MMS faculty

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 taught the Pre-K/Kindergarten class at Monroe Montessori from 2005-2023, while also supervising the Preschool/Kindergarten program.  In Fall of 2023, she moved into a full-time administrative role as Director of Monroe Montessori.  She enjoys mentoring teachers in the Montessori philosophy and inspiring the young minds of children.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time in her family's cherry orchard in Wenatchee.          

Mrs. Stronczek has a bachelor’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies from Washington State University. For the last 15 years she has worked in social services. Over her career in social services, she has held many positions and has worked with children ranging from toddlers through high school. Before attending college, she worked at Mukilteo Montessori as an assistant teacher in a preschool classroom and really enjoyed the structure and Montessori way! She has two wonderful daughters and her oldest attended Preschool here last year with Ms. Nichol. She loves being a mom, traveling around the PNW and being a COUG!! 

Mrs. Winter received her Montessori training at the Montessori Institute Northwest in Portland, OR. She is also a graduate of Loyola University Maryland (M. Ed), Pacific University (B.A.), and Monroe Montessori School (2002)! After Montessori training in 2016, Anika worked at Sunstone Montessori School in Portland, OR as an all-levels substitute, summer camp program developer and teacher, and upper elementary assistant teacher. In 2020, Anika moved back to their hometown of Snohomish and taught upper elementary at Arbor Montessori School in Sammamish. Outside of school, Anika loves to garden, make quilts, hang out with her sheep, and play music with her partner, Drew. Anika is so thrilled to be back at Monroe Montessori School, where her Montessori journey began over 20 years ago. 

Mrs. Burchell worked a decade in digital advertising, before she decided to pursue her true passion for teaching and returned to school to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education. She is a Washington State-certified teacher and is currently working toward her Montessori Lower Elementary certification. Over the past two years, she has worked as an assistant teacher, gaining valuable classroom experience while completing her teaching degree.  Mrs. Burchell's teaching philosophy centers on fostering independence while supporting the development of the whole child. She believes children learn best when they feel respected, capable, and empowered to take ownership of their learning. She is a mom of two and outside the classroom, she enjoys crafting, baking, reading, and spending time with my family. 

Ms. Devine has been leading Montessori classrooms since 1996. She has led both Early Childhood and Toddler classrooms and has taught adult learners at the Bothell based Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest. Ms. Devine 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. Devine, children are the greatest view into the potential of the future, and she is excited to share in this blossoming time in their life!  Ms. Devine is a mom of 3, and loves to hike, kayak, read and visit beautiful local places with friends and family.

Ms. Kindig is a mom to two boys and has been a Monroe resident for most of her life. She has worked with children for many years, and for the last several years has worked with the Montessori curriculum. She received her Montessori teaching certificate and is excited to be teaching at Monroe Montessori School. In her spare time, she enjoys being active, music, reading and spending time with her boys.

Mrs. Halim was born in Indonesia and recently moved to Washington with her husband. Upon earning her master’s degree in psychology in 2015, she worked in human resources for more than 9 years. Mrs. Halim has always enjoyed working with children, a love fostered while helping her mother run a daycare for 5 years in Indonesia. For the last few years, Mrs. Halim has been an Assistant Teacher in our Preschool program and has gain lots of Montessori experience. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, baking, traveling and experimenting with the culinary arts.

 Mrs. Pavelka is a mom of three. She has a background in child development and nursing. She fell in love with the Montessori method when she enrolled her children in a local Montessori school. Having always wanted to work with children she joined the MMS team and started working on her Montessori certification. She believes that kindness and freedom of exploration is the key to a lifetime love of learning. She loves reading, crocheting, and hiking with her children in her free time.
 

Mrs. Mumu moved to Monroe, WA, to teach after graduating with her Bachelors in Elementary Education. She spent a semester studying graphic design and fine arts, including drawing, painting and ceramics. She started teaching Art at Monroe Montessori School in 2024. Mrs. Mumu believes that every student is an artist and that by experimenting with a variety of mediums and techniques, they can develop their own styles and self-expression. When she is not teaching, she loves to spend time with her husband and three cats, painting and creating, or out in nature gaining inspiration, exploring and looking at birds.