Faculty and Staff

Toddler Program

 

Aarthy Anbarasan

Toddler Lead Teacher
Prospect Street Campus
aanbarasan@shrewsburymontessori.org

Unable to ignore her curiosity for human development, even though Mrs. Anbarasan started her academic training in science, she later changed career paths to pursue a Masters degree studying sociology. Upon arriving in the U.S., she discovered the magic of the Montessori and her favorite age range, the toddlers. She is an experienced Montessori Toddler Lead Teacher who is skilled at setting up a nurturing environment to guide children to uncover and take ownership for their innate independence and creativity from early on in their educational careers. SMS is incredibly fortunately to be able to obtain Mrs. Anbarasan as our founding Toddler Lead Teacher to start the school’s Toddler program. Apart from working with children, Mrs. Anbarasan enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, and caring for her collection of indoor plants. Mrs. Anbarasan has a AMI A to I (birth to 3 year old) Certification from Montessori Training Center Northeast (CT), a Master of Arts in Sociology from Annamalai University (India), and a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Fashion Technology from Reach Institute of Fashion and Information Technology (India).

 

Rika Ishiwata

Toddler Lead Teacher
Prospect Street Campus
rishiwata@shrewsburymontessori.org

Born and raised in Japan, Mrs. Ishiwata fell in love with working with young children, and has worked in two Montessori schools in the past 22 years. As an experienced Toddler and Children’s House Lead Teacher, Mrs. Ishwiata is dedicated to helping children reach their full potential. Mrs. Ishwiata holds a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts from Lesley College and an AMI diploma (3-6) from the Rochester Institute of Montessori Training. In her spare time, Mrs. Ishwiata enjoys baking and spending time with her family.

 

Nicole Plude

Toddler Assistant Teacher
Prospect Street Campus
nplude@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Plude has ten years of experience working with young children starting off in her family owned daycare center. After graduating from Worcester State University with a B.A. in Sociology, she found her passion working with toddlers. Ms. Plude also has experience as a Developmental Specialist in Early Intervention. Ms. Plude’s passion belongs to the classroom and she is very happy to join SMS this school year.

 

Kiera Valentine

Toddler Assistant Teacher
Prospect Street Campus
kvalentine@shrewsburymontessori.org

From her experience taking care of her sister born with Autism from nine years and on, Ms. Valentine recognized her passion to work with children. As a result, she pursued her studies in Early Childhood Education with a special focus on special needs children. For her first job out of college, she took a job working with high risk children and families. Three years ago, she had the experience fostering two children. Professionally, she has broadened her experiences working with children in a number of Early Childhood institutions in the past seven years in capacities such as a Toddler Lead Teacher and Preschool Lead Teacher. Her experience with children allows her to recognize the value of Montessori education and motivated her to join the SMS community. Ms. Valentines earned an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education from Rasmussen College (FL).

Children’s House

 

Amanda Bristowe

Children’s House Assistant Teacher
Oak Street Campus
abristowe@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Bristowe is an experienced early childhood educator who brings with her 13 years of experience leading her own pre-school aged classroom. She was introduced to and fell in love with the Montessori methodology, and decided to pursue a career in an authentic Montessori school. Ms. Bristowe has a Associate Degree in Science Psychology with an Early Childhood Education Concentration from Becker College. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, woodworking and camping with her family. 

 

Kathy Falcucci

Children’s House Assistant Teacher
Prospect Street Campus
kfalcucci@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Falcucci joined the SMS team in September of 1997. She has an associate degree from Newbury Junior College of Business. Kathy holds a Preschool Teacher certificate through the MA Department of Early Education and Care. She has worked in Children’s House since her start in 1997. Before coming to SMS, Kathy was a stay at home mom raising her three boys. In her spare time, she likes visiting wineries and spending time at North Beach in NH.

 

Andrea Finnegan

Children’s House Assistant Teacher
Oak Street Campus
afinnegan@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Finnegan has been working with children for over 10 years. She started as a volunteer in the schools of each of her three daughters, and, more recently, as a Preschool Teacher’s Assistant in West Boylston. She adores her work with young children and loves watching them grow and develop more and more independence. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, skiing and cheering on her kids on the sidelines of soccer, lacrosse and softball fields.

 

Lauren Kennedy

Children’s House Teacher
Oak Street Campus
lkennedy@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Kennedy has twelve years of experience as a Montessori Assistant and Children’s House Lead Teacher. She is certified through North American Montessori Center. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Rehabilitation Services with a Concentration in Gerontology. Her mother, Mrs. Michalak, worked at SMS for more than thirty five years and her two children are SMS alumni. Mrs. Kennedy loves teaching and helping each child to be successful and lifelong learners. She enjoys going to baseball games and vacationing on Cape Cod with her family and three dogs.

 

Elizabeth Mason

Children’s House Lead Teacher
Toddler and Children’s House Program Coordinator
Oak Street Campus
emason@shrewsburymontessori.org

Elizabeth is eager for her first year at Shrewsbury Montessori to get underway. She has been nurturing and guiding children’s development for thirty years. She earned an AS Degree in Early Childhood Development, followed by her BA Degree in Liberal Arts and Studies with a Psychology Concentration. She is licensed by the MA Department of Early Education and Care as an Infant/Toddler and Preschool Lead Teacher, and is also Director II Certified. Elizabeth attended the Northeast Montessori Institute and received her American Montessori Society Teaching Credential. Spending time with her three children keeps her very busy when she is away from the classroom. She truly basks in the joys of motherhood. Elizabeth loves listening to live music, the ocean, and enjoys summer reading.

 

Lynn Pepin

Children’s House Lead Teacher
Oak Street Campus
lpepin@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Pepin is a seasoned teacher who comes with over 29 years of teaching experience. Lynn has been a Primary Coordinator, Director of Communications and Lead Teacher at several Montessori Schools throughout her career. In addition to her Montessori experience, Lynn has many years of experience as an ABA Specialist where she comes to us from the Auburn Public School District. Lynn is also a Sensorial Assistant at the New England Montessori Training Educational Center (NEMTEC). Lynn is Montessori certified through the North American Montessori Center in Toronto, Canada and she has also earned her degree from Salem State University.  In her spare time, Lynn enjoys spending time with family and relaxing at her family’s lake house.

 

Alyssa Rose

Children’s House Assistant Teacher
Oak Street Campus
arose@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Rose graduated from Regis College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Theraputic Recreation, while also completing the Disney College Program. Ms. Rose discovered her passion of education after completing her peer leader internship in high school where she interned for a semester as a teacher’s assistant in a kindergarten classroom. Ms. Rose has previously worked at Hopkinton Public Schools, Metrowest YMCA, and Brookline Recreation. With her love of working with children, Ms. Rose established her own Event Character Entertainment Company to bring children extra magic for their birthdays. Ms. Rose believes all children have a unique magic inside of them. She looks forward to working in a Children’s House Montessori classroom in the fall. Ms. Rose loves Disney, writing, listening to music and singing. 

 

Shloka Shroff

Children’s House Lead Teacher
Prospect Street Campus
sshroff@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Shroff joined SMS as a Children’s House lead in September 2019. She has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting & Early Childhood Education from the University of Mumbai, India. Shloka holds her Director I and Preschool Lead Teacher certificate through the MA Department of Early Education and Care. She also holds her 3-6 Montessori teaching certification from the Center for Montessori Education in NY. Mrs. Shroff has taught in various capacities over the last 18 years. She also ran a home-based daycare when she lived in Buffalo, NY. In her downtime, Mrs. Shroff enjoys spending quality time with her family, traveling, listening to music, and gardening.

 

Debra Shupe

Children’s House Lead Teacher
Prospect Street Campus
dshupe@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Shupe grew up in northern New York and received her Bachelor of Arts in Early Education from SUNY-Potsdam and a Master of Science in Deaf Education from the State University of New York-Geneseo. She attained her Montessori Infant, Toddler, and Children’s House (0-6) certification through the St. Nicholas School in London, England. Mrs. Shupe loves to incorporate nature into the daily curriculum of Montessori education through gardening and observation as a means to tap into all the five senses. Mrs. Shupe enjoys skiing, riding horses, biking, and traveling.

 

Abigail Smith

Children’s House Assistant Teacher
Oak Street Campus
asmith@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Smith is both passionate and compassionate about helping human beings develop as individuals and find their own unique voices. To this end, she earned a B.A. degree in Creative Nonfiction Writing from St. Lawrence University and Professional Editing Certification from The George Washington University. When her children were younger, Abigail spent many delightful years volunteering in schools and as her children grew up, she realized she wanted to continue this work. Abigail is Preschool Teacher Certified by the MA Department of Early Education and Care and has completed the Intro to Montessori and 3-6 Overview at the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative. Abigail enjoys children’s literature; colorful, creative, artistic pursuits; gardening; the natural world; and anything with her children.

Lower Elementary

 

Christine Abysalh

Lower Elementary Assistant Teacher
Oak Street Campus
cabysalh@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Abysalh joined the SMS community as a Lower Elementary Assistant Teacher in September 1999. Previously, she had volunteered in Holden Public Schools and worked for Shrewsbury Public Schools in the Special Education Department as a Child Specific Aid. She enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and traveling to the sandy beaches of Maine.

 

Krista Maynard

Lower Elementary Lead Teacher
Lower Elementary Coordinator
Oak Street Campus
kmaynard@shrewsburymontessori.org

Miss Maynard began her career at SMS in 2011. After working as a Lower Elementary Assistant and finding a passion for the Montessori philosophy, she pursued her Montessori certification. She completed her training in Elementary I (6-9) in 2015 from the AMS certified Montessori Education Teacher Training Collaborative and has enjoyed being a Lower Elementary Lead Teacher ever since. Krista graduated from Salve Regina University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Business Administration and furthered her schooling in Elementary Education at Worcester State University. We are fortunate to also have Miss Maynard help chaperone the 6th Year students on the Bahamas trip for four years. In her free time, she loves cheering on all Boston sports teams.

 

Emilee Spampinato

Lower Elementary Lead Teacher
Oak Street Campus
espampinato@shrewsburymontessori.org

Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education, Emilee is excited to join SMS as a Lower Elementary Assistant to start her teaching career. To become a teacher owning her classroom has been a dream Emilie single-heartedly pursued and she has gathered experiences along the way. She worked with early childhood education at Wonder Years Learning Center for sevens prior to joining SMS. She is eager to meet her students and learn more about Montessori this school year.

 

Caitlin Woods

Lower Elementary Assistant Teacher
Oak Street Campus
cwoods@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Woods discovered her love for working with children at Mass Audubon summer camps, where she has spent seven summers working as a counselor, life guard, and trip leader. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Mount Holyoke College, and is currently studying for an MAT in Elementary Education from Mount Holyoke College. She has completed the Intro to Montessori and 3-6 Overview at the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative. 
Ms. Woods spent the fall of 2022 visiting various national parks across the USA, and especially enjoyed camping at Badlands, Yellowstone, and Great Sand Dunes. In her free time, she enjoys going for walks, listening to music, and spending time with family.

 

Upper Elementary

 

Talia Harris

Upper Elementary Lead Teacher
Oak Street Campus
tharris@shrewsburymontessori.org

Having attended Montessori schools from first to sixth grade, Mrs. Harris intimately understands the deep impact a Montessori education can have on a child or life. Steamed from her desire to truly see and meet students’ needs, she devoted her career to working with students with special needs for the past decade. Mrs. Harris is no stranger to independent schools and culture either, as she served as the Lead Teacher at Manville School in Boston whose mission is centered around helping students with learning differences for six years. “Following the child” is her educational mantra, and she is excited to contribute her skills and experiences to her SMS classroom as a Montessori teacher. She looks forward to receiving Montessori training and deepening her experience at SMS. Her favorite subject to teach is science and enjoys hiking in the mountains, spending time with her family and friends, as well as baking and cooking. She has a Master of Science in Integrated Elementary and Special Education from Wheelock College (MA), and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Hartwick College (NY).

 

Alexa Adams

Upper Elementary Assistant Teacher
Oak Street Campus
aadams@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Adams single heartedly pursued a career path in elementary education since her undergraduate years. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Worcester State University, Alexa brings with her Teaching Fellow and Instructional Assistant experience from a variety of backgrounds, such as the Old Sturbridge Academy and the YMCA of Central Massachusetts. Alexa is excited to start her teaching career with the SMS community as an Upper Elementary Assistant. In her free time, Alexa enjoys reading and spending time with her family. 

 

Michelle Meyer

Upper Elementary Assistant Teacher
Oak Street Campus
mmeyer@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Meyer is thrilled to be part of the Upper Elementary Team for a third year. She brings with her a decade of educational experience to SMS: having served as a technology and digital arts instructor, special education assistant in Shrewsbury Public and Worcester schools, as well as an after-school site director and camp director for many years. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from Ithaca College and is currently finishing her Montessori Upper Elementary Certification through METTC. In her free time, she enjoys tutoring math, creative arts, travel, her garden, and spending time with her family and her adorable dog Rumple.

 

Johanna Wilbur

Upper Elementary Lead Teacher
Upper Elementary Program Coordinator
Oak Street Campus
jwilbur@shrewsburymontessori.org

Johanna grew up in central Massachusetts and received her Bachelor’s in Russian Language and Literature from Harvard University. She then studied elementary education at Smith College where she received a Masters of Education. During her time at Smith, she worked as a research assistant for a study about the long-term success rates of Montessori-educated children. This is how she first fell in love with Montessori education. She holds both 6-9 and 9-12 certifications from the Center for Montessori Training and Education which has now become the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative. After a decade of teaching in Montessori classrooms, she went back to Mount Holyoke to study math education and received a second Master’s degree in Math Teaching. She has two children, three dogs, and loves reading, knitting, and going for long walks.

Co-Curricular Teachers

 

Jane Mills

Music Teacher
jmills@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Mills brings with her 30 years of experience in music education. She has worked at a variety of public and independent school settings. Jane’s teaching career also includes having been the Head Woodwind Coach for The North East Youth Symphony Orchestra (NEYSO) and instructor for The University of New Hampshire’s Chamber Music Institute. Jane is passionate about teaching music and strives to help her students enjoy creating music while living up to their own unique potential. Jane graduated from The Hartt School, with majors in clarinet performance and music education and studied for a year in Paris, France with Guy Deplus, principal clarinetist with the Paris Opera. She is an active member of the Connecticut Music Educators Association. In addition to her love of teaching music and playing many instruments, Jane enjoys composing music, learning languages, and creating art. Jane’s teaching has been recognized by The Connecticut Music Educators Association and The New Haven Symphony and she is a published composer with GPG Music. Jane is excited to be a part of the SMS faculty.

 

Robin Bellinger

Art and Gardening Teacher
rbellinger@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Bellinger is an experienced artist and art educator who has fourteen years of experience working in schools, nonprofits and owns her art studio. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Teaching children and making art, inside and outdoors are Robin’s passions. In her spare time, Mrs. Bellinger enjoys reading, nature, hiking, biking, swimming and spending time going on adventures with her family. 

 

Cindy Erle

Librarian
cerle@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Erle joined the teaching staff at SMS in 2018. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Northeastern University, Masters of Education, Elementary 1-6, from Anna Maria College, and a Masters of Education, Library K-12, from Cambridge College. Mrs. Erle taught fifth and sixth grades and served as librarian at Sherwood Middle School in Shrewsbury before moving on to the Nashoba Regional district as a school librarian in elementary and middle school. She retired from teaching in the public sector after 22 years. Of course, she loves to read in her spare time, but she also enjoys spending time with her family, weaving, rug hooking, scrapbooking, and all crafts.

 

Mark Kobel

Technology Teacher
Technology Coordinator
mkobel@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mr. Kobel joins Shrewsbury Montessori School after teaching Technology/Engineering for 36 years. He received his bachelor and master degrees from Fitchburg State University and a STEM certification from UMass Boston. He has taught T/E classes including digital photography, digital video production, vex robotics, graphic arts, auto maintenance, woodworking, drafting, 3D computer modeling, and 3D printing all with a focus on helping students to develop skills for solving real-world problems. When not at SMS he enjoys music, gardening, photography, home maintenance projects, and playing guitar.

 

Pascale Simard-Gagne

World Language Teacher, French
psimard-gagne@shrewsburymontessori.org

Born and raised in Quebec, Canada, Pascale has called Western Massachusetts home a few years ago. Teaching French, her native language is her true passion. She loves to make language learning engaging by incorporating hands-on activities and interactive challenges that allow students to be immersed in the cultures of the Francophone world. Prior to coming to SMS, Pascale has worked in many pre-school and elementary educational settings. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing music, and doing art.

Extended Day Program

 

Ellen Dakai

Extended Day Program Coordinator
office@shrewsburymontessori.org

Bringing with her fourteen years of child care experience, Ellen provides guidance to the SMS Extended Day Program in areas of curriculum design, setting snack schedule, and providing directions to the Extended Day staff on a day-to-day basis. Ellen lives in Worcester with her fiancé and three daughters. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, reading and assistant coaching in her daughter’s cheerleading team.

SMS offers a robust Extended Day Program consisted of a total of 12 dedicated staff members. For Families, please direct all communication to office@shrewsburymontessori.org, 508-842-2116, Monday-Friday, 8:00-3:30pm. For aftercare hours Monday-Friday, 3:30-5:30pm, dial extension x210 for Oak Street Campus and x106 for Prospect Street Campus.

Support Staff

 

Allyson Brunner

Learning Specialist
abrunner@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Brunner earned her M.Ed. in Special Education and B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Toledo in Ohio. Trained in Foundations through the Wilson Language Training and Orton-Gillingham through the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education, she brings to SMS over 12 years of experience of instructing diverse learners in a variety of educational settings in Ohio, Arizona and Massachusetts. With a passion for literacy and educating the whole child, Mrs. Brunner is looking forward to supporting the students, families and staff as Learning Specialist. Outside of the classroom, you can find Mrs. Brunner at the beach, walking her dog with her husband or cheering on her son’s hockey team.

 

Kyra Delano

Administrative Assistant
Oak Street Campus
office@shrewsburymontessori.org
Kyra grew up in western New York where she graduated from SUNY Fredonia with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. She is a classically trained clarinetist, playing since age 10. She is an avid reader and loves the theater. At home, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé and spoiling her two dogs, five cats, and the quaker parrot.”

 

Nick French

Administrative Coordinator
office@shrewsburymontessori.org

Nick French grew up in Central Mass, and graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.A. in Business Management. Nick is taking on the role as the Administrative Coordinator to manage the school’s information databases, implement marketing initiatives, coordinate events, and fill in to support the administrative team when and where necessary. During his free time, Nick likes to go rock climbing, snowboard at Wachusett Mountain, and spend time with his two French bulldogs Tucker and Izzy.

 

Elizabeth Langlais

Nurse
nurse@shrewsburymontessori.org
As an educator at heart, prior to pursuing a career in the medical field, Elizabeth worked as a teacher with preschool aged students for six years. In 2018, she obtained her license as a Licensed Practical Nurse in 2018 and now is on her way to obtain her license as Registered Nurse. Elizabeth’s empathy and compassion has set her apart when she worked as a psychiatric nurse with children and adults with mental health and behavioral illnesses. She is excited to return to a school environment to apply her medical skills and teaching experience to serve the SMS community. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two young children, and fur babies. She also enjoys anything Disney and visiting the beach.

 

Alayna Macina

Nurse
nurse@shrewsburymontessori.org

Alayna is a registered nurse who received her ASN from Lawrence Memorial/ Regis College and her BSN from Southern New Hampshire University. She began her nursing career caring for medically fragile patients at Seven Hills Pediatric Center and then worked in the intensive needs classroom in the Grafton Public Schools. Most recently, Alayna was a school nurse at an elementary school in the Marlborough Public School System. She lives in Northborough with her husband and their daughter Adaline. Along with spending time with her family, she enjoys going on walks, skiing, and going to the beach.