Meet Our Teachers and Staff

AMS (3-6) credential | Center for Montessori Teacher Education, NC

Forest Kindergarten Certification | Cedarsong Nature School

 

Bio: In August 2020, Adam started the first Forest School nature immersion program at MCS. Before moving to NC, he worked in a three-year-old classroom at the Learning Tree Day Care in Erlanger, Kentucky. 

 

Joined MCS in 2019

 

BA, English | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

MFA, Design | The George Washington University

AMS Primary (3-6) credential | Center for Montessori Teacher Education, NC

 

Bio: Anna joined MCS in the Toddler program in 2019 and transitioned to Primary in 2021, utilizing her previous Montessori primary training. She taught primary and completed her teacher training while at a Montessori school in Cary, NC over several years. She has previous teaching experience in both traditional public and private school settings. Anna and her husband Dane have a daughter at MCS and a son.

 

Joined MCS in 2022

 

BA, Anthropology and Storytelling | New York University

 

Bio: Luke attended MCS as a child, from Primary all the way through the Adolescent Community, and is glad to be back. During college, she worked with Teach for America’s JumpStart program, which aims to close the education gap by providing teaching assistance to underfunded preschools. Luke is thrilled to be giving back to the MCS community that raised her and intends to pursue Montessori certification.

BA, English | NC State University, Raleigh, NC

AMS Elementary I-II (6-12) | Seacoast Center Montessori Training Program

AMS Secondary I-II (12-18) | Cincinnati Montessori Secondary Teacher Education Program, in progress

MEd Montessori Education | Xavier University (in progress)

 

Bio: Frances began her education career at MCS in 2004, where she spent eight years teaching at the Primary and Elementary levels. She spent the subsequent eight years at Sterling Montessori Charter School, in both upper and lower elementary, before returning to MCS in 2022 to join the Adolescent Community. Frances believes wholeheartedly in the Montessori philosophy that “fosters rigorous, self-motivated growth for children and adolescents in all areas of their development, with a goal of nurturing each child’s natural desire for knowledge, understanding, and respect.” A lifelong musician, Frances has sung with the North Carolina Master Chorale as an Alto II for the past five years, taught piano for twenty, and performed with bands and choirs locally and internationally. In her spare time, Frances enjoys puzzles, word games (Scrabble and all NYT games), procedural dramas, traveling, stand-up paddleboarding, and hiking with her husband and three dogs.

 

Joined MCS in 2021

 

BA, Music in Jazz Studies | The New England Conservatory of Music 

MA,  Musicology | Duke University Durham

 

Bio: In the past, Molly has served as a vocal coach, a choral director, a band director, and a college teaching assistant. She is extremely inspired by the opportunity to work in a Montessori environment and to help foster a love of music in the students at MCS.

 

Joined MCS in 2023

 

BA, Economics and Computer Science | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

 

Bio: Rasika comes to MCS with a keen appreciation for the Montessori method borne from her own childhood experiences as a Montessori student.  After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2019, she went on to work as a software engineer in the non-profit and financial services sectors. In 2023, seeking to pivot her career away from corporate life towards education, Rasika enthusiastically joined MCS support staff. She runs the Primary Early Care program and works as a substitute across all levels. In her spare time, Rasika enjoys hiking, yoga, chess, travel, and quality time with her friends, family, and cat, Frida. 

Joined MCS in 2019

 

BA, Journalism and Mass Communication—Visual Communications Concentration | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

MA, Journalism and Mass Communication—Strategic Communications Concentration | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bio: Before coming to MCS, Delphine spent four years working in membership communications at the Museum of Life and Science. Her past experiences also include graphic design, corporate advertising, customer relations, and database management. Delphine is grateful to have attended a Montessori school in Virginia as a child. She has two nieces who attended MCS. She is a true tree hugger at heart and believes art is the purest form of expression.

Joined MCS in 2017

BBA, Management | Augusta State University

MA, Teaching | Augusta State University

 

Bio: Shavonne is excited to be able to collaborate with faculty and the Administrative team on a full-time basis as the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling to new places, roller skating, reading, listening to music, and trying new foods. 

 

Joined MCS in 2012

 

BA, Business Management | Michigan State University

AMS (6-9) credential | Center for Montessori Teacher Education, North Carolina

 

Bio: Before joining the administrative team at MCS, Mike was a Lower Elementary teacher and very much enjoyed seeing first-hand the power of an MCS education. Mike is originally from Michigan and moved to North Carolina in 2006. Mike has two daughters, Alexis and Gabrielle, who are both current students at MCS.

Joined MCS in 2020

 

BSN | University of Cincinnati

Medical-Surgical Certification (MEDSURG-BC) | American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC)

CPR Instructor| American Red Cross (ARC)

Certified Vision Screener | Prevent Blindness North Carolina (PBNC)

Puberty Curriculum Instructor | Unhushed Org

 

Bio: Megan began her healthcare journey in 1994 and became a Registered Nurse in 2004. Megan and her husband Brad reside in Durham and have one son who attends the Upper Elementary (UE) program at MCS. The position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) states that “School Nurses play an essential role in keeping children healthy, safe, and ready to learn so that they may grow into healthy and productive adults.” Megan’s passion aligns with this stance.

 

Joined MCS in 2021

 

BA, Economics | North Carolina State University

JD | School of Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Member of the North Carolina State Bar

 

Bio: Katherine is a North Carolina native who has lived abroad in Florence and Amsterdam. She attended a Montessori school in Cary, NC as a child sparking a lifelong interest in school administration.

 

Katherine joined MCS after her previous role as an administrator at another Montessori school, in which she implemented modern systems for enrollment and finance. She has also held positions as Director of Business Operations for a household staffing firm, as well as Podcast Manager for an international non-profit parenting association. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, crafting, and cooking with her husband and two daughters.

Joined MCS in 2014

BS, Science | University of Mumbai

Post Graduate Diploma, Applied Nutrition and Dietetics | University of Mumbai

AMS (6-9) credential | Seacoast Center for Education

AMS (9-12) credential | Seacoast Center for Education, Stratham, NH

 

Bio: Kalpu has been a Montessori teacher since 1988, when she started at the Montessori School of Raleigh. She taught children at the primary level for 10 years, the upper elementary level for 15 years, and was a middle school math resource teacher for two years. Kalpu is the Assistant Director of the training program as well as an upper elementary teacher trainer at the Seacoast Center for Education. She spent 25 years at the Montessori School of Raleigh before coming to MCS. She enjoys cooking, reading, and teaching. 

Joined MCS in 2022

 

BS, Psychology and Sociology | Florida Southern College

 

Bio: Trudy has lived most of her life in Florida, where she graduated from Florida Southern College. After college, she moved to Chicago where she worked as a Nanny for twin boys while pursuing a certificate in Early Childhood Education. Done with Chicago winters, she decided to move to North Carolina last year. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, baking, reading, and discovering the Triangle area with friends.

Joined MCS in 2022

 

Bio: Before coming to MCS, Leanne worked as an office manager for a local non-profit that provides wraparound services such as housing, employment assistance, and recovery and financial support for formerly incarcerated women, and she is a staunch believer in second chances. She has worked as a recruiter in the childcare field, been a nanny and a preschool teacher both within and outside the Montessori environment, and is a mother to four. 

She enjoys reading about politics and history, strength training and weightlifting, and working with stained glass. 

 

Joined MCS in 2021

 

BA, Mass Communications | Drake University

M.Ed., Independent School Leadership | Vanderbilt University

 

Bio: Angie comes to MCS with 20 years of experience in schools. She previously served as Director of Admissions and Marketing at University Lake School in Hartland, Wisconsin. In addition to her work attracting and enrolling new students, she also directed the school’s international student program. Her administrative leadership experience at previous schools includes roles in development, communications, and marketing. She began her education career in the classroom, teaching high school English and English as a Second Language.

 

She was selected for the NAIS Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads in 2020. She previously pursued graduate studies in Educational Policy and Leadership at Marquette University, including coursework in secondary Montessori education.

 

Angie and her husband Dan (who have two college-age children) relocated to Durham from Wisconsin.

 

Joined MCS in 2023

 

MA, English/Creative Writing | North Carolina State University

AB, Psychology | Duke University

 

Bio: As a proud parent of two adult Montessori-educated daughters, Dana is thrilled to be back on a Montessori campus. She knows from experience that a shared passion for Montessori education creates a vibrant parent community. Dana has taught English at the high school and college levels and English as a new language to adult learners, middle schoolers, and preschoolers. She has previously served as director of development for two non-profits, as a fundraising-engaged board chair for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, and as a committed volunteer for several local non-profits and for numerous large fundraising events. Dana looks forward to nurturing a culture of giving at MCS.