The Staff at Leelanau Montessori Public School Academy

​Administration and Student Support 
Arden Wilson
Head of School
wilsona@leelanaumontessori.org
  • BA Geology-Denison University
  • BA Social Studies and Elementary Education - Grand Valley State University
  • Montessori Primary Certification​ ​- Michigan Montessori Teacher Education Center
​After graduating from Denison University with a BA in Geology, Arden moved to northern Michigan to raise a family with her husband, Colby.  She started as an assistant at the Suttons Bay Montessori Children’s House in 1995 and earned her Montessori Primary credential in 1997 from the Michigan Montessori Teacher Education Center.  She helped integrate Leelanau Montessori into the public sector in 2000 and has served as a guide, director and mentor teacher. She recently earned a BA in Social Studies and Elementary Education from Grand Valley State University.  She enjoys hiking, gardening, yoga and her family life with her growing kids. 
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Nora Goodell
Office Manager
goodelln@leelanaumontessori.org
  • BA Political Science - University of Iowa
  • JD- University of Wisconsin Law School
​Since 2018, Nora has been a parent and volunteer in our school community. While focused on the start up of a new family and vineyard for in recent times, she was a practicing attorney in her former life. Nora, her husband Matt, and son Magnus (Cherry) love living in Leelanau County as well as exploring other regions. Nora is a dedicated furniture re-arranger, pursuer of creativity in crafts and interior decorating, adventurer, and connector of people.  
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Chelsea Hummon
    Chelsea Hummon
      In House Substitute, Land Steward and Elementary Support 
      hummonc@leelanaumontessori.org 
  • Upper Elementary BS Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services and Administration Outdoor Education
  • CMU & University of Iceland
Chelsea was born in MI and moved to Leelanau County in 2009 to work on a farm. Since then she has established an ever evolving family and a career in the Lake Leelanau Watershed. Chelsea studied engineering, carrying the engineering design process with her throughout her transitions. She studied education through the lens of outdoor education in high school and college. Chelsea has been implementing the 8-Shields model of mentoring since 2010,  while more recently incorporating place-based stewardship education and civic engagement into her personal educational philosophy. Chelsea has delivered quality hands-on educational experiences to students ranging from pre-K to 82 years of age, and in recent year, focused her efforts on training and supporting teachers and administrators in the region based on their needs. Through working with 3 Montessori schools, it has become clear that her educational philosophy shares a lot in common with the Montessori model. She is currently working on  formal training in Montessori pedagogy and practice. In her free time, she plays in the woods with her kids, cares for chickens, gardens, swims, cooks, builds soil and forts of all types, and creates multi-media art with her boys. ​

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     Jessica Vitale
       Support Specialist
       vitalej@leelanaumontessori.org
  • BA K-12 Art Education and 6-12 Spanish Education - Northern Michigan University​
Jessica is originally from Detroit, Michigan, but spent 9 years in the Upper Peninsula both in Marquette and Manistique. She and her husband, Tom, have 2 boys, Ethan (18) and Arlon (7). They also have a sweet dog named LB and two cats, Maize and Jag. She lives in Leelanau County, where she enjoys gardening, yoga, creating art and pottery, playing music, and singing. Her favorite ways to stay active are hiking, biking, running and playing soccer. She has been teaching Spanish, Art and Media Publications for the past 6 ½ years and prior to that she spent a few years teaching pottery and art classes at a non-profit art organization in Traverse City.

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      Taylor Zick
        After Care Director and Support Staff
        
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Sprouts - Toddler Environment
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Hope Rahn
Lead Toddler Guide
​rahnh@leelanaumontessori.org

Hello! My name is Hope, I have lived in Leelanau County since I was seven years old. I've loved growing up in this beautiful county; it aided in my deep love and appreciation for the natural world that surrounds us. I try to spend all my free time outside, whether that be taking my two "fur-babies" for hikes, wake surfing on Glen Lake, rock picking along Lake Michigan's shoreline, or star/moon gazing late into the night. I have a deep fascination with the night sky, I spend a good chunk of time learning about both Astronomy and Astrology. I'm an avid reader and writer, but focus mostly on poetry. My love for children started when my little brother was born, I was eight years old, and as I grew older I spent many summers babysitting friends, family, and neighborhood children. In 2021, I started my Early Childhood Education career. I started in a daycare setting then jumped at the opportunity to join this Montessori community. Hope has her Montessori Assistant Certificate and is currently studying her Lead Montessori Certificate.​
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​      Murielle Buhr
        Toddler Assistant
        
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      Paige Peterson
        Toddler Assistant
        petersonp@leelanaumontessori.org
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Primary Environments - Aspen and Sugar Maple​
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Corine Couturier​
Primary Lead Guide - Aspen
courturierc@leelanaumontessori.org
  • -BA in Social Work from Hope College in 1997
  • -Montessori Primary Certification from Michigan Montessori Teacher Education Center in 2000​
Corine Couturier has a long passion for the well-being of children and loves to connect children with nature and song.  She has been a primary guide at the Children’s House in Traverse City and at Leelanau Montessori. She has also worked with youth as a dorm mother at the Leelanau School and had a child care business in her home.  Corine enjoys gardening, hiking, reading, and spending time with her husband and two children. 
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Monica Korson
Primary Lead Guide - Sugar Maple
korsonm@leelanaumontessori.org​
Monica is so excited to join the Leelanau Montessori community. Monica has been working with children for many years beginning with nannying while growing up to working for an assistant at the Children's House Montessori school in Traverse City. She always knew she wanted to be a teacher someday. The first time she walked into a bustling Montessori toddler classroom she specifically remembers watching the children gracefully set up a beautiful and inspiring lunch table. It was that day, Monica fell in love with the independent whole child approach to learning. 
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Kirsten Bakken
Primary Assistant - Sugar Maple
bakkenk@leelanaumontessori.org
  • BA, French - University of Michigan
  • MA, Linguistics - Michigan State University
Kirsten is delighted to be back in Michigan after nearly a decade on the East Coast. She has worked in a variety of roles in the field of education, including as an ESL instructor, assistant teacher, co-teacher, and lead teacher. Her interests include language and literacy development in early childhood education, and she enjoys reading books and  drawing pictures with students. She is looking forward to learning more about the Montessori philosophy this year at Leelanau Montessori.​
Elizabeth Channer
Primary Assistant - Aspen
channere@leelanaumontessori.org
  • Bachelors of Science, Psychology- Western Illinois University
  • Masters of Science, Experimental Psychology-  Western Illinois University
  • Montessori Para-professional trained- Michigan Montessori Training Center​
Elizabeth is a Chicago native who was a Montessori child herself.  She has had the opportunity to explore and live in many diverse settings from Chicago to the rocky mountains of Colorado; however, she is happy to now call Leelanau her home.  Elizabeth’s background is heavy in the human services field and includes years of working at a domestic violence shelter and advocating for the survivors living there.  Elizabeth believes strongly that each individual is unique and should be treated so.  That is one of the reasons she loves the Montessori philosophy so much.  Elizabeth and her partner Matthew have two children. Filomena and Era Mae who both attend Leelanau Montessori!  When they aren't busy building their own company they like to spend time gardening, cooking, going to the beach, and playing with their animals.
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Rose Jelinek
Primary Assistant - Aspen
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Terri Orban
   
​    Primary Assistant - Sugar Maple
Lower Elementary - Cherry
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Megan Jordan
Lower Elementary Co-Lead Guide
​jordanm@leelanaumontessori.org
  • Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a Early Childhood major from Wayne State University, 1999
  • Montessori Certification from Center for Guided Montessori Studies, continuing
Megan has been teaching for Benzie Central School in Preschool, Kindergarten and 2nd grade as well as homeschooling her 2 oldest children. She has always identified with the Montessori Philosophy since learning about it while working on her bachelor's degree in the 90s. When a job opportunity came up with Leelanau Montessori Public Schools she jumped at the chance to become certified as a true "Montessorian," in order to complete a career-long dream. She lives with her 3 children in Traverse City along with her dad (Grandpa to most) Frieda the cat, and Wiggles the snake. Megan's family likes to cook and share food, float down the river, and jump on the trampoline.
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Janelle Cole
Lower Elementary Co-Lead
colej@leelanaumontessori.org
Upper Elementary - Hickory
Tanya Hill
Upper Elementary Lead Guide
hillt@leelanaumontessori.org
Tanya was introduced to Montessori education when her son went to a Montessori school in Midland, MI.  She was instantly drawn to the Montessori philosophy and pedagogy as he went through his primary class as a four-year-old.  Tanya began her AMS training to receive her Primary credential and has taught in a Montessori environment for 26 years.  Since her time in Midland, MI, she has served in two other schools.  She was at Kingsley Montessori School in Boston, MA. and Esprit International School in The Woodlands, TX.  Tanya has a passion for Montessori education and teaching children of all ages.  She completed her master’s thesis in Montessori Integrated Learning at Endicott College in Massachusetts where her love for Cosmic education was deepened and informed.  When Tanya is not in the classroom, she is at home with her husband remodeling their house and taking care of their “farm” and dogs.  She loves to visit her children and grandchildren in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.
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Montessori Coaches
Bethany Sparling
Montessori Coach 
sparlingb@leelanaumontessori.org
  • BA Elementary Education with Science Endorsement – CMU
  • Upper Elementary Training – Seton Montessori
It was in college that Bethany was introduced to educational alternatives and the Montessori philosophy. After she and her husband Jason started a family, she knew that a student-centered approach to learning was a priority for their children.  Sophie, Parker and Violet all attended a primary Montessori program and later homeschooled.  Bethany and her family moved to Leelanau County in 2014 when she took a position as an Upper Elementary guide at Leelanau Montessori where all three of her children attended.  Bethany cherishes the time she has had to be with her family and raise her children, but is excited to be back in the classroom!  Being an outdoor enthusiast, Bethany loves being with her family in northern Michigan in all seasons hiking, camping, gardening, kayaking, skiing and enjoying the fresh water!
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Lisa Thauvette
 Montessori Consultant 
thauvettel@leelanaumontessori.org
  • Alma College - Bachelor of Arts
  • Loyola College Maryland - Masters of Education in Montessori
  • AMI Washington Montessori Institute - Elementary 6 - 12
Lisa has lived and worked overseas for most of her adult career, from Bangkok, to Buenos Aires, to Brussels. It’s in Brussels, Belgium, where she began her Montessori teaching career at International Montessori, first as a lead elementary guide and then as the Head of School for 11 years. Returning to her home state of Michigan, Lisa now coaches teachers and administrative leaders using the same Montessori lens as with children, guiding individuals toward their fullest potential through observation and individualized mentoring. Along the way she co-mingles her other passion of comedic improvisation as a tool to bring joy and levity to teams, conference speaking engagements, and teacher professional development trainings. ​