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
Erica Pates
Volunteer and Fundraising Coordinator
Salma Badawi
Office Assistant
Isabelle Bournigault
Primary II Lead Guide
Kathryn Rhoads
Primary I Lead Guide
Samantha Van Den Berghe-Lynch
Primary Specialist
Stephanie Spradling
Primary II Assistant
Angela Walker
Primary II Assistant
Susie Newhouse
Plus Guide
Primary Specialist
Alasha Al-Qudwah
Upper Elementary II Lead Guide
Tara Fought
Lower Elementary I
Lead Guide
Becca Moore
Lower Elementary II
Lead Guide
Jason Winesburg
Upper Elementary I
Lead Guide
Sonji Byers-Baldwin
Lower Elementary I Assistant
Sarah Galaska Lower Elementary II Assistant
Kristie Simmons
Upper Elementary I Assistant
Erica Pates
Upper Elementary II Assistant
Sarah Halstead
Middle School Guide
Dr. Emily Beal
Science/STEM Specialist
Julie Margolis
Math/PE Specialist
Creative Expression Specialist
Colleen Anderson
Creative Writing Specialist
Stan Bumgardner
History Specialist
Bernard di Gregorio
Strings Teacher
Sarah Galaska Art Teacher
Beth George
Computer Teacher
Assistant Director
Lindy Hoeft
Reading Specialist
Barrie Kaufman
Art Teacher Emeritus
Karen Kelly
Elementary STEM/Science Specialist
Maria Leon Kersher
Foreign Language Specialist/Plus Program Assistant
Julie Margolis
PE Teacher
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
Debra Fields
Plus Assistant
Bayli Hanshaw
Plus Assistant
Tysean Lynch
Plus Assistant
