Montessori Children's Room: Located in Omaha, NE

The teachers at Montessori Children's Room are qualified specialists in early childhood education. They are professionally trained Montessori instructors who help guide the children through the classroom that has been carefully planned for their developmental needs. The self-correcting materials are used as the child's best teacher.

It is important to know that the role of the teacher is to guide children through the prepared environment, helping to develop self-direction and self-confidence within the child. The materials and work the children do throughout their day act as the main teacher. For it is the "HANDS-ON" experiences that help children learn best!

	Mary Boden Anderson, Head of School Mary serves as Head of School and has been active in Montessori education for over thirty years. As one of the original founders of Montessori Children’s Room her goal is to assure a top quality education for each child who attends MCR. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from College of St. Mary in 1976 and holds an active Nebraska teaching certificate. Her Montessori teacher certification includes Primary level (three to six year olds), Elementary I (six to nine year olds) and Elementary II (nine to twelve year olds). All levels of training are certified and endorsed by the American Montessori Society (AMS.) Mary has been actively involved in each level of teaching over the twenty five year since the school began. Mary is the author of the booklet, The Outdoor Classroom and has been a featured speaker at several national Montessori Conferences across the country.			Mary Stormberg, School Administrator In her role as school administrator, Mary oversees the day-to-day school operations. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from University of Nebraska at Omaha. Mary obtained an Administrator Paraprofessional certificate from MECA-Seton in Chicago. Mary joined the school in 1992.
	Becky Britt Becky teaches in Classroom D. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in English Literature from Creighton University and is currently completing her Primary level Montessori certification from Mid-America Montessori Teacher Training School and AMS. Becky is also a licensed massage therapist and certified infant massage instructor. Becky joined the school in 2008.			Diana Cupich Diana teaches in Classroom B. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and a Primary level Montessori teaching certificate from the College of St. Mary and AMS. Diana has worked in Montessori education for over thirty years and has been with the school since its infancy.
	Karen Gaitens Karen teaches in Classroom A. She holds a HND in Arts Administration from Motherwell College, Glasgow, Scotland. She received her Primary level Montessori certification from Mid-America Montessori Teacher Training School and AMS. She has worked in Montessori Education for over ten years in Georgia and Omaha. Karen joined the school in 2005.			Benita Habib Benita teaches in the Elementary I classroom. She holds an Early Childhood degree from the University of West Indies and a Primary level Montessori teaching certificate from St. Nicholas Montessori, London. Benita has completed her course work for the Elementary I (six to nine year olds) Montessori teacher training and has worked in Elementary Montessori classrooms for over five years. Benita joined the school in 2007.
	Jeanne Jarecke Jeanne teaches in Classroom A. She received her Primary level Montessori teaching certification from the Washington Montessori Institute and American Montessori International (AMI) in Washington D.C. Jeanne studied early childhood education at Wayne State College and Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She has worked in Montessori education for sixteen years in Massachusetts and Omaha. Jeanne joined the school in 2000.			Betsy Nelson Betsy teaches in Classroom C. She received her Primary level Montessori certification from the Mid-America Montessori Teacher Training School and AMS and has worked in Montessori classrooms for over 25 years. Betsy joined the school in 2003.
	Leslee O’Bradovich Leslee is the school garden coordinator. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Iowa. Leslee started as a parent volunteer in the garden and through her love of nature took on the job as the school garden coordinator in 1994.			Stephanie Porta Stephanie teaches in Elementary II and holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Wayne State College and an active Nebraska teaching certificate. She taught four years in Omaha Public Schools, teaching first grade. She holds an Elementary I teaching certificate from Mid-America Montessori Teacher Training School and AMS and is currently completing her Elementary II certification. Stephanie joined the school in 2008.
	Kelley Roberts Kelley teaches in Classroom C. She received her Primary Montessori certification from Mid-America Montessori Teacher Training School and AMS. Kelley has worked in Montessori classrooms for over eight years and joined MCR in 2008.			Chantal Samuel Chantal is our French specialist who works with the children on a weekly basis. She holds a Primary level Montessori teaching certificate from Great Plains Montessori Teacher Training Institute and AMS. Chantal also holds a Bachelor of Arts in French Literature from the University of Haifa in Israel. With her native tongue, she brings authenticity to our language program, along with French cultural enrichment experiences for the students. She joined the school in 1999.
	Melissa Schumacher Melissa teaches in Classroom D. She received a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Maryville University in St. Louis. Melissa has a Primary level Montessori teaching certification from Missouri Montessori Teaching Education program and AMS. She holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree in Advertising with an emphasis in public relations from UNL. Melissa has five years of Montessori teaching experience in Missouri and New York. Melissa joined MCR in 2008.			Kendra Sullivan Kendra is the Science Lab teacher for the Kindergarten and Elementary students. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from UNO and an active Nebraska teaching certificate. She has eight years of classroom teaching experience and currently works as a private tutor. Kendra joined the school in 1999.
	Kris Walkley Kris teaches in the Elementary I (first-third grade) Classroom. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from UNO and an active Nebraska Teaching Certificate. Kris also obtained her Elementary I Montessori teaching certification from Mid-America Montessori Teacher Training School and AMS. She taught Kindergarten in Omaha Public Schools for several years and with Montessori Downtown Parent Coop. Kris joined the school in 1998.

7302 Burt Street | Omaha, Nebraska 68114 | (402) 551-1440