Meet the Staff

Nancy is an educator and Montessorian who believes deeply in each child's innate desire to learn and flourish. She is committed to antiracism and equity work in schools, and sees every interaction as an opportunity to create community around these tenets. Nancy holds a B.A. in Classics and Archaeology from Carleton College, a Master's in Education and Adolescent Psychology from Harvard University, and a nAMI/NAMTA Certificate for the Adolescent level.  She is also a trained DEI facilitator and consultant. Nancy serves on the Board of Directors for AEME (Alliance for Equity in Montessori Education), an organization dedicated to offering Montessori education at no cost to children whose families qualify under Title I. Nancy is thrilled to return to Childpeace as Interim Head of School!

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Amanda Donigan Gibbs holds a B.A. in Communication from St. Edward's University, an M.Ed. in Montessori Education from Loyola University Maryland, and an AMI Primary Diploma from Montessori Northwest. She joined the Childpeace community in 2011 as the Willow Room Assistant. After completing her education she returned to Childpeace as the Sage Clubroom Guide, and in 2019 moved into the Children’s House and Toddler Community Guide position. In 2019, she became Toddler Community and Children’s House Program Director. Amanda appreciates the passion for working with children, the dedication to the Montessori philosophy, and the strong sense of community at Childpeace. In her spare time she loves traveling, reading, hiking, working in her yard, and spending time with her husband and dog.

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Susan has a BA from Colby College, a Masters of Education from Loyola University, and state teaching licensure through Whitworth University. She holds AMI diplomas for both Elementary and Adolescence. She is originally from the Great Northwoods of Wisconsin, and fell in love with the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest when she moved to Portland in 2001. Susan also began her work in Montessori upon her arrival to Portland and has established two Montessori public charter adolescent programs. She is excited to be joining Childpeace as the Elementary Program Director and is honored to support the diverse team of Guides and Assistants. In her free time, she enjoys running racks in the local pool halls, wandering off-trail in the wilderness, and keeping her hands busy with fiber arts and from-scratch projects.

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Brittany Brazell holds a BA in Psychology from Sonoma State University and a Certification in HR Management from Portland State University. Originally from Los Angeles, Brittany spent 12 years in Sonoma County before moving to Portland in 2016. She joined the Childpeace community in 2019 after working for several years in direct service with adults, where she found her strengths in supporting employment relationships between individuals and organizations. She is energized by her work with staff who directly support the development of children and adolescents at Childpeace, and has a deep interest in human development and child adolescent psychology. Brittany loves finding new spots in Oregon to explore on adventures with her husband and son.

Misha holds a BA in English and Art from the University of New Hampshire, a Masters in Education from Loyola University Maryland, an RIE Foundations Training via Resources for Infant Educarers, and an AMI Diploma at the Primary Level via Montessori Northwest. She was born just outside of Boston, Massachusetts and grew up between Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. She moved to Portland originally in 2011, had a year in Denver and moved back to Oregon 2017. After a decade working in public and private schools she decided to take time off of teaching when she got pregnant with her second child in 2018. From there she was curious to see how the Montessori approach would benefit adults working in a variety of settings. She spend the next 4 years mothering her two kiddos, working freelance supporting small businesses (SEO copy, website building/maintenance, managing social media and copy/ghostwriting) and managing/teaching at the Ceramics Studio inside the Chehalem Cultural Center. Once both of her kids were of age to attend Montessori School she knew she wanted to get back into a well-structured child-centered school community with them! Misha is excited to be a part of a caring school community and to use the best of her skills and experience to support this community wherever needs arise! She enjoys playing with her kids, making pottery, printmaking, reading, hiking and seeing movies at old theatres!

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Amber moved to Portland from Seattle in 2012. She holds a Bachelors in Business Management and a certificate in Entrepreneurship and is currently finishing a degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Developmental Psychology. Amber has worked in nonprofit management for 15 years and is the founder and CEO of a successful nonprofit and LLC working with families who typically couldn't access childcare. She served on the Board of Directors at Street Roots and worked in the public school system with a certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis. Her position at Childpeace combines her two greatest passions, working with children and nonprofit development. She has been an on-call substitute for Childpeace since 2020 and a Childpeace parent since 2017. In her free time, she likes playing board games with her son, going on adventures with her partner, swimming, and attending school.

Jenny moved back to the beautiful Pacific Northwest after over a decade spent living in other parts of the country. She joined Childpeace upon her return in 2014.

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Ellen France holds a degree from the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign. Ellen grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and moved to Oregon in 1995 after living in the Bay Area and Austin, Texas. Her work experience includes a variety of positions in nonprofit organizations and schools as well as accounting work in GL, financial statements, and payroll. Ellen joined the Childpeace community in 2019 and appreciates the wonderful people and the great energy that students bring when school is in session. In her free time, Ellen loves riding her bike, yoga, baking, playing with her granddaughter, and anything that involves being outside.

Elizabeth graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Child Development and Family Relationships and then taught preschool for two years before returning to complete a doctorate degree in Educational Psychology. Elizabeth has been a Licensed Psychologist in Oregon since 2005 and has worked at Childpeace since 2010. At Childpeace, Elizabeth is passionate about teaching children social-emotional skills, supporting parents, and assessing student's unique learning styles. Outside of work, Elizabeth likes to cook, read, travel, play tennis, and spend time with her family.

Caspar is a very active experimental musician and visual artist. He runs a record label and curates musical happenings all around the PNW. He also loves spending time with his wife/artist Dehlia and their two young kitties Concept and Object.

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Albert McDonnell moved to Portland in 2009 after living in Juneau, Alaska for 25 years. He joined the Childpeace community in 2011 and appreciates the opportunity to be a part of a team of educators who work every day to help students grow into compassionate, involved human beings. Albert loves playing music in his spare time. His primary instrument is the upright bass and he loves improving his skills in many types of music including jazz, classical, folk, and everything in between.

Jennifer was born and raised in Portland, OR. Before joining Childpeace in 2016, she worked as a cook at Providence Child Center for Medically Fragile Children. She enjoys parenting her son Conrad, camping, hiking, photography and painting.

Wendi was born and raised in Portland and graduated from Portland State University with a B.A. in English Literature. Since coming to Childpeace in 1992, she has worked in many different capacities. In addition to her work with children, she has renovated many houses and owned and operated a furniture store. Her son Thomas graduated from the Children’s House at The Terrace and the Lower Elementary.

Jennifer has worked at Childpeace since 1993. After completing her Assistants to Infancy training in August of 1998, Jennifer became a TC Guide. She is devoted to children’s causes and is a court appointed child advocate.

Amalia was born and raised in Portland and has been working in childcare since 2016. She loves that Childpeace is so supportive and appreciates the opportunity to learn about Montessori education. In her free time, Amalia likes spending time with her partner and 3 kids and trying to keep up with everyday life.

Lynn completed her AMI Assistants to Infancy certification in August 2002. She has been with the Toddler Community at Childpeace since 1997, working as an assistant and, since 2001, as the afternoon supervisor as well. She is originally from the Philippines and is bilingual. Lynn lives in Portland with her husband and her son Jonathan, born in 2005.

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Tyne Ritenour holds a B.A. in History from the University of New Mexico and completed the AMI Assistants to Infancy Training at Montessori Northwest. She joined the Childpeace community in 2019 after over 15 years working in Montessori toddler communities in and beyond Portland. In her free time Tyne enjoys knitting, gardening, and spending time with her two boys and their assorted critters.

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Maggie Donaldson holds a BA in Human Studies from Marylhurst University, a Montessori Primary Certificate from Montessori Northwest, and an Infant and Toddler Certificate from the Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest. She joined the Childpeace community in 2019 and brings work experience from both Montessori schools and as a nanny, to her role at Childpeace. Maggie was born and raised in Portland and appreciates the rich history of Childpeace and the excitement that the school community brings to learning from one another. In her spare time, Maggie enjoys spending time with her family and cooking.

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Natalie is originally from San Francisco California and holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Portland State University. She moved to Portland in 2018. She has been working with children for most of her career, but in more formal class settings. When she discovered Montessori schools, she was very curious about what they were like and eager to be a part of a school that promotes independence and the use of real-world skills. Natalie is really excited to see the children she works with develop and grow as individuals as well as herself - everyday she comes to work and learns something new and it is a really rewarding experience. Natalie spends her free time thrifting for clothing and drawing.

Stephanie has enjoyed being part of the Childpeace community since 2003 as a parent and a CH guide. She is mother to three amazing Childpeace alumni who experienced the toddler community all the way to the middle school. Stephanie grew up in Pittsburgh and received her Bachelors degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She was an Interdisciplinary Studies major with a focus in Psychology, Education and Creative Writing. She holds an AMI Diploma from Montessori Northwest, and a Master’s of Education in Montessori from Loyola College. Most recently she received a certificate for Montessori Inclusion. In her free time she enjoys podcasts, reading, cooking, hiking and camping in the beautiful Northwest.

Lena is originally from Tokyo, Japan, where she attended a Montessori preschool during her primary years. She would later go on to intern as an assistant at her old preschool in 2018. She completed her AMI Children's House Assistants Course certification in 2019. Eager to learn more about Montessori philosophy, she took the AMI Montessori Primary training at Montessori Northwest in 2020-2021. She loves to explore the city and the outdoors, go thrift shopping, listening to music, and being with her loved ones.

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Rachel Heath holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and an AMI Primary Diploma from Montessori Northwest. She joined the Childpeace community in 2021. Rachel was born in New Orleans and moved to Portland in 2012. She brings many years of work experience as a nanny and in a Montessori Toddler community to her position at Childpeace. She appreciates Childpeace’s strong community values of peace through respectful guidance, a cornerstone of the Montessori ideology. In her spare time, Rachel loves hiking, camping, hammocking, and reading.

Anastasia graduated from Lewis and Clark College, received a Primary Level AMI Diploma in 1995 and worked as a CH Guide at Childpeace from 1995 - 2000. She returned to Childpeace in 2008 as an assistant, and is the parent of three Childpeace students.

Venus was a Montessori child and has two children at Childpeace. She is from Austin, TX but the NW is her favorite of the places she has lived. Venus is trained at the Assistants to Infancy (The Montessori Institute) and Children's House (Ohio Montessori Training Institute) levels and has a Master's in Education. After some classroom experience elsewhere, she joined the staff of Childpeace in 2011. She loves ballet, Greece, cooking and celebrating holidays with her children, and studying human development and dance history.

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Manamaya was born in Nepal and came to the US/Oregon in 1998. She holds a BA in Linguistics from Reed College. Before coming to Childpeace, she worked as a Research Assistant at Reed College working on research looking at linguistic discrimination in higher education. Additionally, she is a Childpeace alumna and has been an active member in the community between attending CP and working here. Manamaya loves that the teachers and staff working directly with the students are so passionate about educating the children and that they are dedicated to improving themselves. She also appreciates learning from others who are really dedicated to the Montessori Method and are committed to a high level of excellence. They are also open to guidance and feedback from those around them. In her free time, Manamaya loves to play music, dance, learn languages, and play video games. She also enjoys hanging out with her friends, eating good (dairy-free) food, drinking tea, collecting pet-safe house plants (mostly Hoyas), writing, art (writing/drawing/painting/ceramics) and spending time with her family and her pets.

Jacob is originally from Berkeley, CA and has lived in Southern Oregon and New York, and moved to Portland in 2020. He holds a B.A. in Critical Theory and Social Justice from Occidental College. Jacob has taught yoga for the past five years, and there is a lot of overlap in the philosophies of yoga and Montessori. He is excited to contribute to a positive atmosphere for the students, and to connect with and learn from everyone in the community. In his free time he enjoys practicing yoga and meditation, reading, playing music, hearing live music, being with his dog, hiking, camping, cooking, and eating good food (occasionally the last two overlap).

Becky assisted in a primary classroom for four years, before moving to Portland from Chicago in June 2018 to receive her AMI Primary Diploma at Montessori Northwest. She also holds a B.A. in Music Business Management from Columbia College. In her spare time, she enjoys playing guitar and sharing her love of music with children.

Pam received her AMI Primary diploma in 2003 and guided a Children's House in West Linn for 3 years. She then completed her Master's in Education at Loyola College, and became the Guide of the Children's House at The Terrace in 2007. Her B.A. degree from Fordham University is in Art History and Studio Art.

Shanon graduated from Pacific Northwest College of Art with a BFA in sculpture. She began at Childpeace in 1995, working as an Assistant for the Terrace along with other roles in the community, and has returned after being home with her daughter Charlie. Shanon’s interests include art, sewing, gardening, canning, camping and playing with her daughter. She also teaches art and craft workshops for Multnomah County Libraries.

Veena is from Bangalore, India. She moved to the US in 1987 and to Portland in July of 2020. She holds a Masters from University Of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her grandparents started the first Montessori School in South India in 1942 with the blessings of Maria Montessori. Since then, several of her relatives have been associated with Montessori either as guides or as trainers. She has always worked in small Montessori schools in semi-rural settings. She thinks this is a wonderful opportunity to work in a Montessori school in an urban setting with a lot of diversity. Veena loves to cook, read and quilt. She loves to travel with her family.

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Brianna Jayne was born and raised in Los Angeles before moving to Oregon seven years ago. She holds a degree in Communications Disorders and Sciences from the University of Oregon and worked as a Paraeducator at a local Montessori school. She fell in love with the Montessori philosophy and strongly appreciates the ideologies around the development, growth, and independence of individuals, as well as the approachable educational philosophy that serves every child. Brianna spends her free time exploring the art, culture, and outdoor activities of the Pacific Northwest and expressing herself through dance, music, and painting.

Hannah was born and raised in Portland. She spent her first three years at Childpeace helping in the Elementary After school program before moving into her current role as Myrtle room Assistant. She instantly fell in love with the pedagogy of Montessori and especially appreciates the focus on respecting and educating the whole child. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, music, cooking, and finding new, creative outlets.

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Sonji Drakos holds a BA in Cultural Studies from The Evergreen State College, an M.Ed. from Loyola University Maryland, and has received AMI Elementary training through Montessori Northwest. He joined the Childpeace community in 2021. Sonji was born in Hawaii and moved to Portland when he was 11-years old. He attended Montessori schools from preschool through middle school. Sonji discovered his passion for working with children as an English teacher in Brazil and brings experiences as a lead Guide in Montessori schools in the Virgin Islands, California, and Oregon with him to Childpeace. He appreciates that the Childpeace community is well-established and has strong community support. He loves cooking, travel, hiking, camping, and gardening with his wife Taiala, and their two children.

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Stephanie Houston holds a BA from Evergreen State College, an M.Ed. from Loyola University Maryland, and an AMI Diploma from the Washington Montessori Institute. She was born in Portland and grew up in both Oregon and Washington State. Throughout her career, Stephanie has been a Guide in Lower and Upper Elementary classrooms in both independent and public schools in Oregon and Nevada. Stephanie loves working with the engaged students, families, and staff at Childpeace. She also loves to hike, bike, go on walks, garden, and spend time with her dog at the dog park.

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Daniel Withers holds a Double Major in Linguistics and Psychology with high honors from the University of Arizona. Hel and his wife moved to Portland from his hometown of Tucson, Arizona in 2018. Daniel has worked in a variety of roles in Montessori education from PE teacher, to Lifeguard (yes there was a pool at his school in AZ!), as well as teaching Algebra, and working in Special Education. Daniel appreciates the dedication that the highly trained and passionate staff have on the students here at Childpeace. In his free time, Daniel loves relaxing with his wife and two cats, reading, gardening, learning new crafts, and spending time in nature.

Josh is the assistant in the Upper Elementary Larch Room. Josh joined Childpeace in 2002 and has worked in both Lower and Upper Elementary programs. He has an AMI Primary diploma from the Montessori Institute NW and a BA in music from Portland State University. Josh has toured and recorded professionally with several bands including the Five Fingers of Funk and Tezeta Band. Josh enjoys woodworking, blacksmithing, felting, all kinds of art and gardening.

Katie joined Childpeace in 2006 after teaching Spanish for several years in a variety of independent schools throughout the Northwest. Here at Childpeace she has enjoyed creating and implementing the Spanish program used in the elementary classes. Katie graduated from Carleton College with a B.A. in Spanish literature and studied in Morelia, Mexico and Madrid, Spain. She also spent time on a fellowship studying cooking in the Spanish Basque country. In her free time, Katie enjoys gardening, sewing, cooking and spending time with her husband, Chuck and daughter, Libby.

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Chantal grew up in Berkeley, California and holds a degree in Cinema (Animation emphasis) and Sociology from San Francisco State University. She moved to Oregon in fall 2016, and arrived in her new home right on her birthday. After graduating, she worked with kids of all ages at an afterschool and summer camp program called Techsplosion, where she helped to upgrade the stop motion animation program and encouraged kids to collaborate while building Lego battle robots, programming video games, and creating animated shorts. Her passion for animation and hands on production techniques led her to work with Phil Tippett, who created stop motion effects for the original Star Wars trilogy, and at Laika Studios, where she helped create 3D printed elements for the Golden Globe winning film Missing Link. Chantal is excited about helping kids to learn to think critically and creatively about the artistic process and to achieve their goals! She loves the schools focus on social justice and equity as well. For her, art can be a jumping off point to science and engineering, and learning to think critically about what materials are best for a given project helps kids build their independence and creativity. Besides all that, art is just plain fun! Chantal also enjoys gardening (growing plants she can eat is her favorite!), baking and chocolate making, and trying new art materials and techniques.

Mercedes is a Detroit, Michigan area native but has been calling Portland home since just after graduating from college. She has a long history with both kids and fitness. She has a BA in psychology from the University of Michigan (GO BLUE!!!), was AMI trained at the Primary level at MNW (and ran a her own school for 9 years) and has an M.Ed. from Loyola College in Baltimore. She is also certified as both a Personal Fitness Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor, and is experienced at teaching several formats including Zumba, U-Jam, WERQ (all dance fitness formats), POUND, PiYo, Insanity and Core de Force as well as strength training classes. She is a Master Trainer for WERQ dance fitness. She is also the mom of 2 kids, 2 crazy dogs and at last count, 4 fish. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading voraciously and making things. And she is super excited to get your kiddos moving!!

Regina joined the middle school team in 2019. She was born and grew up in a small town in the Austrian Alps. Regina holds an MA in Medical Anthropology, a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology, and she completed the NAMTA Orientation to Adolescent Studies in 2008. After teaching college and working as an editor, Regina served as a humanities guide in Montessori high schools and middle schools in Cleveland, Ohio and taught in an international program in Beijing, China. She enjoys cooking, yoga, traveling, hiking and camping with her family.

Jon came to the middle school in 2012 after taking the NAMTA Orientation to Adolescence. He holds a Masters in the Art of Teaching from the University of Alaska and a BS in Business Administration from the University of Montana. He has worked in public elementary, middle and high schools as a Math, Science and Forensics teacher, an Indian education counselor, a Native Youth Olympics coach, and in a behavioral needs classroom. He has studied abroad in New Zealand, and worked on a sailing catamaran and a goat farm in Hawaii. Jon and his wife Alli are parents of two Childpeace children. Jon is our middle school specialist in STEM-based work; he enjoys teaching physics of the bicycle, fisheries management and working in the greenspace.

Chara holds a BA from Tufts University and BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She is originally from Providence, R.I. and has lived in Miami Beach, FL, Somerville, MA, Seattle, WA, Madison, WI, Pasadena, CA, and moved to Portland in August of 2020. After working as a high school art teacher in independent and public high schools, she came to Montessori when her son was a toddler, and she had the opportunity to work in a small AMI Montessori school that had just opened with a toddler room and children's house. She knew that adolescence was the developmental plane that was closest to her heart and in 2014, she attended the Orientation to Adolescent Studies at the Hershey Montessori Farm School and knew that this was the work she wanted to dedicate herself to. She and her family moved to Pasadena, California, and for five years, she developed and helped grow the adolescent program at an AMI Montessori school. She looks forward to moving into an era that places diversity, equity and inclusion at the forefront of the experiences of our children and is excited that Childpeace and the middle school are committed to this work that will be the true embodiment of Montessori's education for peace. She loves riding her bike on urban trails, baking bread, learning to play the ukulele, looking at and making art, and spending time with her wife and son.

Jenny was born and raised in Eugene, OR. She moved up to Portland in 2007 after graduating from the University of Oregon with her Masters in Education. She taught math at the Young Men's Academy at Jefferson High School and then at da Vinci Arts Middle School. Jenny had her first son and then a year later had her daughter, and went back to working at a childcare center so she could be with them throughout the day. She worked at a Montessori preschool, then ran an in-home daycare until they started school. She has spent the past three years teaching math at a local public Montessori charter school. Jenny had her second son in 2018, and he keeps her on her toes! She loves spending time with her husband and kids, going on adventures, swimming, hiking and working on projects around the house.