Toddler Faculty

During her training at Chestnut Hill College for her Primary Certification, Lauren was introduced to Gladwyne Montessori. She observed how embracing and alive the classroom environments were and how the school was filled with many happy children. This, in combination with a talented and engaging teaching staff and administration, made joining Gladwyne Montessori an easy decision. Lauren enjoys participating in fitness classes, walking her dog on nature trails, socializing with friends, and enjoying the company of her large extended family.

As a child, Janey attended Gladwyne Montessori, loving it so much that she decided to come back and teach in order to provide the same great learning experience she received. She believes that Montessori education for toddlers is the perfect start to a healthy love of learning that will last a lifetime. With three siblings who also attended Gladwyne Montessori, Janey feels that in receiving this education, it helped to shape them all into kind, respectful, well-rounded individuals. In addition to the Montessori education, the life lessons learned at Gladwyne Montessori have been invaluable; she hopes to pass that along to her students daily.

Bella joined the Gladwyne Montessori family because she believes in its encouraging and open environment that truly fosters the importance of children's education and wellbeing. She joined the Gladwyne Montessori community in the 2017-2018 school year, and looks forward to continuing her journey at this special school! She spent the summer of 2018 working towards her Infant/Toddler Montessori certification in Princeton, NJ. In her free time, Bella enjoys practicing yoga, socializing with friends, traveling, and spending time at the Jersey Shore.

Elizabeth grew up in New Jersey and always knew she wanted to teach young children. Elizabeth taught kindergarten in Maryland before staying home to raise her three sons. She joined Gladwyne Montessori as a parent and has worked as the assistant in the Parent/Toddler program since 2016. She is currently working towards her Infant Toddler credential at the Princeton Center for Teacher Education. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys being active outside, especially hiking, playing baseball, and bike riding with her family.

Despite many years as an Infant Teacher, Brandy was not formally introduced to Montessori Education until her two middle children began attending Gladwyne Montessori! Their happiness and growth at Gladwyne Montessori was infectious and motivated her to investigate more about the Montessori method and how it is practiced with infants and toddlers. After her fortunate opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom for three years, Brandy returned to the classroom to become a Gladwyne Montessori teacher! With a husband and four children at home, Brandy judiciously uses her “free time” enjoying traveling with her family, being a foodie, watching documentaries and listening to a variety of music genres.

Grasiely first heard about Gladwyne Montessori from her cousin who attended the school from the time she was a toddler. After attending a few of the events held at the school it became apparent to her that the school provided a healthy learning environment for children to thrive. In her home town of Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil, Grasiely had the pleasure of working as an assistant teacher with the church she belonged to. She taught toddlers and volunteered there for almost ten years. She learned a valuable lesson from that experience—she loved working with children! After graduating from Drexel University, fortunately Ann Schwarz, a former teacher, and Kim Auch, a current teacher, reached out to Grasiely in regards to a potential job opening. Grasiely welcomes challenges, and was excited to accept the invitation to join the Gladwyne Montessori team. Grasiely likes to spend her free time with her husband, her parents, and her brother. She enjoys cooking and baking as well as riding her bike, hiking, and pilates.

Kimba grew up with a love of education and began her teaching journey as a Behavior Therapist for children on the Autism Spectrum in Frederick, MD. After receiving her teaching degree, she became a Life Skills Teacher guiding K-2nd grade students with severe cognitive delays. Kimba began her Montessori experience as a Toddler Teaching Assistant at The Glen Montessori School in Pittsburgh, PA where she discovered that the concepts and language she had used in the special education classroom had a name - Montessori. She fell in love with the environment in the Toddler classroom, and also saw her own child grow in the Children's House (Primary) program. Over the 2019 winter holiday when Kimba and her family moved to the greater Philadelphia area, she joined Gladwyne Montessori as a Toddler Teaching Assistant. Continuing her education, Kimba is scheduled to begin official Montessori Training in March 2020. In her free time, Kimba enjoys staying active and playing outdoors with her two boys. She is currently exploring various science experiments with her 5 year old, and is in the midst of toilet training her almost 2 year old. She also enjoys camping with her family and silly date nights with her husband.

In 2000, while helping her parents with their restaurant as she tried to figure out her career path, Anna met a sweet lady at a party hosted at her parent's restaurant who introduced Anna to Montessori. From there, Anna reached out to Gladwyne Montessori where she began as a substitute. Substituting turned into working with La Casa and the toddler program. Anna likes to spend her free time with her daughters and husband. They love outdoor activities: swimming, biking, hiking, and kayaking. Her favorite activity is Sunday Funday which usually entails finding a new restaurant to dine in. In her alone "free time," Anna loves going to Pure Barre classes. "It's so much fun and such a great workout."