The Mansio Montessori Staff: Credentials and Longevity

Since the debut of the Montessori Method in 1907, the idea has captivated educators across the world. It began to have a serious presence in America in the 1960s, and since then, the idea has appealed to parents and teachers alike. The Montessori structure is consistently appealing to teachers because it allows them to meet the students where they are and encourage independence and a love for learning.

Our staff at Mansio Montessori of Geneva consists of eleven dedicated Montessori Educators, working in administration and classrooms. All have completed training in the Montessori Method and have prior experience with children. Our staff averages fourteen years of working at Mansio, and a few have prior experience with the Montessori Method. We have bilingual teachers on staff, who speak Polish, Spanish, and Japanese. Every staff member is dedicated to working with children and are enthusiastic about the Montessori Method.

Our administrative team is Janet Shanahan and Tara Bond. Janet Shanahan has been with Mansio for thirty years, split evenly between working in the preschool classroom and being our Managing Director. She is also actively involved with both the Illinois Montessori Association and the American Montessori Society. Tara Bond is in her second year with Mansio and has a background with education and finance.

Our beginning toddler classroom has two fantastic teachers. Yuriko “Yuri” Ferrell has taught at Mansio for twenty-one years and has prior experience teaching art to grade school students in Japan. Mumtaz Kanchwala has been with Mansio for fifteen years and volunteered extensively with her children’s elementary school prior.

Our toddler classroom is staffed by Terri Kraft, who has spent twenty-three years at Mansio—twenty-two with the toddlers and five with kindergarten—and has been using the Montessori Method since 1996, and Krystyna Salabej, who has spent thirteen years at Mansio and, prior to this, fourteen years as an elementary teacher in Poland.

Our preschool team has five excellent teachers. Pat Doyle has been at Mansio for twenty-two years and had five years of experience with special education prior. Melanie Scawinski has spent twelve years with Mansio. Maria Lopez has been with Mansio for twelve years and, in addition to working with our preschoolers, teaches Spanish to all our students. Amber Doan is starting her third year with Mansio but has three years of prior experience with Montessori as well. Kara Warren has been with Mansio for one year and is currently pursuing a degree in elementary education and learning American Sign Language.

Our kindergarten team has Melanie Scawaski and Terri Kraft, both of whom work with two age groups and are an invaluable part of our team. They have thirty-five years of experience at Mansio between them.

At Mansio Montessori of Geneva , we value the importance of helping children learn in the ways best suited to them. Many of our staff members have been with us for more than ten years—some for more than twenty—and all are dedicated to the value of the Montessori Method. If you are interested in learning more about Mansio Montessori or our staff, please don’t hesitate to contact us !