https://www.montessoricentre.org/about daily 0.75 2025-03-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/0b17ae06-5750-403e-a3e3-a4ae12eb3f97/child+with+living+non-living.jpg About Us https://www.montessoricentre.org/curriculum daily 0.75 2025-03-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/a9f18d1d-fb66-4788-ad26-4ba802139707/IMG_6309.JPG Curriculum https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1550860789244-5FGZ0B8SUAJK2DU2S5BU/Nerea+%286%29.jpg Curriculum https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/7ab71026-e251-4024-8a2b-5178e0e98518/Eloise+spindle+box.jpeg Curriculum https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/336845c7-0f30-44b5-8b7e-1fff750b4d94/phoebe+with+short+o+cards.jpeg Curriculum https://www.montessoricentre.org/admissions daily 0.75 2026-04-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/42379502-e924-44fd-a86d-e345861b03df/child+with+land+water.jpg Admissions https://www.montessoricentre.org/faq daily 0.75 2025-03-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/8735a8ee-3b50-489b-bc1f-ea5d9c11eefd/child+with+fish+puzzle.jpg FAQ https://www.montessoricentre.org/home daily 1.0 2025-04-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1536336849100-H6K57U9WIY9MOZ6SFIDB/About+Our+School.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1536336957935-NIIKU2UMRR5KCLIBCYA2/Faculty.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1544130865338-GJ4JUA87LQJN9AKGXIZ1/enrichment.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1536336889741-B04GGF99Z1TU95X7K34T/Admissions.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1536336978602-179PKF6PPE0PECKCL7HO/FAQ.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1544130798235-NEJ7QF4JAU3AXTKWH0DL/Admissions+copy.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1536336923929-EBOD2WDQIQZO3G4LOEQY/Curriculum.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1536337001229-FFSOZDZKYQ8BU0OV2MEA/image-asset.jpeg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1544130925199-BI6ZQ74ZXIF3ZYBGBY6E/employment.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/ac4e264f-a4fa-4c10-9c2b-4dfcb97e0d73/violet+object+matching.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/45082be1-41f1-4a94-b860-703a03e4a97c/boy+with+trinomial+cube.jpg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/8ca668db-7aa5-4aca-84b8-234bbdcabd74/butterfly+eloise.jpeg Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.montessoricentre.org/faculty daily 0.75 2026-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1602445943116-E5IOSYY0FMTSUJ9K79KI/Oma2.jpg Faculty and Staff Oma Harris HEAD OF SCHOOL Deborah "Oma" Harris became the Head of School at Montessori Centre in 2001, after her grandson thrived in the Montessori environment. During his experience, she founded the PTA and later completed the VMTC AMS Infant Toddler training. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1602446019648-R8YLZ93NPOFNY5QPOUQO/JenC2.jpg Faculty and Staff Jen Cullison DIRECTOR Jen is our Director and began her teaching career with a B.S. in education from Lipscomb University in 2001. She also has the NAMC Early Childhood Credential, as well as a TN teaching license for K-8. Jen taught for 17 years before being appointed Director. She has two children who both attended Montessori Centre, and loves to travel with her family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/5a24896b-4883-4f93-a205-dbb9a5e08b93/Joshua+Larkin.jpg Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Joshua Larkin ADMINISTRATOR Joshua attended Montessori Centre as a child and has joined the team to help with accounting, building maintenance, Spanish and more. He enjoys watching movies and learning new recipes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/54d1cc8a-27d7-49af-a974-08c4226bc8fe/D39A7568.jpg Faculty and Staff Kristen Smith ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Kristen has worked at Montessori Centre since 2008, serving as the Assistant Director. She uses her design background to create our newsletters and to help the school run smoothly each day. Kristen has a B.A. in English from Arizona State University, and enjoys traveling, learning French, and writing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1602445802917-6ENZR46ZWU5UJOCM722P/BarbaraS2.jpg Faculty and Staff Barbara Sung Blackwell ADMISSIONS DIRECTOR Barbara has an accounting degree from MTSU and has been at Montessori Centre since 2014, working as our Director of Admissions and Accounting. She is the point person for our new families and helps with general administrative duties. Barbara also has a watercolor and hand-lettering business called Paper by BB. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/3e97ef2d-933e-46c2-acee-f5c93f830ada/D39A7610.jpg Faculty and Staff Amy Wormer ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Amy began working as our Administrative Assistant in 2013. She maintains our student and employee files for the state and plays an integral part in our daily operations. Amy is a dedicated mother to her children and was a stay-at-home mom before joining our team. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/23201ad5-da4a-4b12-bf0b-f5fae952e6a6/D39A7329.jpg Faculty and Staff Megan Price ROBINS CO-TEACHER Megan joined our team in 2014 and is a co-teacher in the Primary “Robins” classroom. She earned a B.S. and M.A.T. at Belmont and has both her TN K-3 teaching license and the AMS Primary certification. Megan has two sons who both attended Montessori Centre. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/5a88d319-acf6-4dd9-84cf-d52ea1fd6174/AshleyQueen.png Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Ashley Queen ROBINS CO-TEACHER Ashley joined our team back in 2009 and is a co-teacher in the Primary “Robins” classroom. She earned a B.A. at Lipscomb University and has both her TN K-6 teaching license and the NAMC Primary certification. Ashley has three children; her oldest son, Wayland, graduated in 2022, her daughter, Avery, in 2024, and her son Baxter is currently enrolled at Montessori Centre. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/5b53ee47-8ddd-4022-95d9-14f4b2c25bc7/Emy+Gildea.jpg Faculty and Staff Emy Gildea ROBINS ASSISTANT TEACHER Emy began teaching children as a literacy tutor while earning her B.A. at Belmont University. She then went on to earn her M.A. in experimental psychology from MTSU. Emy is delighted to be practicing the Montessori philosophy at Montessori Centre. She loves how it encourages autonomy and respect for the environment. We are proud to have her working with our Primary children. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1602444880684-HHI125X54TTOLN52R2CU/spencer2.jpg Faculty and Staff Spencer Thompson SPARROWS LEAD TEACHER Spencer began working at MC in 2015 as a toddler assistant, but over the years, has worked with children ages 3 months to 6 years in multiple classrooms. She received her NAMC infant/toddler certification in 2016 and earned her B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Lipscomb University in May of 2020. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/52813abf-9d4c-4858-8c1a-ac3062a9beaf/molly_milam.jpg Faculty and Staff Molly Milam SPARROWS ASSISTANT TEACHER Molly was born and raised in Nashville. She just earned her Master's degree at UT in Child and Family Studies for Early Education. She has always had a passion for working with children and is eager to begin in the Warbler's classroom this year! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1629223955626-UQ8JNZQHX7OD7BBINXLB/ElizabethB.jpg Faculty and Staff Elizabeth Bagger BLUEBIRDS LEAD TEACHER Elizabeth joined our team in 2018 after relocating to Nashville from the southwest. After receiving her B.S. from the University of California, she completed her Primary AMI training in 1990 and has worked with infants, toddlers, primary, and elementary-aged children. In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys crafting, sewing, woodworking, and gardening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/a39bd35b-b9c8-445a-9f9d-6a6062d4f8c7/Aleah+Vazquez.jpg Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Aleah Vazquez BLUEBIRDS ASSISTANT Aleah is an eager member of our family! She was born in Kentucky, earned an A.A. of Psychology from Nashville State, and also studied at Trevecca Nazarene University. She loves to make people laugh, spend time with her friends and family, painting, and reading. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1602444956032-55KRAYM93Z1K1DTMALET/KajinT2.jpg Faculty and Staff Kajin Tahir HUMMINGBIRDS LEAD TEACHER Kajin joined our team in 2017 and is a Toddler lead teacher in the "Hummingbird" classroom. She has an A.S. degree from MTSU and completed her NAMC toddler certification in May 2020. Kajin has one daughter, and her love for young children brought her to Montessori Centre. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/acb5c742-a97e-459e-941b-423060c512a4/D39A7452.jpg Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Stephanie Mendez HUMMINGBIRDS ASSISTANT TEACHER Stephanie is Nashville-born and raised! Her son attends Montessori Centre, and she was a stay-at-home mom prior to joining MC. She enjoys spending time with family and learning more about the Montessori approach. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1629224043502-F2YF8DYD7FGGBJ9P5YAP/molly.jpg Faculty and Staff Isabella “Bella” Daniels WARBLERS LEAD TEACHER We are so happy to have Bella on our team. She has worked at Montessori Centre for 6 years, and she completed her NAMC 0-3 certificate in March 2023. A fun fact: Bella was adopted as an infant from Guatemala! She has lived in Nashville her whole life and loves working with children. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/f0cfd6eb-348d-4bbc-ae6c-2fba50040ee1/eliz+a.jpg Faculty and Staff Elizabeth Arzate WARBLERS ASSISTANT TEACHER Elizabeth was born and raised in Nashville and has over five years of experience working with children from 6 weeks to 6 years old. As a Montessori Assistant Teacher, she enjoys supporting children’s independence and curiosity while helping create a calm, nurturing classroom. Outside of school, she loves spending time with her family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/794f201a-bf5c-4596-8c30-f9aadacf9cc3/D39A7109.jpg Faculty and Staff Annie Sapp WRENS LEAD TEACHER Annie is the lead teacher in the Wrens’ classroom. She received her NAMC Montessori training in 2020. Annie was a Montessori student from primary (3-5) to 8th grade, and has a unique personal education under the Montessori Method. Annie is an alumnus of Interlochen Arts Academy and has danced with The Nashville Ballet. After retiring from dance, she came back to find roots in a Montessori community. In her spare time, Annie enjoys painting, collecting plants, and advocating for eating disorder recovery. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/b57b39bb-35a2-43da-bf5f-c6f540719569/Holly+Carmona.jpg Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Holly Carmona WRENS ASSISTANT TEACHER Holly joined our Montessori Centre family in 2025 as the Wrens’ Assistant. She earned her BA from Covenant College and has four years of experience teaching Art at a Montessori school before joining our team. Holly’s daughter (coincidentally named Wren) has been attending a Montessori school for the past 9 years. As a family, they have experienced firsthand the joy and confidence that the Montessori environment helps foster. In her free time, Holly enjoys exploring new artistic techniques and cherishing moments with her family and friends.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/e55828a7-0b6b-411b-ab78-5d9e2e2c3e62/Nena+Tahir.jpg Faculty and Staff Nena Tahir CHICKADEES LEAD TEACHER Nena’s love of children brought her to Montessori Centre and we have been fortunate to have her on our team for the past four years. She is currently earning her degree in education for grades K-5. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/bf2c48ff-6c26-418b-a062-a14326333779/D39A7463.jpg Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Natalie Ledezma CHICKADEES ASSISTANT TEACHER Natalie was born and raised in Nashville. Her love for children brought her to work at Montessori Centre, and she has worked in Montessori education since 2021. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/b11f407a-29aa-4a7a-b201-afc722845e07/D39A7149.jpg Faculty and Staff Alethea Goodman LIBRARIAN Alethea began working at Montessori Centre in 2012. She earned her B.S. in Child Psychology at MTSU and received her NAMC Early Childhood Credential in 2013. Alethea worked as a Primary lead teacher until May of 2022, when she began a part-time position as our librarian. Outside of school, she enjoys family time, traveling, gardening, and hanging out with all of her animals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/2996bb96-fc16-48eb-8992-e9f41bb1e5ce/D39A7489.jpg Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Janani Achchillage TEACHER’S AIDE & SUBSTITUTE Janani moved to Nashville from Sri Lanka in 2015 and completed a Bachelor’s of Engineering at Tennessee Tech in 2022. She loves painting and gardening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/210a21f4-0634-428a-a4d2-1c712599a933/Padma.jpg Faculty and Staff Padma Kankanamala SUPPORT STAFF Padma has been at Montessori Centre since 2016. She helps keep our school clean and steps in as float staff wherever she is needed. Before moving to the U.S. from Sri Lanka with her husband and two children, Padma earned a Montessori Early Childhood Credential and taught for three years in a toddler classroom. In her free time, Padma loves making art and spending time with her family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/5ce67179-1b93-43de-b253-60e33d11739b/Eva+Tomsic.jpg Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Eva Tomsic TEACHER’S AIDE & AFTERCARE LEAD Eva is a recent transplant to Nashville, having spent most of her life in Ohio. After being a nanny, her love for children and the Montessori philosophy brought her to Montessori Centre. In her free time, Eva loves to travel, read, and hike. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/346e6bd3-ff18-4a69-88ee-1d9a9dbf0fd4/Sarah+Daniels.jpg Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Sarah Daniels TEACHER’S AIDE Sarah eagerly joined the Montessori team in Summer of 2025. She holds a degree in secondary education and has several years of experience teaching English and Literature to middle school and high school students. When she is not busy, she enjoys going hiking and fishing with her husband and dog, exploring all parts of Tennessee, and cooking all kinds of things in her kitchen to share with friends and family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/b9d9b070-c961-4ccd-8fac-e8f4d7d88e55/Suzan+Sindy.jpg Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Suzan Sindy TEACHER’S AIDE Suzan grew up in Nashville, where her love for children grew through babysitting and sparked an interest in the Montessori approach. She enjoys family time, reading, and photography. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/7b564a35-e8be-4555-a34c-1e1bc4dd0800/Tara+Duncan.jpg Faculty and Staff - Make it stand out Tara Duncan TEACHER’S AIDE Born and raised in Tennessee, Tara has always had a love for all things creative. Tara has had a lifelong love for art, which led her to begin her studies at Austin Peay State University. While there, she discovered the Montessori philosophy and felt an immediate connection. Inspired and motivated, she’s been working toward her dream of becoming a member of Montessori ever since. In her free time, Tara enjoys making art, traveling, trying new experiences, and spending time with her loved ones and cat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/9e7df881-9b06-4394-b565-87567c615099/jjackson.jpg Faculty and Staff John Jackson MUSIC TEACHER John Jackson has been teaching guitar and classroom music for over 20 years at Montessori Centre and is one of Nashville’s finest guitarists, having played in the touring bands of Bob Dylan, Shelby Lynne, Lucinda Williams and many more. https://www.montessoricentre.org/employmentapplication daily 0.75 2024-08-12 https://www.montessoricentre.org/summer-programs daily 0.75 2025-03-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/121e6879-a1ec-420c-ac07-30542c9a831b/boys+in+creek.jpg Summer Program https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/17b4d5b5-ac74-4081-b7ac-5c564049f0c5/theo+stilts.JPG Summer Program https://www.montessoricentre.org/employment daily 0.75 2026-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/d9216327-73df-43b9-a74e-e279b2bc06ce/IMG_6185.JPG Employment https://www.montessoricentre.org/enrichments daily 0.75 2025-03-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/ce4ac432-301a-4b0a-8c19-027762f4eff5/IMG_6279.JPG Enrichment https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/c0c924ad-fabd-43e2-bfe5-c65a057001d7/art+enrichment.jpg Enrichment https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/1506010330111-2ILM5NO20BQI6GUL1OG8/IMG_3744.jpg Enrichment https://www.montessoricentre.org/parents daily 0.75 2022-10-25 https://www.montessoricentre.org/hiring daily 0.75 2026-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53f654c1e4b0103eb125060a/0497cd1a-98ba-45c4-abcc-bbd097df8bbf/Eloise+spindle+box.jpeg We Are Hiring - We’re Hiring! Early Childhood Teacher