Mrs. Ash comes to us from the Needham Public School system, where she served as a registration and marketing manager for Needham Community Education for five years. She has also spent time in the publishing business, as well as in the classroom. She holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts and lives in Waltham with her husband, her 12-year-old son, and her labradoodle.
Rachel grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri, where she recognized her passion for teaching. She attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, where she received her bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. She taught for four years in Dallas and, during this time, attended Southern Methodist University to get her Masters in Early Childhood Literacy. Rachel then moved back to Missouri and taught there for two years. Rachel loves working in small groups to best make connections and have a clear understanding of each of her students. She recently moved to Newton and is loving her new community! Rachel loves to go on walks, ride her Peloton bike, and read in her free time!
Sister Kathy is driven by the excitement her students experience while they learn and discover new things. One of her favorite aspects of teaching is working with and learning from new teachers.
While working with children 12 years ago, Ms. Catalina discovered the Montessori Method, and she decided to become a Montessori educator. Since then, she has continued teaching at Walnut Park.
This year is Ms. Cat’s 11th year teaching but her 4th year teaching in a primary classroom. Prior to this, she was part of the Toddler community. During this time, she received her Masters degree in Early Childhood Education with an Emphasis in Montessori from Gordon College.
Ms. Cat grew up in Bucharest, Romania and enjoys sharing her culture with children.
Ms. Cat is passionate about instilling a love of learning in her students. She believes a Montessori classroom provides the ideal environment for children to learn and grow, and she hopes to guide her students to become lifelong learners.
Carolann’s three adult children are all alumni of Walnut Park Montessori and Jackson. She is beginning her 18th year at WPMS and feels so fortunate to be working in such a caring community with dedicated faculty and supportive families. Carolann is certified in MACAR (Montessori Applied to Children at Risk) and Musikgarten (early childhood music education). Her passions include music, nature, and yoga.
Elizabeth grew up in Newton, MA, and attended Salem State University, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. After working in finance for a few years, Elizabeth realized that teaching was her calling. Elizabeth began her teaching career in the Needham Public Schools and held a Masters in Elementary Education from Lasell University. Outside of school, Elizabeth loves spending time with her family, playing with her Golden Retriever, cooking, and trying new restaurants.
Fang Ding has been with JWP since 2014. She appreciates how Montessori develops concentration and independence in children, and she enjoys serving as a helper/translator for Chinese families on campus. She loves JWP because of the lovely children, staff, and families here.
Born and raised in central Connecticut, Lauren discovered her love of teaching early on in life and pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Saint Anselm College in 2017. Upon accepting a position as a first-grade teacher at a private school in Wethersfield, Connecticut, Lauren moved back to her home state and spent the next few years learning and growing alongside her students. Through her experience as a classroom teacher, she recognized a need for educators trained in the specialty of Social-Emotional Learning. She, therefore, began pursuing her Master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Psychology in 2020. She enjoys cooking, paddleboarding, reading, and skiing in her free time.
Steve arrives at Jackson School for the 2019-20 school year, assuming responsibilities for both Jackson and the JWP Collaborative. He has spent over 30 years as an independent school teacher and administrator, and still experiences enormous satisfaction when a student or a class makes a connection with a good book. When he’s not at school, Steve enjoys spending time in northern New England—hiking, skiing, canoeing—or seeing a good play at the ART.
Sandi is thrilled to have joined the renowned Jackson Walnut Park School in the Fall of 2019. In addition to her role as Director of Admissions in three PreK-8 independent schools in Massachusetts and Wisconsin, Sandi has taught Music, Theater, PreK, Kindergarten, and Middle School Social Studies, Language Arts, and French. She has also combined her teaching and programming skills into large scale productions and programs, after school, and summer camps. Sandi finds joy in building community while connecting with current and new families. She is dedicated to helping them realize the benefits of a transformative JWP education for their children. Sandi values her time with her husband, daughters, son-in-law, and three precious granddaughters who live in Chicago.
Erin grew up in Boston and attended Walnut Park as a preschooler. She attended Providence College and earned a BA in Elementary and special education. She worked in public schools up until she had her children. After a hiatus from teaching, Erin decided her passion was in Montessori as all 3 of her kids attended and graduated from Walnut Park. She began working as the building sub in 2019 and started her Montessori training in July 2022. She is excited to be a part of the community and school where her love of all things Montessori began.
Will is a licensed allied health professional in sports medicine and has worked at the middle school, high school, and college levels since 2001. Aside from his role at JWP, Will also serves as a Homeleader, mentor, and crisis line member for the Samaritans of Boston. He is excited to teach the JWP students tools and strategies to make healthy decisions and enjoy a physically active lifestyle. Away from JWP, Will loves going on short runs with his son, reading fiction, and performing community service.
When she is not traveling and learning about new cultures, Elizabeth encourages her students to challenge the world they live in, teaching them to be creative and critical thinkers. Elizabeth is committed to having an impact on her student’s lives that inspires them to change the world.
Tracey began working at Walnut Park Montessori in 1998 when she created and directed the After-School program known as Kids’ Corner. Inspired by Montessori philosophy, as well as the children and colleagues she worked with, she completed her Montessori training in 2002.
Danielle grew up in North Andover, MA before moving to Colorado, where she spent the past 4 years teaching in Denver Public Schools. Danielle currently holds a Masters of Education as well as a Bachelors in Psychology with a Minor in Education. Danielle’s favorite thing about teaching is seeing all of the unique ways that students can come to one result. She loves to find as many opportunities for hands-on activities and centers based learning to foster a lifelong love of learning in her students! In her free time, you can find Danielle doing anything outdoors, such as climbing, skiing, and hiking but she also LOVES to bake!
Annie graduated from Colgate U
Jessica spent 11 years of her 14 years at Jackson School as a first-grade teacher. After the birth of her son Jonathan, she returned to Jackson as a Learning Center teacher and has now found her passion as the school librarian for grades kindergarten through fourth. She enjoys turning her library into a “playground” where students can have fun connecting, interacting, and demonstrating their love of books. Jessica loves teaching because she enjoys interacting with children. She relishes listening to their ideas, seeing the way their minds work, and the way they grow in knowledge, confidence, and skills.
Alexandra is devoted to fostering students’ “Aha” moments, those instances when minds light up and students become more passionate about their work. When Alexandra is not working with students, she spends her time diving into novels, going to the beach, and searching for new dinner recipes.
Nicole loves working with children and has a genuine way of nurturing and leading them by example. She is passionate about fostering their love for themselves, others, and nature. Nicole is grateful to be a part of the Jackson Walnut Park Community.
Ben is a Learning Specialist at JWP. In his opinion, the best part of his job is when he sees students succeed in areas they previously thought they couldn’t. When Ben isn’t working with students he enjoys running, the outdoors, and reading.
Julia grew up in Mexico City. After working for the United Nations and realizing the need for peace in the world, she decided to become a teacher. In 2003, after witnessing the wonderful education that her children were receiving, she began teaching at Walnut Park Montessori. She loves the peace curriculum and the commitment of the whole school community to caring for our planet, animals, and human beings.
Meg has been familiar with Montessori philosophy and pedagogy for many years, as two of her own children attended Montessori school. She enjoys reading, gardening, and traveling. One highlight of her travels was riding a camel in the desert of Northern Africa.
Dona was born and raised in Sri Lanka and speaks the native language, Sinhalese. Her love of the Montessori philosophy led her to become a Montessorian. She has been teaching at Walnut Park for 15 years. She is passionate about working with young children and helping them reach their full potential.
A lifelong resident of Newton, Nancy considers every day to be full of learning experiences. She cherishes interacting with and supporting the needs of the students. She enjoys stargazing, singing along with her Spotify playlist, and spending time with her four Walnut Park Montessori graduates: Juliana, Andrew, Sofia, and Adam.
What Kristina enjoys most about teaching is seeing how each of her students grows academically and socially. Kristina is passionate about teaching and making a difference in each of her student’s lives.
As soon as she walked into a Montessori classroom and observed children working, Stephanie knew that this was what she wanted to do. She began working at Walnut Park Montessori in 2000. Stephanie loves the welcoming, diverse community at JWP and believes that Montessori children will change the world. Stephanie has played the dual role of teacher and parent while all three of her children have attended Walnut Park, and she is now the head of school there.
Taylor graduated from Eastern Nazarene College in Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. Then moved back to New York to be the lead teacher in a Pre-K classroom as she pursued her master’s degree in elementary education at the College of Saint Rose. Upon graduating with her master’s, she moved back to Massachusetts after accepting a position at Walnut Park in the toddler room as an assistant teacher. She is now an assistant teacher in room 2. Taylor enjoys traveling during her summers and school breaks, and she loves to hike, swim, watch movies, and cook in her spare time.
Amy has been at Walnut Park Montessori since 2008. Her son Leo attends Walnut Park in a Primary classroom. She has enjoyed getting to know so many wonderful families and loves helping new families get settled into our community. Amy also enjoys helping with some of our great events.
Emily enjoys teaching students using hands-on methods that nurture creativity in the classroom. She is passionate about literacy and incorporating her favorite authors into the curriculum. In her free time, Emily loves reading psychological thrillers, baking, and spending time outside.
Karen LOVE’s teaching kindergarten! She is passionate about helping students become lifelong learners. When Karen is not in the classroom, she enjoys meeting picture book authors and illustrators. She has an extensive library of children’s literature. One of her favorite authors and illustrators is Tomie dePaola.
Nicola’s favorite thing about education is that every day is different. There is always something new to learn, and there are always opportunities for everyone to succeed. Nicola counts teaching creative writing among her passions as a teacher.
Minoty has been with Walnut Park since 2020, where she has worked with Primary classrooms and toddlers. Both of her children have gone through the Montessori education system at Walnut Park, which gave her the hands-on experience of delivering the Montessori philosophy at home and school. Minoty grew up in India and has been in Boston since 2009. When not working and managing her children, she enjoys some serious downtime.
Michelle, a native of Cambridge and an MSJA alum, comes to us from St. Joseph Prep’s Advancement Department. She has worked for many years in her family’s garden center and pursued a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Harvard Division of Continuing Education while working in the Asian Export Art Department at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. She loves her annual vacation in East Sandwich on Cape Cod!
A Wellesley native, Kelly attended the University of South Florida, earning a dual degree in Economics and Sociology. She has significant experience in independent school advancement. Prior, Kelly has spent many years working as a Public Relations and Communications Specialist in the entertainment industry. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two children at the beach or on the golf course.
Neal started working for JWP in 2001 as an assistant at Kids’ Corner and currently holds the position of Program Director. His son attended Walnut Park and later graduated from Jackson School. Neal enjoys spending time with family and loves to ski!
nobrien@jwpschools.org
Upon graduating from the College of the Holy Cross, Mary began to pursue her Master’s in Early Education at Lesley University. Mary instantly fell in love with the Montessori Method’s emphasis on individuality during her first year of teaching in 2017. When her career eventually brought her to Jackson Walnut Park, Mary immediately felt at home. When Mary is not teaching, she enjoys visiting her home state of Vermont, enjoying time with family in Cape Cod, and watching baseball!
Megan cares about children’s well-being and how it affects their experience at school. She views each child as an individual and provides coping skills and a nurturing presence when social, emotional, and academic concerns arise. When Megan is not counseling, she recharges through traveling, spending time with her dog, and practicing yoga.
After 45 years in the telephone industry at AT&T, Fred joined the JWP community in 2014. Passionate about his family, politics, and sports, Fred especially loves soccer. He has over 30 years playing, coaching and refereeing the “beautiful game.” Fred finds the JWP community an extremely friendly environment, where the parents, teachers, and kids are always smiling.
Adrianna loves working with students to grow their understanding and have their “lightbulb moment.” She believes her class is a family and her room a second home for her students to come and embrace new opportunities. When she is not teaching, Adrianna spends her summers camping with her family, working with kids in various summer programs, and reading anything she can get her hands on!
Before arriving at JWP, Sierra worked at Suffolk University in the Office of Title IX and the University of Mississippi’s Athletic Department. When Sierra is not at work, she enjoys traveling back to her hometown in California and exploring the East Coast.
Ms. Ruggie grew up in Ashland, MA, and started her teaching career in Arlington. This past year she spent time teaching 4th grade in Warsaw, Poland, at a trilingual school and was able to travel a lot before returning stateside! Second grade is her favorite grade, so she is very excited to be back. Outside of school, Ms. Ruggie loves to spend time with friends and family at the beach in the summer and on the ski slopes in winter! Her favorite things to do above all are to travel, read, and try new foods.
Sandra was born in the island of Sri Lanka, where she worked at the UN and UNICEF offices before arriving in Boston in 1988. Working in Montessori Schools, and at WP (where she has been since 2000), is one of the best things that has happened in her life. Sandra is also an associate member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston.
Mckenzie grew up in Michigan before attending Central Michigan University to play lacrosse and obtain her bachelor’s degree in Public Relations & Broadcasting. After working in the corporate world for a few years, Mckenzie realized her love for education and went back to school for her Master’s in Elementary Education. She loves to find opportunities for hands-on activities, seeing “lightbulb” moments in her students, and that no two days are the same in the classroom. She moved to Newton with her husband in 2020 and has worked in various Newton schools since she arrived. Mckenzie enjoys biking, hiking and working out, reading, baking, and listening to music in her free time.
Dorothy Simone is an oil painter and mixed media artist.
She teaches Adult Painting and Drawing at the Plymouth Art Center and Elementary Art at Jackson School.
Simone has taught at the Danforth Museum, Fuller Craft Museum and South Shore Art Center she currently teaches at the Plymouth Art Center and Private Classes.
“Over the years I have watched students grow artistically and become good painters and artists. Many who said that they were “only beginners”. Being a partner in that is an intimate experience beyond words.
Making Art is certainly soulful. The ‘relaxing feeling’ occurs after you work so hard and then suddenly your expression blooms like a flower. But like a flower garden, it must constantly be cultivated.” It is not always easy but certainly worth the loving hours of tending your craft.
Focusing on creating is living in the now and that is joy”
Elena teaches JWP students music, focusing on music literacy, and building the skills for music independence. She is a classically trained opera singer and also plays piano, ukulele, and other musical instruments. She loves theatre, art, and houseplants. In her free time, Elena spends time with her adorable French bulldog named Bongo.
Ms. Sullivan believes that children are unique, and each has something special that they can bring to their own education. She loves to help children express and accept themselves for who they are while embracing the differences of others. Her main goal is to have each child leave school happy every day. When Ms. Sullivan is not in the classroom, she loves to spend time with my family, reading a good book and cooking.
ksullivan@jwpschools.org
As a teacher, Ms. Sun loves to see her students grow both academically and socially. She loves sharing Chinese Cultures with others and learning all kinds of languages! Besides teaching, Ms. Sun enjoys traveling, movies, and spending time with family, friends, and her cat.
Miss Nthabi is known for her joyful spirit! Her peaceful and caring demeanor helps her observe, listen, and intentionally provide what a child needs to support their development. When she is not teaching in the classroom, she can be found singing all over MA at different events and if you’re lucky you might catch her melodious tunes on campus.
Jaklin loves the Montessori approach that gives children the freedom to express themselves in practical activities and develop as a whole person in physical, emotional and social aspects. Jaklin enjoys learning about different cultures and traditions. She can speak Turkish, French, Arabic, and Italian, and she recently received her MACAR (Montessori Applied to Children At Risk) certification.
Matt was born on Eglin Air Force Base and grew up in Niceville, Florida. Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Florida State University. Matt’s favorite part about teaching is meeting and solving the unique challenges students face every day. Matt mostly likes to make music in his free time, primarily playing the Saxophone.
Alison strives to instill a thirst for knowledge in her students each and every day. When not inspiring her fifth-grade students to “think outside of the box,” Alison enjoys discovering new books for her students to read, going sailing at Crescent Beach, hiking with her dog Bailey, and gardening.
Yang graduated from Lesley university with a Master’s degree in Education and Montessori Certificate. Yang began teaching part-time in Walnut Park for 2.5 years and became a full-time teacher in 2019. She has worked in almost every Walnut Park classroom and is familiar with the different classrooms’ teaching and learning styles. In addition, to her time in the classroom, she was also responsible for co-teaching the Walnut Park STEM program and being the instructor of the Chess Club!