Our Staff

The Lewis & Clark Montessori School draws talented & dynamic individuals from diverse backgrounds. The staff bring a wealth of experience in classrooms & life to our students and community. Every day, they show their dedication to Montessori children and education in general through their tireless work on behalf of our students.

Our staff has a combined total experience of over 100 years in Montessori education and are led by AMI Montessori-trained administrators. Our teachers are all AMI Montessori-trained and Oregon licensed or Charter School Registered. In addition, most of our guides and administrators have Master’s degrees.

Click on the images below for contact information and to learn more about our guides, assistants, administrators, and support staff.

Leadership Team

Courtney McWilliams Executive Director

(503) 427 – 0803 cmcwilliams@lcmcs.org

Before Courtney came to our school, she worked for over 20 years in corporate executive and leadership roles for various Fortune 500 companies. Her interest in Montessori began when her son went to a toddler program at Mead Montessori. Courtney has a BS in Organizational Development from Austin Peay University, M.Ed from Loyola, and is AMI trained at the Elementary level from Montessori NW. She moved here from Knoxville with her son, Ben. They love to travel, ride bikes, and anything to do with trains!

Jen Wyld Academic Director

(503) 427 – 0803 jwyld@lcmcs.org

Jennifer Wyld began her Montessori journey as a classroom assistant in a primary classroom in Austin, Texas. In over twenty years, she has held a variety of roles in Montessori schools and completed AMI Montessori training as an Elementary guide (ages 6-12) and for Assistants to Infancy (ages 0-3). She is also AMS and NAMTA trained as an adolescent guide (ages 12-15). Jennifer holds a BA in Latin and an MA in Geography with an emphasis on environmental education, as well as an MEd in Montessori elementary education. Jennifer started the Montessori middle school program at Ridgeline Montessori Public Charter School in Eugene, Oregon, where she worked for 7 years. Outside of the classroom, Jennifer has offered parent education sessions, professional development for educators, presented at local, national, and international conferences, as well as taught undergraduate and graduate level courses. After leaving Ridgeline, she returned to graduate school at Oregon State University, pursuing a PhD in Free Choice Learning. Her dissertation research focused on how participation in an after-school game design program impacted adolescent identity around STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Much of her work in academia has focused on issues of equity in educational opportunities, alternative educational experiences, and the emerging Maker education movement. She lives in Vancouver, WA with her partner and has two adult daughters (one who is a Montessori elementary guide!) who both attended Montessori schools from preschool through middle school. She enjoys long walks, watching movies, and knitting during meetings.

Peter Jensen Operations Director

(503) 427 – 0803 pjensen@lcmcs.org

Peter Jensen has been at Lewis & Clark Montessori for several years; first as an Upper Elementary Guide, then as Development Manager and Cross Country coach. He has a Masters in Education from Loyola College and is AMI trained in Elementary from Washington Montessori Institute. An avid runner, a highlight for him was competing in the Boston Marathon in 2012.

Liana Oram Associate Director

(503) 427 – 0803 loram@lcmcs.org

Liana began her Montessori experience as a Primary student in her mother’s Montessori school in Connecticut which she attended through 9th grade. After graduating from public high school, she studied traditional elementary education and completed her master’s in curriculum and instruction at the University of Texas in Austin.

Liana completed her 6-12 AMI Montessori training in Washington D.C and she and her mother started a school which they ran together for 20 years. During that time, Liana held roles of lead guide in elementary and middle/high school as well as administrative and coaching roles, often simultaneously. She has also been Head of School, Elementary Course Assistant at Montessori Northwest, and a remote elementary coach before joining LCMCS. Liana is excited to be supporting Student Success and all aspects of the LCMCS community.

JoAnna Tabet Front Office

(503) 427 – 0803 jtabet@lcmcs.org

Joanna grew up in a small town in Colorado. She moved to Portland to study early childhood education. After working in various administrative positions and raising three boys, she has worked directly with children for over six years through her church. Her friendship with Ana brought Joanna to LCMCS at the beginning of the 2021 school year. When she is not working, Joanna loves to travel, go for hikes and to the beach, and spend time with her family exploring and experiencing new things.

Kristine Coates Primary Program Director

(503) 427 – 0803 kcoates@lcmcs.org

Kristine grew up in Ohio and Pennsylvania. She studied Psychology and Russian Studies at college and found Montessori by a happy accident when seeking an unrelated job after graduation.

Both AMI Primary and Elementary trained, Kristine has over 20 years of Montessori teaching experience. She has spent time guiding elementary and primary classes in private and public Montessori schools, mentoring in an adolescent boys group home, leading a home based Children’s House, developing a parent/toddler program, and homeschooling her three children. She joined LCMCS in 2016 when she moved with her family to the Pacific Northwest.

In her current role as a reading interventionist, Kristine utilizes her Montessori experience and parenting knowledge along with her Orton Gillingham training to help our growing readers find their way to literacy.

When not working, Kristine likes spending time outside with her family. She enjoys biking and hiking the hills of Oregon, reading, and listening to live music.

Ana Karina Huizar Enrollment Coordinator & Translation

(503) 427 – 0803 ahuizar@lcmcs.org

Ana has been with LCMCS for almost it’s entire existence. As part of the Administrative team, she serves as the Enrollment Coordinator and is the first point of entry for many of our students. She joined the school in 2008 working as a Spanish instructor in the after-school program. Ana was soon invited to work full time as an educational assistant in the mornings and a teacher of the Spanish language in the afternoons. This continued for several years as Ana offered support to teachers and students at the elementary level. She has received professional development through Montessori Educational assistant training and in second language instruction for students. Eventually Ana was moved into an administrative position due to her organizational skills and her ability to interface with an increasingly diverse population.

Ana has much to offer from her background and training. She grew up in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She lived in the same house with her mother, her siblings, her maternal grandparents, 3 uncles and 5 aunts. After she married, she moved to the California due to an employment opportunity for her husband at the time. They moved to Portland 2 years later and she and her sons have lived in the Portland, Oregon, area for the past 14 years. When asked about her family, Ana said the following: “I have 2 amazing kids that are the love of my life, their names are Diego (Senior) and Santiago (8th grader). We love to travel and do all kinds of activities together. We are very close to my mom Ana Maria and my sister Sofia and all of her side of the family.”

Besides working at LCMCS, some of Ana’s favorite activities are the following: Hiking, traveling with her boys, painting, cooking and going to the movies.

Tammy Puri Finance Manager

(503) 427 – 0803 tpuri@lcmcs.org

Tammy joined the LCMCS team in June of 2016 as Finance Manager after five years of volunteering and serving on the LCMCS PTO as Treasurer for two of those years as a parent to a LCMCS alum. Her attention to detail rounds out the administrative team. She earned a BA in Physical Anthropology at Beloit College in Wisconsin that has aided in her understanding of the whole picture; how the smallest part is integral to the whole. In her free time, she enjoys being outside as much as she can.

Virginia Rogers Executive Assistant

vrogers@lcmcs.org

Beverly Bassett Trails

bbasset@lcmcs.org

Suzanne Haddix ELL & Reading Support

(503) 427 – 0803 shaddix@lcmcs.org

Suzanne brings 18+ years of experience supporting student success – developing culturally appropriate strength-based client relationships, utilizing a trauma-informed lens, supporting parent-school relations, and leadership development for BIPOC, Migrant, LGBTQ+, and neurodiverse students. She has had the pleasure of partnering with agencies such as PPS, Multnomah County Juvenile Court, MESD, APANO, IRCO, SEI, NAYA and El Programa Hispano as well as district, county and neighborhood nonprofits.

Suzanne has experience supporting English language and literacy acquisition in pre-K through adult education settings. She received training in ESOL at PSU, SIOP and GLAD instruction at PPS, as well as a visual approach to language development through the Apricot Center in Portland, and 10+ years of on-the-job training in Montessori education.

Her B.S in Anthropology and Ethnic Studies minor from Santa Clara support her passion for cultural learning experiences. She has served on the board of Frente Comun in North Portland and the Russian Speaking Youth Leadership Conference in the metro area.

Bilingual in Spanish/English, conversational in Mandarin and dabbling in several other languages – Slovenian, Korean, Ukrainian, French, Russian, Japanese – Suzanne, and her two teen daughters love language learning

She returned to her childhood home in Damascus to raise her two daughters on their edible acre where they can be found gardening, herding ducks, dancing ballet folklorico, Nuno felting, listening to Kpop and baking potica.

Jean Monda SAT Coordinator

(503) 427 – 0803 jmonda@lcmcs.org

Jean has a MS in Speech Communication, ASHA certification CCC-SLP, and holds an Oregon Board SLP license. She worked as a Speech/Language Pathologist 14 years with Portland Public Schools, 20 years with GBSD, and officially retired in 2014. She is beginning her 7th yr with our school. In her spare time she enjoys reading, sewing, gardening, time with family camping, and going to the beach.

Sheryl Doolittle Guide – Sea Otter

(503) 427 – 0803 sdoolittle@lcmcs.org

Sheryl Doolittle grew up in the wilds of New Jersey, and moved to the urban desert of Phoenix, Arizona in high school. Recently, moving from the Ponderosa pine forest of Flagstaff, Arizona to the green lushness of the Pacific Northwest, she joined LCMCS in the Sea Otter Primary class. She had closed her Montessori preschool, Bambini Montessori School, after 13 years of serving hundreds of Flagstaff families. Her Montessori journey began as a parent, a volunteer, substitute teacher, and classroom assistant. Sheryl has taught children from toddler-aged to high-schoolers. She attained her A.M.I. 3-6 Primary diploma in 1984, and later on earned a 6-9 Elementary training and certification through A.M.S. She has a dual major B.S. in Elementary Ed./Special Ed. and a Master’s in Montessori Education.

Sheryl, with her daughter, Laurel Clohessy, and grandsons, Liam and Kahlil, create three generations of Montessori in the family. After more than thirty-five years, she still speaks with passion about the beauty and wisdom of Maria Montessori’s gift to children and families. Sheryl loves the ocean, moss, and manatees. She has completed the first draft of her first children’s book, and has a novel bubbling in the background.

Arlene Schroeder Guide – Willow

(503) 427 – 0803 aschroeder@lcmcs.org

Arlene grew up in South Jersey a few miles from Philly. She earned her degree in English Literature from Lewis & Clark College. Arlene studied, lived and worked in England for several years and met a community of adolescents who introduced her to Montessori.

After travelling in Europe and working a variety of jobs, Arlene returned to Portland and completed her Primary Montessori training at MNW and earned a MA in Interdisciplinary Studies. She has over 20 years teaching experience and guided a primary classroom in Vancouver, WA for 18 years before joining LCMCS full time in 2019.

Arlene enjoys traveling and learning about other cultures. She has been to many countries, some memorable experiences include: riding in a hot air balloon in Turkey, hiking a glacier in Iceland and sleeping in a cave in Tunisia. She enjoys sharing stories of her travels with the children.

When she is not working, Arlene likes being with her family. She enjoys crochet, attending fiber festivals, reading, cooking, long walks and trips to the coast.

Anna Hohl Assistant – Sea Otter

(503) 427-0803 ahohl@lcmcs.org

Audrey Thies Assistant: Willow

(503) 427 – 0803 athies@lcmcs.org

Jordan Punzel Assistant: Columbia

jpunzel@lcmcs.org

Dmitria Sokolow Guide – Celilo Falls

(503) 427 – 0803 dsokolow@lcmcs.org

Dmitria has many years teaching experience with all ages, in Spanish, ESL, and Montessori. She received her BA in Environmental Studies, her MA in Teaching, and is AMI trained at the Elementary level. Her perspective is rooted in being a twin, playing violin, five seasons as a Wilderness Ranger in the Sierra Nevadas, her work on a Farm in the Guatemalan highlands, and cross country travels. Her son, Bodie, joins the school as well, with many veteran staff knowing him since birth.

Tami O’Kinsella Guide – Columbia

(503) 427 – 0803 tokinsella@lcmcs.org

Tami has never outgrown her delight in the presence of children. She feels she has been gifted with the many years she has had the opportunity to work with children and those who love themin both private and public Montessori schools. Initially serving as an after-school coordinator and instructional assistant at Princeton Montessori school, she was inspired to do bothprimary (1990-91) and elementary (2008-2010) AMI teacher training. She has served as lead guide for schools across the country and joined LCMCS as an Upper Elementary teacher in 2013. Tami also had the opportunity to work in an administrative role at LCMCS and to help Pullman Community Montessori Charter School open its doors to children recently in Washington. She holds a BA in English/Drama and Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She considers the pleasure of raising her son and parenting him as he went from preschool through Middle School in Montessori schools a big part of her learning curve. She loves her home in Gresham, Oregon, and enjoys reading fiction, poetry, and plays, singing Irish ballads, the Montessori Math materials, and all the outdoor beauty and activities afforded in the Pacific Northwest—skiing, biking, camping, hiking, kayaking, birdwatching, and gardening, to name a few.

Kimberly Lewis Guide – Prairie Dog Home

(503) 427 – 0803 klewis@lcmcs.org

Kimberly Lewis grew up in a small town in Maryland and began her Montessori career on the east coast. Before studying Montessori education and earning her masters degree, Kimberley focused her undergraduate studies in sociology and philosophy.

Certified in infant and early childhood education through the American Montessori Society (AMS) and elementary education through the Association Montessori International (AMI), Kimberly has been a lead teacher in Montessori classrooms for the past 30 years and is in her 3rd year with LCMCS.

Kimberly is passionate about horses and rides regularly. When she is not horsing around, she enjoys exploring, day trips and collecting rocks at the beach.

Wesley Holloway Assistant – Prairie Dog Home

(503) 427 – 0803 wholloway@lcmcs.org

Nathan Taylor Assistant: Celilo Falls

ntaylor@lcmcs.org

Sherry Budge Assistant – Redwood

(503) 427 – 0803 sbudge@lcmcs.org

Cameron Coates Guide – Oregon Trail

(503) 427 – 0803 ccoates@lcmcs.org

With nearly 25 years in Montessori education, Cameron joined LCMCS 7 years ago. Before LCMCS, Cameron taught in Ottawa, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Cameron grew up in Ontario and spent a lot of time on the tennis courts. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in biology and genetics. After college, Cameron learned to fly and pursued a career as a pilot.

He first encountered Montessori while living in Vancouver, BC and fell in love with the PNW. Knowing he did not want to teach the way he had been taught and wanting a way to be himself while guiding children, Cameron dove deep into Montessori education. While earning his AMI elementary degree in Milwaukie, Cameron met his future wife, Kristine, with whom he has three children.

When not working, Cameron can often be found building gardens, experimenting with plants and pursuing other biological interests.

Laurie Feola Guide – Mahonia

(503) 427 – 0803 lfeola@lcmcs.org

Hello! I am excited to join the community of learners at Lewis and Clark Montessori Charter School. I am originally from Michigan where I grew up spending my days on the beach, eating sandy plums and collecting driftwood. Since those days, I’ve moved around a lot, going to the University of Minnesota where I received my M.Ed. and driving a U-Haul to California for my first teaching position.

In addition to teaching in California, I taught middle school English in Suffolk England, and I was a fourth-grade teacher at an arts school in North Carolina. For many years, I was obsessed with swing dancing and spent much of my spare time on a dance floor or in an airplane hangar.

I received my AMI elementary diploma from Montessori Northwest in 2018. I have taught upper (older) elementary at Spokane Public Montessori for the past five years. While there, I enjoyed hiking in nature with children, singing “Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder,” and reading The Girl Who Could Fly.

I love spending time outdoors hiking or reading a good book. I enjoy historical fiction, but my new favorite book is Braiding Sweetgrass. I can’t wait to become a regular at Powell’s and any other independent bookstores nearby.

Heather Hiatt Guide – Redwood

(503) 427-0803 hhiatt@lcmcs.org

Heather Hiatt has been a part of the LCMCS as a substitute teacher or guide since 2011. She was introduced to Montessori Elementary when she was asked to work in a younger elementary classroom as a substitute teacher. This ended up being a long-term assignment and she fell in love with this method of teaching. She is especially excited about the way Montessori math is taught. After teaching part-time with Dmitria in Wy’East, Heather decided to get her Montessori AMI certificate through Montessori Northwest in Portland. She came back and co-taught in the first MAC class at LCMCS with only 14 kids in the program. It has grown so much in that amount of time. Realizing that Middle school age kids were not her thing, she went back to being an elementary substitute teacher while raising her three children along with her husband. Heather has a BS in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University and a Master’s equivalent from Concordia University, she completed the ESL Endorsement Master’s courses at Portland State University. Coming back to Montessori as a full-time guide has been an unexpected change in her life and one that brings her great joy.

Laura Merrell Assistant: Oregon Trail

lmerrell@lcmcs.org

Diego Sanchez Assistant – Mahonia

(503) 427 – 0803 dsanchez@lcmcs.org

Charlie Brown MAC Specialist

cbrown@lcmcs.org

Zephyr Brown MAC Specialist

zbrown@lcmcs.org

Justice Evans Guide – MAC

(503) 427 – 0803 jevans@lcmcs.org

Justice has been with LCMCS since 2008. He has a BS in Liberal Studies, an MA in Teaching, is an Oregon licensed teacher and has completed the AMI Adolescent Orientation. Justice is passionate about building community and relationships. He enjoys reading, woodworking, baseball and playing music. Justice and his wife (who is also a teacher) and their son love to spend time in the outdoors and at the Oregon Coast.

Susan Hardenbergh Guide – MAC

(503) 427 – 0803 shardenbergh@lcmcs.org

Susan started as a parent volunteer and substitute at LCMCS, and both of her children are LCMCS graduates. Her years of experience working in the classroom and special education recommended her to us for other roles, and she started assisting in the kindergarten and elementary classes before becoming a MAC guide. Susan has an MAT and BS in Anthropology and is an Oregon Licensed Teacher. She has special interests in science, math, and foreign languages.

Caitlin Spanjer Guide – MAC

(503) 427 – 0803 cspanjer@lcmcs.org

Caitlin attended college at Seattle Pacific University, where she both majored in History and received her teaching license. She completed her Montessori Adolescent Training in 2016. Over her ten years at LCMCS, she has worked in the afterschool program, as an assistant in an older elementary classroom, and on the beginnings of the food pantry that continues today. But working with MAC feels like her true LCMCS home.

An ardent sports fan and a voracious reader, the fact that so many lasting interests began in her middle school years probably drives her continued love for working in the adolescent program! Continuously sharing and trading interest in The Lord of the Rings and Shakespeare with other eager learners is a dream! She is often awed by this age’s drive for universal equality and acceptance, and loves to learn from them.

While not at school, Caitlin loves to bake, spend time in her garden, attend theater events, chill with her family, and just generally learn about the world! It is abundant.

Dayna Weiler Guide – MAC

(503) 427 – 0803 dweiler@lcmcs.org

Dayna moved to Oregon from Alaska with her husband, Fred, to continue to grow the Montessori Adolescent Corps. She was instrumental in developing the public MAC program in Juneau, and was lead teacher for ten years. She has a BA in History, a BS in Biology, an MA in Teaching, and a state teaching license. Dayna was the Vice President of the Southeast Alaska Friends of Montessori Board for five years. She and Fred have four children, two of whom were adopted from China. Contact:

Lora Modlin Art Science

(503) 427 – 0803 lmodlin@lcmcs.org

Lora moved her family from Kansas City, Missouri in the fall of 2012 to be the guide in Wy’East. In 2015 she moved into Mahonia to open our fourth older elementary classroom. She completed her BA in K-12 art education, holds a certificate of AMI elementary Montessori training from The Montessori Institute of Milwaukee (WI), and has an M.Ed. in Montessori Education from Loyola, Baltimore. She has continued her education by receiving training in Compassionate Communication, Neuro-Semantic Language Learning Theory (NsLLT), Visual Thinking Strategies, Mathematical Mindset, Amy Lang’s Birds + Bees + Kids, and Our Whole Lives as well as various classes to support neuro-diversity, anti-bias, trauma-informed teaching, and conflict resolution. Lora is passionate about being a life-long learner, the sciences, arts, and giving her students the space to explore their cosmic task.

Erin Taylor P.E., Health & Wellness

etaylor@lcmcs.org

Click on the images below for contact information and to learn more about our guides, assistants, administrators, and support staff.

Leadership Team

Administrative Team

Student Support & Auxillary Staff

Primary

Younger Elementary

Older Elementary

Montessori Adolescent Corps

Labs

Click on the images below for contact information and to learn more about our guides, assistants, administrators, and support staff.

Leadership Team

Administrative Team

Student Support & Auxillary Staff

Primary

Younger Elementary

Older Elementary

Montessori Adolescent Corps

Labs

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