Karen Quiroz is our Head of School. She is a graduate of Beverly Montessori and sent her three sons to our school. She has a background in education and has been an involved parent and staff member for over 15 years. She has her Early Childhood Montessori Teaching certificate from Seton Montessori Institute.
Rachael Hernandez is the Business Manager and Registrar at Beverly Montessori School. All five of her children are graduates of our school. She loves the school because of the love of learning it instills in each child, as well as the self-confidence and independence that students develop. Rachael has a Bachelor’s Degree in English Language and Literature and is in the process of earning her Montessori Administrator Certification through Seton Institute and her Master’s Degree from National Louis University. She enjoys spending time with her family and dogs and is an avid reader.
Jenn Pierz is the Lead Teacher in the Southwest AM classroom. Ms. Pierz has a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Counseling. She has her Montessori Early Childhood Credential from Seton Montessori Institute and has been in education for almost 20 years. She also works as a crisis counselor and clinical supervisor. Ms. Pierz loves cooking for others and crocheting. Her favorite things about working with children are the honesty and frankness of the child, as well as the ability to observe and allow the child to show us their needs.
Nancy Schwartz is the Lead Teacher in the Southwest PM room. Ms. Schwartz has a B.A. in French Language and Literature and an M.A. in Education. She teaches literature lessons to the full-day kindergarten students. She has her Montessori Certification from the Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center (MMTTC) and has been at our school for over 30 years. She loves baking and reading nonfiction books.
Virginia Savrimas is the full-day Assistant Teacher in the Southwest Room. She attended the Music Academy in Lithuania. She sang both for the Lithuania Opera and for the Lithuania Opera House in Chicago and served on their Board. Mrs. Savrimas teaches fine arts enrichment lessons to the full-day kindergarten children. She has been at Beverly Montessori for nearly 30 years and loves our staff and children. She enjoys listening to classical music, reading, and gardening.
Sierra Jackson is the Lead Teacher in the Fireplace Room. She studied Film & Media Culture at Middlebury College and is now transitioning into Education. In 2020 she founded The Endurance Scholarship to support Chicagoland students of color in both higher education and private elementary school. Her hobbies include walking and all things arts admin.
Malena Cooper is the full-day assistant in the Fireplace Room.
Jennifer O’Malley is the Lead Teacher in the East Room. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Secondary Education. Her son is a graduate of our school. She has been an involved parent and staff member for over 15 years. She is in the process of completing her Montessori Early Childhood Credential.
Briana Mullins is the Assistant Teacher in the East Room. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Fashion Business from Columbia College and has recently completed Seton’s Montessori Paraprofessional training. Briana is the mother of a current Beverly Montessori student, and a former Montessori student herself. She loves seeing how Montessori’s lessons and values follow children throughout their lives.
Marcy Dinius is a substitute/Assistant Teacher with over twenty years of teaching literature at the university level in the U.S. and, recently, Japan. Dr. Dinius comes to Beverly Montessori eager to work with learners at the beginning of their educational experience. She has a Ph.D. in English with a focus on nineteenth-century American literature and culture, and loves learning about everything, especially music, film, and architecture.
Ting Ting Branit teaches Chinese Culture and Language to our kindergarten students and acts as support staff. She has been involved at our school as a parent, assistant teacher, and Directress for almost 20 years. Mrs. Branit has her Early Childhood Montessori Teaching Certificate from Seton Montessori School and and Early Childhood Montessori Endorsement from Christian Montessori Fellowship Institute. She enjoys discovering each child’s individual talents. In her spare time, Mrs. Branit likes to travel, paint, sing, and learn about new cultures.
Anne Butler is Beverly Montessori School’s Student Support Consultant. Dr. Butler works with all of the staff, children, and families. She has been involved with Beverly Montessori School for the last 10 years. She has her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She focuses on supporting teachers and students in behavior management. She is also a professor at DePaul University. Her three oldest children have all attended our school, and now her youngest attends Beverly Montessori as well.