Amy is a local recording artist and singer songwriter who has spent her time teaching music in area schools over the last 20 years. Originally from the East Coast, Amy has her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Film Production, and is certified in Positive Discipline. Amy loves Montessori because it allows children to find their own path and become who they truly are. She loves being able to be a part of a community that fosters independence, curiosity and kindness. When not teaching music in schools, Amy is busy writing music, playing guitar, drawing, reading, and reading tarot. A Montessori Parent, Amy also has two dogs, Rocky and Djuna.

Riddhi’s journey as a Montessorian began as a “Montessori Mom” in 2004. Watching her son discover place-value using the Montessori Golden Bead Materials opened the door to her Montessori Certification in 2007. With a Bachelor’s degree in Textiles & Graduate studies in Textile Design, Riddhi has spent the last 16 years working with children in a Montessori setting and has grown through her experiences as a Teacher, Curriculum Developer & Coordinator and Program Director. She believes in nurturing growth through interaction in a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment.

Besides being committed to learning about the Montessori philosophy and child development through attending professional development classes and AMS conferences, Riddhi spends her free time exploring the NW trails, painting, cooking, reading and watching movies with her husband and two sons. She continues to volunteer in the capacity of a trainer and curriculum coordinator at a local non-profit organization she has been a part of for 13 years. If she is not at school you will find her travelling, sewing, writing or hanging out with family… Living LIFE!

Esme grew up from the Philippines and moved to the U.S. in 2001. She currently lives in Issaquah with her husband Michael and has a daughter Ava who is now in University. Her love of working with children brought her to became an active parent-volunteer ever since her daughter attended Montessori. Seeing the amazing human she has become drove Esme to be part of the school that helped her daughter and other children cultivate their love and passion for learning, and joined Arbor in 2016. Esme holds her Early Childhood Short Certificate and has completed her Montessori Assistant Training at MEIPN. Esme is also thrilled to bring ASL to all of our Primary Students as our Primary World Language Specialist. When she is not surrounded by her wonderful students, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing table tennis, shopping, dining out, and walking her two dogs Shaggy and Fluffy. She also has a passion for aquaponics and is an aquarium hobbyist.

Leo started at Arbor as a Toddler Assistant Teacher back in 2024, and he brings over 10 years of childcare experience to our community. He has grown to love the Montessori method, its connections with neuroscience, and how it supports and nurtures neurodivergent learners. Leo is looking forward to transitioning into being the Farm Specialist for this year, connecting students of all ages with our on-campus animals. When he’s not teaching, he plays guitar, writes music, and both runs and plays in tabletop games with friends. He lives locally with his family.

Kelly completed her Pre-Primary and Primary Montessori Credentials in 1998. She taught Montessori for 14 years in Utah before moving to Sammamish and joined Arbor in 2024. She attended Salt Lake City Community College studying anthropology. An avid traveler, she has spent time learning about history and art in Sicily, Austria, Greece, and Russia. On her off days, you can find Kelly playing in the mountains no matter the season skiing, hiking, and mountain biking. She loves to paint watercolors and cross stitch to relax, as well as play with her beloved Goldendoodle Ozzy. Kelly is also the mom of the sons who all attended Montessori.

Vanessa was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico; her first language is Spanish. She has been teaching children for more than 20 years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education in Mexico, with an endorsement in special education. Vanessa was part of a pilot program at University of Washington for parents and educators, and has been part of “Fiestas de Alfabetizacion Temprana” (Early Literacy Parties in Spanish) organized by King County Library System. Her passion is working with kids, and is very proud of her students when she hears them speaking in Spanish, incorporating expressions and sentences in their daily life. She has lived on the Eastside for the last 15 years with her daughter and husband. She enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and admiring nature.

Shawn has been working with children his entire life. Growing up on the east coast, Shawn worked at camps as a teen counselor. After graduating from Mount Saint Mary’s University with a double major in English and secondary education, he started teaching third grade in Chicago, and later, middle school English and Social Studies. After getting married, he began teaching lower elementary at a Maryland-area Montessori school. After receiving his lower elementary training from the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies, Shawn moved to Washington State with his wife and two children, leading Elementary classrooms and developing Montessori outdoor curriculum for local schools. In his spare time Shawn loves to read, hike and play music.

When not running our Admissions/Enrollment Programs and Marketing, you can find Melissa hanging with Elementary Students as the PE Specialist.  A certified Montessori Educator, Melissa has designed and implemented curriculum for Montessori, public, and private schools, as well as nonprofits, for over two decades.  She has an extensive background teaching physical theater to both adults and children, including acrobalancing, stage combat, and personal clown.  She has also performed on Seattle stages and hung from the Seattle Space Needle in popular acro shows with Cirque du Soleil and the UMO Ensemble.

In her free time, she is the Co-Trainer and Community Manager of the Reverse Me Program, supporting women in perimenopause with losing weight and building muscle through fitness, diet, and lifestyle.  She is also passionate about health and wellbeing in her own life and is a long-distance hiker in both the Pacific Northwest and throughout Europe.  She recently completed the Camino De Santiago (500-mile walk across Spain) in April 2026.

Cindy grew up surrounded by Montessori. Her mom ran her own school in Tacoma, where Cindy helped both in the classroom and in the administration. She has also been a lead toddler teacher at Kreative Kidz. She loves the respect that Montessori teaches children both for themselves and the world around them. Cindy has 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren, and is currently raising her Grandson. When not on campus, Cindy is busy reading, scrapbooking, diving into all things art, rock hunting and antiquing.

Angie originally hails from southern California and moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1993. In 1997, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in English, and her state teaching certificate soon followed. In 2010, she found Montessori when looking for schooling for her son and was hooked! She worked as a Primary and Lower Elementary Assistant during the year and swim teacher and lifeguard during the summer. Noticing a need for more focused reading instruction to complement the work being done in the classroom, she received her Orton-Gillingham Comprehensive Training in 2016 and began teaching students to read. In 2021, Angie received her Master’s Degree in Education with a focus on Literacy to stay current on best practices of teaching reading to all learners. In her spare time, you can find her diving into books, Reading, watching movies, and traveling with her family are just a few of her great loves. She also is an avid Seattle Sounders fan and has traveled to several states over the years to watch them play.

Brad Meyer has been a Montessori teacher and woodworking instructor for over 20 years. He is also an award-winning wood artist. In his classes, Brad teaches children to properly use hand tools while constructing real wood projects. These are quality projects the children are proud to put their names on. Kids will learn how to safely use Japanese pull saws, hammers, drills and a variety of measuring tools. Brad is excited to be back at Arbor working with our Elementary students!

Claire is an Arbor Alumni Student, and is coming back to campus to help on our new farm when she is not in High School. The biggest thing she learned here at Arbor as a student was that she had the freedom to make her own choices and decide on what she wanted to learn about. She is very happy that Arbor continues to find ways to foster and support her love and connection with animals. Claire would like to be a Wildlife Biologist some day, and owes much of that drive to her Montessori Education. She is very excited to help with the animals and share her knowledge with the current students here at Arbor!