Faculty and Staff

Children’s House

Brenda Alfreds

Children’s House Assistant Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
balfreds@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Alfreds has 20 years of experience as an Assistant Teacher guiding children through the Montessori Method of learning at the Shrewsbury Campus. Brenda assists in all areas of the classroom and helps make a happy, healthy, and safe environment for the children to learn. Her hope is that all children have the opportunity to learn in a supportive environment!

Sharon Claxton

Children’s House Assistant Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
sclaxton@shrewsburymontessori.org

Miss Claxton joined SMS this year as the Assistant Teacher in Children’s House classroom after completing her Montessori Children’s House training this past summer with NEMTEC (New England Montessori Teacher Education Center). She has a background in both the business and hospitality fields and is a professional singer. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, reading and traveling.

Wanda Edtl

Children’s House Assistant Teacher
Worcester Campus
wedtl@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Edtl brings over 35 years of experience as SMS Children’s House Assistant Teacher to her current role as an Assistant Teacher for Mrs. Shupe at the Worcester Campus. She enjoys scrapbooking, cooking, gardening and traveling.

Kathy Falcucci

Children’s House Assistant Teacher
Auburn Campus
kfalcucci@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Falcucci joined the SMS team in September of 1997. She has an associate degree from Newbury Junior College of Business. She has worked in Children’s House since her start in 1997. Before coming to SMS, Kathy was a stay at home mom raising her three boys. In her spare time, she likes visiting wineries and spending time at North Beach in NH.

Kathy Finn

Children’s House Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
kfinn@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Finn attained her Montessori Children’s House (3-6) credential through the AMS certified New England Montessori Teacher Education Center. Kathleen holds her Director I and Lead Teacher certificate through the MA Department of Early Education and Care. Mrs. Finn has worked in the MetroWest area as a Montessori Lead Teacher and Director for over 20 years. She loves working with children as “they are full of possibilities!”.

Rachel Govoni

Children’s House Assistant Teacher, After School Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
rgovoni@shrewsburymontessori.org

Miss Govoni has been a part of SMS since 2018. She has a Bachelor Degree in Early Care and Education from Curry College. She is EEC certified including Infant and Toddlers, Preschool and Director I. She earned her Montessori Children’s House (3-6) credential through the Montessori Institute of New England in Beverly, MA. She enjoys spending time with family and friends on Cape Cod boating or on the beach. She also enjoys crafts and country music.

Jeannie Korona-Treveloni

Children’s House Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
jtreveloni@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Treveloni has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Framingham State College. She earned her Montessori Children’s House (3-6) credential through the AMS certified New England Montessori Teacher Education Center and holds her Lead Teacher certificate through the MA Department of Early Education and Care. She has worked in the Metro West area as a Montessori Lead Teacher for over 19 years. Ms. Treveloni works to uncover each child’s full potential.

Christine Manzi

Children’s House Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
cmanzi@shrewsburymontessori.org

After completing her internship at SMS in May 2012, Christine was offered a Lead Teacher position in the Children’s House program level. She received her AMS certification through the New England Montessori Training Center in Newton, MA and has been approved by EEC as a Preschool Lead Teacher. Christine has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from Nichols College. She is the mother of two Montessori children, enjoys good pizza, and plays sandpit volleyball.

Shloka Shroff

Children’s House Teacher
Auburn Campus
sshroff@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Shroff joined SMS as a Children’s House lead in September 2019. She has a bachelor degree in Accounting & Early Childhood Education from the University of Mumbai, India. She also holds her 3-6 Montessori teaching certification from the Center for Montessori Education in NY. Mrs. Shroff has taught in various capacities over the last 18 years. She also ran a home-based daycare when she lived in Buffalo, NY. In her down time, Mrs. Shroff enjoys spending quality time with her family, traveling, listening to music, and gardening.

Debra Shupe

Children’s House Teacher
Worcester Campus
dshupe@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Shupe grew up in northern New York and received her Bachelor of Arts in Early Education from SUNY-Potsdam and a Master of Science in Deaf Education from the State University of New York-Geneseo. She attained her Montessori Infant, Toddler, and Children’s House (0-6) certification through the St. Nicholas School in London, England. Mrs. Shupe loves to incorporate nature into the daily curriculum of Montessori education through gardening and observation as a means to tap into all the five senses. Mrs. Shupe enjoys skiing, riding horses, biking, and traveling.

Lower Elementary

Christine Abysalh

Lower Elementary Assistant Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
cabysalh@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Abysalh joined the SMS community as a Lower Elementary Assistant Teacher in September 1999. Previously, she had volunteered in Holden Public Schools and worked for Shrewsbury Public Schools in the Special Education Department as a Child Specific Aid. She enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and traveling to the sandy beaches of Maine.

Krista Maynard

Lower Elementary Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
kmaynard@shrewsburymontessori.org

Miss Maynard began her career at SMS in 2011. After working as a Lower Elementary Assistant and finding a passion for the Montessori philosophy, she pursued her Montessori certification. She completed her training in Elementary I (6-9) in 2015 from the AMS certified Montessori Education Teacher Training Collaborative and has enjoyed being a Lower Elementary Lead Teacher ever since. Krista graduated from Salve Regina University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Business Administration and furthered her schooling in Elementary Education at Worcester State University. We are fortunate to also have Miss Maynard help chaperone the 6th Year students on the Bahamas trip for four years. In her free time, she loves cheering on all Boston sports teams.

Donna Nirenberg

Lower Elementary Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
dnirenberg@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Nirenberg began her career at Shrewsbury Montessori School in September 1998. She works as a Lower Elementary Teacher. Mrs. Nirenberg earned her bachelor of science degree from Framingham State University. She holds her 6-9 Montessori teaching certification from Seacoast Center. Donna Nirenberg is an avid runner, enjoys reading, and spending time at the beach on Cape Cod.

Susan Sabacinski

Lower Elementary Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
ssabacinski@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Sabacinski began her Montessori journey in September 1986 as an assistant teacher at the Children’s House of Auburn. She began as a Lead Teacher at SMS in Lower Elementary in 1997. She attended Mass College of Art and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Worcester State University. In addition, she holds her 6-9 Montessori teaching certification from Seacoast Center. Mrs. Sabacinski is the proud parent of three and her youngest is an SMS graduate. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, knitting, and spending as much time as possible with her husband, children, and grandchildren.

Casey Savoie

Lower Elementary Assistant Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
csavoie@shrewsburymontessori.org

Miss Savoie joined SMS as a Lower Elementary Assistant in September 2019. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Worcester State University and wants to pursue a career in teaching. In her spare time, she enjoys going for hikes with her dog and playing volleyball leagues and tournaments. She also loves shopping, cooking, and Patriots football.

Upper Elementary

Brodie Kramer

Upper Elementary Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
bkramer@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mr. Kramer has been a member of the SMS community since September 2012 when he joined the Upper Elementary team as an assistant teacher.  He became a Montessori teacher in 2015 upon completing his AMS-certified Montessori Elementary II (9-12) training through the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in NY.  Mr. Kramer has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He enjoys learning and teaching about all academic topics, but he is particularly passionate about science.  In his free time, he enjoys hiking and backpacking, road trips, photography, cooking, and playing the ukulele.

Beth McGillicuddy

Upper Elementary Assistant Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
bmcgillicuddy@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. McGillicuddy started working at SMS as an Upper Elementary Assistant Teacher in 2006.  She has completed the Intro to Montessori and 3-6 Overview at the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative.  Mrs. McGillicuddy received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Affairs from Assumption College. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, going to the beach, and is an avid Red Sox and Patriots fan.

Judith Regan

Upper Elementary Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
jmregan@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Regan joined SMS in September 1998. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Regis College. Prior to becoming an Upper Elementary Lead teacher in 2001, she spent two years as an Upper Elementary assistant and one year as a Children’s House teacher. She has Montessori certification for ages 0-6 from London Montessori Centre and Montessori Elementary I and II certification from Seacoast Center. Mrs. Regan enjoys spending time with family, especially her grandchildren, reading, and vacationing at Martha’s Vineyard.

Specialists

Kristin Combs

Art and Garderning Teacher
All Campuses
kcombs@shrewsburymontessori.org

Kristin Combs graduated from Connecticut College with a major in Religious Studies and a minor in Studio Art. She has taught both art and academic subjects to preschool through ninth grade children for more than 20 years. She joined the SMS community as a parent in 2011 and as a teacher in 2012. Before becoming the Art and Gardening teacher in 2018, she has worked in several roles at SMS, including Music assistant, Children’s House trainee, and occasional substitute. She is the parent of one SMS alumna and one current Upper Elementary student. Outside of school, Mrs. Combs enjoys knitting, gardening, house renovation projects, and watching her children’s sports and music activities.

Cindy Erle

Librarian
Shrewsbury Campus
cerle@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Erle joined the teaching staff at SMS in 2018. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Northeastern University, Masters of Education, Elementary 1-6, from Anna Maria College, and a Masters of Education, Library K-12, from Cambridge College. Mrs. Erle taught fifth and sixth grades and served as librarian at Sherwood Middle School in Shrewsbury before moving on to the Nashoba Regional district as a school librarian in elementary and middle school. She retired from teaching in the public sector after 22 years. Of course, she loves to read in her spare time, but she also enjoys spending time with her family, weaving, rug hooking, scrapbooking, and all crafts.

Mark Kobel

Technology Teacher
Shrewsbury Campus
mkobel@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mr. Kobel joins Shrewsbury Montessori School after teaching Technology/Engineering for 36 years. He received his bachelor and master degrees from Fitchburg State University and a STEM certification from UMass Boston. He has taught T/E classes including digital photography, digital video production, vex robotics, graphic arts, auto maintenance, woodworking, drafting, 3D computer modeling, and 3D printing all with a focus on helping students to develop skills for solving real-world problems. When not at SMS he enjoys music, gardening, photography, home maintenance projects, and playing guitar.

Sarah Okerlund

Music Teacher
Shrewsbury and Worcester Campus
sokerlund@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Okerlund joined the SMS community as a music teacher in September 2014. She received her Bachelor and Masters of Music Education from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music where she studied piano and voice. She has taught in public elementary schools, a private residential school for special needs children and spent many years as a traveling music teacher for private preschool programs in Westboro. Outside of SMS, Mrs. Okerlund sings with the All Saints Church Choir and enjoys baking and knitting.

Phyllis Whitten

French and Latin Teacher
All Campuses
pwhitten@shrewsburymontessori.org

Madame Whitten has been part of the SMS faculty since 1986, teaching French conversation to the students in Children’s House through Fifth Year and Latin to the Sixth Year class. She has a Bachelor of Arts in French and Education from Tufts University and a masters’ degree from Lesley University. Having grown up in France, she brings a European perspective to her teaching. She has taught children in Boston area schools as well as homeschoolers. Her youngest daughter is an SMS alumna. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and traveling with her husband.

Support Staff

Joyce Adams

Children’s House Substitue
Shrewsbury Campus
jadams@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Adams brings over 23 years of experience as an SMS Children’s House Assistant Teacher to her current role as Children’s House Substitute Teacher. Joyce loves working with children, enjoys traveling, and is a dog lover.

Marla Ehler

Content Support
Shrewsbury Campus
mehler@shrewsburymontessori.org

Marla Ehler received a Bachelor of Science/Art in Pre-Med and Philosophy from the University of Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from Tufts University and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Marla has experience working in the Shrewsbury Public School system as an Instructional Assistant with Kindergarten and elementary school students before joining Shrewsbury Montessori in 2011. Marla has trained in both the Orton-Gillingham approach for reading and DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessments. Mrs. Ehler tutors students from Kindergarten through the Sixth Year at SMS.

Sarah Mann

Receptionist
Shrewsbury Campus
smann@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Mann joined SMS in August 2019. Prior to joining SMS she was the front office staff for a local therapist’s office. In her spare time she enjoys visiting museums, taking in the sites of Boston, and exploring New England with her family.

Jill Magarro

Shcool Nurse
Shrewsbury Campus
jmagarro@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Magarro (Miss Jill) has been at SMS since 2016. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Quinnipiac University. She lives with her husband, three daughters, and a mischievous puppy. Mrs. Magarro enjoys spending time with her family, vacations in Portland, Maine, and obstacle course racing.

Melissa Morano

Shcool Nurse
Shrewsbury Campus
mmorano@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. Morano joined SMS as a part-time nurse in September 2018. She has an associate degree from Quinsigamond Community College. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, watching baseball, and going to the beach.

After School Staff

Kathy Harmon-Weaver

After School Staff
Shrewsbury Campus
kharmonweaver@shrewsburymontessori.org

Mrs. W joins Shrewsbury Montessori School after working in both the Shrewsbury and Grafton Public Schools for 18 years. She has been an assistant teacher and child-specific aide. She has also worked in the after school programs and the extended school year summer programs. She graduated from Quinsigamond Community College and is still continuing her education in Early Childhood. In the summer you will find her in the yard planting flowers and escaping to the beach whenever possible. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and reading.

Katelyn McCarthy

After School Staff
Worcester Campus
kmccarthy@shrewsburymontessori.org

Ms. Katelyn joined the After School team in September 2019. She has a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Studies from Worcester State University (WSU) and is now pursuing her Master of Occupational Therapy at WSU. Before working at SMS, Katelyn completed her EEC training while working at the Children’s Development Center in Hamilton, MA. Outside of school and work, Katelyn enjoys hiking, attending spin classes, reading, singing, visiting her family on the North Shore, and spending time with her roommates.

Cindy Miller

After School Staff
Shrewsbury Campus
cmiller@shrewsburymontessori.org

Miss Cindy has been part of the After School team since 2017. She retired from Bose Corporation after spending 20 years there and enjoys her retirement position with our Children’s House students in After School. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, baking, and heading to the beach or mountains. She is passionate about her family and friends.

Jessica Seery

After School Staff
Shrewsbury Campus
jseery@shrewsburymontessori.org

Jessica Seery has recently joined SMS working in the After School program. She is a Shrewsbury High School graduate who is currently working toward her degree in early childhood education at Bridgewater State University. During her high school career, Jessica volunteered in numerous elementary classrooms in Shrewsbury and Worcester. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, vacationing on Cape Cod, and being outside any chance she gets.