MMS faculty

 Mrs. Hansen has spent the last 15 years teaching in a Montessori classroom. She received her AMS certification for the early childhood level in 2004 and has predominantly worked as a Lead Teacher. 

She lives in Lake Stevens and loves being a mom and spending time with family and friends. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, quilting, knitting, playing the flute, or exploring the next art project on Pinterest with her young daughter.

Mrs. Hansen is excited to be a part of MMS, and to be a guide for the children in lower elementary on their path to becoming considerate, independent learners.  

 Mrs. Moody has been part of the Montessori community since 1992. She graduated from Central Washington University in 1996 with an undergraduate degree in Psychology, Family Studies and Child Development. She received her Montessori Certification from Seattle University in 1997. Mrs. Moody's favorite thing to do as a teacher is teaching children how to read! The look in their eyes the first time they read a word is priceless. They are so proud and feel so accomplished. She loves the individualized learning that the Montessori method offers. It helps each child reach their potential through hands on exploration of materials. She also embraces different learning styles to help each child become a successful learner. Children's curiosity should always be encouraged and welcomed. Her son flourished through Montessori Elementary at our school and he took many of those life skills with him on to higher education.
In her spare time, Mrs. Moody enjoys gardening, camping, and spending time in her family cherry orchard in Wenatchee. She loves making homemade jams and pies, and carries this over into her classroom, providing many cooking opportunities for the children. Everything from homemade tortillas, homemade applesauce to holiday Yule logs, children love to be in the kitchen and so does Mrs. Moody.  

 Mrs. S received her BA in Elementary Education through Western Washington University and holds her MA in Curriculum and Instruction through WGU. She is currently completing her Montessori Certification through NAMC for ages 6-9 (Lower Elementary). Mrs. S has worked in many positions with all grades ranging from preschool to 12th grade while in a public school setting; this providing her with the necessary tools to teach children. In addition to her love of teaching, she enjoys many outdoor activities such as swimming, boating, and camping with her family.  

Jenna holds a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Pacific Oaks College and  has been in the field of Early Childhood Education since 2007. Over the course of her career Jenna has been an Educator, Early Childhood Consultant, Art Specialist, and Education Coordinator. Jenna has spent the majority of her career using Reggio-inspired practices and arts-based learning curriculum with young children. In 2016 Jenna developed an Early Childhood art curriculum which she is happy to use here at MMS! Jenna  joined the MMS staff in 2020 and has two children who attend MMS. 

Ms. Sharra was born in Washington and raised in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. She has been teaching Spanish since 2009. Ms. Sharra has a Bachelors Degree in Journalism and a Masters Degree in Arts, with a minor in Literature. Ms. Sharra also completed graduated courses in Teaching and Curriculum. Ms. Sharra loves to be a teacher, and enjoys watching children grow, learn and develop to their greatest potential. She admires children’s energy, creativity and honesty. To Ms. Sharra, working with kids is fun, and they motivate her to be a better teacher every day. This is Ms. Sharra’s first year on MMS and she plans to begin her Montessori certification next year. In her free time she likes to hike, go to the river, take pictures, and enjoy the beautiful nature of the Pacific North West. 

 Mrs. Jennifer has worked with children most of her life; working at an in-home childcare setting for many years as well as raising her own two children at home for 9 years. She loves being a part of a young child's life while watching them grow and discover the world around them. Mrs. Jennifer currently works with our 18 month-2 year olds, where she offers the warmth and nurturing needed during this critical stage in development. When Mrs. Jennifer is not at school, she enjoys spending time with her family, camping, taking road trips, and being by the water. She also spends a lot of time watching her kids play sports!

Mrs. Watkins started teaching at Monroe Montessori School in September of 2015. Prior to her employment at MMS, she worked for 11 years in healthcare administration. She previously assisted at a parent led preschool co-op and valued the experience of helping children learn and discover.

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Mrs. Watkins loves being part of the MMS teaching staff and helping children to reach their true potential through the Montessori Method. She is also passionate about her family, music, multimedia, crafting and jewelry making. 

 Mrs. Navarro was born in Ecuador, then moved to Mexico when she was 18 years old and lived there for 20 years. While in Mexico, she studied to be an engineer in production processes and worked in the oil industry for many years. Mrs. Navarro moved to Washington 4 years ago and began to work with young children. She has a husband and a 17 year old daughter, and in her free time she enjoys skiing and watching movies with her family. 

Ms. Buzard has worked in the Montessori field for almost 3 years. Working with children has always been something she wanted to do and she is so happy to continue to pursue teaching as her career. To Ms.  Buzard, watching children blossom into their own person is the best feeling in the world. You know you did your job right! Ms. Buzard grew up in Snohomish, Washington and now resides in Marysville, Washington along with my friends and family. Ms. Buzard has two children; a daughter, Olivia (7 years old) and Jayce (9 months old). Being a mom has been the biggest blessing in her life. In her free time, Ms. Buzard enjoys anything from racing, listening to music and doing chores around the house, going on walks with family, old cars and trucks, spending quality time with her friends and family or even just kicking back watching a movie or catching up on a good TV show. Ms. Buzard looks forward to starting the new school year with Monroe Montessori and meeting all the families involved!

 Ms. Mollie's first experience with Monroe Montessori was over 30 years ago when she attended preschool here. She knew that this truly was the start of a life long educational journey. Since then, she has graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Spanish with a minor in TESOL and earned her endorsements in reading, math and bilingual education.  Later Ms. Mollie went back to Clackamas Community College and earned her CDA or Child Development Associate. She has worked with children ranging from toddlers to high schoolers for over 15 years and still gets great joy from each and every age. Ms. Mollie has been working for MMS for several  years now with many different roles; doing anything from subbing, being an assistant teacher, teaching PE and even driving the school bus. Ms. Mollie feels very fortunate not only to work here, but also to have her daughter attend so that she is able to see her learn and grow at MMS along side her. 

Ms. Hayley’s passion for teaching began when she was 18 years old when she began her Montessori journey working as an assistant teacher in a toddler classroom. She was a natural working with children and always wanted to enhance their learning experience. She became a lead teacher shortly after and eventually shifted into the preschool classroom while she began her Montessori teacher training certification. 

Ms. Hayley prides herself in her teaching style: to always have fun, laugh often, challenge yourself but know your limits, and always remember that tomorrow is a new day. Her goal as a teacher is to guide, encourage, embrace, and love each child as an individual. 

When not teaching, you can find Ms. Hayley practicing yoga, cooking, and loving on my cats. She is excited to continue her journey this year at Monroe Montessori School. To her, “the greatest success of a teacher is to be able to say, the children are now working as if I do not exist” -Maria Montessori

Ms. Nichol is a mom of 3, a proud Navy Mom with 2 other children still at home – an artist and a video gamer. She loves to hike, kayak, read and visit beautiful local places with friends and family.

Ms. Nichol has been leading Montessori classrooms since 1996. She found Montessori when she started looking for an education program for her oldest child. Ms.  Nichol became hooked when she observed the focus and concentration of the children within the classroom and by the diverse topics available for children to choose from at their own interest. All three of her children have attended Montessori classes.

Ms. Nichol has led both Early Childhood and Toddler classrooms and I currently teaches adult learners at the Bothell based Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest. Ms. Nichol looks forward to each new school year with an eye towards, “What new topics can we discover together?” And “What will I learn about the education process that will best guide the students in my care?” According to Ms. Nichol, children are the greatest view into the potential of the future and she is excited to share in this blossoming time in their life!

 Mrs. Dean’s interest in learning about the development of the child stated with the birth of her own two boys 41 years ago. When she decided to send my children to Monroe Montessori School it was the beginning of her love and appreciation for the Montessori Method; a lifelong journey of learning and growing.

After assisting in the Montessori preschool classroom for a number of years, Mrs. Dean decided to get her Montessori certification to become a lead Montessori teacher. She became a lead preschool Montessori teacher in 1996 and has been actively teaching at MMS ever since then.  

Mrs. Dean believes in the protection of things considered worth caring for-stewardship. She feels a deep sense of responsibility to be a steward to the children enrolled in our school. She holds this stewardship not as a responsibility, but an honor.

In her free time, Mrs. Dean dreams of one day writing a children’s book involving scarlet runner beans and the botany that goes with them, teepees and children dreaming of what they would like to be then they grow up. I wonder if this idea will ever become a reality.