EARLY CHILDHOOD (Preschool and Kindergarten) STAFF
(alphabetical by last name)
Aruna Aiyar, Teacher, Elm Class
Woodinville East - Early Childhood
Aruna grew up in India and did her schooling there. She has a Masters in Psychology and spent time counseling children. She moved to the US in 1996 with her husband. After her second child started kindergarten she became interested in various teaching styles and zoned in on Montessori. Aruna has been in this field for eight years and joined WMS in the fall of 2011. She loves to read books, watch movies and play games with her children.
Marilou Carlson, Teacher, Elm Class
Woodinville East - Early Childhood
Marilou came to Montessori over 20 years ago and received her primary certificate from Montessori Teacher College Northwest (MTCN). She has worked at Bellevue Montessori School and at Early World Montessori on Mercer Island. She also worked for a year as a Montessori toddler assistant and volunteered at a small Montessori school in Iceland. She has geographical roots in Sweden, Ethiopia, and the Pacific Northwest, and cultural roots singing in church choirs and making pies, casseroles and lemon bars. Out of school, she loves to do yoga, walk, read, have good conversation and eat.
Chun-Yi Chen, Assistant, Pine Class
North Creek – Early Childhood
Chun-Yi was born and raised in Taiwan and came to the US about 16 years ago with her husband who studied at the University of Florida for his Masters and PhD degrees. She graduated with a business major and was a business executive assistant in Taiwan. Chun-Yi has past experience as a classroom assistant and volunteered at her daughter’s Montessori school in Arlington, Texas. More recently, she has worked at WMS as an assistant in the Toddler classroom. Chun-Yi enjoys piano, current events and watercolor painting. Her passions are cooking and her children.
Tara Cox, Teacher, Maple Class
Woodinville West – Early Childhood
Tara Cox started her work with children at WMS in Club House and summer camp from 1996 through 1999, when she graduated from Woodinville High School. She has also worked as a preschool and toddler teacher, and assistant director at a childcare facility. Tara received her associate’s degree in early childhood education from Lake Washington Technical College, and her AMS certificate through MEIPN. In her free time she enjoys camping and spending time with her niece and nephew.
Candy Gage, Assistant, Oak Class
Woodinville West – Early Childhood
Candy is a wife of over 30 years, a mother, a sister and a grandma to precious Caleb. Candy has worked in the Special-Ed field for 15 years and finds great joy in helping children realize all that they are capable of. Gardening is also a passion of Candy’s, and you can find her out in nature rain or shine.
Carol Harshaw, Teacher, Pine Class
North Creek – Early Childhood
Carol is from the Gig Harbor area originally, and has made her home in Lynnwood with her husband and her daughter. She comes to us with several years teaching experience at Eton School and most recently Harbour Pointe Montessori School, in Mukilteo. Carol looks forward to being an integral part of the WMS team of Early Childhood teachers, and she is looking forward to having her daughter Emma in our new Toddler Program.
Miki Heye, Teacher, Douglas Fir Class
North Creek – Early Childhood
Miki began her relationship with WMS in the summer of 1993 when she met Mary Schneider during Montessori training at Seattle University. She was living in Texas, where she worked at the Selwyn school in Denton, first as school librarian and then as a lead teacher in an Early Childhood classroom. In 1995 she moved to Washington where she began work at WMS. Miki attended the University of North Texas and has lived in many states including New York, Connecticut, Florida, Virginia and Hawaii. She enjoys gardening, bicycling, and spending time with her family. She has two sons, Eric who recently graduated from UW, and Andy who is currently attending school there. She is also the proud grandmother to wonderful Audrey who is 2 years old.
Janis Hummel, Teacher, Oak Class
Woodinville West – Early Childhood
Janis was born and raised in Alaska where she graduated from the University of Alaska with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. In Alaska, she was a homemaker, and a partner in a commercial fishing venture and an Apple computer dealership. She was very involved in local school politics and activities, including serving as President of two Parent Teacher Associations and on the Alaska State PTA Board. She moved to Washington thirteen years ago and began teaching at Harbor Montessori School in Gig Harbor, where she continued for six years. She then taught for three years in Public Elementary Montessori programs. She completed The Spring Valley Montessori Primary training program as well as MEIPN Elementary I training.
Janis joined Woodinville Montessori staff in 2005. Besides teaching she enjoys almost any activity which takes her outdoors, including walking local trails, exploring our wonderful parks, hiking, boating and camping. Indoors she enjoys reading, knitting, sewing and cooking. She is “in constant awe of our wonderful planet and the interconnectedness of all living things,” and strives to “bring this sense of wonder into the classroom through science exploration and cultural studies.”
Frances Ju, Assistant, Apple Class
Woodinville East – Early Childhood and Morning Club House
Frances grew up in Vietman, was adopted at the age of nine, and has been living in Washington ever since. Frances has enjoyed working with children since she began babysitting for neighbors in Junior High and High School, and also worked in the Just for Kids program at Top Foods. Frances attended Bellevue Community College for two years and is involved with community work through Habitat for Humanity.
Katherine Karvonen, Assistant, Douglas Fir Class
North Creek - Early Childhood and Morning Club House
Katherine was born in Washington and has lived here all her life. She worked as a Nanny for 16 years before enrolling in MEIPN's Early Childhood training course. She has also worked in a Montessori classroom as an assistant and personal aid. She obtained her Montessori Certification for Early Childhood in 2011. In her spare time, Katherine loves getting outdoors for hiking and camping, and spending time with family and friends.
Michele Maneri, Assistant, Maple Class
Woodinville West - Early Childhood and Morning Club House
Bio coming soon
Kari Rohr, Assistant, Pine Class
North Creek - Early Childhood
Kari Rohr has spent many years instructing a variety of Child Care/Teaching Programs and has extensive experience teaching Preschool and early childhood Gymnastics. She enjoys watching children grow and change, encouraging them to be independent thinkers, to make choices and discover more about their world. She believes that preschool is a child's first introduction to formal education, her job as a teacher is to provide a warm environment where children can explore, experiment, create, and learn through developmentally appropriate hands-on experiences. Kari is currently going to school to get her bachelors degree in Buddhism.
Leanna Rose, Assistant, Elm Class
Woodinville East - Early Childhood
Leanna recently moved to Washington from Alaska and has a background in Zoology and Elementary Education. This is her second year as a Montessori Teacher's Assistant and her first year at WMS. Leanna has 3 children who are attending WMS this year in Early Childhood, Elementary and Junior High. When she is not "being a mom", she enjoys reading, traveling and playing the piano.
Jody Sagawa, Teacher, Apple Class
Woodinville East – Early Childhood
Jody was born and raised in Hawaii, and graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a BBA degree in Management Information Systems. She worked as a computer programmer for over 10 years and took two years off to spend time with her children. Her own children had gone to a Montessori preschool, and she decided to pursue her interest by completing the MEIPN certification program in June 2006. Before coming to WMS as an intern in 2005-06, she worked one school year as a teacher’s assistant at Montessori Children’s House in Redmond. Her daughter Janelle currently attends UW and her son Wesley attends Kettering University in Flint, MI.
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