Southwest Montessori Academy

Nuestros profesores

Each lead teacher holds a Montessori credential for ages 3-6. The classrooms have an assistant teacher as well, with 20 students, and a ratio of 1:10.

Meet our Staff:

Karrin Marquell - Head of School When Southwest Montessori opened in 2013, Karrin was hired as Lead Teacher and was integral in developing SMA’s mission. She became Head of School in 2020.

Karrin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Ball State University, and an American Montessori Society (AMS) credential for Early Childhood, earned from the Missouri Montessori Teacher Education Program. She taught in the classroom for 16 years and holds a nationally recognized Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and is also a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator and Classroom Educator. In 2023, Karrin earned her American Montessori Society (AMS) credential in Montessori Leadership and Administration from Seton Montessori Institute.

Lisa Magsamen - Lead Teacher Lisa is a native of Iowa City, Iowa. She has over 20 years of experience in working with young children, spending the first 14 years as a Montessori trained toddler teacher.

Lisa’s journey brought her to Indiana in 2003, right after she successfully completed her Montessori training in Infant/Toddler at the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies in Boulder, Colorado. In 2022, Lisa earned her AMS Early Childhood Associate Credential (ages 3-6) from Seton Montessori Institute in Chicago.

Miranda Riddle - Lead Teacher Miranda joined Southwest Montessori Academy in 2018 as a Classroom Assistant, supporting both Room 1 and Room 2 over the years. She has also led our summer camp program. Miranda was promoted to Lead Teacher after she completed her Masters in Montessori Education and received her credential for her AMS Early Childhood Credential through The Center for Montessori Education at Trine University in Angola.

Originally from Ohio, Miranda completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, also at Trine University. Before joining SMA, she worked as a behavior technician in Coldwater, Michigan, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis.

Orrpan Olson - Assistant Teacher Orrapan Poonthaisong Olson joined SMA as an Assistant Teacher in Room 1 in the fall of 2024, a year after first becoming part of the SMA community as a parent.

Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Orrapan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education, specializing in English teaching, and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from a university in Bangkok. She spent seven years working as a government teacher in junior high and high schools in Bangkok, gaining valuable experience in the education field.

Sarah Lafrentz - Before/After Care Teacher

Julie Turney - Administrative Assistant Julie Turney started at SMA in 2018 and is the first friendly point-of-contact for SMA families. She plays an essential role in ensuring the smooth functioning of daily operations. Her responsibilities encompass supporting parents with tuition needs, assisting students during morning arrivals and throughout the day, and tending to teachers’ needs for various office tasks. She also helps support our aftercare program and is a key partner in supporting Karrin with the Head of School role. Julie is originally from Huntington, IN. She has been working in a school environment since 2008. Julie has a bachelor’s degree from Fort Hays State University.

Testimonios

You can see our reviews in places such as Google, Private School Review, GreatSchools.org, and Niche.

Filosofía

SMA is founded on the principles of mutual respect, with Montessori and Positive Discipline philosophies and practices at its core. Over the years we have built a community of parents and teachers who are excited about working together to serve our students. We have a passion for helping children reach their full potential, foster their love of learning and become contributing members of society. Our Montessori credentialed teachers are trained by accredited Montessori teacher training centers. We provide each student a personalized learning experience in an environment that is beautiful and specially-prepared for each student to become an independent, confident, compassionate and engaged learner.

Montessori classrooms are multi-age usually spanning 3 years, and students spend 3 years in the same classroom with the same teacher. The environment is specially prepared environment to help develop a child’s independence, interdependence, and critical thinking skills, and offers guidance which fosters a love of learning within the child.

Ubicación

SMA is conveniently located near the intersection of Illinois Road and I-69 on Magnavox Way.

Acerca de nuestro programa

Southwest Montessori Academy is a Montessori school in Fort Wayne, Indiana offering Montessori classes for children ages 3-6 (preschool through Kindergarten). At Southwest Montessori Academy, we nurture children’s curiosity. Using the Montessori method, we provide each student a personalized learning experience in an environment that is intentionally prepared for each student to become an independent and engaged learner. We help children reach their full potential by fostering their love of learning as each child prepares for life.

Admisiones

Our admissions process can be viewed at www.southwestmontessoriacademy.org/admissions.