ADMINISTRATION

Betsy Mitchell - Head of School

Betsy received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from George Washington University in 1971. She taught for two years in the Prince George’s County Public School System before coming to MSNV as a classroom assistant to former elementary teacher, Harvey Hallenberg. After several years of volunteer involvement as a parent and Board member at MSNV, Betsy was hired as our Head of School in 1985. She has three grown children, all of whom attended MSNV.

Nikki Moody - Associate Head of School

Nikki received Master’s degree in Literacy from The Citadel, her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from North Carolina State University, and her Elementary Education Licensure from Meredith College. She taught 4th grade before she received her Lower Elementary Certification from the North Carolina Center for Montessori Education. She taught Lower Elementary for 5 years, as well as served as a Curriculum Coordinator for 3 years. She has volunteered teaching children in the Dominican Republic and Tanzania.

Margaret Masters - Business Manager

Margaret started working at MSNV in June 2000. She received her undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Virginia. With more than twenty years of accounting experience, Margaret handles billing, financials, budgeting, payroll, health and safety, and human resources issues at MSNV. She has two children who graduated from MSNV.

Oanh Tran - Office Manager

Oanh began working at MSNV in 2003. She handles a myriad of office responsibilities including support of staff and faculty and is invaluable for the success of everyday operations at MSNV. Oanh is a graduate of George Mason University, with a B.A. in Integrative Studies in Social Work. She brings numerous skills to the job as well as experience as a teaching assistant in a Montessori school. Oanh has two beautiful children, one of whom attended MSNV.

Beth Bell-Leresche - Admissions Director

Beth has been employed as the Admissions Director with MSNV since July 2005. With a degree in International Relations from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, she worked for 20 years in the immigration and refugee fields. She is now working on her master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University. Beth has two children, one of whom attended MSNV.

Ariadne Allan Autor - Director of Development

Ari manages alumni relations and development for MSNV while also coordinating parent fundraising volunteers. She graduated from Smith College with a B.A. degree in Government and has continued her involvement with Smith alumnae outreach and annual giving campaigns. She has two children, both affiliated with MSNV: one is an alumnus, the other is enrolled currently in lower elementary. Ari produced television documentaries for PBS before joining the MSNV staff. She enjoys ballet and is a founding instructor of the Falls Church Recreation and Parks ballet program.

Bobby Krzywicki - Facilities Manager

Biography coming soon.

HILLBROOK EDUCATIONAL FACULTY

Tina Savage - Pre Primary Teacher

Tina attended a Montessori school from age 2-12. After graduating from George Washington University with a degree in Liberal Arts and Speech Communication, she completed her Primary Montessori training at The Washington Montessori Institute in Washington, D.C. Tina has worked in many different capacities in Montessori schools since her teens and has been teaching at MSNV since 1998. She has four children, all of whom attended Montessori, including one daughter who is the Upper Elementary teacher at MSNV.

Biography coming soon.

Jared Oerke - Primary Teacher

Jared studied Special Education at the University of Virginia and completed his Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Loyola College, Maryland. He received his Montessori training at The Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola College. Before joining the staff at MSNV in 1998, Jared taught on the Pre-Primary level at Family Montessori, in a Head Start School in Charlottesville, and in a high school in Kenya. Jared has also worked as a program assistant for the Discovery Museum in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Atim Obidegwu - Primary Teacher

Atim has a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Sociology from York University in Toronto, Canada and a Master’s degree in Anthropology from University of Toronto. Atim worked in the human resources field and health insurance industry prior to becoming a teacher. She received her Montessori certificate from the Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola University in Baltimore. Atim was a primary school directress for 12 years prior to joining MSNV. Atim has four children, three of whom are already college graduates.

Laura Portch - Primary Teacher

Originally an art major, Laura has worked with children since 1986. She has been employed with MSNV since 1990, first as an assistant and teacher in the All Day Montessori Program, and then as a Primary teacher. She obtained her Montessori training at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies at the Barrie School in Wheaton, Maryland in 2000. Laura’s two children currently attend MSNV, both now in the elementary program. She is a flautist and a Suzuki flute teacher and loves history and Irish culture.

Heidi Bishop - Primary Teacher

Heidi came to MSNV in the fall of 2006. She received her BA in Elementary Education with a minor in Preschool Education from the University of Northern Colorado. She worked as a Montessori assistant for 6 years before obtaining her Montessori training from the National Center for Montessori Education in Bellevue, Washington. Since then, she has taught in various capacities, including three years in Germany and two years in Japan. Prior to coming to MSNV Heidi taught for three years. Heidi has three children.

Jean Carr - Primary Teacher

Jean has worked at MSNV since 1993. She earned a Bachelor's degree from Whitman College in Washington and a Master of Education in Special Education from the University of Oregon. She taught special education in public school before she received her Primary Montessori training through Southwestern Texas Montessori Training Institute. Jean developed and taught a state-accredited Montessori kindergarten program, developed and taught enrichment programs for students in kindergarten through grade 3 and has taught at the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins. Jean has six children and five grandchildren.

Rachel Romano - Primary Teacher

Rachel has worked at MSNV since 1993 in many different capacities including that of teacher in extended day and summer camp. She completed her Montessori training at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies at the Barrie School in Wheaton, Maryland in 2000. Rachel’s daughter attended MSNV. Rachel loves children and art.

Amanda Glithero - Lower Elementary Teacher

Amanda has a Bachelor’s degree in Montessori Education from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and is certified in both upper and lower elementary education. She came to MSNV in 2008 after interning at two different schools near Cincinnati in their lower elementary programs.

Amy Hathaway - Lower Elementary Teacher

Amy has an Bachelor’s degree in Art History and completed her AMS Montessori training in 2000. She spent 10 years working in Art related jobs prior to entering the teaching profession. She feels that teaching gives her the opportunity to make a positive difference in this world. Her favorite hobbies include hiking, listening to music, and collecting Appalachian folk art and pottery. Her children are her black and tan mini-dachshund named Miss Tunsie and my chubby kitty cat named Lily. Her favorite part of working with children is their innocence, laughter, and spontaneous energy.

Catharina Jacknow - Elementary Teacher

Catharina received her Montessori training at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies in Maryland in 2007. Her work in Montessori education began as a child, when she attended Montessori from the age of 18 months to 7 years. She came to MSNV in 2000 when the eldest of her two sons began as a primary student. She graduated from George Mason University with a BA in English and Studio Art. Before joining MSNV, she worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a writer, editor, and website designer.

Bonnie Kurtz - Lower Elementary Teacher

Bonnie has a Bachelor’s degree in Humanistic Studies from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. She is certified in both upper and lower elementary Montessori education, having trained at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies in Maryland. She came to MSNV this year from an upper elementary classroom in a public Montessori school in Prince George’s County.

Jackie Savage - Upper Elementary Teacher

Jackie attended Randolph Macon Women’s College, earning her BA in History in 2006. After spending a year as the Lower Elementary assistant at MSNV, she decided to pursue her elementary Montessori training. She attended the Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola University located in Columbia, Maryland and earned her AMI diploma in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Education in 2008.

Chris Maxwell - Upper Elementary Assistanta

Chris trained in Lower and Upper Elementary Montessori Education at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies in Maryland. He comes to MSNV having been a Montessori student himself from ages 5-9. Chris has a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from James Madison University and is changing careers to follow his interests after having worked in IT support.

VALLEYBROOK EDUCATIONAL FACULTY

Claudia Sandoval-Wright - Pre Primary Teacher and Extended Day Director

Claudia has been with MSNV since 2004. She completed her Associates degree in Teacher Education as well as her Montessori training for infant/toddler certification. She has a sister who works at MSNV and an 11 year old brother. She is fluent in both Spanish and English.

Janine Labak - Primary Teacher

Janine earned her undergraduate degree and her Masters in Social Work in California. She completed her Montessori Certificate at the New England Montessori Education Center in Boston. Before moving to Virginia, she taught at two different Montessori schools in Connecticut and then began working at MSNV in 1998 - first as Admissions Director; substitute teacher and summer camp teacher before returning to teaching. She has two children, both who attended Montessori through grade school.

Ingrid Fol- Primary Intern

Ingrid taught horseback riding for 14 years before and while obtaining her college degree in Topography in Belgium. She worked as a topographer for more than 5 years before she moved to Argentina in 1995. There she lived with her Argentinean husband and two children for 7 years before moving to the U.S. in 2002. Her two daughters both attended MSNV and her son Inigo joined the Primary class last year. Ingrid loves working with children and speaking different languages, being fluent in Dutch, Spanish, English and French.

Tracy Rigo - Primary Teacher

Starting out as a Marine Biology major, Tracy has a varied background in history, including employment in the management and customer service industries. Tracy began her work with MSNV in the All Day Montessori Program in the fall of 2005 and now is a teacher in the Primary class. Tracy completed her Montessori training course at the Northeast Montessori Institute in Ashburn. Tracy has two children, both who currently attend MSNV.

Hana Byun - Primary Teacher

Biography coming soon.

MSNV ENRICHMENT FACULTY

Kofi Dennis - Drama

Kofi is an early childhood education specialist who studied creative dramatics at the School of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana, and brings interactive storytelling, drama and creative movement to MSNV. As a master artist with the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts, Kofi trains new Institute teaching artists and offers workshops and professional development to child-care providers and pre-school teachers around the country. Kofi has been part of the duo, Anansegromma of Ghana, which has shared West African culture in area venues since 1995. Kofi has three daughters, all of whom attended MSNV.

Ingrid Fol- Spanish Teacher

Ingrid taught horseback riding for 14 years before and while obtaining her college degree in Topography in Belgium. She worked as a topographer for more than 5 years before she moved to Argentina in 1995. There she lived with her Argentinean husband and two children for 7 years before moving to the U.S. in 2002. Her two daughters both attended MSNV and her son Inigo joined the Primary class last year. Ingrid loves working with children and speaking different languages, being fluent in Dutch, Spanish, English and French.

Maria Delgado - Spanish Teacher

Maria received her undergraduate degree in Education in 1987. She taught elementary education to adults in her home country of Ecuador. Maria then earned her Master’s degree in Computer Science in 1996. Fluent in her native Spanish, Maria has taught Spanish to staff members from several embassies and international organizations in the Washington metropolitan area. Maria is a parent of three boys, each of whom attended (or is attending) MSNV.

Martha Sandoval - Spanish Teacher

Martha taught at MSNV for six years, then decided to home school her children Karla and Alberto. Both of her children attended MSNV for their early childhood years. Martha is pleased to return to MSNV as a Spanish teacher for the Primary classes. She considers it a priviledge to be part of the MSNV teaching team.

Iyona Blake - Music Teacher

Iyona received a vocal performance diploma from Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Washington, DC. Later, she attended Shenandoah Conservatory at Shenandoah University (SU) graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Performance Degree. Iyona Blake has taught vocal and general music in the Arlington and Fairfax County School Systems to students from preschool to the high school grade levels, including children with special needs and disabilities. In addition, she has attended George Mason University receiving training in Orff Schulwerk. Iyona continues to incorporate the Orff teaching method to her music teaching style. Iyona is a trained professional singer, private vocal coach and music instructor. Iyona is the wife of Billy O. Blake. Together, they are the proud parents of two children, ages 10 and 5.

Suzy Scollon - Art Teacher

Suzy received her Master’s degree in Studio Art from Virginia Commonwealth University. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University where she studied Art Education and Piano Performance. She also received a Certificate of Sculpture from the Corcoran College of Art and Design. Suzy taught art at elementary, middle and junior high schools in D.C., Alexandria, and Arlington Public Schools. She also taught children’s art classes at the Corcoran. While living in Japan she studied Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), which she continues to study and teach. Suzy creates relief tile installations and figurative sculpture. Natural forms are the source of inspiration for her hand-built ceramic vessels. Two of Suzy’s three boys attend MSNV.

Tiffany Benge - PE Teacher

Tiffany has been with MSNV since 2008 working as the Physical education teacher and extended day teacher. She was a Physical Fitness teacher for preschool age students prior to joining MSNV. She is working on her Criminal Sociology degree and hopes to work for the FBI one day. She is very active in flag football, softball, and basketball and enjoys working with children.

Other MSNV staff includes Extended Day teachers and assistants, and a bus driver.