Paige Payne, Director, serves on The Library Foundation of Kanawha County, Inc.. She is also a past chair of Girls Night Out , an annual event which raises funds for Hope House, a shelter for victims of domestic violence offered under the YWCA’s Resolve Family Abuse Program. ppayne@charlestonmontessori.com
Susanne Coffield, Director, earned a J.D. from the West Virginia University College of Law and a B.A. with a major in Psychology from West Virginia University. She was a founding board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central West Virginia. In 2012, she participated in the Charleston Area Alliance‘s Educator|Industry Institute. scoffield@charlestonmontessori.com
FACULTY
Stephanie Arrowood, Primary Teacher, holds a Bachelor’s degree from Marshall University in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Early Education. She has ten years of experience working in child care settings in West Virginia and Kentucky, substituting in the public school systems in Johnson City, Tennessee, and founding and directing an early education center within her church in Kenova, West Virginia. Stephanie was born and raised in the Huntington area, but has spent time on the mission fields in Peru and Haiti. She values athletics and coaches the high school varsity girls’ soccer team at Chesapeake High School. arrowood@ charlestonmontessori.com
Natalie Robinson, Elementary Teacher, holds a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from West Virginia University. She achieved an overall GPA of 4.0 in the MA program and also received the honors of President’s List and Dean’s List. From 2008 – 2011, she taught in the classrooms at West Milford Elementary School (PreK-5) in Morgantown, WV. She is state-certified in Elementary Education, grades K-6. Natalie is pursuing full Montessori certification through The Center for Guided Montessori Studies. robinson@ charlestonmontessori.com
Lisa Leventry, Elementary Teacher, holds a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from West Virginia University. She achieved an overall GPA of 4.0 in the MA program and received the honors of President’s List and Dean’s List. From 2008 – 2011, she taught in the classrooms at East Dale Elementary (PreK-6) in Fairmont, WV. She is state-certified in Elementary Education, grades K-6. Lisa is pursuing full Montessori certification through The Center for Guided Montessori Studies. leventry@ charlestonmontessori.com
Fran Norman, Primary Assistant, has been an integral part of Charleston Montessori from the start. With over 20 years in the classroom, she brings to our school a wealth of knowledge and outstanding abilities in teaching, creating rich classroom environments and cultivating a love of learning. norman@charlestonmontessori.com
Bryan Lewin, Physical Education Specialist, leads the elementary students in physical education activities twice a week. Bryan holds a Bachelor of Athletic Coaching and Education and a Master of Secondary Education, both earned from West Virginia University. He played basketball for WVU and later played in the International Professional Basketball League with the Jamaican National Team, Chinese Basketball Association, and Pakmet-Polpharma (Poland). From 2002-2003, he played with the Harlem Globetrotters. lewin@charlestonmontessori.com
Marilyn Monahan, Spanish Specialist, has a passion for the Spanish language and many years of working with children. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from The University of North Carolina at Asheville as well as teaching experience ranging from college instruction to working with kindergartners. She has a background as a Spanish Medical Interpreter and Translator, having worked in that capacity for over five years in every department of the major hospital in her hometown, Asheville, NC. She has been employed as Interpreter and Translator for government agencies such as The Department of Social Services and The Children’s Developmental Services Agency. In Spanish class, your child will become comfortable with conversational Spanish while hearing and practicing the unique phonemes and being exposed to the lilting rhythm of this enchanting language. monahan@charlestonmontessori.
Shannon Pierson, Art Specialist, graduated from West Virginia State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Art. She has provided art instruction at Charleston Stage Company’s Summer Arts Camp, Putnam County Schools’ Summer Academy, and Taylor Books’ Annex Studio. Her classes expose children to a wide variety of media and techniques for creating art and encourage exploration and individual expression. She enjoys connecting individual lessons to art history and framing projects in a cultural context. She feels that it is important for children to identify the many ways in which art permeates our culture, connects us to others (past and present), and enriches our lives.
Julie Wirts, Sewing Specialist, is a master seamstress and owner of The Dressmaker’s Closet. Julie is a graduate of Marshall University, where she studied theatre. Her students learn the craft of sewing, including hand-stitching, sewing on a machine, and pattern making.
LaDonna Yaussy, Music Specialist, graduated from Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education with elementary specialization. She studied voice under the direction of Renay Conlin and has sung professionally with local bands including Cut Southbound band & All Jazzed Up, Now Generation Orchestra, Novo Tempo Big Band, Picatto Trio, Southbound and Moondance. She has also performed in several musical productions with local theater during the last 20 years. Her broad-based experience in education includes early work as a teacher in Ohio and West Virginia and a latter position as the administrator of a Montessori school for 16 years. LaDonna provides weekly music instruction to the students at Charleston Montessori. Her music classes are multi-faceted and fun; the children learn songs from different music genres and also study rhythm, music theory and famous composers. lyaussy@charlestonmontessori.com
