ELEMENTARY STAFF
(Alphabetical by last name)
Laura Ascolese, Teacher, Juniper Class
North Creek – Lower Elementary
Laura graduated from the University of Delaware in 2000 with a major in elementary education and a minor in Spanish. Originally from New Jersey, she moved to Seattle to teach for AmeriCorps. Soon after, she discovered Montessori education and completed the AMS teaching certification program. Laura joined Woodinville Montessori in 2001. She is in the process of completing a masters in education program as well as the upper elementary Montessori math training. Laura's hobbies include biking, sewing, reading, writing and spending time with family and friends.
Laura Bowen-Pope, Intern, Madrona Class
North Creek - Upper Elementary
Laura holds a Bachelor’s degree in French Studies and English Literature from the University of Washington, and will be returning to UW this summer to earn her Masters in Teaching. She has worked with children in various capacities for over ten years, as a tutor, mentor, camp counselor, and teaching assistant. Laura has a passion for traveling, and loves to share her enthusiasm for discovering new places and cultures with others. She also enjoys reading, soccer, hiking, and spending time with her friends, family, and her wildly energetic beagle, Zoë.
LeeAnn Brown, Teacher, Spruce Class
North Creek – Lower Elementary
LeeAnn, a native Floridian, moved to Woodinville in 2005. She received a BS in English Education from Florida State University in 1993 and taught Freshman English at the same central Florida high school from which she graduated. In 2002, she began working at the Florida Department of Education in Tallahassee, FL as a Program Specialist in the Office of Assessment and School Performance. In 2005, her husband Phyl accepted a position with Coca Cola North America, and together they moved with their family across the country to the great Pacific Northwest. LeeAnn joined WMS in February of 2006 and in November 2007 she took on the role of Director of Admissions. With the 2009-10 school year, LeeAnn joined the faculty as a co-teacher in the Spruce classroom. Her son, Hayden, has been at WMS since the age of 3 and in 2010-11, he will be a second year in the Madrona classroom. In March 2010, LeeAnn and her family welcomed a new addition, Hayley Addison, who is slated to join the Toddler class in August 2011!
Christina Clements, Assistant, Lower El
North Creek - Lower Elementary and Afternoon Club House Supervisor
Christina earned a BA from Woodbury University in Los Angeles in 1961. Since then, she has earned credits in Cultural Anthropology, Art History and Graphic Arts. She worked as a hospice volunteer and caregiver for developmentally disabled adults, and has traveled worldwide to work with wildlife conservation experts. She has 14 years experience in organic farming, and raised horses on her farm in Bellingham before moving to the Seattle area, where she has a daughter and two grandchildren; all three attended Montessori schools in their early years.
Amy Fujimoto, Teacher, Willow Class
North Creek – Lower Elementary
Amy moved to Seattle in 1988 to attend the University of Washington. She graduated with a B.A. in English in 1992 and has been involved in Montessori since that time. She spent two years as a preschool assistant, completed Montessori Early Childhood training in 1995 teaching for five years at that level. She completed her Elementary I training in 2000. Amy is also a teacher trainer for MEIPN. Amy presented at the AMS Annual conference in 2005 on the topic of Key Experiences for the Six Traits of Writing. Amy loves outdoor activities, primarily camping and rock climbing. Her family, husband David and son Hayden, share her passion for the outdoors.
Robin Held, Intern, Juniper Class
North Creek – Lower Elementary
Robin graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science and Psychology. Since then, her career and passion have been working with children and their families. Upon receiving her degree, Robin spent two years as a research assistant studying early childhood development, focusing on children’s problem solving skills. After taking some time to stay at home with her young children, she worked for two years as a preschool teacher before joining WMS in 2008. She earned her AMS Montessori Early Childhood teaching credentials after completing her practicum last year. Robin loves spending time with her family, reading, doing art projects, and traveling with her husband and children.
Teresa Lee, Teacher, Cypress Class
North Creek - Upper Elementary
Teresa has been working with children in Montessori education since 1978. She began her teaching career in Seattle and has taught in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Maryland, and Hawai’i. Teresa holds Montessori teaching certificates in Primary and Elementary education, a Masters degree in special education from American University in Washington D.C., and a Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from the Northwest School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Seattle. Among many varied interests and hobbies, she enjoys reading, gardening, hiking and skiing. As a teacher in upper elementary, Teresa seeks to make learning challenging, inviting, rigorous and stimulating. To achieve this goal, she works first to install in students a sense of confidence in learning, and secondly, to provide her students with the tools they need to succeed as tolerant and independent members of the global community. Teresa has been with Woodinville Montessori School since 2008.
Patricia Martens, Intern, Upper Elementary
North Creek - Upper Elementary
Patricia is excited to be part of the WMS family again! She worked as an upper elementary assistant before moving to Cincinatti with her husband for a job relocation in 2009 but they are both happy to return to the Pacific Northwest. Patricia began her MEIPN training for Lower Elementary and will begin Upper Elementary training next summer. She is also completing her Washington state teaching licensure. Her degree in Interdisciplinary Studies for grades K-8 from Western Governors University will be completed along with her state licensing. During her free time, Patricia enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time with her family.
Tammy Oesting, Teacher, Cedar Class
North Creek - Upper Elementary
Tammy has her Bachelor of Science degree in English and Sculpture; her AMS Montessori Early Childhood Credential and is in the process of completing her AMS Elementary I and II credentials and her Masters degree in Education. She has taught at the Early Childhood level since 1995 in various schools in Seattle, and comes to WMS from Montessori Children’s House in Redmond where she taught and spent the past 5 years as the Director of Education, Early Childhood Program Head and Rhythm Specialist. Tammy's philosophy of education is to create optimal learning environments that nurture each student's potential. Her passions and professional interests in geography, life and earth sciences, cultural relevancy and school leadership provide a dynamic and challenging education for her students. She is a faculty member of the Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific NW and has extensive experience presenting workshops for teachers locally and nationally. Tammy lives in Redmond with her husband Aaron and daughter Mali and she enjoys skiing, traveling, hand-drumming and a variety of artistic endeavors.
Sunita Pailoor, Teacher, Cedar Class
North Creek - Upper Elementary
Sunita grew up in India, and obtained her BA in Psychology, Economics and English Literature. She was working on her Master’s in Literature when she met and married Rama, her husband of 20 years. She came to the US and took technical writing and editing courses at San Jose State University, got a post baccalaureate in Economics and General Studies, and then stayed home to raise her two sons. Sunita has worked as a counselor, as a bank employee, and a graphics designer before becoming a teacher. She completed her Montessori Elementary I and II training through MEIPN and has taught in our Lower El, Upper El and Junior High. Sunita’s older son is a WMS alum (Class of 2007) and her younger son is in eighth grade at WMS. She has volunteered at the school over the years as a Room Parent and Reading Mom. Sunita’s hobbies are reading, knitting when possible, and continuing to learn new things.
Alexa Plunkett Triboulet, Teacher, Spruce Class
North Creek - Lower Elementary
Alexa Plunkett was born and raised in north Texas and studied anthropology at Rice University in Houston. After graduation, she moved to Niigata City, Japan to help teach students and teachers English. After two years with the JET Program in Japan, she earned her master’s degree in elementary education from Washington University in St. Louis and started work in early primary and elementary classrooms. She completed Montessori training at Seacoast Center and worked in a public Montessori school in Massachusetts before joining WMS in 2007. Her hobbies are fencing, hiking, painting, traveling, visiting libraries and museums, and performing community service with the Rotaract Club.
Gracey Sessoms, Teacher, Madrona Class
North Creek - Lower Elementary
Gracey graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and print making. For the last two years she worked with Early Childhood students at Tuckahoe Montessori School in Richmond, VA. She has also worked with grades 1-3 as an Americorp Team Leader at a public school in VA. Gracey completed her Montessori training through MEIPN this past summer. She enjoys traveling, snowboarding, reading, drawing, painting and buying/making jewelry. Gracey also really enjoys live music and crafts fairs.
Lindsey Spadoni, Assistant, Upper El
North Creek - Upper Elementary
Lindsey Spadoni began her education at a montessori preschool in Gig Harbor, WA and finished with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and Asian studies from the University of Puget Sound. She has traveled to eighteen countries and lived in both Italy and Thailand, but she has always considered the Pacific NW home. She began working in children's education as a sophomore in college at the Tacoma Art Museum, and went on to work at the Boys and Girls Club and as a private academic tutor for underprivileged students. She has also worked for a local honey farm, an independent bookstore, and as a web content writer. She enjoys reading, writing, gardening, cooking, crafts, dancing, snowboarding, fire arts, music festivals and outdoor adventures. She is currently applying to master's degree programs in teacher's education.
Laura Webb, Intern, Willow Class
North Creek - Lower Elementary
Laura earned a bachelor's degree in English at Boston University. Her love of books led to a career in publishing as an editor of college textbooks. She continues to work freelance projects as time allows. Laura learned about Montessori when her younger siblings attend Montessori school and she chose the same school when her daughter was a toddler. Her daughter has stayed in Montessori schools and joined Laura at WMS this year. Laura was an active parent volunteer and a board member at her daughter's previous school and was invited by the Head of School to teach. Laura started at the Early Childhood level and then moved to Upper Elementary. Laura and her family moved to the Pacific Northwest last summer and is happy to be part of the vibrant WMS community and is glad to have found a way back to Montessori. She started MEIPN training this summer. She is excited to work with the children and sees her role as guiding each child through the Montessori curriculum to meet his or her own potential and to instill a lifelong love of learning. In her free time, Laura enjoys reading, music and exploring the incredible outdoors with her husband and daughter.
Liz Wimmer, Teacher, Cypress Class
North Creek - Upper Elementary
Liz is one of our “home grown” teachers. She started as a volunteer room parent for two years in the preschool building, and then began to work on her AMS Early Childhood Montessori training. During this period, she was classroom assistant and intern. After working as head teacher in the Elm classroom for three years, Liz began her Montessori Lower El training and then began to work as co-teacher in the Willow class. Her son attended WMS for seven years, and her daughter Ellie is in the Upper El classroom. Liz has an undergraduate degree in English and computer applications from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Michigan. She worked in journalism for seven years as a writer for newspapers and magazines. She enjoys outdoor activities, music, food and art.
To view all of the Woodinville Montessori School's faculty and staff profiles, click here.