Student Support
Gladwyne Montessori is proud to provide a variety of faculty and staff dedicated to supporting the specific needs of your young learners. Our student support team offers an array of highly credentialed child development experts who focus on speech pathology, occupational therapy, counseling, critical literacy learning, and more.
Literacy
Being a confident reader and writer is the cornerstone of students becoming lifelong learners. Your child’s road to this confidence is supported throughout their Elementary years through a wide host of literacy learning opportunities delivered within their classrooms and in small reading groups.
Language lessons are sequentially delivered to students beginning in their third year of Primary (Kindergarten). Kindergartners are assessed for the benchmarks of literacy by the middle of each year.
In our Elementary classrooms, each child participates in small group literacy instruction along with guidance and consultation provided by an in-house reading specialist. These small group lessons provide reading opportunities for students in four areas: comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, and word study.
Students are instructed in the skills and strategies needed in each of these areas in order to read effectively and meaningfully. The development of these key areas is supported by providing the necessary underpinnings to help students successfully read and process text.
Students progress with reading and writing in the Elementary classroom during Writers’ Workshop, which occurs weekly. Here, students learn how to communicate ideas and use words to express opinions, entertain with poetry, explain research, share small moments, and create fictional stories.
Students apply the knowledge they have gained through their language lessons as well as learning about the importance of having their own voice and style in writing.
Rose Follmer
Dr. Rose came to Gladwyne Montessori in October 2015. She had retired from a 32 year career in public education: 10 years as a classroom teacher and 22 years as a literacy specialist. She has also taught at a number of universities and has been a national speaker in the area of literacy. After a brief hiatus, Dr. Rose wanted to work with children again, which is her greatest passion. She has a love of animals, and besides having four dogs of her own, she volunteers at the Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals in Radnor.
Jo Anne Johns
Andrea Kasper
Andrea is thrilled to support Gladwyne Montessori students’ on-going development as readers and writers! After a 30+ year career that encompassed elementary teaching, special education, Title 1 reading, and 1-1 tutoring, Andrea finds satisfaction in working with both students and teachers. Andrea loves teaching children the strategies and mechanics of reading, comprehension, and writing, as well as witnessing her students blossoming as independent learners. In her free time, Andrea enjoys spending time with her husband and their mischievous feline children, Shady and Sparky. Of course, reading is one of Andrea's favorite pastimes, but she happily makes room for traveling, getting together with family and friends, and gardening.
Speech-Language Pathology
Beth Shaffer
Beth spent many years working around the country as a traveling speech language pathologist before settling in the Philadelphia area. She came to Gladwyne Montessori after several years working in an urban Montessori school, and has enjoyed partnering with her colleagues to help foster a positive learning experience for students at Gladwyne Montessori. In her free time, Beth cooks, travels, and spends as much time in nature as she can.
Occupational Therapy
Ashley Seiver
Ashley is an occupational therapist with experience working in pediatrics and mental health, as well as teaching future OTs at the university level. She is passionate about social-emotional learning and working with people to help them achieve their goals. Ashley came to Gladwyne Montessori to help establish and act as a member of the Student Support Team. In her free time, she enjoys taking walks in the city, dancing, growing food, and thinking up new ideas.
Health Office
Susan Ballas
With over 30 years experience as a nurse, Susan went through local schools, obtaining a BSN from Villanova University, a MSN from the University or Pennsylvania, and a School Nurse Certification from Eastern University. She previously worked as a manager and Director of Nursing for 14 years and as a clinical instructor at Penn for 15. The opportunity for providing improved nursing and medical support to the Gladwyne Montessori community brought her here, coupled with the fact that her children attended the school. Outside of nursing, Susan needle points, plays Canasta, and enjoys time with her 4 children.