Staff


​Fernwood Montessori faculty and staff work in a collaborative manner to provide children with a fully rounded and unparalleled education. All staff members are dedicated to the welfare of all children and passionately contribute to their growth and development. Our diverse staff provide additional culture to our already rich community. 

                                                          

Elizabeth Zifcak
Head of School
director@fernwoodmontessori.com

Elizabeth has almost 20 years of experience in Montessori education, having served as a lead Montessori Elementary teacher, an administrator and most recently Head of School at Crossway Montessori. She holds a Master's degree in Education from Loyola University and an AMI Elementary Diploma from Washington Montessori Institute.

                                                               

Avril Jarecki
Director of Montessori Education
admissions@fernwoodmontessori.com

                                                               

Chantou Gerdes
Young Child Community Lead Guide/Program and Special Events Director
ycc@metromontessori.com

Chantou Gerdes is a certified AMI Assistant to Infancy lead guide; she trained at The Montessori Institute of Denver. Chantou holds a Master's of Education in Montessori Education from the University of Hartford. Devoted to the Montessori philosophy, Chantou is a dedicated professional with 9 years of experience, which she utilized to create the thriving Young Child Community when she joined Fernwood in 2017.

Born and raised in Haiti, Chantou is fluent in French and Haitian Creole and is also conversational in Spanish and baby Sign Language. She utilizes these skills to broaden the children’s culture. Additionally, having attended an AMI Montessori school from the age of 2 ½ through elementary, Chantou is passionate about Montessori and plans to become a Montessori trainer for the 0-3 age group.


                                                               

Cori Kasura
Primary Lead Guide 
primary1@metromontessori.com

Prior to getting her certification as a Montessori guide, Cori worked as a teacher at an international preschool/kindergarten in Nagoya, Japan. When she returned to the United States, she eventually decided she wanted to continue teaching the 3-6 age group, but she was uncertain of the type of teaching style she wished to engage in. While reading "Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius" by Angeline Stoll Lillard, she was reminded of her own experiences as a Montessori child and the joy of learning she had gained from that time. Those happy memories solidified her decision to become a Montessori guide to assist children with their life development and see such joy grow in them. She earned her Association Montessori International Primary Diploma in 2017 from the Washington Montessori Institute in conjunction with her Master’s in Montessori Education. 

                                                                  

Emily Tremblay 
Primary Lead Guide
primary2@metromontessori.com
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Alison Kingsley
Elementary Lead Guide
Diploma, AMI Elementary, Washington Montessori Institute
Diploma, AMI Primary Diploma, Washington Montessori Institute
M.Ed. Montessori Education, Loyola University, Maryland
B.A. Art Education, University of Washington, Seattle

Alison has been involved with the education of children for over 30 years. She has taught at traditional public schools as well as both primary and elementary Montessori programs. Alison joined the staff at Fernwood in 2016 where she is the lead guide for the Elementary Program. Prior to joining Fernwood, Alison worked at Aidan Montessori School in Washington DC and Mater Amoris Montessori in Ashton, Maryland. She is a member of the Association Montessori International (AMI) as well
as the Elementary Alumni Association (EAA). These professional organizations offer conferences all over the world, allowing their membership to share ideas and connect with the greater Montessori world.

Alison is a native of Seattle, Washington, where she grew up loving the outdoors. For the past twenty years, she and her husband have lived in Washington DC where they raised two children who attended Montessori schools through age 12. Alison enjoys hiking, traveling and visiting museums.

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Anu Reddy
Elementary Assistant

Courtney Tydings 
Assistant

Elsa Facet
Assistant

Ericka Carroza 
Primary Assistant

Ina Senatova
Primary Assistant

Karla Valverde
Assistant

Maria Lino
Assistant

Nataly Medrano
Assistant

Na'Tosha Jackson
Young Child Community Assistant

Sandra Perez-Scharff
Young Child Community Assistant