Faculty & Staff

Head of School & Administrative | Parent/Infant | Toddler | Children's House
Elementary | Enrichment Center & the Club | Support Staff | Staff Page

Heather Will Head of School Heather earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Metropolitan State University and her AMI Primary Diploma from Montessori Training Center of MN. She worked as a Children's House Assistant and Guide and as a Curriculum Coordinator before becoming Head of School in 2003. Heather enjoys reading, cooking, and visiting with friends and family. Email Heather

Administrative Staff

Melissa Norton Admissions Coordinator/Office Manager Melissa obtained a B.A. in Theatre Studies and in Political Science from Guilford College, AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN, and M.S. in Education from Loyola College. Before joining WBMS, Melissa taught or assisted in other Montessori schools and served as the Children's Program Stage Manager for an outdoor theatre company. Melissa was a Children's House Guide for 11 years before assuming her current role. Melissa enjoys reading, solving crossword puzzles, walking, hiking, practicing yoga, and being with her family and her dog. Email Melissa

Amanda Evans Bookkeeper Email Amanda

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Parent/Infant Program

Emily Shubitz Parent/Infant Guide Emily obtained her B.S. in Sociology from Portland State University, M.S. in Education from Loyola College, AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN, and AMI Assistant to Infancy Diploma from the Montessori Institute of Denver. She has served as Guide or Assistant at schools in MN and in Prague. Emily enjoys snowboarding and camping. Email Emily

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Toddler Program

Laurie Pittman Toddler Guide Laurie obtained her AMI Assistant to Infancy Diploma from the Montessori Institute of Denver and her AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN. She is also a certified doula through Doulas of North America International and volunteers as a birth doula at Woodwinds Health Campus. Laurie served as Assistant in CH2 from 1995-1998 and became the T2 Guide in 1998. Laurie enjoys reading, dancing, and playing tennis. Email Laurie

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Children's House Program

	Lucy Finch Children's House 1 Guide Lucy earned both her Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Studies from Metropolitan State University and her AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN in 2008. She has previously worked as an Aide at Way of the Shepherd Montessori School and as both an Aide and an Assistant at Sunshine Montessori School. Lucy enjoys reading, being outdoors, and spending time with her family. Email Lucy
	Children's House 1 Assistant
	Amanda Puchreiter Children's House 2 Guide Amanda Puchreiter attended Des Moines Community College for Business Management from 1997-1999. She received her Primary Montessori Training Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota in 2002. In addition Amanda took courses at Metropolitan State University in Psychology from 2003-2005. Amanda has been a member of the WBMS staff since 2002. She has worked in several capacities as classroom Aide, Summer Camp Guide, Enrichment Center Guide and as a Children’s House Assistant. In her free time Amanda enjoys reading, scrapbooking, playing with my 3 girls Ava, Eden and Aria and spending time with my friends and family. Amanda's two oldest children attend WBMS. Email Amanda
	Stephanie Roots Children's House 2 Assistant   Stephanie Roots earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work and a Masters Degree of Social Work. Stephanie worked for eight years as a social worker in the area of mental health, as well as a year and a half as a school social worker in two Elementary Schools. She has also worked for several years as a preschool teacher while working her way through undergraduate school, as well as a year and a half prior to her eldest child’s birth. During her free time Stephanie has a side business, AvaBava Designs, crafting handmade hair accessories for girls. She also loves scrap booking, reading, and spending time with her husband and two children. Stephanie has been a member of our staff since 2008 and her children attend WBMS.
	Kari Zavadsky Children's House 3 Guide Kari earned a two year Associates degree from Madison Area Technical College and her AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN. She is also working on her Bacherlor's degree in Child Psychology at Metropolitan State University.  Kare enjoys spending time with her son and her husband.  She also loves to bake and be outdoors. Email Kari
	Sarah Weisbecker Children's House 3 Guide

Children's House 3 Assistant

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Elementary Program

	Patty Shade Elementary Guide Patty received her undergraduate degree in Office Administration from Miami University (OH), M.S. in Education from Loyola College, AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN, and AMI Elementary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of Milwaukee, WI. Patty also has extensive music and theatre/dance experience (both community and professional) and has also been certified by the American Council on Exercise as a Personal Fitness Trainer. Before becoming an Elementary Guide, Patty was a CH Guide at WBMS for four years and was also a Guide at Highland Park Montessori in St. Paul. Patty enjoys tap dancing, singing, playing harp and piano, drawing, reading, and having fun with her husband, John, and her daughter, Abby. Email Patty

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Enrichment Center and Club Programs

Enrichment Center/Club Guide

Jean Jenson-Shields Assistant, Enrichment Center/Club Guide Jean has been employed at WBMS since 1995. Before joining WBMS, she worked as Head Teacher for nine years in a childcare center at a psychiatric hospital in Vermont. Jean's hobbies include gardening, reading, walking her two rescued labs (Coda and Brutus), learning about herbal and homeopathic medicine, and spending time with her grandson, John.

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Support Staff

	Becky Brenner Becky holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of MN. She previously worked as a Teaching Assistant with the Roseville school district. Becky has two children, and she enjoys singing in the church choir, playing guitar, scrapbooking, and painting in her White Bear Lake studio.
	Gloria Hartman Gloria holds a B.A. in Computer Science from Aurora College in IL and an AMS diploma from MECA Montessori Training of Hinsdale, IL. Gloria has served as a Montessori teacher in Illinois, in an after-school program, and as an assistant. Gloria's hobbies are camping with her sons and going to her sons' many sports, band, and other events.
	Traci Glaser Toddler Assistant Traci obtained her Bachelor's degree in secondary education (with a concentration in communicative disorders) from the University of WI, River Falls, in May, 2008. She worked with two- and three-year-olds in a traditional center from September 2007 to May 2008. Traci enjoys scrapbooking, reading (especially books by Nicholas Sparks), and spending time with her many nieces and nephews.

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