Each teacher, assistant teacher and aide at WMS has been chosen with care for his or her education, mastery of Montessori teaching practices and warmth of spirit. Together, we comprise an outstanding educational community. The WMS faculty consists of seven trained Montessori teachers. Each lead teacher is certified by either the American Montessori Society or Association Montessori Internationale and all assistant teachers and aides are experienced in their program and grade level. In many cases, our faculty members have earned masters and post-graduate degrees. Note that our faculty’s position in the classroom is referred to as “guide” or “directress,” a term that reflects the faculty’s purpose of directing the child on his/her quest for learning.
| Toddler Program | ||
|---|---|---|
 Ann Marakos |
Zonia Ann Marakos and Eve Horstmyer are co-directresses of the Toddler Program. Ann earned an Associate Early Childhood Credential from the Virginia Center for Montessori Teacher Education in 1995. She later pursued a specialization in Infant/Toddler education from the North American Montessori Center. Ann came to WMS in 1991 as an assistant teacher and served her internship with Katie Brumfield in Children’s House 2. She joined Children’s House 1 as co-directress in 1993. Eve Horstmyer received her certification from the North American Montessori Center. |  Eve Horstmyer |
| Children’s House 1 | ||
 Angela Tambone |
Angela Tambone is the directress of Children’s House 1. Angela earned a teaching certificate from Istituto Magistrale Statale, an associate degree in Early Childhood Education from Darton College and has several classes completed toward a bachelor’s degree in history from Christopher Newport University. She came to WMS as an aide in 1985 and went on to get her Montessori certification from the American Montessori Society. She has led Children’s House 1 since 1990. Therese Drouillard is an AMI Montessori Certified assistant teacher for Children’s House 1. Pocha Guerra is an intern for CH1 and is currently taking her primary training at the Virginia Montessori Teacher Education Center. |
 Therese Drouillard  Pocha Guerra |
| Children’s House 2 | ||
 Katie Brumfield |
Katie Brumfield is directress of the Children’s House 2 program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of William and Mary as well as a master’s degree in speech and language pathology from the University of Virginia. Katie began working as a speech pathologist in 1972 and became a WMS parent in 1982. She earned her Montessori primary credentials at Virginia Commonwealth University and has been a certified Montessori teacher since 1984. Vickie Hook serves as assistant for Children’s House 2. |
 Vickie Hook |
| Children’s House 3 | ||
 Beverlee Mendoza |
Beverlee Mendoza is the directress of Children’s House 3. Beverlee has a bachelor’s degree in English from Christopher Newport University. She came to WMS in 1989 from Trinidad as an intern in our Infant Room and went on to be Infant director for 10 years. She left the Infant Room to assist in Children’s House 1 and Children’s House 3 and then received her Infant/Toddler certification from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education, New York, in 1991. She received her Primary certification from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education, North Carolina, in 1995. Beverlee is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Montessori education from Taft’s University. Charlotte Morton serves as assistant in Children’s House 3. |
 Charlotte Morton |
| Lower Elementary 1 | ||
| Shannon C. Jeter is directress of Lower Elementary 1. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English from the College of William and Mary. She received her AMS Montessori (ages 6-9) credential from Montessori Education Center of the Rockies in 2001, and her AMS Montessori (ages 9-12) certification from the Institute of Advanced Montessori Studies in 2006. She taught both Lower and Upper Elementary classes at Gloucester Montessori for ten years. Ms. Jeter also has experience teaching ESOL to adults. Meghan Seaborn serves as assistant for Lower Elementary 1. |
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| Lower Elementary 2 | ||
 Nicole Ellis |
Nicole Ellis is a Lower Elementary directress. Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Southern Maine and completed her Elementary 1 certification at the Center for Montessori Teacher Education/Phoenix. Nicole has been a member of the WMS team since 2005. Aneta Swietuchowska serves as assistant for Lower Elementary 2. |  Aneta Swietuchowska |
| Upper Elementary | ||
 Lisa Blackford |
Lisa Blackford is an Upper Elementary directress. Lisa holds a bachelor’s degree in geobiology from Valparaiso University and a master’s degree in Quaternary paleontology from Northern Arizona University. She earned her AMS 6-12 Elementary credential from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education/New York. Lisa comes to us from Phoenix, Arizona, where she taught Lower Elementary for four years in Flagstaff and Upper Elementary for six years at the Villa Montessori School. Lisa joined WMS in 2004. Alana Speth serves as assistant for Upper Elementary. | |
| Middle School | ||
 Jocelyn Swanson |
Jocelyn Swanson is the Middle School directress. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in communications from The Principia College. Her M.A. in Education is from Xavier University. Her Montessori certification comes from Cincinnati Montessori Secondary Teachers Education Program. She has worked with adolescents for over ten years and launched the Montessori Middle School program in 2010 at the Watermen’s Museum. Jocelyn is the Lead Teacher for the Middle School program, and also teaches Language Arts, History and Life Skills. Laura Newton serves as the Middle School co-teacher, organizing and planning classroom programs, as well as Middle School science instructor (Life, Physical, and Earth Science) and director for the Aquaculture/Bay Studies Program. Laura holds a B.S. in biology and an M.S. in Microbiology from Virginia Tech as well as an M.S. in Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry from University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Her teaching experience includes lecture and laboratory courses at those colleges and University of New England, Biddeford, ME. Additional teaching staff for the Middle School include: Amanda Sale, Math; Corinna Hann, Spanish; Brandy Bergenstock, Technology, Art; Wayne Hill, Music/Guitar; Michael Kerr, Boat Building; and Mike Steen, Physical Education. |
 Laura Newton |