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
Diploma, AMI Elementary, Washington Montessori Institute
M.Ed. Montessori Education, Loyola University, Maryland
Elizabeth has over 20 years of experience in Montessori education, having served as a lead Montessori Elementary teacher, an administrator and Head of School. She holds a Master's degree in Education from Loyola University and an AMI Elementary Diploma from Washington Montessori Institute. Elizabeth has lived and worked overseas and has traveled extensively. She enjoys sharing her experiences of other languages and cultures with the children. Outside of school, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her 5 children and training for marathons and ultra-marathons.
Avril Jarecki
Director of Montessori Education and Lead Primary Guide
admissions@fernwoodmontessori.com
Avril began her teaching career in South Africa where she was a strong advocate for her young pupils in allowing them the freedom to learn by doing. It was years later, after Avril moved to the US and had a young daughter, that she discovered the beauty of Montessori Education and realized she has been a Montessorian all along. Avril is passionate about education and brings her decades of Montessori teaching experience to our Primary Classroom.
Lisa Ruas
Lead Primary Guide
Coming to us from the San Francisco Bay Area, Lisa is an experienced early childhood and elementary Montessori teacher, having recently completed her masters degree in Montessori education at St. Mary’s College in California. While originally born at Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore, Lisa grew up in Tampa, Florida, where she also attended Montessori schools as a child, from preschool through sixth grade. Lisa is passionate about Montessori as not just an effective learning method for the classroom, but also a philosophy and way of life.
While Lisa has always been interested in teaching, she initially taught English as a Second Language to high schoolers in Japan and international adults in Berkeley, California before rediscovering Montessori and beginning her training. Lisa is an unabashedly introverted plant mama, and lover of meandering days and sun puddles with her beloved cat, Coconut. Outside of school, you can often find Lisa enjoying a long hike, gardening, or writing while relishing a nice mug of hot tea.
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 Internationale (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.