Carol Baird (Cultural Subjects – Movement) has a BA in English from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She trained with Kinderdance and brought their program to Manhattan in 1996. Carol teaches and oversees eight instructors who teach Kinderdance in over 20 schools throughout Manhattan.

Natalie Danner (Practical Life and Sensory Motor Assistant) earned her BA in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona, her MA in Independent School Leadership from Teachers College, and her MSE in Early Childhood Special Education from Fordham Univeristy.  She holds NYS Professional Birth-2nd Grade certification, NYS School Administrator and Supervisor certification, NYS Students with Disabilities (Birth-2nd Grade) certification, and the AMS Early Childhood credential. She joined the WSMS faculty in 2006 and is currently a Head Teacher. At WSMS, Natalie has served as a Faculty Trustee.  She has presented research on inclusive Montessori education at a AMS National Conference and she currently serves as a member of the AMS Archives Committee.  For the past ten years, she has worked in leadership and teaching roles in public, charter, Head Start and independent schools in Arizona and New York.  For fun, Natalie loves to ski, study languages, and travel.

Loren DeNicola (Philosophy) earned a BA in Communications from The University of Rhode Island and a Masters Degree from NYU in Early Childhood Education, specializing in Montessori Education. She has NYS N-6 Permanent Certification and the AMS Early Childhood Credential (NYU-MTS). She began working at WSMS in 2005 as a head teacher and now serves in an administrative capacity, as the Admissions and Advancement Associate Director. 

Nanci Guartofierro (Cultural Studies and Program Administrator) earned her BS and MA Degrees from NYU in Early Childhood and Elementary Education with a specialization in Montessori Education.  She has NYS Permanent N-6 Certification, the AMS Early Childhood credential, and the AMS Consultant Credential. She joined the WSMS faculty in 1994 and is currently a Head Teacher. During an educational leave in 1999-01, she worked as an editor at McGraw Hill School Division on an early childhood literature based math program, and served as the Teaching Principal at the Capital Montessori School in Wellington, New Zealand for a year. She has been associated with WSMS-TEP since 2003. Nanci spends her summers traveling to international destinations.

Suzanne Hunton (Language Assistant) earned a BA in Psychology from Lehigh University and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from City College. She has an Early Childhood Montessori Credential (Montessori Teacher Prep of Washington) and Birth – 2nd Grade Initial Certification. Suzanne began her teaching career at JKL Montessori School on Long Island and joined the WSMS faculty in 2001 where she is currently a Head Teacher.

Wendy Kalichstein (Cultural Studies and Field Consultant) presently serves as Administrator of the Jack and Jill Montessori School in East Rockaway, NY. Prior to becoming Administrator, she was a classroom teacher in the school for 17 years. She earned a Masters Degree in NYU and the AMS Early Childhood Credential from CMTE/NY. She also earned an Early Childhood Credential from St. Nicholas Training Center in London, England. Wendy is the mother of a Montessori student and is actively involved in greyhound rescue.

Yayoi Kobayashi (Math Instructor) is originally from Japan and worked as a fashion designer before she came to the U.S. to study education. She then found her love for the Montessori educational environment while working as an intern at a Montessori school. In addition to receiving her BA degree from Japan, she also has a BS in Early Childhood and Special Education from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, and holds an MA in International Education with a specialization in Bilingual Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Yayoi has NYS B-2 Certificate and the AMS Early Childhood Credential from West Side Montessori School Teacher Education Program.  She joined the TEP faculty in 2008 as an Assistant Instructor for the Math component.

Irena Kubinova (Math Instructor) is originally from Czech Republic. She received her Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education from BMCC-CUNY and her BA in Psychology from Empire State College. She earned her AMS Montessori Early Childhood Credential from West Side Montessori School Teacher Education Program. Irena has served as an Assistant Instructor for the Math component for several years. She has bee working as a classroom teacher at Park West Montessori School since 2002.

Candace LaDouceur (Language) earned a MS from St. John's University in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and a BS from SUNY, New Paltz, majoring in Music and Elementary Education. She has the AMS Early Childhood Credential and NYS N-6 Permanent Certification. She began her teaching career at St. Barbara's Head Start program in Brooklyn, was a Head Teacher at WSMS from 1995-2006, and currently is the Director of Education and Admissions at Twin Parks Montessori Schools, NY.  At WSMS Candace served as a facilitator of faculty Case Study Groups, supervised teaching teams, supervised student teachers, facilitated the Student Teacher Seminars (STS), and served on the WSMS Board as the Faculty Trustee.

Donna Longdon (Student Teacher Seminar) earned a BA in Psychology from Hunter College and an MS in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at NYU specializing in Montessori Education. She has NYS N-6 Permanent Certification and the AMS Early Childhood Credential. She began working at WSMS in 1987.  She has served as a facilitator of faculty Case Study Groups, supervisor of teaching teams, and served on the WSMS Board as the Faculty Trustee. In past years, she has taught Sensory Motor Education and supervised student teachers.

Margot Mack (Cultural Studies – Art) earned a BA from Empire State College and the AMS Montessori Early Childhood Credential (CHAMP-MTEP).  She has taught at WSMS since 1990 and is currently the Head Teacher in the Late Afternoon Program. She left WSMS for several years, during which she had the opportunity to teach at two NYC Montessori schools, Resurrection Episcopal Day School and the Family School. Her love of travel has taken her to Japan, Denmark and Spain to name a few.

Kathy Roemer (Math Instructor) is the Executive Director of Twin Parks Montessori Schools (www.twinparks.org) an accredited Montessori school in Manhattan. She was the Head of School of Lamplighter Montessori School (PreK-8) in Memphis, TN from 1992-2004. She earned a BA in Anthropology and Archeology from Temple University, Philadelphia, an MA in Montessori Education from Christian Brothers University, Memphis, an EdD in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership from the University of Memphis, the AMS Early Childhood Credential, the AMS Consultant Credential, AMS Continuing Education Professional Certification, and NYS Initial Birth–2nd grade certification.  Kathy's Master's thesis addressed The Effects of Tardiness in a Montessori Early Childhood Classroom, and her dissertation addressed: Assessment Practices used by Montessori teachers of Kindergarten through Sixth Grade Students in the United States.

Kathy is a Life member of AMS and she has a long history of supporting AMS initiatives. She is currently Vice President of the AMS Board of Directors and serves as chair of the Directorship Committee and the Committee on School Quality. Kathy was a charter member, recorder and chair of the AMS School Accreditation Commission (1998-2005). Her work focused on AMS Standards, writing school accreditation protocols, networking with regional and national accrediting agencies, and serving on various AMS task forces related to quality assurance.  In addition, Kathy was the chair of the AMS 2007 Annual Conference, NYC.

Melissa Vallo (Practical Life, Sensory Motor, and Program Administrator) is the course instructor for the Practical Life and Sensory-Motor areas and is a WSMS-TEP Program Administrator.  She earned a BA in Elementary and Special Education from Syracuse University and the AMS Montessori Early Childhood (2 1/2 through 6) credential (WSMS-TEP).  She is currently taking classes at Fordham University, working on a Masters in Early Childhood Special Education.  She has worked at the Alcott Montessori School in Ardsley, NY and in Montessori schools in Maryland in both elementary (6-9 year olds) and primary (3-6 year olds) classrooms.  She is a Head Teacher at WSMS in a 3-6 year old classroom.

Stephanie Whalen (Child Development and Observation and Student Teacher Supervisor) earned a BA in Psychology/Sociology and a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from Richmond College, and has done post-graduate work in administration and supervision at St. John’s University.  She has the AMS Early Childhood Credential and NYS Permanent Certification, N-6.  She currently is the coordinator of the Teacher Assistant/Childcare Provider program and teaches the School Violence Prevention and Intervention classes at the College of Staten Island/CUNY. She served as the Director of the Staten Island Montessori School (SIMS) from 1979-2001, and was a teacher at SIMS from 1971. Stephanie has a long history of conducting educational workshops and of being an activist for children having chaired various committees for the Professional Early Educators of Richmond (PEER) and Staten Island Nursery School Directors and Staten Island Technical High School. She taught the Cultural Subjects component for NYU-MTES from 1986-1992, and currently teaches the Child Development/Observation section for WSMS TEP.  She also supervises the Student Teachers and coordinates the Field Consultants.