Karen Quiroz is the Interim Head of School and the Lead Teacher in the Southwest Morning Classroom. 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 wonderful children, staff, and parents. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English Language and Literature and is in the process of earning her Montessori Administrator Certification. She enjoys spending time with her family and dogs and is an avid reader.
Nancy Schwartz is the Lead Teacher in the Southwest PM room. Nancy has a B.A. in French Language and Literature and an M.A. in Education. She teaches literature 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 Assistant Teacher in the Southwest Room both in the morning and afternoon. 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. She teaches fine arts enrichment lessons to the full-day kindergarten children. She has been at Beverly Montessori for over 25 years and loves our staff and children. She enjoys listening to classical music, reading, and gardening.
Marcy Dinius is a new Assistant Teacher with over twenty years of teaching literature at the university level in the U.S. and, recently, Japan. She joins 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.
Allison Potter is the Lead Teacher in the Fireplace Room. She has her B.A. in Psychology and the Early Childhood Certification from Seton Montessori Institute. She also earned a Montessori Inclusion endorsement from the American Montessori Society. She enjoys baking, walking, swimming, and biking with her husband and two daughters. Her interest in the Montessori philosophy began when her daughters attended Beverly Montessori School. She has been at our school for over 15 years.
Sierra Jackson is the Assistant 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.
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 nearly 15 years. She is in the process of completing her Montessori Early Childhood Credential. She teaches science enrichment lessons to the full-day kindergarten children.
Briana Mullins is the Assistant Teacher in the East Room. She has a Bachelors 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. She is so excited about getting to know the children and families at Beverly Montessori this year!
Ting Ting Branit teaches Chinese Culture and Language to our kindergarten students. She has been involved at our school as a parent, assistant teacher, and Directress for over 15 years. She has her Early Childhood Montessori Teaching Certificate from Seton Montessori School.
Linda Bailey is Beverly Montessori School’s Curriculum Director. She works with all of the staff, children, and families. She has been involved with Beverly Montessori School as a parent, volunteer, assistant, and lead teacher for over 30 years. She has her Early Childhood Montessori Certification from Seton Montessori Institute and is a certified STEP instructor (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting). She enjoys reading, gardening, decorating, and spending time with her family and friends.
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.
Sally Noonan is Beverly Montessori School’s Literacy Support Consultant. She works with all the teachers on literacy and language components in the Montessori curriculum. She has her Masters degree in Reading and has been involved in education for the last 20 years. Her older son is a Beverly Montessori School graduate and her younger son is currently a student at our school.