Administration
- Head of School
- Academic Office
- Admissions Office
- Business Office
- Development Office
- Main Office
- Marketing and Communications Office
Head of School
Carrie Kries
Carrie has been an educator since the 1990s, serving in the public, charter, and independent sectors. Her youngest of three sons attended a Montessori pre-school, which first opened her eyes to the brilliance of Maria Montessori. From 2010-2015, Carrie served as CEO at the Philadelphia Montessori School, where she learned first-hand the value of a Montessori education for all children. During the summer of 2019, Carrie earned her Administrator's credential from the American Montessori Society. In her free time, Carrie enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, fitness, and building and reupholstering furniture!
Academic Office
Gwen Shangle
Gwen brings 25 years of experience to Gladwyne from teaching in Montessori classrooms, mentoring teachers, guiding families, working on curriculum and program designs, and directing a teacher training center. She was drawn to the dynamic and positive culture and community of Gladwyne Montessori as well as the stimulating and dedicated faculty. Gwen enjoys presenting to parents and teachers and sharing her passion of Montessori as a way of life. Gwen also has raised a "Montessori child", now in college, and is excited to dedicate her empty nest time to Gladwyne's community. When not at school, Gwen enjoys the outdoors, hiking, kayaking, and spending time with her pets and family, as well as volunteering for arts groups. Gwen also serves on the Board of the Deep Time Journey Network, which promotes the principles of cosmic education, a key aspect of Montessori education.
Admissions Office
Eleonora Barbieri
Eleonora's love for the Montessori philosophy began when her twin girls were born at a very premature age – she was in search of a philosophy that would help the healthy development of her children from birth-on, and to help her own children to overcome the challenges they potentially faced. Eleonora strongly believes in the Montessori tenet of emphasizing the independence of the child and truly believes in trusting the child's ability to guide his/her learning journey. When she entered Gladwyne Montessori for the first time, she was mesmerized by the magical atmosphere and by the excitement students had for learning, and the pride they took in their work.
Eleonora's unique background in language, business, entrepreneurship, and early education lends itself perfectly to her duties at Gladwyne Montessori. Before joining the Gladwyne Montessori faculty, she was the owner of a successful Maternity Concierge company. Her passion in helping expecting parents and supporting early stages of parenting and child development, came after a long career in early childcare, where she worked with children from birth to the teenage years.
Eleonora's passion is traveling. Thanks to her parents' governmental careers, Eleonora has been traveling and living in different countries since she was in the womb. She is trying to pass on this passion to her children, who are being raised trilingual (Italian, Spanish and English), and have had passports since they were three months old! In her spare time, Eleonora loves cooking, exploring the city, and Latin dancing.
Business Office
Michael Dyson
Anne Marie Kochersperger
Anne Marie was very excited to join the amazing team of dedicated administrators and educators at Gladwyne Montessori School. Being both a mother and grandmother, Anne Marie knows how important early education is to create independent, creative, confident students and strongly believes in the Gladwyne Montessori mission. Anne Marie enjoys spending her free time with her children and grandchildren as well as spending time reading, relaxing at the beach, kayaking, hiking and being outdoors.
Coleen VanOsten
After graduating college, Coleen spent time with the United States Air Force Reserves for eight years, working on C-141 aircraft maintenance. She then worked at a law firm for many years until the owner’s retirement, before finding her way to Gladwyne Montessori. She is excited for this new chapter that includes being part of the Gladwyne community. Outside of school, Coleen has two children who are both very active in sports, and she spends much of her time cheering them on at football, soccer, and basketball games! She also enjoys quiet nights at home with her family and a good book.
Development Office
Molly Robbins
Molly is a life-long learner and is passionate about advancing education through philanthropy. She came to Gladwyne Montessori after a decade of fundraising in higher education because she values the importance of a strong educational foundation and is convinced that the Gladwyne Montessori educational experience is second to none. In her free time, Molly enjoys experimenting with photography, visiting wineries with her husband, Tom, and cooking with her young sons, Tommy and Jonathan.
Ahsiya Scovern
Ahsiya joined the Development Team in 2012, just in time for Gladwyne Montessori's 50th Anniversary! Envious of her younger siblings that attended Gladwyne Montessori between 1987-1992, Ahsiya first joined Gladwyne Montessori in 2004 as a staff member. She worked here for 3 years, left for 5 years to work with Stuart Diamond, Negotiation Professor at Wharton & Penn Law, before returning as a Development Associate. These days, Ahsiya spends most of her free time with her son Nathan, who joined Stepping Stones in the fall of 2016.
Main Office
Ann Lange
Marketing and Communications Office
Emmalee Eckstein
While pregnant with her son, Emmalee became more and more interested in the Montessori-style of education and began investigating different systems that would bring Montessori into her home. Right after he was born, Emmalee jumped at the opportunity to use her own expertise in marketing and communications at an actual Montessori school!
Emmalee loves to work on projects around her house and cook with her baby. She is also an avid reader and writer of fiction and she has two gigantic, slobbery dogs who require a lot of attention.
Staff
Maintenance
Dan Sides
While his 13 year experience in a corporate environment provided Dan with a diverse background, the rewards he sought after could not be found in that industry. He believes making a daily impact can occur in the right environment, and Gladwyne Montessori has allowed him that very opportunity, while learning new trades and continuing to grow. Dan spends his free time with his wife, Kelly and their children Becca, Erin and Scott. You will probably find them camping, fishing or boating if they're not at home planning their next outdoor adventure.
James Meehan
Technology
Rebecca Studdy
After years of serving as an IT Specialist in industries such as Finance, Pharmaceutical and Logistics, Rebecca came to Gladwyne Montessori with a desire to share and expand her information technology knowledge. Searching for a family-oriented environment, she found it at Gladwyne Montessori. When Rebecca is not fixing computers, she can be found reading a book on the beach in Ocean City or Brigantine, spending time with her two children, traveling, or taking on a new home improvement project.