Faculty & Staff

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

Head of School

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

	Kim Lovrich Assistant Head of School Kim holds a B.S. in English Education and is currently pursuing her Master's in Public Health. She has served as Executive Director of Spare Key (a local non-profit organization) for three years, and she taught high school English for five years. Kim's hobbies include walking, gardening, and reading. Email Kim
	Nancy Schulte Admissions Coordinator/Office Manager Nancy studied office administration at Northeast Metro Technical School. She has been employed with WBMS since 2001. Prior to that, Nancy was a stay-at-home mom for several years and also worked in customer service, home business sales, and the restaurant industry. Nancy enjoys reading, walking, knitting, and skiing, and being a mother to her four beautiful children. Email Nancy
	Kathy Beigle Bookkeeper Kathy has been working as a bookkeeper since 1980 and has been self-employed since 1990. Kathy's hobbies are gardening, reading, fishing, and caring for her three sons. Email Kathy

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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

	Anne Thayer Toddler 1 and Toddler After-Care Guide Anne holds a B.S. in Psychology as well as an AMI Assistant to Infancy Diploma and an AMS Primary Diploma. Anne was employed with Sunshine Montessori for five years and has been at WBMS since 1999. Anne enjoys knitting, traveling, reading, walking, and yoga. Email Anne
	Corrine France Toddler 1 Assistant Corrine studied Child Development and Psychology at Century College. Before joining WBMS, Corrine worked as a Paraprofessional at a local high school. Corrine has been at WBMS since 2001, working as a CH Assistant, a Summer Camp Assistant, and now as a Toddler Program Assistant. Corrine has three children, a granddaughte and grandsonr. She enjoys motorcycle riding, rollerblading, walking, biking, and playing Chuck E. Cheese skeetball.
	Laurie Pittman Toddler 2 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

	Jennifer Bremer Children's House 1 Guide Jennifer obtained her B.S. in Psychology from the University of MN and her AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN. Before becoming the CH4 Guide, Jennifer worked as an Assistant for 6 years. Jennifer enjoys reading, camping, spending time with family, and playing with her sons, Alex and Ezra, who current attends White Bear Montessori School. Email Jennifer
	Lucy Finch Children's House 1 Assistant 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.
	Angie Perlinger Children's House 2 Guide Angie obtained her B.A. from the University of Arkansas and her AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN. She served as Aftercare Supervisor for a Montessori school in Arkansas, and she was a Montessori Elementary Assistant in Owatanna. She also was employed at Oak Hill Montessori as a Summer Camp Guide. Angie enjoys reading, hiking, photography, and camping. Email Angie
	Amanda Puchreiter Children's House 2 Assistant Amanda attended Des Moines Area Community College from 1997 to 1999 and earned her AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN in 2003. She was an Aide at WBMS from 2002 to 2003 and was the Enrichment Center Guide from 2003 to 2005. After a few years away while starting a family, Amanda has returned to WBMS. Amanda enjoys cooking, scrapbooking, reading, spending time with her family and friends, and playing with her daughters, Ava and Eden.
	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
	Rachel Ivascu Children's House 3 Assistant Rachel joined WBMS in 2004 and worked in a support staff role while earning her AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN. She has experience as both a CH Assistant and Guide and as an Elementary Assistant. Rachel's hobbies include cooking, spending time outdoors, taking her black lab, Ida, to the dog park, and being with family and friends.

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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
	Melissa Norton Level Coordinator and Basic Skills Tutor 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
	Judith Erickson Art Specialist and Elementary Assistant Judith earned her Bachelor's degrees in Painting and Art History from Northwestern University in Evanstown, IL. She also attended graduate school to study business administration (museum administration) at the University of Kansas. Before coming to WBMS, Judith was Staff Lecturer in the Museum Education Department at the Art Institute of Chicago. She has also served as Creative Arts Therapist at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, and has helped develop workshops in exploring the creative potential in clinical, business, and community settings. Judith enjoys biking, hiking, camping, painting, and pottery as well as antiques and collectibles.
Picture coming soon.	Angie Jones Spanish Teacher Angie obtained her B.A. in Applied Linguistics with Emphasis in Translation from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico and her M.Ed. in Eduation from the University of Minnesota.  After graduatng from college in 1995, Angie worked as an English teacher in Mexico.  Angie moved to St. Paul, MN in 1997 and worked for four years at Friends School of MN. At the school, she worked as an Amity Scholar, Spanish Teacher and Teacher's Aid. Between 2001 and 2002, Angie went to the University of Minnesota to obtain her M.Ed. in Education and her initial Licensure to Teach Spanish K-12.  During this time Angie did her Spanish student teaching at Adam's Immersion School and Harding High School, both in St. Paul, MN. In 2002, Angie worked at Chaska High School Teaching Spanish level I, II and V.  Angie took a break from teaching for four years to start a family. In 2007, Angie started working at Achieve Language Academy Teaching Spanish K-8th grade where she worked for 2 years.  Angie enjoys gardening, traveling, and taking pictures.  She especially enjoys spending time with her husband and playing and going places with her two kids, Kevin and Monique.

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Enrichment Center and Club Programs

Bryan Emery Enrichment Center/Club Guide Bryan has been employed with WBMS since 2007. He earned his B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Child Psychology and Philosophy from the College of Saint Scholastica. He also earned his AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of MN in 2006. Bryan's hobbies include being outdoors, spending time with friends and family, taking photographs, and working on his Mac. Email Bryan

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.
	Suzanne Coffman aka "Grandma Suzy" Grandma Suzy earned a B.S. in Elementary Education (with a minor in Social Studies) from Ohio State University. She is a retired elementary school teacher. Grandma Suzy has three children. Her hobbies are reading and spending time with her six grandchildren.
	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 2 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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