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OUR STAFF
Merry Hadden
Head of School
Email Ms. Merry
Merry is a graduate of the 1977 AMI Training Course in Calcutta,
India for work with ages 2-7. She also graduated from the first
AMI Assistants to Infancy Training Course in Rome, Italy, 1981.
She is also a certified Infant Massage Instructor, a certified
Birth Instructor in the R.A.T. technique, and holds a BA in
Psychology and a minor in Business. Merry was the Founding
Director of the Montessori N.E.S.T. (Nurturing Evironment Specialized
for Toddlers) in Leesburg, Florida from 1983-1994. She moved
the N.E.S.T. to Mt. Dora in 1994 and expanded the school to
include the Children’s House and Elementary.
Jenny Dahler
Primary Directress (ages 3-6 years) - Children’s
House 1
Jenny earned her AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Institute
in Atlanta, Georgia. She also studied Philosophy at the University
of Florida. She joined our school in 2001.
Nikki Pickles-De Preter
Primary Assitant (ages 3-6 years) - Children’s
House 3
Nikki will be assisting Miss Pamela this year. She moved
to this area from Key West where she worked at the Montessori
Children’s School as an Assistant in the Primary
classroom. Her fluency in four languages will assure that
this classroom is a bi-lingual environment. Nikki joined
our school in 2006.
Mikkale (Mikie) Seabaugh-Alford
Primary Directress (ages 3-6 years) - Children’s
House 2
Mikie earned a BS in Child Development from Southeast Missouri
State University with a minor in Family Studies. She graduated
with an AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center
of St. Louis in Kirkwood, MO. She joined our school in 2000.
Ms. Monica
Primary Assistant (ages 3-6 years) - Children’s
House 2
Monica completed her second year of Primary training at the
center in St. Louis the summer of 2007. She has been studying
under the same teacher trainer as Miss Mikie did years ago.
To add consistency to her training, Miss Merry thought it
ideal to pair her with Miss. Mikie in Children’s House
2.
Francoise Damien Greystoke
Primary Assistant (ages 3-6 years) - Children’s
House 2
Pamela Russell
Primary Directress (ages 3-6 years) - Children's
House 3
Pamela is AMI trained and has worked in schools in the Virgin Islands and Dallas,
Texas. She earned her AMI Primary diploma from the Montessori Institute of Atlanta
in Atlanta, Georgia. Born in Mississippi, she has lived in and visited many parts
of the world including India, Europe, and Mexico. Pamela joined our school in
2006.
Cheri Kramer
Elementary Directress (ages 6-12 years, Grade 1-6)
Cheri received her AMI diploma in Elementary Education from the
training center in Vancouver, British Columbia. She also holds
a BA in Organizational Management. Cheri comes to us from Children's House
in Deland where she worked in an Elementary class for several
years and then spent 4 years developing and running an 18 acre
Montessori Adolescent Farm School.
Travis Williamson
Elementary Directress (ages 6-12 years, Grade 1-6)
Travis trained in
Bergamo
,
Italy
from 1984-1985 earning her AMI Elementary diploma from the
the Fondazione Centro Internazionale di Studi Montessoriani.
She developed the elementary program at Children's House in
DeLand
,
Florida
where she taught for 20 years. Travis holds a BS in Early Childhood
Education and received her Masters Degree in Curriculum and
Instruction with a Montessori specialization from
Cleveland
State
University.
Betsy Foust
N.E.S.T. Directress(Nurturing Environment Specialized for Toddlers)
Dorothy Dansberger
Administrative Director
Email Ms. Dorothy
Dorothy has served on the school’s Board of Directors and has been involved
in non-profit arts organizations for over 10 years, working as the Business
Manager and Athens Theater Restoration Project Coordinator for the Sands
Theater Center, Manager of the DeLand Museum of Art, and serving on the
Executive Board of the Deland Fall Festival of the Arts. Previous
positions include: Registrar for the American School of Dubai,
United Arab Emirates and classroom teacher at the middle/high school
level at the American British Academy in Muscat, Oman. Duties for
the Montessori N.E.S.T. & Children’s House include business
management, data base design and maintenance, budget preparation, grant
writing, and day-to-day school administration.
Mia Crabill
Office
Mia has been involved with the school as a
parent since 2002. She graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from
American International University, Los Angeles, California. Mia is
available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm and will
gladly help you with any administrative questions or issues.
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