FACULTY
Montessori School of Pensacola 2007-2008 - Staff Information
Administration
Mary Gaudet - Administrator. This is her 30th year at MSP. She is one of the three owners. She is married and has 5 children and 6 grandchildren, 4 are currently attending MSP. She has a BA and MA in Early Childhood. She also has an AMS Early Childhood Credential as well as a St. Nicholas Certificate. She enjoys reading, walking, and finding bargains at garage sales.
Maria Mitkevicius - Head of Elementary & Middle School * Teacher 9-12 classroom. She is one of the three owners. She began her educational career in 1972 in public school in Connecticut. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education from Southern Connecticut State University. She is also AMS Early Childhood, Elementary I & II certified. She has been *doing* Montessori for the past 27 years. She is married and has 3 children who all attended MSP. When not at school, she enjoys reading, traveling, and visiting her family.
Kathy Turtle - Early Childhood Program Director and the co-founder of MSP and one of the three owners. She has been with MSP for 30 years and has been teaching Montessori for 35 years. She has two sons, both former MSP students. She also has three grandchildren. She has an AA Degree and holds a St. Nicholas Montessori certificate as well as being AMS Early Childhood Certified. She loves to spend time with family and friends, reading, making window jewelry and her job! After 35 years, she is still thrilled to be part of Montessori Education.
Administrative Support Staff
June Brewer - Administrative Assistant - 12th Avenue. This is her fourth year at MSP. She has 16 years Administrative Assistant experience. She is married and has one daughter who is in High School. She enjoys sewing, gardening, scrap booking and reading.
Ellen Kellar - Administrative Assistant - Montessori School Business Office. This is her sixth year at MSP.
Wanda Nelson - Business Manager. This is her fifth year at MSP. She has a B.S. degree in Systems Science/Business from the University of West Florida. She enjoys watching soccer, tennis and British comedies. She loves to read non-fiction, history and travel books. No kids, 10 cats! This is her first experience working with children and has found it amazing to watch the discoveries that children make every day.
Toddler / Entry
Shae Brown - Site Director - 12th Avenue Toddler/Entry Level Coordinator / Head Teacher Entry classroom. This is her tenth year at MSP. She has an AA degree and is AMS Infant-Toddler Certified and has taken 3-6 Montessori Training as well. She is a native of Pensacola and is married with 6 daughters and 5 grand children.
Maritza Candelario - Teacher - Entry classroom. This is her fifth year at MSP. She has an AA Degree from Boricua College, NY. She has a ten year old son, two stepchildren and one grand daughter. She loves working with children and enjoys arts and crafts in her spare time.
Ashley Gardipee - Toddler/Entry classroom. This is her first year at MSP. She is a graduate from Tate High School. She is currently attending PJC and working on a degree in education.
Amy Gillis - Teacher - Toddler classroom. This is her third year at MSP. She is a native of Pensacola and has worked previously with two year olds. She is attending PJC and taking Early Childhood classes. She has five sisters. Her hobbies include reading, art and antique shopping.
Amanda Lemmon - Head Teacher - Toddler classroom. This is her eighth year at MSP. She is married and has 2 children. She is attending college for an Early Childhood degree and is Montessori Infant and Toddler certified as well as RIE certified. She enjoys going to the beach, camping and any outdoor activity. She also likes scrapbooking and creative pursuits.
Juliet Phillips - Teacher - Entry classroom. This is her third year at MSP. She attended Montessori training. She is from England and is married and has 3 boys. She is working on her AA in education at PJC.
Lindsey Stewart - Extended Care Teacher - Toddler/Entry. This is her third year at MSP. She has an AA degree from PJC and hopes to go into a Dietetic Degree with a minor in Biology.
Holly Vanecko - Teacher - Toddler Classroom. This is her second year at MSP. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Bradley University.
3-6 Classes
Jennifer Austin - Co-Head Teacher - 3-6 East classroom. This is her sixth year at MSP. She is Early Childhood AMS Certified and graduated from UWF with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in Sociology and Social Welfare. She has a 7 year old son who attends MSP. She is currently working on her Masters in Primary Education at UWF.
Gaylene Brotherton - Early Childhood Level Coordinator / Head Teacher - 3-6 West classroom. This is her sixteenth year at MSP. She is married and has two girls who attended MSP. She is Early Childhood AMS Certified and has Infant Toddler Training. She loves to paint, create, read and bask in the sun.
Donna Carney - Co-Head Teacher - 3-6 Montessori Drive classroom. This is her ninth year at MSP. She is Early Childhood AMS Certified and is currently enrolled at PJC in their Early Childhood program. She enjoys working with the preschool and kindergarten children and loves the multi-age classroom. She is originally from California and was educated in the Los Angeles County school system.
Janie Forgione - Teacher - 3-6 West classroom. This is her thirteenth year at MSP. She has attended most of the 3-6 Montessori training. She is married and has 2 children. Both of her children have or are attending MSP. She enjoys taking pictures and making jewelry. She is a native of Pensacola.
Sonja Johnson - Teacher - 3-6 West classroom. This is her seventh year at MSP. She grew up in Germany and received her Early Childhood Degree in 1977. She graduated from the Academy of Social Pedapogics. She has attended some of the 3-6 Montessori training. She is married and has a 17 year old son and 22 year old daughter. Her hobbies include cooking, aerobics, Tae Bo and entertaining guests.
Rena Lautzenheiser - Teacher - 3-6 East classroom. This is her fourteenth year at MSP. She has 2 sons and 3 dogs. Both of her sons graduated from MSP. She has a BS Land Surveying degree (MTU), and is AMS Early Childhood, Elementary I & II certified. She enjoys reading, hiking, volleyball, geocaching, camping and gardening. She enjoys spending summers working in Montana for the Bureau of Land Management - Cadastral Surveying.
Pam Meharg - Co-Head Teacher - 3-6 East classroom. This is her thirteenth year at MSP. She is married and has two children that are both former MSP students. She is AMS Infant/Toddler and Early Childhood certified. This is a second career for her. She was formally a photographer and has always enjoyed working with young children and looks forward to each new school year. She enjoys exercising and reading.
Bethany Palmer - Teacher - 3-6 West classroom. This is her second year at MSP. She has a BA in Elementary Education from Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.
Sibylle Reuter - Co-Head Teacher - 3-6 Montessori Drive classroom. This is her sixth year at MSP. She was born and raised in Germany. She has two younger brothers. She attended Hotel School in Germany for three years and then came to the U.S. as an Au Pair in New York. She moved to Pensacola in 2001. She loves working with the children and being silly with them. In her free time she loves playing volleyball and eating ice cream and hanging out at Barnes and Nobles. She is Early Childhood Certified. She is working on her AA Degree.
Sophie Sassine - 3-6 West Extended Care Teacher. This is her second year at MSP. She is currently pursuing her Bachelors in Elementary Education.
Cheryl Vann - Teacher 3-6 MD. This is her second year with MSP. She has been working with children and families for over 12 years in schools and private home settings. All three of her boys attend MSP. She enjoys going to the beach and canoeing with them. She looks forward to fun filled days with the children and getting to know their families.
Karen Vincent - Extended Care Teacher - 3-6 MD. This is her first year at MSP. She is currently attending PJC to obtain a degree in agriculture education at the University of Florida.
Linda Wilson - Teacher 3-6 East class. This is her sixth year at MSP.
6-9 Classes
Jessica Fry - Teacher - 6-9 North classroom. This is her second year at MSP. She has a BA in Psychology from UWF. She is enrolled in the teacher certification program as part of the continuing education program through UWF.
Marcia Gargano - Teacher - 6-9 South classroom. This is her fifth year at MSP. She is married and has one son who attended Montessori School for 9 years and is now in high school. She also adores her pug puppy named Bart. She has a B.S. in Adult Education degree from Colorado State University. She also has Early Childhood Certification from Virginia Montessori Teacher Education Center and hopes to pursue Elementary training in the summer of 2008. She enjoys working out, bible studies, reading, gardening and spending time with family and friends.
Elizabeth McWilliams - Teacher - 6-9 South classroom. This is her third year at MSP. She has a BA in Comparative religion from the University of the South (Sewanee). Her Masters is in Literature & Theology from University of Glasgow, Scotland. She has an Elementary I Montessori Certificate from MTEC/San Francisco in 2007.
Alisen Spear - Elementary Coordinator, Campus Coordinator and Teacher - 6-9 North classroom. This is her tenth year at MSP. She graduated from UWF with a BA in Elementary Education in 2000. She has an Elementary I Montessori Certificate from MTEC/San Francisco in 2003.
9-12 Class
Beth Leitermann - Teacher - 9-12 classroom. This is her second year at MSP. She has a BA Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also has a double Major in Accounting and Finance. She is on the Learn to Read Board of Directors and is also a Realtor with Tanner Realty. She has two children who graduated from MSP.
Elizabeth Longsworth - Teacher - Mont. Dr. This is her eleventh year at MSP. She has a BA degree in Elementary Education from the University of West Florida and is also AMS Elementary I & II certified. When she is not working at MSP she is a local Doula Childbirth educator and kid yoga instructor. She especially loves spending time with her husband and two sons. Her oldest son is an oldest child in the 3-6 West classroom.
Aaron Ritz - Teacher Intern - 9-12 Montessori Drive classroom. This is his third year at MSP. He is a native Pensacolian. He has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Detroit Mercy and served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corp for one year, experiencing life in a rain forest firsthand. He is very enthused about working with children and supporting their development. He attended 9-12 Montessori training at the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New York.
Lauren Southern - Teacher - 9-12 classroom. This is her fourth year at MSP. She is the oldest of three children. She has a BS Degree from Boston University in TV/Film; she has worked in Children's TV for PBS and BBC in London-UK. She has worked in several of the classrooms at MSP. She enjoys traveling, photography, crochet/knitting, acting and jewelry making. She is the director of the children's tent for the non-profit Greater Good Inc., that puts on a yearly children's music and art festival.
Middle School
Lisa Freeman - Middle School Coordinator, Teacher - Middle School classroom. This is her sixth year at MSP. She has a Bachelor's Degree from Barnard College, Columbia University. She has a Montessori Certification for Middle School through the Houston Montessori Center and Masters of Education in Montessori Integrative Education at Endicott College. Her hobbies include all types of crafts, swimming, and cooking.
Kathy Johnson - Teacher - Middle School classroom. This is her ninth year at MSP. She has a BA (FSU) in Anthropology and History. She has a Masters in Education - Technology in the K-12 classroom. Her son graduated from MSP.
Enrichment Staff
Vicky Lanning - Elementary/Middle Spanish & Art Teacher, Extended Care Teacher - This is her first year at MSP.
Gina Forgey McKerley - Elementary Science Teacher. She is a licensed Veterinarian and has 3 children who attend MSP and one who graduated from Middle School and now attends high school.
Vanessa Mayes - Early Childhood Spanish Enrichment Teacher - 12th Avenue & Mont. Drive. This is her second year at MSP. She has a BA Degree from Rollins College, Winter Park, FL. She has two children who both attend MSP.
Reita Paul - Elementary and Middle School Music Teacher. This is her third year at MSP. She has taught elementary school music for 10 years in Pennsylvania before moving to Pensacola. Two of her children and 1 grand child attended MSP. She absolutely loves teaching music! She taught at our school many years ago when her children attended MSP.
Substitute Staff
Donna Bingham - Toddler/Entry Substitute. This is her 7th year at MSP.
Margarita Goodpaster - Substitute. This is her first year at MSP.
Zac Moore - Early Childhood Substitute. This is his first year at MSP. He is currently attending Nursing school. He has a one year old son. He is a graduate of MSP.
Pat O'Brien - 6-9 Substitute.
