- Meet our Staff -
highly trained professionals eager to serve you and your children.
BethAnn Slater
Head of School
BethAnn Slater, the Head of School, loves children and the development of children. She is the mother of 4 children, all of whom attended Montessori. She has an AMI Montessori 3-6 Diploma, a B.S. in Family and Child Development from Virginia Tech, as well as a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education. She has taught for over 25 years both in public and private settings. Most recently, she earned her AMI 3-6 Trainer status. Currently, she trains adults in both Cape Town, South Africa and Dallas, Texas.
Cassidy Dean
Classroom Coordinator / Administrative Assistant
Cassidy Dean has a B.S. in Communications from Arizona State University. Cassidy supports the day to day operations of our classroom environments, in keeping with the mission and vision of our school. She values being a representative of our school and building relationships with those around her for the benefit of strengthening our growing MMS community!
Kaitlyn Lehan
Children's House Lead
Kaitlyn Lehan has earned her AMI 3-6 Diploma at MINT, and a B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Child Development from Bridgewater College. She loves working with children and helping to foster their development each and everyday. She wants to make known that learning is a joyful and exciting experience we get to take part in everyday.
Lupita Gutierrez
Upper School Assistant
Lupita Gutierrez has energy that is unmatched. Lupita has earned her AMI 6-12 Assistant Certificate. She makes the each day engaging and exciting for the children. With a smile always on, the children love her! In the upper school and extended day environments she speaks solely Spanish, allowing our children to be immersed in the Spanish language throughout their day.
Andrea Moreno
Nido & YCC Assistant
Andrea is a Registered Nurse from Columbia with a specialization in the neonatal intensive care unit from the University of La Sabana Colombia, with more than 10 years of experience. She is proud to witness the physical and intellectual development of the young children, and is dedicated in her vocation to care and protect the children with her enthusiasm, empathy, happy and loving energy. She believes the youngest children every day give you something new from their wonderful world. She is currently in her training as an AMI assistant (0 to 3 years old) at the AMI Montessori Stoppani Guide Center.
Jacky Arellano
Nido & YCC Assistant
Jacky is currently a student at Shenandoah University. She believes being part of such an exceptional team at MMS has only continued to grow her love for children and the workplace. It has been an eye opening experience to see what children of such a young age are capable of with a prepared environment. “Children can change the world” - Jane Goodall
Karen Manthey
Nido & YCC Assistant
Karen Manthey is a parent turned assistant teacher. For the past few years, her three children have attended our lovely school, and during that time she became passionate about the Montessori way. Working with the Nido, she is fostering the emerging independence and desire of exploration within the infants, which are the youngest members of our community. The Nido is where the love of learning begins, and Karen is determined to make it the best start that one could ask for.
Kara Ludley
Children's House Assistant
Kara is mother to a beautiful daughter who is currently a student in our Montessori environment. Her daughter has inspired her to help children grow and learn with endless possibilities. “How wonderful, the mind of a child is!” - Master Yoda
Cassella Slater
Elementary Lead & Adolescent Director
Cassella Slater is the Financial Officer, Elementary Classroom Lead Guide, and pedagogical director of the Upper School. While teaching agriculture in Ghana for a year, she unexpectedly fell in love with teaching and the adolescent age. She has a B.S. in Animal and Poultry Sciences from Virginia Tech, and completed her NAMTA/AMI Adolescent Training in Chihuahua, Mexico. She earned her AMI 6-12 Diploma from the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota. She has also earned her Masters of Education from St. Catherine's University.
Maria Valdivieso
Nido & YCC Lead
Maria Valdivieso, YCC Lead Guide, earned her AMI 0-3 Diploma at the Montessori Training Center of St. Louis. She is passionate about her work. In the YCC environment she speaks solely Spanish, allowing our children to be immersed in the Spanish language throughout their day. She has completed her AMI Primary Assistant training and is a loving Montessori mom of two!
Alejandra Guzman
Children's House Assistant
Alejandra has been working with MMS since 2019. She has been an amazing addition to our staff and loves working with the children each and every day. Alejandra speaks solely Spanish throughout the day so the children have an immersive experience with two languages. The children love being around her positive and happy energy.
Alexandra Arellano
Nido & YCC Assistant
Alexandra has many years of experience working with children. Her love of working with children sparked when she was a child herself. She participated in a Teens and Tots program in high school, and in college she decided to pursue and obtain her Associate of Applied Science Degree, with a Major in Early Childhood Development through NOVA. During the time she was in college, she was a well loved nanny for a local family for 1 year and a half. Currently with MMS, she works with great enthusiasm and love for supporting every child's natural development, as well as modeling bilingualism by speaking both English and Spanish in the classroom.
Ambar Hernandez
Upper School Assistant
Ambar has always had a passion for working with children. She began working as an aide in a toddler room, and now has experience working with children ranging from infancy to school age. Ambar enjoys the differences in developmental growth of each and every age group. Ambar is actively involved and helps in her children's ministry. She enjoys talking to the children in Spanish!
Melissa Berumen
Children's House Assistant
Melissa has been working with children since 2017. She currently holds an Associates degree in Psychology, and is pursuing her B.A. in Psychology with a concentration in Child Development at George Mason University. Melissa speaks Spanish in the classroom to give the children exposure to both languages in the environment. She loves working with children and watching them accomplish new things everyday!