After working in both corporate and public accounting, Sherri pursued her interest in the field of education and joined Summit Montessori in 2003. She enjoys being active in independent school professional organizations. She has presented at a National Association of Independent Schools conference, served as a faculty member at the National Business Officer Association’s Summer Institute, and has worked as a consultant to independent schools. In 2011, Sherri was awarded the Will Hancock Unsung Hero Award which is awarded by the National Business Officers Association to top independent school business leaders based on nominations by Heads of School and Boards of Trustees.

Summit’s School Nurse, Susan Ackerman, has two bachelor’s degrees. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Franklin and Marshall College with a major in psychology in 1980. She returned to school to study nursing after spending many years working with a volunteer ambulance corps. In 1992, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Arizona State University. Since graduating from nursing school, Susan has worked with people of all ages in a variety of nursing settings. She particularly enjoys working with children. In the school setting, Susan is interested in developing a strong health education program for the classrooms as well as assisting ill children. Outside of school, Susan has been a strong advocate for students with special needs and their families. She is active in the annual Greater Boston Walk for Autism Speaks. She is also an artist who enjoys working in a variety of media. Susan has built furniture and done bronze casting, but she is currently exploring the world of art quilts.

Monica Barbosa has joined Summit from Santa Monica, CA where she was the owner and director of a childcare center.  Monica provides daily lunch coverage and works in the Upstairs AfterCare program.  

Janice fell in love with Montessori education while casually observing in an elementary class over 25 years ago. She was delighted at the independence of the students, and how they relished learning. She realized that the Montessori approach reflected her passion for global understanding and world travel, her commitment to the earth, and her vast curiosity about how the world works. Nurturing a child’s spirit, stretching their academic capacities and helping them become valued and responsive friends are all part of her work with children. She believes that laughter should be part of every day, along with making mistakes, having opportunities to get messy, and challenging yourself to go farther than you ever thought possible. She has been a Montessori presenter in the Claremont Center for Advanced Studies and the Seacoast Teacher Center. Outside of school, Janice pursues her interest in choral singing, camping, folkdancing, kayaking, writing and travel.

Sometimes referred to as “the child whisperer” for her gift of being able to relate so well to children, Antoinette brings a wealth of experience to her role as Summit’s After Care Director. Having worked in and directed several after school and enrichment programs in the state, she directs a solid program at Summit that includes art and drama projects, math and science enrichment, and cooking along with homework help as needed. She encourages Summit’s students to work together creatively and fosters a warm and caring environment continuing the school day in meaningful and enjoyable way. Summit’s students often ask to attend After Care, just because it is such fun to be there with Miss Antoinette.

Nadine specializes in teaching children with learning difficulties, with particular emphasizes on students that have language-based learning difficulties. She has extensive training and certification in several Orton-Gillingham programs that are multi-sensory, structured, and individualized approaches to reading and writing. Nadine has taught in both public school and independent school settings as a resource room teacher, co-teacher, tutor, and consultant. She has professionally trained teachers in a multisensonsory reading a comprehension program and conducted several workshops for teachers and parents. Nadine has also acted as a Field Liaison for student teachers at Lesley University. She is excited to be part of the Summit community who honors “the whole child”: respecting his/her thoughts, ideas, and learning styles. She is a life-long learner who hopes to encourage and inspire others to be the same.

Siobhan joined Summit Montessori School in January of 2010. She is enjoying the opportunity to share her knowledge of Montessori Education with prospective parents and current families in her role as Director of Admissions. She also enjoys sharing her love of books with the children of Summit. Siobhan worked as a teacher in both Children’s House and Lower Elementary classrooms from 1980 until 2009. She has also been a teacher trainer, a presenter at national and regional AMS conferences, as well as teaching in the summer master’s program held at the Spellman Museum of Stamps and Postal History. Both of her children attended Montessori programs from Children’s House through Middle School and attribute their educational success to the wonderful foundation they received in their experience in Montessori programs.

Katrina O’Gahan joins CH1 in September 2017 as Co-Teacher after completing the major portion of the academic phase of her teacher training at Northeast Montessori Teacher Training Institute this past summer.  After working in our Children’s House and Beginner classrooms as a substitute teacher and lunch helper last year, Katrina impressed the administration and other teachers at Summit with her natural manner, her intelligent responses to children, her ability to maintain a positive and calm demeanor in a wide range of situations, and her ability to “read” the room and notice in great detail what children were doing and how their personalities were shining through. She is able to redirect children’s behaviors in a positive and productive way.

Katrina will complete her internship under the supervision of CH1 teacher Lumpoon Sungkharom. 

Katrina brings organizational skills from her years of work as an office and retail manager; she has been a personnel supervisor and has run her own costume design business. Katrina is a gymnast, an amazing artist, and a seamstress. She feels that her years as a stay-at-home mom have cultivated in her a deep love of the child and of each child’s unique gifts to the world. She wrote:

 In the Montessori Method, I see a method that appreciates diverse personalities and their unique learning trajectories, a method that supports children so that they can become confident, caring, considerate stewards of our society and planet. I believe not only in supporting the child but supporting the community that supports that child, because harmony fosters harmony.

Tyra managed a local children’s museum prior to pursuing a career as a Montessori teacher. She has over twenty years of experience working with children, seventeen of those in Montessori. Tyra is delighted to work with Summit’s dedicated, caring faculty and staff and truly believes that you learn something new every day. Tyra also believes strongly in volunteerism. She works with organizations that provide services and companionship to isolated elders, trains and socializes homeless dogs to help them become more adoptable at the MSPCA and visits with veterans. These experiences help Tyra “fill a bucket.”

Joan brings many years of teaching experience to Summit. She started as a Lower Elementary teacher, helped to build an Upper Elementary program (where she taught for many years,) and returned to the Lower Elementary classroom eight years ago. Joan has presented at several national AMS conferences. Topics have included Technology in the Classroom, Robotics, and Fractals and Patterns in Nature. She loves connecting the classroom to nature, science, and using technology as a tool in discovery and learning. She loves to share the sense of discovery as we observe the interconnectedness of all the topics and corners of our world. In her free time, Joan enjoys nature walks, knitting, reading, performing and listening to music and spending time with family and friends.

Marian holds an American Montessori Society (AMS) Primary classroom teaching certificate, as well as a Masters’ Degree in Education. She has been lead teacher in Children’s House for six years. Marian was a Montessori student herself, and she recognized an immediate re-connection with Montessori’s philosophy when searching for her own children’s preschools. Marian continues to feel passionate about Maria Montessori’s beautiful, concrete classroom materials, as well as her respect for the child’s creativity and independence.