that has the opportunity to work with her will be profoundly supported. She is, quite simply, an extraordinary educator and mentor.

I would like to write this recommendation letter for my child’s teacher of social skills development, Diana Hashem. I find that Diana is very patient and extremely professional. It is clear that she loves to work with children. Her kindness to each child, her devotion to her job, and her ability to connect with all of them make her extraordinary.

My child respects and loves Diana very much. Thanks to this, she has made great progress and feels more confident when interacting with people. My daughter was always too nervous to look into the eyes of others. Now, she plays with her friends both at school and after school, even starting to communicate with teachers and other adults at school. Before, she was too scared to eat with her classmates. Now, she shares food with them. These achievements may seem small for many, but mean the world to us.

What is amazing about Diana is the fact that she does not only pay attention to children while teaching them in the classroom, but she contacts them after classes, sending them messages on their birthdays and helping them whenever she needs to. She is concerned about each individual child. Each of them is unique and she values this uniqueness. This is why my daughter is so attached to her and trusts her. It is amazing for our daughter to trust somebody who is not a member of our family, and a huge step for her development.

She pays attention to having deep discussions with the parents, being a part of the team and listening to us. She always provides us with her professional opinion and helps each child to be able to do their best. It is apparent that she cares about each child’s life both in and out of the classroom.

I deeply recommend Diana Hashem for any family that is searching for a kind and intelligent individual to help their children develop confidence and social skills. She has brought a positive change to our daughter’s life and we are extremely grateful for all her contributions to our family.

Our son was with Diana for two years in school, and for that reason, we consider ourselves the luckiest. Her warmth and tender love for kids creates an instant bond and trust with them. Her thoughtfulness, calming presence and nurture grows that strong bond. She truly understood our son, who came with his challenges, and she met him exactly where he was, celebrated his strengths and differences and helped him grow and to be the best version of himself.

Everything she does is with careful intent and purpose to support not only the child, but the family as well. She truly knows children and the best practices to help guide each child, help them feel confident and to grow. Even my other two children, who didn’t have Diana as a teacher, have a great relationship with her because she goes out of her way to make every child feel seen and known.

Diana was always a calming presence for our son and as we navigated a tragedy, our family as well. Diana is a gift to families and truly has an incredible ability reaching and connecting with children. We are so grateful for the impact she has had on our family’s lives.

Diana had a meaningful impact on our son, and on our family as a whole. What sets her apart is her unique combination of warmth, structure, cultural awareness, and deep understanding of child development.

Drawing on her Montessori background, Diana creates calm, supportive environments where children can develop independence, confidence, self-regulation, and a genuine love of learning. She understands that every child is different and thoughtfully adapts her approach to meet each child’s individual needs and personality.

As a multilingual educator with a multicultural perspective, Diana brings an appreciation for diverse family backgrounds, values, and communication styles. Our family has international roots and multilingual influences, and Diana demonstrated a natural ability to connect across cultures while helping create consistency and understanding between home and school.

What impressed us most was her collaborative approach with parents. Rather than focusing solely on the child, Diana worked alongside us to establish practical routines, clear expectations, positive discipline strategies, and effective communication techniques. Her guidance helped create an environment where our son could thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

Diana combines professionalism, empathy, patience, and expertise in a way that inspires trust and confidence. She genuinely cares about the success and well-being of the children and families she serves. Any family seeking support with routines, social development, school readiness, or creating a more harmonious home environment would greatly benefit from working with her.

We are grateful for the positive influence Diana has had on our son and would recommend her without hesitation.