Now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 School Year
Faculty
Children's House Teachers
Terri
Terri is the School Head and the Head Teacher in the Half-Day Children’s House. Terri holds Pennsylvania Private Academic School certification in Early Childhood Education (ages 3-6) and in Elementary Education (grades 1-6) as well as well as School Management Certification from the American Montessori Society. Terri received her Early Childhood Montessori teacher training from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and her Lower Elementary Montessori teacher training from The Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New Rochelle, New York. She earned her Master’s in Education from Xavier University. Terri founded Montessori Children’s Community and has served as its School Head since 1991. She has been a Montessori Teacher since 1973.
Nicole
Nicole holds a Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Kaplan University. She has taught as a preschool teacher for 7 years and has also served as a daycare center director for 2 years. She has "planned, developed, and implemented developmentally appropriate curriculum to foster growth and learning in a safe, warm, and nurturing environment" as well as maintained student records and open communication with parents. Nicole will be taking her Montessori Teacher Training with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies this year.
Heather
Heather is an Assistant Teacher in the Half-Day Montessori classroom. She holds a Masters in Education: Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts: Sociology and Anthropology from Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. She has been a Communication Skills Instructor at Robert Morris College, the Assistant Coordinator of International Field Programs for the Institute for Shipboard Education in Pittsburgh, and a Basic Writing Instructor at the University of Minnesota. Heather previously taught at the Sunshine Montessori School in Minneapolis, MN.
Carmen
Carmen is the Head Teacher in the All Day Montessori Program. She has taught for 7 years as an Assistant Teacher in both the Half-Day and the All Day Montessori Programs at MCC. Her Montessori Teacher training is through Center for Guided Montessori Studies.
Becky
Becky is the Co-Head Teacher in the morning session. Becky holds a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education from Carlow University and a B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University, with a double major in Psychology and Literary/Cultural Studies. She has Montessori teacher certification at the 3-6 level from the Montessori Western Teacher Training Program. Becky has experience working as the Education Director and Head Teacher at the Western Pennsylvania Montessori School in Allison Park.
Debbie
Debbie holds a Master of Arts in Education and Instructional Leadership with a concentration in Montessori Education. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Towson in Baltimore. She has been teaching for 16 years. Debbie is certified in Elementary education (Kindergarten-6th Grade) and in Music Education (Kindergarten-12th Grade). She has taught primarily in Florida and her experiences include teaching at the Imagine Charter School in Weston, Florida, Bridgegap Academy of North Miami Beach, Gardens School of Technology Arts in Palm Beach, and Palm Beach County Schools (public Montessori School). Debbie will take additional Montessori Teacher Training with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies this year.
Elementary
Kristie
Kristie is a Co-Head Teacher in the Lower Elementary classroom. Kristie holds a Pennsylvania state teacher’s certification (Kindergarten through 6th Grade) and Montessori certification from Montessori Education Teacher Training Consortium (METTC) in Boston, MA. Kristie is a graduate of St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA, with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a minor in psychology. She has worked in Human Relations for Mylan, Inc., served as the Assistant Director and Pre-Kindergarten Teacher at the Children’s Center, and worked as a substitute teacher in both the Quaker Valley and North Allegheny School Districts. Kristie also holds Montessori Teacher Certification at the Children's House level.
Kathryn
Kathryn is a Co-Head Teacher in the Lower Elementary classrooms. She obtained her Lower Elementary certification from Center for Montessori Teacher Education, New Rochelle and holds Pennsylvania Early Childhood (PreK-3) certification. She earned a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and has her Masters of Arts in Teaching in Early Childhood Education from Duquesne University. She has been teaching in Montessori classrooms since 2012 in Pittsburgh Public Schools and at Carlow's Campus School. She taught at Winchester Thurston School before coming to MCC.
Cathy
Cathy is Head Teacher in the Upper Elementary classroom. Cathy holds AMS Elementary I-II certification from Center for Montessori Education, NY, Montessori Orientation Programme to Adolescent Studies from AMI/NAMTA, and PA Private School Teacher Elementary Education K-8 certification. She holds a BSE in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University and a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Pennsylvania. Cathy returned to MCC after two years in adolescent programs in VA and FL. She is currently working toward the AMS Certificate of Teacher Education Instruction.
Kayla
Kayla holds Bachelors of Science in Education, having majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education, from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Her Masters in Education is from North Carolina State University. Kayla has 10 years of teaching experience in Elementary Education through her teaching at the Ravenscroft School, North Forest Pines Elementary School, and Leesville Road School in Raleigh, North Carolina. She assumed a leadership role in these positions as the Team Leader for each grade level in which she taught. Kayla collaborated and co-taught with colleagues to provide targeted instruction for students' individual needs. She is able to create a supportive and energetic environment while preparing students for middle school. Kayla will be working with Cathy Rohrer and taking her Montessori Teacher Training at the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative.
Middle School
Tess
Tess is a Co-Head Teacher in the Middle School. Tess received her Montessori Adolescent training at the Montessori Adolescent Teacher Training Course at Hershey Montessori Farm School. Tess is a 1990 graduate of Allegheny College with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She also holds a Master of Arts from the University of Delaware in American History and Museum Studies (1992). She has been an adjunct faculty member at Seton Hill University and at the University of Pittsburgh where she taught Children’s and Adolescent’s Literature Courses. She served in Literacy AmeriCorps and was a staff member of Beginning with Books for 11 years, and prior to joining us, she was the Children’s Manager at the Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley. Tess completed the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project’s Summer Institute for Teachers in 2016.
Kerri
Kerri is a Co-Head Teacher in the Middle School. She received her Montessori Adolescent Teacher Training 12-18 Orientation through the Association Montessori Internationale, holds a Level II Pennsylvania Instructional Teaching Certification in 7-12 Mathematics, and has previously taught secondary mathematics at South Side High School in Beaver County, Pennsylvania from 2012-2021. Kerri earned her Bachelor of Secondary Education in Mathematics with a Minor in Educational Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a Master of Education in Mathematics Education from University of Pittsburgh. Kerri designed and implemented action research to study motivation and application of growth mindset in the classroom during her course of studies at the University of Pittsburgh.
Specials
Chris
Chris is a physician, having practiced medicine as a member of the South Hills Radiology Associates at St. Clair Hospital for 30 years. He is the father of four sons. Chris is a graduate of Case Western Reserve Medical School in Cleveland, Ohio. He teaches Middle School science and current events.
Heidi
Heidi is the Art Teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Central Oklahoma with a minor in Fine Arts. She has taught art classes locally at the Sweetwater Center for the Arts, is a member of the West Hills Art League and the Art Guild at Sweetwater. She is a practicing artist and enters her work in regional art shows. Heidi is proficient in Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, Digital Photography, Painting, Sculpture, Collage, Encaustic, and Drawing.
Silvia
Silvia began her music studies at the age of six at the Niños Cantores de Córdoba, Argentina, where she graduated with a degree in Musical Arts, Music Education, and Choir Conductor. At the age of ten, she began studying cello at the Felix T. Garzón Conservatory of Music in Cordoba, continuing her studies in Buenos Aires. In 2003 she entered the National University of Lanús in Buenos Aires, where she graduated in 2005 with a degree in Music with Symphony and Chamber Orchestra orientation. She continued her studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she graduated with the a Master of Music in Performance in 2018. She took the Musikgarten Teacher Training Course this summer to teach Musikgarten in the Children's House.
Coach Annette
Annette is the Physical Education Teacher for the Lower and Upper Elementary Classes. Annette holds a Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Educational and Professional Studies from the University of Lancaster, United Kingdom and a Masters of Education from The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. She was the Science and Foreign Language Teacher Year 1-12, Normanton School, Buxton, United Kingdom for 6 years and a French Teacher, at Le Club Francais, Buxton, United Kingdom for 2 years. Annette speaks Danish, English, French, and German. She is currently the Quaker Valley Tennis Junior Varsity Boys Head Coach.
Office Staff
Melissa
Melissa worked for 17 years as the Special Events Manager in the Marketing Department at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. She previously worked for 11 years as an Executive Assistant, Customer Service Supervisor, and Production Manager at J&L Specialty Steel. Prior to joining MCC's staff, she worked as the Director of Project Management at Fireman Creative. She has been with MCC eight years.