MCS Staff
Administration
Stacey Gardner
Head of School
Lauren Skogman
Financial Coordinator
Ginnie Dempewolf
Compliance Director
Ashley Otero
Administrative Assistant
Stepping Stones
Alice Hampton
Stepping Stones West Lead
Ms. Hampton has been at MCS for 20 years and 3 months! She guides the 1-year olds in the Toddler classroom and is affectionately called the”toddler whisperer.” Ms. Hampton holds an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education and her Montessori Infant/Toddler credential from CMTE/NC. In her spare time, she loves to sing, and play volleyball and ping pong. While at MCS, Ms. Hampton has been the Lead Teacher in both a one-year old and a two year-old classroom.
Sophia Robinson
Stepping Stones East Lead
Sophia Robinson has many years of experience with Infant/Toddler classrooms in the Charlotte and Winston-Salem areas. Sophia is finishing up her training at CMTE and anticipates receiving her credential in Infant/ Toddler before arriving at MCS.
Lorrie Hall
Stepping Stones West
Assistant
Lorrie...
Ashley Ross
Stepping Stones East
Assistant
Primary
Shelly Gurganus
Primary East
Lead
Mrs. Gurganus...
Kelsey Keller
Primary East
Assistant
Kelsey...
Maegan Brusaw
Primary West
Lead
Mrs. Maegan Brusaw holds a B.S. in Healthcare Management from The University of Mount Olive and a M.Ed. in Montessori Integrative Learning- from Endicott College. She is certified by the American Montessori Society Montessori Primary Education. Mrs. Brusaw has been at MCS for 9 years. She spent 3 years as an Assistant in Stepping Stones 1 year as an Office Assistant and has been the lead Directress in Primary West for the past 5 years. Maegan is interested in pursuing Doctoral Studies in Montessori. She has four children, all of whom have been or are currently MCS students. In Maegan’s spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her family.
Kathy Pesquiera
Primary West
Assistant
Kathy Pesqueira is completing an Associates of Arts Degree, with an expected completion date of May 2020. She has completed the Trillium Assistant Training and holds a North Carolina Early Childhood Credential (NCECC 2016). She has been at MCS for 6 years and has been an after care lead in addition to a classroom assistant. Prior to coming to MCS, Kathy served as a Marine Corps Community Service (Family Childcare Provider) and a USAF Family Services (Family Childcare Provider). Kathy plans to obtain her Bachelor’s degree and to attend training to become a Montessori Directress. When she is not at school, Kathy enjoys cooking, baking, and spending quality time with her daughters and husband.
Sandra Smith
Primary South
Lead
Ms. Smith
Adriana Rodriguez
Primary South
Assistant
Mrs. Rodriguez has been at MCS for 6 years. She was previously a teacher assistant at Miss M’s NC Pre-K program. Mrs. Rodriguez is in the process of completing her Associate’s Degree after which she plans to do her Montessori training. She is the proud mother of two wonderful daughters and is very excited about soon becoming a grandmother. In her spare time, she loves to knit, crochet, and cross stitch.
Lauren Slater
Primary West Assistant
Loretta Hayden
Primary East Assistant
Maddy Ransom
Primary South Assistant
Elementary
Joen Patton
Lower Elementary South
Lead
Mrs. Patton has been at MCS for two years. She began as an assistant in Primary East and was excited for the opportunity to do her Elementary training.
Marcie Hauer
Lower Elementary South
Assistant
Marcie joined MCS in August of 2019 as a floating assistant and became the classroom assistant for Lower Elementary South in January 2020. Marcie was previously a Teacher Assistant in the Wake County Public School System and a Teacher Assistant in the Onslow County Public Schools. She is interested in learning more about the Montessori method and has completed a certificate course in Montessori Assistant Training from Trillium Montessori. Marcie is married to her husband, Stephen, and has three grown children. In her spare time she love to go to the beach, read, and spend time with her family.
Erica Santana
Lower Elementary North
Lead
This is Erica’s first year as the Elementary Lead Directress at Montessori Children’s School. She and her family moved from New Jersey last August to join us at our school! This is her eleventh year in a Montessori classroom and eighth year as a lead teacher. Erica began her Montessori journey at Hamilton Park Montessori School in Jersey City, NJ. This is where her love for the Montessori method and elementary education began. She attended Princeton Center for Teacher Education to be trained as a lower elementary teacher. Then she taught at AppleMontessori School in Wayne, NJ. She also graduated from Montclair State University with a M.A.T. in Elementary Education K-6. She then moved on and taught at Hudson Montessori School in Jersey City, NJ and Montessori Country Day School in Plainsboro, NJ where she focused on creating curriculum and building up unique and diverse elementary programs. During this time, she also began writing language curriculums for ETC Montessori. She has presented at several conferences, written articles, and became a teacher trainer at local training centers. When she’s not working, Erica can be found spending time with her husband, Anthony, and her son, Leo. She loves to read, write stories and poetry, correct grammar, collect rocks and bones, and look at the stars.
Erin Kinsella
Lower Elementary North
Assistant
Krista Lee
Upper Elementary
Lead
Ms. Lee has been at MCS off and on, due to military moves, for 11 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics from Hampton University, an MEd in Integrated Education and Lower and Upper Elementary (6-12) from Endicott College. Her Montessori certifications include Lower Elementary (6-9) from NC Center for Montessori Teacher Education and an adolescent credential (12-15) from Montessori Teacher Institute. Ms. Lee is married to her husband James Ryan and they have four children, who all attended MCS. Her hobbies include reading, photography, church activities and binge watching Korean dramas with her daughters.
Pierce Clawson
Upper Elementary
Assistant
Outdoor Education and After Care
Bob Patterson
Environmental Education
Lead
Mr. Patterson has been at MCS for 10 years, first as the Outdoor Education Assistant and most recently as the Lead. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Financial Management and a Master of Science in Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Mr. Patterson’s two older daughters attended MCS and his youngest daughter is a student in the Upper Elementary classroom. Bob enjoys kayaking, hiking and coaching basketball.
Kat Price
Primary After Care
Mia Ryans
Elementary After Care
Kailey Gazaway
Primary After Care