Special Area Faculty and Staff

special area
	Dan Chapman, Art Teacher Dan Chapman is the Art Teacher and joined the faculty in 2001. He has a Masters in Art Education from the school of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning a well known fine arts center at the University of Cincinnati. He was born in Sierra Leone, west Africa. Dan has lived in New York state, California, Ohio and Egypt. Since 1993 he has lived in a historic South Bend neighborhood. His home was built in 1889. Dan is proud to be an At-Home-Dad, a Painter, a Puppeteer and an Art Teacher at The Montessori Academy.
	Mannaz Kahn, Education Support specialist (Information to be posted)
	Lindsay Marquette, Computer Teacher Lindsay Marquette is the Computer teacher and the toddler room assistant. This is her third year here at TMA. Last year she was an assistant in Room 6 in the Early Childhood building. She has a Bachelor of Science in Education from Eastern Illinois University. She lives in Niles with her husband. The two love to travel all around the United States seeing the sights and zoos of our country. (Bio updated Mar. 2008)
	Ann Miller, Music Specialist and Events Coordinator Ann Miller is the Music Specialist and Events Coordinator at The Montessori Academy. Children are my passion and music is my forte. Before studying music at the College Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati, I was a professional singer, dancer, and songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee. I studied music at both the College Conservatory and North Texas State University. During my college years I continued to perform in musicals, acoustic groups, touring road shows, recording studios, civic theater, and university programs. I met my home-grown Indiana boy in a musical road show and moved to Indiana. I received a B.A. in Psychology from Indiana University and General Elementary Education, with Music Endorsement certification from Bethel College. I am an avid band booster, having played oboe and clarinet in High School. I also play the piano and guitar. Many past work experiences involving children have contributed to my educational perspective and instructional style. I have developed and implemented special programs to take into the public schools covering topics such as Life Skills, Insects, Children's Literature, the Southwest, Musical Instruments to name a few. I have also been a classroom teacher in both public and church schools. At present, my teenagers, Nicholas and Sarah, are my focus outside of school. However, as the pendulum swings back, I hear community theater calling.
	yully ortega, spanish teacher (Information to be posted)
No photo available	wee ling sim, band teacher (Information to be posted)
	B. J. Zenk, Education Support specialist Having been at TMA for three years as an Educational Support Specialist, BJ finds great professional rewards in supporting the entire student body. She could be assessing the educational needs of particular students in discerning their particular strengths and learning modalities, or she could be engaged in providing reading inventories for an entire class in order to set up literature groups, or she could be tutoring students that have received diagnostic testing on a short-term basis. Her position currently includes providing the academy ten hours each week of service, giving instructional strategies to each of the classrooms when requested. In addition, BJ instructs private piano lessons and one-on-one tutoring in her home. Being a proud mother of three children whom have traveled on the wings of her husband’s Air Force career of 29 years, she has found South Bend her “home base” since his retirement last fall. Her son Isaac is a Marine serving in Iraq until the fall of this year, another son Jared is attending Notre Dame, and her daughter Julaine is an obsessed marching band student at Penn High School. (Bio updated May 2008)
	Joan Berta, Aftercare Teacher in the Gym
library staff
	Linda Brooks, Librarian Linda Brooks joined TMA's staff as Librarian in 1988. Ohio is her home state and she earned her B.A. in English there. Linda has also lived in the beautiful states of Michigan and Colorado, where she earned her masters degree in Library Science. After graduate school, she worked in public libraries in both Ohio and Michigan. She first became a part of TMA's community as a parent; she volunteered as a room mother, worked on fundraisers and served on the Board during that period of time. Linda enjoys spending time with family, especially her daughter Adrienne (a TMA alumna), Adrienne's husband Jeremy and their black Lab Tyler.
	Linda Meyer, Library Assistant Linda Meyer is the morning Library Assistant at TMA. She was born and raised in northern Indiana and currently lives in Granger with her husband Bill. Linda attended Western Michigan University where she majored in art and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. She worked in advertising for nine years as a graphic designer before retiring to raise a family. Linda became involved with TMA in 1988 when her son Logan enrolled in first grade. She served as a classroom and Library volunteer and substitute teacher in Preschool thru Junior High before joining the staff in 1995. (Bio updated Mar. 2008)
	Meg Rooney, Library Assistant Meg Rooney has been the afternoon Library Assistant since 1998. She loves working in the Library where she can assist students of all levels. Before joining the Library team, Meg was a frequent substitute teacher in EC through Junior High classrooms. In her non-staff member years, Meg served on various board committees and held many volunteer posts. Her three children attended TMA and thrived during their years here. Raised in New York, Meg received her Bachelors degree from Syracuse University in Advertising and English Literature and Linguistics. (Bio updated Feb. 2008)
south bend center for the homeless
	Bobbi Lauritsen, Lead Teacher at Center for the Homeless Bobbi Lauritsen discovered Montessori while looking for a preschool for her daughter. The first year, she volunteered as a "lunch mom." The second year, she was on staff as an assistant in a 3-6 classroom. During her daughter's final preschool year, Bobbi was completing her internship for her training as a Montessori Directress. Bobbi began working for TMA in July of 2006 as the lead teacher in the classroom at the Center for the Homeless. Bobbi and her husband Eric have two children, Alayna and Garrett. Their family enjoys caring for a small guinea pig herd. (Bio updated Jul. 2007)
	Marybeth Hoffer, Assistant Teacher at Center for the Homeless MaryBeth Hoffer has an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Development and Arts from South Western Michigan College. She interned at a Montessori preschool while completing her degree. She was offered a staff position during the summer of 2004 to run their aftercare program and to work as a toddler assistant. She came to TMA in August of 2006 when she accepted the assistant position in the classroom at the Center for the Homeless. MaryBeth has two sons and one well-loved grandson. She is an avid animal lover with many cats, and is a skilled pencil portrait artist. (Bio updated Jul. 2007)
staff
	Andrew Olivia, Lunch Room Server
	Dennis Wood, Maintenance