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Ms. Jenn has worked with children in a variety of ways for 20 years. She owned a bakery in Texas when she first joined the Montessori community as a parent to two children, but rediscovered her love for the classroom watching the joy they both found in learning. After moving to North Carolina, Ms. Jenn joined the team at Phoenix Montessori Academy in 2023 as an assistant in the Primary 4 classroom, and is currently working to achieve her Primary Credential. Ms. Jenn is very passionate about meeting children where they are in their social and academic lives and learning how to best follow the child. She is inspired by the way children continue to rise to the next new challenge, and she hopes to model that in her own life as she serves the Phoenix community. In her free time, Ms. Jenn loves reading, playing board games with her husband and their two boys, and snuggling with her cat.
“The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.”
- Maria Montessori
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Tavious teaches Middle School at Phoenix Montessori Academy. His subjects are Language, Social Studies, and P.E. Tavious has a bachelor's in CIS, and this is my third year in education. He has mentored and counseled children of all ages in the past, where he discovered a strong passion for working with children. Tavious loves spending time with his two sons and his wife making lifetime memories together!
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Steve graduated from UNC Wilmington with a BA in Physical Education Health. He received Montessori Certification in Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary in 2001. Steve began his teaching career at Lake Norman Day in 1996 before joining Phoenix Montessori in 2005. Steve has developed physical education programs, as well as lead teaching roles throughout the levels. Steve believes in building a relationship with the whole child and individualizing their education to meet their needs.
Steve enjoys officiating flag football, watching athletic events and spending time with his family on the weekends.
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Roxanne received her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from Central Piedmont Community College. She taught one year at Bethel Presbyterian Church Weekday Program. It was during that year that a parent introduced her to Montessori.
Roxanne attended the North Carolina Center for Montessori Education where she received her Infant/Toddler Certification. She has taught in a Montessori classroom since 1995 serving as the lead instructor for most of that time and has been with Phoenix since 2006.
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Lilee received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre with a Concentration in Stage Management from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro. She focused on work in Theatre with Young Audiences during her college career. Covid struck right after graduation and completely altered her life trajectory. Lilee joined Ms. Roxanne in the classroom full time when all the children returned in person after quarantine. She spent two wonderful and wild years in Primary 1, learning the Montessori way in the aftermath of Covid. In 2022, Lilee became the lead teacher of a new primary classroom and has continued her Montessori journey at PMA!
Outside of the classroom, Lilee spends a majority of her time outdoors hiking or rock climbing. She enjoys visiting every art museum she can find in new cities and collects post cards at each to add to the mini gallery at home! She has two dogs (a senior and a puppy) that couldn't be more different and equally perfect!
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India has experience teaching in Montessori classrooms since 1995. She is also a Montessori teacher trainer in Elementary I math and philosophy and Elementary II math and philosophy. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Belmont Abbey College where she graduated cum laude from the honors program. She then completed studies to become Montessori I & II (grades 1-3 and 4-6) and Montessori Secondary I (grades 7-8) certified. India completed the Endicott College masters program and received a Masters degree in Education specializing in Montessori and Integrated Learning.
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Originally from New Hampshire, Faith moved to Charlotte, NC to attend Johnson & Wales University where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel Management with a concentration in Hospitality Sales and Meeting Management. Throughout high school she participated in several programs which allowed her the opportunity to work with primary and elementary age students. Faith joined the PMA staff in 2009. She has worked as an intern and assistant teacher in the LE classroom while attending the Center for Montessori Teacher Education, North Carolina (CMTE/NC). After completing the teacher training program in the summer of 2014, she received her American Montessori Society (AMS) Lower Elementary credential.
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Lauren earned her B.S. in Mathematics in 2011 from Sweet Briar College. She was first introduced to Phoenix Montessori in 2004 when her sister, Nicole, began as a student. Lauren joined the PMA staff in 2012 as the high school math teacher and after school teacher. As of July 2015, Lauren received her American Montessori Society (AMS) Secondary I/II credential from the Houston Montessori Center (HMC). Lauren received her Masters of Education in Montessori Integrative Learning from Endicott College in May 2016. As Middle/High School Lead Teacher, Lauren continues to build the program and offer unique experiences both in and out of the classroom. Outside of school, Lauren enjoys traveling and swimming.
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Ms. Ady (Adriana McCormack) was born in Mexico City, where she got a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and completed postgraduate studies in National Security and History of Mexico. While residing in Mexico, she worked for institutions like the Mexican Secretary of State, the Treasury Secretary, and the Mexican Mail Service. In Atlanta, she worked as the Director Assistant to the Mexican American Business Chamber and collaborated with the Mexican Consulate in Atlanta and the Cultural Mexican Center. In Charlotte, she worked for the Family Outreach and Counseling Center and diverse companies translating documents. She also worked as a pre-K teacher at the Presbyterian bilingual school La Escuelita San Marcos in Huntersville, and for the last 24 years, she has taught different levels of Spanish, either in a private or public space like the North Mecklenburg Library. Today, she teaches Spanish at PMA, where she enjoys LE, UE, MS, and HS. Ms. Ady likes to interact with people, create art, play piano, and enjoy learning new languages and reading the Bible, history, and science. She lives in Huntersville with her husband, Bruce, her two young adult daughters, and Charly, her dog.
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Ms. Lauren Ashley Radford graduated from UNC Charlotte with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Elementary Education and a music minor. Lauren Ashley has been teaching private music lessons to all ages since 2015. Lauren Ashley has taught color guard, soccer and pop performance band for high school. Ms. Lauren Ashley joined PMA as the music teacher and assistant teacher for the Primary class in 2017. She believes music can contribute to strengthening child development. Music uses multiple intelligences that students should have the right to explore. Music can be an outlet for expression. Ms. Lauren Ashley's goal is to provide a musical opportunity to all students at Phoenix.
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Ms. Elizabeth Sanchez Bello holds an Architecture Degree from ISCYTAC- LA SALLE Instituto Superior de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Laguna University, Gómez Palacio, Durango,Mexico. She holds an AMS (American Montessori Society), credential in Primary level, from Centro de Entrenamiento, Colegio Montessori Sierra Madre, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and is a Certified Montessori Teacher (Early Childhood Teaching). She began her career in Education with Postgraduate studies on Educational Investigation and Software Applications to Classroom Environments. (UNAM-UJED / ESCYTA-UJED). Ms. Elizabeth has experience in education since 1996 and has held positions in teaching at both levels College and Primary Environments as a Lead Teacher. Considering herself as a proud mother of two daughters, both raised in the Montessori Philosophy, she is a true believer that Montessori is a long-life way of living. She enjoys reading, designing, art, music, and spending time with the little and big masters, the children!
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After 20 years of experience in marketing and business development in the private sector, Lorena has returned to Education as a co-teacher of Spanish immersion primary at Phoenix Montessori Academy. She has been a longtime advocate for children in underprivileged and under-served communities.
Lorena is currently a Charter Member of the the Rotary Club of The Queen City - Charlotte and serves on various committees for Rotary District 7680 and Rotary Zone 33 as Rotaract Adviser.
Lorena and her husband Thom moved from Miami, Florida to North Carolina since 2007 and settled in Charlotte in 2011.
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Amy graduated from Taylor University in Upland, IN with a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education with a concentration in Social Studies. She began her career in adult education for corporate America before teaching in both private and charter schools since 2002. She has gained experience in education through administration, as well as classroom teaching. Amy enjoys interacting with students in the classroom with energy and passion for the whole child to learn in an interactive atmosphere.
Amy and her husband Joe are “empty nesters” as their two children are attending college. They enjoy watching athletic events, spending time with family and relaxing with a good book.
Montessori Quote “ Joy, feeling one’s own value, being appreciated and loved by others, feeling useful and capable of production are all factors of enormous value for the human soul.” - Maria Montessori
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Rachel received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature and Art History from Washington University in St. Louis in 1993. She continued graduate work with an emphasis in Anthropology, Archaeology and Non-Western Art at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois and earned an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certification in Museum Education. She traveled to study Ancient Mayan sites as well as spent a summer abroad in Rome, Italy. Exploring the world and learning something new every day is one of her greatest passions. She began teaching at the college level in 1997, but always had a special interest in childhood education and Montessori Philosophy. She joined the staff in 2014 as a co-teacher in Upper Elementary. In 2018 she worked in Lower Elementary as she pursued an El and EII Montessori Certification from CMTE/NC. Full of inspiration, Rachel is excited to begin her new journey as a Cosmic Education teacher. Following the Great Lessons and cultural works of Dr. Montessori, she hopes to share with all PMA students her sense of adventure and curiosity!
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Tammie received her B.A. in Business Administration from Belmont Abbey College in 1994. She then earned Infant/Toddler Credentials from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New York in 1998. She also obtained a Daycare Administration Credential from Central Piedmont Community College in 2008.
Her Montessori teaching experience includes: Toddler Lead Teacher from 1997 and 15-plus years as a Summer Camp Coordinator in a Montessori Program serving children 18 months to 12 years of age. Tammie also worked for one year as an After School Coordinator in a traditional setting, serving children ages 4 years to 13 years of age. Before entering the field of education, Tammie was a nanny for 3 young children.