About Pioneer Montessori School

Faculty and Staff

 “As a parent, I know I can only be on my "A-game" for my child only so much, so sending my kiddo to Montessori has helped me build a game changing "team" to help my child excel in all aspects of life.”

- Amanda DeHaas, Pioneer Parent


Administration

  • Molly Lansing has served in administration at Pioneer Montessori School since 2020. Prior to this, she worked both as a teacher, instructional coach, and administrator in schools and districts since 2004. Originally from Ohio, Molly completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Spanish at the University of Michigan. She was then accepted into the New York City Teaching Fellows program, where she taught in high-needs schools and completed her master’s degree in Bilingual Education at the City College of New York. She moved to the Wood River Valley in 2008 and worked in Blaine County School District for 12 years. There, she served in a variety of roles, including Coordinator of the Dual Language Immersion program and English Language Development programs, Latino Outreach Coordinator, Dual Language and Biliteracy Specialist, and English/Spanish Language Development Teacher. Molly’s work there included a three-year strategic planning process for the creation of the dual language magnet school at Alturas Elementary, wherein she led the development of the school’s language model, vision, and mission. She also developed the dual immersion program into the secondary levels to create the first K-12 program in Idaho and initiated the districtwide co-teaching support model to better serve language learners. She was a districtwide teacher trainer for a number of different initiatives and programs and worked to develop and align curriculum and standards for the programs in which she worked. While working in administration at BCSD, she completed an Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Idaho. She has lived, studied, and worked abroad in Spain and Argentina and is bilingual and biliterate. 

    Molly is thrilled that life led her to Montessori education. Having attended a Montessori school for a few years as a child and having several extended family members who served as Montessori teachers and administrators, she has been interested in the approach for years. Since beginning her career at the school, she has completed several rigorous trainings on Montessori Leadership and is always looking to increase her depth of knowledge in the methodology. She feels passionate that a genuine Montessori program can help each child reach their true potential. Molly lives in Hailey with her husband, Kurt, and two daughters, Maggie and Louisa, who are both loving their experience at Pioneer Montessori School. When not working, Molly can be found spending time with family and good friends, enjoying the beauty that surrounds us, mountain biking, skiing, wakeboarding, or when she's lucky, traveling and experiencing the thrill of other places and cultures.

  • Nikki was born and raised in Hailey. After high school, she attended Whitman College where she majored in Sociology with a minor in Education. After college Nikki worked a variety of nanny positions trying to find her calling both in the workplace and as a home town. She ventured from Orcas Island, Washington to Denver, Colorado to Silverthorn, Colorado. In Silverthorne she met and started dating her now husband Sean. Together they moved to South Lake Tahoe, California where Nikki worked as an assistant at a Montessori school. Nikki floated between a Primary classroom and Pre-Primary while there. Nikki eventually convinced Sean that there is no better mountain town than here and they moved back to the Wood River Valley in 2018 when Nikki started at Pioneer Montessori School as the Administrative Assistant. In 2023 Nikki was provided the opportunity to take on her current role as the Director of Admissions and Marketing after many years of learning from and working closely with Liza. Nikki is always excited to show off the school and all the wonderful things that happen in these classrooms with prospective families. Nikki has two children Zeke and Isabelle. Zeke is proud to be a Montessori student and excited for his little sister to be one too soon.

  • Taryn moved to the Wood River Valley in the late 70’s. In 1998 when she had her son, she knew that she wanted Miles to attend the Pioneer Montessori School. In 2003, she contacted Tom Downey the Head of School and talked about job opportunities. With changes happening, Tom leaving for one year of Montessori Training and a Head of School search still ongoing, she was hired as the Business Manager. Since then her employment and the Montessori education Miles received has been the greatest and most influential transformation for her and her family.

  • Julia comes to us having worked in a number of independent schools in the Seattle area for more than a decade. She taught general and choral music in schools after completing a degree in music education at the University of Oregon. She recently completed an MA of Psychology in Education through Columbia University with foci on holistic wellness for children and teens as well as matrescence education. She recently relocated last year to the Wood River Valley with her husband, Adam, and 2-year old son, Nash, who will be attending PMS this fall!

Faculty

Pre-Primary Team

  • Brenda was born in California, and her parents decided to permanently move to Ketchum a few months after she was born. She has three younger siblings, a sister and two brothers. As a child Brenda cared for her younger siblings, making sure they were always happy; spending time with each of them every day. As she grew older she realized she had a nurturing side. She never knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life but she knew she had a connection with children. The first time Brenda heard about Montessori was flipping through the newspaper, she knew it was a long shot but she submitted her resume to a position at the Pioneer Montessori School. When Liza contacted her, and walked her through the school, Brenda knew this is where she belonged. She has been at the Pioneer Montessori School since 2015. In 2018 she completed her AMI Assistants to Infancy (0-3) training at Northwest Montessori in Portland. She is looking forward to having her future children join this school and start a new generation in her family with Montessori education being the center of their life.

  • Jennifer joined Pioneer Montessori as a Pre-Primary assistant in 2020. She and her husband moved to Ketchum in 2016. After living and working in different national parks and North Carolina, Jenn and her husband decided to move to Idaho to be closer to family. She fell in love with Montessori after seeing her boys go through the Pre-Primary Classroom. When she's not at school, you can find her biking around town with her boys, chasing her dog through the dog park, or eating sushi with her husband.

  • Kaiya has been a Pre-primary assistant at Pioneer Montessori since 2021. She lived in the Wood River Valley as a young child, spent her formative years in Boise, and returned to the area as an adult, where she found a sense of community and belonging that has kept her here since. Kaiya enjoys reading, being in nature, and taking care of her many, many plants.

    Kaiya loves the Montessori method because it combines playing with learning. The following quote, by Dan Wuori, sums this up: “Playing should never be dismissed as just playing. There is so much happening in your child’s brain and body. Play is the work of children.”

  • Laura was born in a small village near the town of Penjamo Guanajuato, Mexico. Which is actually three different villages but they are so small that people like to pretend it is one big one. Laura has three younger brothers who always treated her like one of the boys. Her family moved to California when she was five, then to Idaho 6 months later. Laura grew up in rural Gooding, which gave her the freedom to roam! Laura began working in the PrePrimary room at the Pioneer Montessori School in 2011. Nothing brightens her day like coming to school and seeing the happy faces of all the little ones.

Primary Team

  • Michelle started working at Pioneer Montessori in 2006 and is currently a Primary lead guide. She has also been an assistant in both the Lower and Upper Elementary classrooms. After attending an AMI Primary assistant course in Portland one summer she knew that switching over to Primary was what she wanted to do. A few years later she attended the Montessori Institute of San Diego and completed her AMI Primary degree. Michelle grew up in South Florida and spent her summers in Sun Valley.  Michelle attended Rhodes College where she obtained a BA in Art History and a minor in English.

  • Amanda recently completed her Elementary (6-12) AMI Diploma from the Montessori Institute of Prague. She spent the fall of 2022 as a Lead Guide for lower elementary in Izmir, Turkey. Our returning elementary students will remember her, as she completed both observation and practice teaching hours in both classrooms last year. Amanda is thrilled to be back in our school community and excited to implement her new knowledge from training. She will be supporting both elementary classrooms in a variety of ways, including giving lessons, establishing a "going out" program, and teaching Montessori Sports (a Montessori equivalent to PE). She has worked as a river guide for many years on the Payette river, has her Idaho teaching license, and is well on her way to finishing her goal of reading 104 books this year!

  • Alma was born in Coeneo Michoacán, Mexico and moved to Idaho when she was seventeen. In 2001 Alma started working at Pioneer Montessori School as the assistant to the primary classroom. Alma’s job is to help educate the children and provide support and assistance to the teacher and students. With her 22 years of experience with Montessori, Alma has learned not only how to be a great teacher assistant, but also to become a better version of herself with the skills and knowledge she has learned at Pioneer Montessori. Alma is very grateful to have found this amazing job. Something she would have never imagined happening.

    Alma has two grown daughters and two beautiful granddaughters. She loves traveling the world and especially enjoys her trips back to Mexico to visit with family. She really enjoys cooking, especially in her outdoor kitchen that her husband built. You can sample some of her specialties at the Harvest Festival each year!

  • Eric was born and raised outside of Rochester, New York on Lake Ontario. He and his twin brother attended Webster Montessori School where he developed a love for learning and exploring. His love of the outdoors, fostered by his father, led him to Idaho in 1990 after graduating from Skidmore College with a chemistry degree. He met his future wife Eleanor in 1995; she too the product of Montessori education and the daughter of an AMI trained guide. So, it was natural for them to send their first daughter Grace to Pioneer Montessori in 2006. Witnessing Grace’s self-construction in the Montessori environment inspired him to make a significant career change. He started as a Primary Assistant at Pioneer Montessori School in 2007 and, over the course of three years, completed his AMI Montessori training at the Montessori Training Center of St. Louis with the late Dr. Annette Haines in 2010. This is his 17th year at the school and his 15th as a lead guide in the Primary classroom. Grace graduated from 6th grade at Pioneer Montessori School in 2016 and his other daughter Ryland graduated from 6th grade at PMS in 2019.

  • Claire grew up in and has spent most of her life here in the Wood River Valley. She was deeply inspired by her own teachers which set in motion her path toward working with children. Claire has worked for Idaho Base Camp as a Camp Counselor, as The Roots After School Program Teacher, and has worn many hats here at Pioneer Montessori. She started in the Pre-Primary classroom, then moved to Extended Day in Primary and now is working as a Primary Assistant. She continues to add to her teaching toolbox and has completed an AMI 3-6 (Assistant) Orientation course.

  • Ashlee has worked in a few roles at Pioneer Montessori School in the past, including as Mr. Eric's Assistant and Extended Day Lead. She received her 3-6 AMI Diploma from Greenville Montessori Institute in Greenville, South Carolina in 2018 and has worked in several Montessori schools and early childcare facilities both in the Wood River Valley and Portland, Oregon. Ashlee will serve a few different roles for us this year, including as an on-staff substitute teacher for all levels, Primary Extended Day teacher, and will support the administration with grant writing in her remaining available time.

  • Dori comes to Pioneer Montessori School on the heels of the completion of her Masters of Education program at the University of Oregon. She worked as a teaching intern at Sun Valley Community School, has worked with the YMCA here in the Wood River Valley in their afterschool and summer programs, as well as with Sun Valley Snowsports, and more. Dori had outstanding recommendations from references during her student teaching time in Oregon and she is excited to dive in and learn more about Montessori.

Elementary Team

  • Annika has worked in Montessori education since 2010 and her passion for teaching continues to expand every day. She was raised in the beautiful mountains of Colorado where she spent her childhood exploring the surrounding meadows and hills. She attended Western Washington University where she crafted a unique degree in Environmental Education.

    Annika’s love for the natural world, children, and education converged when she encountered the Montessori approach. At the time, she had never seen anything like it. Watching the children navigate their work with care and concentration was a profound introduction to Montessori, and after that, she was hooked! Annika initially worked as an assistant in a Primary classroom and, in 2013, completed her AMI Elementary Training in Portland, Oregon at Montessori Northwest. She has been Lead Guide in Lower Elementary since 2020 and says of her experiences here, “the students each bring a unique vibrancy to the community and I never know what will unfold each day. It is a journey of discovery that gets me out of bed every morning.”

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  • Ben grew up in a small ski town in Vermont and attended St. Michael’s College, earning a degree in Computer Information Systems. After college he moved west in search of bigger mountains and more snow. For over ten years he taught skiing to children and adults of all ability levels.

    Ben moved to Ketchum in 2012. His wife grew up in Hailey and it was time for them to return home. Years of teaching skiing had given Ben a love of working with children and he decided he had more to offer in a classroom than on a ski slope. .

    Ben started working at Pioneer Montessori School in 2014. He has spent time in both the Lower and Upper Elementary classrooms. Ben finished a training program through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies in 2020 and became the U.E. lead guide the next fall. Ben also holds a teaching certificate through the state of Idaho.

    Ben loves the sense of community and camaraderie that evolves in a Montessori classroom and cherishes the three years he gets to spend with each student. Ben has a son and daughter who are both happy students at Pioneer Montessori School.

  • Born and raised in Florida, Sarita had no idea what she was missing out on until she moved to Salt Lake City and got her first taste of mountain life. Immediately sold, she continued her exploration of mountain towns while attending school at Utah State University. During that time, she earned her Bachelors in education with a dual degree in both regular as well as special education, while also managing to meet her future husband. It was a win-win situation. Sarita began her teaching career in 2001 and quickly decided to go back to school to learn more about education. By 2005, she had attained a Masters degree in education from Westminster College. After cutting her chops over nearly a decade in both the public and private school systems in Salt Lake, Sarita moved to Ketchum to make it official with her mountain man in 2010. As luck would have it, a good friend introduced her to the world of Montessori. She has two exuberant and curious little boys who have grown to love the mountains as much, if not more than, their parents do.

Specialist Team

  • A mountain girl through and through, Casey returned to her birthplace after college to continue her love of outdoor pursuits. Growing up at the Atkinson’s Park program and later working/mentoring for it, she developed a love for the energy and spirit of children. A degree in School and Community Health Education and Master’s in Special Education lead her to 8 years with the Blaine County School District. After a few years of raising two boys and in need of new focus and educational inspiration, she turned to Montessori. Casey chases two boys, Cru and Rome, an architect husband (Shaun), two cats, a dog and 7 chickens. She will never turn down a beach vacation and longs to show her boys the wonders and people of the world.

  • Lady teaches Spanish language and culture to all of our primary and elementary classrooms. She was born and raised in Medellín Colombia and much of her large family resides there. She lives in Hailey with her husband, Patrick, and daughter Antonella, who attends Pioneer Montessori School. Her mother and brother also live in the valley.

    She is a craftsman who loves creating beautiful things with her hands. She likes to read, paint, travel, Zumba, and spend time with her family. She is also studying business administration and wellness coaching. She is thrilled to be a part of the Montessori family, as she appreciates the methodology and the way the school supports children to be unique, independent, creative and loving beings.

Work with us.

If you are an experienced Montessori educator or are interested in learning more about working at Pioneer Montessori School, please don’t hesitate to fill out the form or send us an email us to introduce yourself:

administration@pioneermontessorischool.org