Faculty and Staff
A high quality education for your child starts with highly qualified teachers in the classroom. At Mountaineer Montessori, you’ll find experienced and dedicated faculty and staff who are passionate about education and committed to nurturing your child’s unique potential. MMS faculty train at AMS or AMI affiliated programs (see below) and bring more than 250 combined years of professional education experience — 200+ in authentic Montessori classrooms — to MMS. Our teachers have received specialized training in Positive Discipline and our faculty includes certified Positive Discipline Parent Educators.
You can learn more about their specialized training and credentials here.
Mountaineer Montessori is an American Montessori Society (AMS) Pathways to Continuous School Improvement program school. Pathways, a mission-driven, standards-based process that helps schools achieve and maintain Montessori excellence, is administered by AMS, the nation’s foremost Montessori organization. MMS is the only full member AMS school in West Virginia.
Meet our faculty (please see the biography section for each department for complete descriptions of each faculty member’s experience and education.)
Jennifer Carriger
Director
Beth George
Assistant Director
Julie Margolis
Financial Aid Administrator
Kristie Simmons
Office Assistant
Isabelle Bournigault
Primary II Lead Guide
Kathryn Rhoads
Primary I Lead Guide
Samantha Van Den Berghe-Lynch
Primary III Lead Guide
Ben Cohen
Primary III Assistant
Stephanie Spradling
Primary II Assistant
Angela Walker
Primary II Assistant
Susie Newhouse
Plus Guide
Montessori Mentor
Becca Moore
Lower Elementary II Lead Guide
Emily Capece
Upper Elementary
Lead Guide
Tara Fought
Lower Elementary I
Lead Guide
Jason Winesburg
Upper Elementary Lead Guide
Alasha Al-Qudwah
Lower Elementary II Assistant
Nancy Johnston
Lower Elementary I Assistant
Kristie Simmons
Upper Elementary Assistant
Sarah Halstead
Middle School Guide
Dr. Emily Beal
Science/STEM Specialist
Julie Margolis
Math/PE Specialist
Colleen Anderson
Creative Writing Specialist
Alasha Al-Qudwah
Creative Expression Specialist-Middle School
Stan Bumgardner
History Specialist
Bernard di Gregorio
Strings Teacher
Beth George
Computer Teacher
Assistant Director
Lindy Hoeft
Reading Specialist
Nancy Johnston
Art and Physical Education Specialist
Barrie Kaufman
Art Teacher Emeritus
Karen Kelly
Elementary STEM/Science Specialist
Maria Leon Kersher
Foreign Language Specialist/Plus Program Assistant
Sky Kershner
Communication/Peace Curriculum Specialist
Karen Morris
Music Teacher
Darlene Spangler
Reading Specialist
Karen Kelly
Plus Program Director
Susie Newhouse
Plus Program Guide
Maria León Kershner
Foreign Language Specialist
Plus Program Assistant
Maggie-Sue Dickens Plus Assistant
Bayli Hanshaw
Plus Assistant
Tysean Lynch
Plus Assistant
