Staff Directory

The Kucan family has been part of the Green Room for more then a decade! Jana first fell in love with CMS when her daughter (now a high school student!) joined the Green Room. Her son was next, shortly followed by Jana as an assistant teacher.

Jana holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Rijeka, Croatia. After graduating, she continued her education in behavioral therapy, worked at the university on different research projects and as a counselor. Jana has always had interest in child development and education and, after moving to the US, was trilled to continue her education attending lectures and workshops. She worked at MIT’s Health Education Service, and collaborated with Harvard University School of Public Health on workshops related to Croatia.

Jana is a mother of two CMS students, Mia – a CMS graduate after 12 years! – and Luka – a proud member of CMS Middle School! When she is not with her ""terrific two's"", Jana enjoys photography, sailing and traveling with her family.

Gaby began at CMS in February as a Passport Toddler teacher in the after school program. She was also an aide in Red Room this past spring and is excited to be back in the classroom in a new role this year! Gaby is a 2010 graduate of The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, where she earned her BFA in Art History and Illustration. She has worked with students aged 2-18 in both classroom and camp settings and is especially passionate about the role of art and creative thinking in the learning process.

Merel is a graduate of Amsterdam Montessori College in the Netherlands and holds a B.A. in Elementary Education and Montessori Certification for ages 4-12. Merel taught as Head Teacher in the Lower Elementary Program at the Montessori School of Amsterdam, where she created and implemented a spelling program for ages 6-9 and a math program for ages 4-12, along with directing plays. Before she came to CMS, she worked at Stoneridge Children's Montessori School in Beverly, MA where she was a Head Teacher in the Lower Elementary, a member of the technology committee, and Director of After School Drama. Merel speaks Dutch, English, and French, and her hobbies include theater, guitar, singing and traveling.

Amy holds a Masters Degree in the Art of Teaching (M.A.T.) from Brown University, where she specialized in teaching children with language-based learning disabilities. Amy has extensive training in Orton-Gillingham for reading instruction, which is a structured, individualized and multi-sensory approach that is very effective for supporting students who are having difficulties learning to read. In addition to her experience working in a number of schools in the area, Amy has worked with students at Cambridge Montessori School since 2003. She uses Orton-Gillingham, Project Read, and a variety of other multisensory techniques, in addition to teaching organizational and study strategies.

Kari has a B.A. in Spanish and a Certificate in International Studies, Foreign Language, & Business from Siena College. She was TEFL certified in Madrid, Spain in 2004 and enjoyed teaching English to business professionals and children throughout that year. Kari received her AMS Montessori Certification for ages 3-6 from CMTE/NY during the 2008-09 school year, and joined the Cambridge Montessori community in the Blue Room upon completing her internship in Verona, NJ. She spent one year as Associate Teacher and has been the Lead Teacher in the Blue room since 2010. Prior to CMS, Kari worked in finance for a number of years in both the U.S. and Ireland. She is thrilled to have joined the Montessori community and truly enjoys working in such an inspiring environment amongst exceptional people of all ages. In her time outside of school, she enjoys travel, yoga, and spending time with friends and family.

Jenny dos Santos is a graduate of Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH. She earned a BS in Art Education with a concentration in Painting. She received her teaching certification in grades K-12 in Art.

Jenny joined the CMS community in the Passport extended day program in 2007 where she created projects for 2 and 3 year olds. She realized her love of the Montessori classroom and joined the Blue Room as an assistant teacher in 2008. In addition she has been an Art Specialist and a Unit Leader in past summers for the Passport Camp.

In the summer of 2012, Jenny started her Montessori training through the Northeast Montessori Institute. She is completing her internship in the Blue Room and will receive her certification in the spring of 2013.

David Erwin joined the CMS community in January 2013 as the Director of Development. Dave’s responsibilities include Annual Giving, Alumni, Parent, and External Relations, and Special Event Coordination - including our 50th Anniversary Celebrations.

Prior to coming to CMS, Dave proudly served his alma mater, Catholic Memorial School, a 7-12 college prep school for boys in West Roxbury, for over ten years as the Assistant Director of Advancement/Director of Alumni Relations. A graduate of Stonehill College with a BA in Communications, Dave began his fundraising/alumni relations career as a student intern in the Stonehill Development office. He also served as the President of Stonehill’s Student Alumni Association (SAA).

Dave serves as the President of ACAAP (Association of Catholic Admission and Advancement Professionals) of New England, is a member of the Board of Trustees for Sacred Heart School in Roslindale and has presented at various Conferences such as CASE (Council of Advancement in Support of Education), Partners in Mission, and ACAAP. He has served as co-chair of the Stonehill College Young Alumni Committee, The Stonehill Alumni Council, Sacred Heart Parish Council and Finance Committee, and as Director of the Sacred Heart Catholic Youth Organization (CYO). Dave has also served as a member of the NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) Visiting Committee on two school accreditations.

David is an AVID Red Sox fan and resides in Marlborough with his wife, Becky (a Montessori teacher), and their children Brandon (a former Montessori student) and Megan (a current Montessori student).

Charlotte was born in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lived until her early teens. The diverse community of the Bay Area instilled her will a love of the arts, particularly world literature and painting, as well as a passion for cooking foods from all corners of the globe. Charlotte discovered her love of teaching while volunteering in a small village school on the outskirts of Cusco, Peru. Teaching allows her to marry her diverse range of interests, while helping children to discover their own skills and interests. Helping children to grow is the most rewarding work she has ever known.

After returning from Peru, Charlotte enrolled at Lesley University, where she studies Elementary Education and Social Policy. Through the course of her studies, she has worked in classrooms throughout the greater Boston area and volunteered with educational organizations whenever she has been able. Charlotte came to the CMS community as Lead Counselor for Passport’s summer camp and is now working as a teacher in the Elementary/Middle School Extended Day Program. When not studying or working, Charlotte enjoys reading, trying out new recipes and restaurants and exploring Boston's and Cambridge’s museums. She is also working on writing and illustrating a children's book and trying to learn how to play the Ukelele.

Mollie grew up in Northern Michigan where she spent most of her days outside, exploring in the woods, riding her bike around the neighborhood, hiking or kayaking. She took that love of the outdoors with her to college at Michigan State University where she graduated with a BS in Environmental Science. After finishing her undergraduate work she moved to Cambridge to attend Emerson College where she did the MA program in Writing, Literature, and Publishing. She enjoys writing for the food column she started at the Weekly Dig, "Tastebuds," as well as writing creatively in her own time.

Mollie is excited to be working as the Program Coordinator for Passport. She started working at the Passport Summer Camp and then enjoyed leading the ELMS Extended Day group. She looks forward to taking on a new role with new challenges at CMS, integrating herself into the community which she finds welcoming and supportive. When she's not at CMS, Mollie enjoys riding her Schwinn cruiser around Cambridge, running along the Charles, reading, and trying to find the best place to get a burger in Cambridge.

Jennifer is passionate about all things Elementary and Middle School. Before coming to CMS, she taught and coached at Dedham Country Day, Rivers, and Shore Country Day. Helping to create CMS's Middle School has been a real career highlight!

Jennifer holds an A.B. from Princeton University, an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Massachusetts State Certification for grades 5-12 English/Language Arts, and memberships in the American Montessori Society, the Harvard Principals' Center, and the National Council of Teachers of English. She is currently pursuing her Montessori Administrator Credential from CMTE/NY. When she is not enthusiastically working at CMS, Jennifer can be found kayaking on nearby rivers; cheering for the Boston Red Sox; getting her hands dirty in her garden; devouring her husband's culinary masterpieces; and laughing with her daughters, both Cambridge Montessori students.

Katherine was born and raised in Chicago. She graduated from the George Washington University with a B.A. in Political Science in 2011. In addition to working in the purple room, Katherine is enrolled in classes to complete her Montessori teacher certification.

A resident of Boston's historic Beacon Hill, Sue is honored to be a part of CMS's exciting Arts Department. For more than 29 years, Sue has taught Theater Arts and other enrichment courses to Talented and Gifted students at Moses Brown School's summer program (RISE), including directing musical theater, designing creative dance, and provoking lateral thinking. Theater Arts is Sue's second career. She worked for 30 years as a School Psychologist in grades PreK-12 for public school districts throughout Rhode Island and Southeastern Connecticut in every setting from multicultural urban situations to a single island school building. Sue embraced Maria Montessori's educational philosophy when she enrolled her own children in a Montessori school. She continues to commit to teaching actively and mindfully.

After completing a fieldwork internship with Adventure Based Counseling throughout the Adirondack Mountains, Intern/Assistant Teacher Abigail Kellogg earned a B.S. in Human Development and Family Relations from Plattsburgh University in 2008. Post graduation, she then moved to Provincetown, MA where she had her first, wonderful and resonating experience with the Montessori Method as a volunteer at Wellfleet Montessori School. Since then, Abigail began to follow her passion to teach Montessori for its focus on natural and intuitive learning. Abigail has been studying for the American Montessori Society credentials through NCME-NE and is fulfilling her internship requirements this year with the help of the Yellow Room teachers and students.

Abigail has a love for the oceans and mountains and seeks adventure in snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing. She finds joy in loose-leaf tea, reading and artistic endeavors. Her inspirations are drawn from her fellow Montessorians and her creative companions.

This is Maggie's third year at CMS. Prior to joining the purple room, Maggie was the Toddler/Primary Extended Day Coordinator. Maggie was also the Toddler Extended Day Teacher. Maggie attended Lesley University where she studied early childhood education and child and family studies. She focused on bibliotherapy and the effect it has on children during life transitions. Maggie will begin her Montessori training in the summer of 2013. In Maggie's spare time she enjoys swimming, skiing, and traveling.

As CMS Librarian, Eliza combines her passion for literature, information, and technology with her commitment to Montessori education. She attended Montessori schools from age three through sixth grade and has always deeply valued that education and preparation throughout her academic, professional, and personal lives. Eliza attended Yale College where she earned a B.A. in Psychology with Theater Studies and Emerson College where she received an M.A. in Theater Education. She earned her Master's in Library & Information Science (focus in the School Library Teacher Program) at Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science and was inducted into Beta Phi Mu, the International Library & Information Studies Honor Society.

Eliza was an Instructor with the Overnight program at the Boston Museum of Science for eight years and she helped form and implement a Montessori-inspired Religious Education program at First Parish Sudbury. She lives in Sudbury with her husband and two daughters, both of whom attended Montessori schools from age three through middle school.

Liz feels incredibly lucky to have found Cambridge Montessori School in the fall of 2007. As a newcomer to the Montessori method of education, Liz was instantly impressed by the beauty and magic of following the child—and by the level of respect for children, others and the environment that flow from Montessori.

A Registered Nurse since 1984, Liz worked in adult medical units at Beth Israel Hospital for 12 years before taking time off from nursing to care for her children. Before coming to us, Liz enjoyed being the half-time school nurse at the Thompson Elementary School in Arlington for three years.

Liz earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Boston College. While working as a nurse, she pursued her Master of Divinity degree at Boston University, and worked as the lay assistant pastor at Belmont United Methodist Church from 1993-2008. She is certified as a school nurse through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and became a Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN) in the summer of 2012.

Community is important to Liz, and she deeply values being able to care not only for students, but also for parents, faculty and staff. When not at CMS, Liz enjoys the company of her husband, Mark, and their three teenage sons. She enjoys reading, crocheting, time with friends, and watching her sons’ bands.

Sara joined the CMS community in 2005, as a Primary Extended Day Teacher. She has worn many hats within the Passport Program during her time here and is thrilled to take on her latest roll as Passport Director. Sara is passionate about fostering children’s imagination, independence and creativity. In addition to her work with Passport she has the pleasure of teaching Visual Art to the CMS Kindergarteners each week. Sara is right at home in CMS and Passport and is honored to be part of such a warm and inspiring group of people.

Her degree is from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she concentrated on sculpture and mixed media. Before joining CMS she taught children’s art classes for more than ten years in the South End, Brookline and Arlington as well as worked in several different public schools. She grew up in Brookline, lived in Cambridge, and Somerville for many years and now lives in Medford. She enjoys gardening, cooking, creative endeavors and exploring with her dog Deacon.

Ibrahim has had a long and varied career in education and childcare, having worked with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Campfire Boys and Girls of America as well as being the CMS Athletic Director in 1985 after working as an assistant to four previous CMS Athletic Directors. Ibrahim also worked in Upper and Lower Elementary classrooms for several years as an assistant to various Lead Teachers and in the Extended Day and Passport programs.

Meghan Martin is currently enrolled at Lesley College and is studying Psychology and Child and Family studies. Prior to joining Cambridge Montessori School she worked at Prospect Hill Academy in their afterschool program. She joined CMS in 2011 as a Passport teacher in the Rainbow Room. This year she has joined the Lilac Room with Jessica and Adriana, which she is very excited about! When she is not in school, she loves spending her time outside, at the beach, fishing, camping and skiing. She also loves to read. Her favorite children's book is "Make Way for Ducklings!"

Maura has been part of the CMS community since the summer of 2012, where she was the Music & Movement specialist and is currently an Assistant Teacher for toddlers and a Primary Extended Day teacher. She is from Plymouth, Massachusetts, graduated from UMASS Dartmouth with a Bachelors in Music Education and a concentration in percussion. She enjoys playing Marimba, and spent the last three summers touring the U.S. with competitive world class drum and bugle corps including; Spartans, Blue Stars, and The Cadets of Bergen County Drum & Bugle Corps.

Maura has also been involved with West African drumming and dancing groups in Massachusetts, and traveled to Ghana, West Africa last summer where she studied the culture and music of the Ashanti people. Her passion for music and teaching has driven her to experience all facets of education, she has taught in public schools, private schools, and community-based programs. When she isn’t at CMS, Maura teaches private lessons, likes to play the ukulele for her neighbors from her balcony, and catches live music shows.

Karen Mellor first became smitten with the CMS community when she observed CMS classrooms as an assignment while obtaining her MEd in Creative Arts in Learning from Lesley University. When the time came to transition from a career of 11 years of working at the Lesley University Library to stay-at-home mom, Karen discovered the perfect job for her at CMS, an Early Care Teacher for the Passport Program. She happily joined the team in February 2012.

Karen enjoys volunteering. She has volunteered as an ESL tutor, a Play-space Activities Leader for homeless children, a TA at Cambridge Rindge & Latin, a farmhand at Maple Farm Sanctuary, Lead Volunteer for small animals care at the MSPCA, and an active participant in urban and rural restoration projects throughout Massachusetts.

Erin Morse is originally from Ashland and studied Sociology and Anthropology at Roger WIlliams University she studied abroad in Florence with a concentration in Art. After college Erin traveled the U.S. and lived in Mexico. Following her long trip Erin moved to Colorado where she lived for five years and attended The Montessori Institute.

After receiving her A.M.I certification Erin lived in Charleston, S.C. for two years. While there she was married to her love Tommy in June of 2012! Erin and Tommy recently relocated to Watertown with there precious cats Pippi and Pancho and their dog Prim. After many excellent adventures Erin and Tommy are happy to be home in New England close to their family and dear friends.

Erin loves to use her talent and eye for detail while preparing the environment with her gentle manner she is a natural in the the toddler

After working as both an IT consultant, a non-profit manager, and a kitchen renovator, Jennifer has found her true avocation in the Montessori classroom. She knows that this is a place where she can draw fully on her diverse experiences and skills to support her students in their emotional and intellectual growth. Supporting families during this phase of the child's development is also very important to Jennifer.

Jennifer and her family have been affiliated with CMS for over a decade. Her two sons both started in the Toddler program and are now in the Upper Elementary and Middle School. Before coming into the classroom, Jennifer served the school as a room parent and as a member of the Board of Trustees. Building on her graduate studies, Jennifer has presented workshops at both regional and national conferences on the cognitive importance of handwriting and on developing a Montessori handwriting curriculum. She has also served as a Montessori intern mentor teacher and as a school accreditation team member for the American Montessori Society.

Jennifer attended Northwest Montessori in Seattle from age 2 to 5 before moving to Chapel Hill, N.C., where both her parents taught at the University of North Carolina. After completing her BA at the University of Virginia, she joined Andersen Consulting (now Acenture) and then went to Harvard Business School. At HBS, she served as chair of the Honor Committee. Jennifer has lived and worked in many locations around the U.S., including Miami, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, and San Anselmo, CA. She also lived and worked in Hong Kong, where she served as Director - Hong Kong for the US-based medical NGO, ORBIS International.

Jennifer currently lives in Arlington with her husband and two sons, two cats, and one dog. She has become a convert to barefoot running, and she also practices Kundalini yoga.

Laura O’Leary is from Boston, Massachusetts. She likes spending time with the kids and teachers at Cambridge Montessori. When not at CMS, she enjoys running, reading, dancing, and exploring the New England states.

This is Kyeanna's first year here at Cambridge Montessori School as a co-teacher for Toddler Extended Day. She is excited to be apart of a growing diverse community. She is currently enrolled at Roxbury Community College, where she is studying Business Administration. She intends on finishing her Bachelor's in 2014. Kyeanna's family has migrated from Jamaica and is the first generation to reside in the United States. She loves to travel and has been to at least seven different states in the US, visited countries in Europe including, Ireland, Wales, England, Poland, Germany, Italy, Chec Republic and Prague.

Some of her interests are, creating fun and healthy ways to keep young minds interested in education and developing a set mind for personal finance at a young age. Expressing her musical as well as artistic abilities. She loves sports. She played and was captain her senior year for lacrosse, soccer, and basketball and played for four years at Saint Andrews School in Rhode Island. She is excited to bring her skills to CMS and very excited for the year!

Nicole is a native of Boston and loves all things about living in the city.  Initially drawn to a career in journalism, Nicole spent her four years in college interning and working in the media field both in print and television.  Following college, Nicole spent a year in Philadelphia working in leadership development both with high school students and adults.  Returning to Boston, Nicole assumed a Director position at an inner city after school program overseeing both operations and fundraising. 

Most recently Nicole held the position of Director of Admissions for Jackson-Walnut Park Schools in Newton.  During her tenure she was a workshop presenter at local and national conferences including the 2011 American Montessori Society Conference in Chicago.

Nicole's passion for Montessori education comes not only as an administrator but also as a parent of two Montessori children.  In her spare time Nicole enjoys spending time with her husband and sons exploring the city and having fun with friends.

Katrin is a percussionist and Dalcroze Eurythmics teacher from Switzerland. She received her formal training at the Folkwang Konservatorium in Germany and Rotterdam Conservatory in Holland, and has continued her studies in Brazil, Cuba, and New York. She has performed throughout Europe, Canada, Brazil, and the United States and has appeared on radio and TV, including "The Late Show." Her own CD "Weightless" was released in 2001.

Besides composing, practicing, and recording music with her students at CMS, she enjoys performing with her singer/songwriter husband. Their two children keep them busy and "improvising" in everyday life.

Adriana started working with toddlers in 2000. Soon after being introduced to the Montessori philosophy, Adriana fell in love with it. It was at CMS that she learned in the toddler program, working as an assistant, and after three years she took the Infant/Toddler Training Course at CMTE/NY. After her internship year and one year as a Lead Teacher in the Pink Room, Adriana moved north and got a position at Brixham Montessori Friends School, in York, ME, where she was hired to open a new Toddler Program. Four years later, Adriana is back at Cambridge Montessori to open a third class at CMS. Adriana holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. When she is not working, she loves yoga, meditation, cooking and dancing Argentine Tango!

Maria was born and raised in Mexico; she attended The
American School of Torreon from Kindergarten to High School.
She continued her studies at the The Monterrey Institute
of Technology and Higher Education where she earned
her degree in Marketing. After working on the field, in the
Sales and Marketing departments of two major companies
she decided to attend New York University, to complete a
Certificate in Small Business Management, as her dream was
to open her own business back in Mexico. She never made it
back as she ended getting married and in 2004 moved into the
Boston/Cambridge area.
In September 2007 she started her journey at Cambridge
Montessori School when her son started in the Orange
Room. She immediately realized that her long lost dream of
working with young children was some how possible through
Montessori Education. She started working as a substitute
teacher in March 2008 and continued to do so for 4 years. In
September 2012 she was delighted to begin a new adventure
as Assistant Teacher in the Orange Room, the room where it all
began years ago.

On her down time she enjoys spending time with her two sons,
reading books, exercising and dancing at Zumba class.

Tara has known she wanted to teach ever since she was two years old, became a big sister, and was given the opportunity. Since her days in the playroom, she’s had lots of opportunities as a nanny, coach, tutor, and instructor. She spent two years teaching with the Institute for Effective Education in San Diego before returning to her favored home state of Massachusetts and partnering with the non-profit, Tenacity, where she taught literacy and life skills at the Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester. Now she is excited to be a part of Cambridge Montessori.

When not teaching, Tara loves to play board games – the louder and faster, the better. She enjoys trivia, the Red Sox, and barbequing at her fabulous apartment in Somerville.

Katelyn began at CMS in 2007 teaching in the Primary Program. She received her AMS Montessori Certification from the Northeast Montessori Training Institute for ages 3-6 in 2007, where she completed her internship in the Red Room. After completing her internship, Katelyn became lead teacher in Red Room for the following 4 years until becoming the Director of the Toddler and Primary programs. Prior to CMS, Katelyn graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A in both neuroscience and psychology. Katelyn attended Montessori through her childhood and as a part of the CMS community and as a teacher trainer for NMI, she is thrilled to be able to help bring Montessori in to the lives of so many children, families and educators.

Casey’s experience in childcare has been an ongoing journey for the past eight years. She comes to Cambridge Montessori School with an eclectic background which includes working as an assistant childhood education teacher at Younger University, lead teaching early childhood gymnastics classes, working at a summer art teacher, and assistant art teacher at Brookline Arts Center. Casey not only brings practical experience from a range of early childhood education courses, but she also holds her ECE certification and is currently working towards a bachelor’s degree in Human Services. She is thoroughly committed to helping children gain confidence, grow independently, and develop creatively. Casey has a passion for creating new projects that allow children to express their feelings and ideas. She hopes to continue in contribute energy and an assortment of ideas into Cambridge Montessori School.

Aside from enjoying her work in childhood education programs, she has a passion for teaching Zumba fitness classes at Waltham Athletic Club. She also enjoy painting, biking, gaining new experiences, writing children’s books, and dancing.

Dorothy became interested in the Montessori philosophy while working at the Natick Community Organic Farm where she observed students from the Eliot Montessori School working in the gardens and making meaningful connections to their classroom curriculum. Shortly thereafter, Dorothy began her Montessori training while working as an assistant at a Montessori Charter School in Haverhill. She continued teaching on Cape Cod, as one the first Elementary I trained teachers at her school. In 2005, Dorothy completed her Elementary I Credential through CMTE in Lexington, MA. In addition to working in Montessori schools, Dorothy has taught Secondary School in the Western Province of Kenya, where she facilitated the construction of a library for the school children in her village. Dorothy’s interests include Reiki, yoga, farming, hiking, and reading.

Holly has been involved in Montessori education since 1982 as an AMS credentialed Early Childhood and Lower Elementary teacher; administrator of a Montessori childcare center in New York state; school consultant; and trainer for the Montessori teacher education program, CMTE/NY. She joined the CMS Primary staff in 1996 and currently teaches in the Lower Elementary program. Holly has her M.Ed. degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University and her Montessori Elementary 6-9 training from CMTE/NY.

Over the years, Holly has pursued her interest in creating harmonious environments for children and adults, receiving her certification in Interior Alignment and Instinctive Feng Shui. She loves working with people of all ages and walks of life, which is something CMS offers in abundance. Her other passions include modern dance, travel, and reading.

Mary grew up in New Jersey and moved to Cambridge after college. She has a B.A. in Philosophy from Columbia University and completed her Montessori training at the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New York. She has been teaching at the Primary level in the Purple Room at Cambridge Montessori School since 2003.

Sue was first introduced to Montessori in 1998, when she taught classes in the After School Program at Kingsley Montessori. She led her first classroom the following year, taking her Kindergarten class through First and Second Grade at a charter school in the Boston public school system. Before coming to CMS, Sue co-taught an Upper Elementary classroom for five years at the Inly School in Scituate, MA. Sue resides in Boston but enjoys getting to know people from the “other side of the river."

Jim grew up in East Boston, where he first developed a knack for carpentry and machines. Prior to CMS, Jim worked for over twenty years as a manufacturing manager for an interface and switch technology company in nearby Watertown. During the company’s vast expansion to North Carolina, Costa Rica, and Hong Kong, Jim was involved in both facilities layout and manufacturing set-up and operations. He has now been with CMS for ten years and counting, where he keeps things running smoothly. Jim oversees facilities and maintenance for the three school buildings and any major repairs that are needed.

When he’s not at CMS, Jim enjoys time with his family. Jim and his wife have two children, as well as two growing grandsons that keep him pretty busy with their sports and school activities. When the weather is nice, Jim can often be found boating around the Boston Harbor Islands or driving his ’66 Mustang, which he rebuilt himself.

Teaching English in Vietnam opened Alex's eyes to the richness of education, and he joined the CMS Elementary and Middle School community in 2008 as the Extended Day Co-Teacher and the Physical Education teacher. He spent two years helping to develop CMS's Extended Day and Athletics Programs. After taking a break traveling in Southern Asia to satisfy his travel itch, he found the teaching itch acting up again. He returned to the States on a Thursday, was back at CMS on Monday, and has been in the role of Athletics Director ever since.

Alex grew up in Concord, MA; majored in Philosophy at Skidmore College; and now lives in Cambridge. In his free time, he likes to play and watch sports and read and write as well.

After growing up in the state of Washington, Rowan majored in Economics and minored in Environmental Science and Policy at Smith College, and she has a passion for integrated learning, social justice, and empowering Middle-Schoolers to become informed citizens of the world. Rowan camped with adolescents in the summertime; supervised a Boat Building School for inner-city youth in Cleveland; and implemented a Schoolyard Gardens Program with Sixth-Graders. Most recently, Rowan was the Coming of Age Coordinator at First Parish in Cambridge (Unitarian Universalist) where she developed the first National Youth Justice Summit and served as staff on a youth Civil Rights Journey through Georgia and Alabama. In her work with economics, and her more recent focus on social justice, Rowan loves using math and science to tell stories about the world around us.

Rowan co-founded a non-profit housing cooperative based on the values of sustainability, spiritual practice, and social change, and enjoys living with her community in Roxbury. On weekends, she can be found hiking, gardening, and cooking dinner for 25.

Mary has toiled most of her adult life at Cambridge Montessori School, first as a Toddler teacher, and more recently in the Upper Elementary. She holds an AMS certification in the Infant/Toddler and Elementary 6-12 levels and is a teacher trainer for the Center for Montessori Teacher Education programs in New York and Massachusetts. Mary is a transplanted Californian who left sunny Los Angeles for a B.A. in English from Harvard and really impossible weather. She has never owned a car and has ridden a bike to work since before it was cool to be green. Her favorite subjects to teach are science and writing.

Cheryl grew up in New Hampshire, graduated from the New England School of Art and Design, and worked in advertising and teaching until an interesting "Boston Globe" article drew her to Montessori – she was hooked! She received her 3-6 certification at the New England Montessori Teacher Education Center and has been teaching Montessori in various ways at various schools ever since. Over her extensive career at CMS, Cheryl has worked in the Pink Room, the Blue Room, and the Extended Day Program. Now she combines her art and Montessori backgrounds to lead CMS's Elementary and Middle School Art Program. Cheryl developed and taught an art seminar for student teachers at NEMTEC and just recently was selected to join the prestigious "Art21 Educators," an intensive professional development initiative.

Cheryl lives in Cambridge with her husband; her daughter, a CMS graduate; and their menagerie of pets. Her hobbies include arts and crafts of all kinds, building things, being outside, and hanging out with her family.

Hailing from Madrid, Spain, Antonia has spent her life traveling around the world, getting to know wonderful people and places. Antonia began her career working in telecommunications but then decided to use her facility with languages to pursue her international TEFL certification. We are lucky that she found her way to CMS! When not teaching Spanish, Antonia can be found running, skiing, and enjoying the great outdoors with her family.

Laura grew up in Massachusetts but left the east coast to attend Occidental College in Los Angeles. Realizing she was a New Englander at heart, Laura returned to the Boston area after graduating with her BA from Occidental. Before joining CMS this spring, Laura worked in finance and portfolio analysis at a wealth management firm west of Boston. She is thrilled to now be part of the CMS community and has already enjoyed getting to know the school staff and looks forward to connecting with school families this year.

When she is not in the Business Office, Laura enjoys being a mom, as she and her husband welcomed a daughter last fall. Although, her daughter keeps Laura pretty busy, she also has a passion for writing, fashion, photography, and yoga.