Faculty and Staff

Keely joined the CFMS community in June 2018 as the Head of School. She holds a B.A. in Art from Wittenberg University and an M.L.S. from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Keely earned an early childhood certificate in Montessori education from the Seton Montessori Institute in 2001 and taught primary and adolescent students at Montessori schools in Ohio and Illinois. She gained broader  administrative and development experience during her three years at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, OH and six years at National Cathedral School, in Washington, DC.  Keely and her husband Dan have made Washington their home since 2012. Their older daughter attends The College of Wooster and their younger daughter is a Lower Elementary student at CFMS.

Jan is the Director of Faculty Support. She is a graduate of Western Michigan University and completed her Elementary Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) diploma and Masters of Education degree at the Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola University Maryland. Jan dedicated more than two decades of her career to Arbor Montessori School in Atlanta where she served as Lower Elementary Guide, Upper Elementary Guide, Adolescent Program Founding Director and Guide and eventually as Head of School.  In 2018, Jan moved to DC to be closer to family and took a position as Assistant Head of School at Fiore Montessori in northern Virginia.  

Jan joined CFMS in the summer of 2021. She is responsible for teacher observation, evaluation,  and mentorship as well as leading our AMI accreditation process. Jan supports the parent-teacher partnership and effective communication of student progress. 

Kristi is the Director of Student Support. She began her work at CFMS in 1998 as an assistant in a Primary classroom and intern at the Center for Children and Theology. In 2001 she received her primary Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) diploma and Masters of Education degree from the Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola University Maryland and became a Primary teacher at CFMS in September of 2001. In 2011, Kristi helped to establish the All Day Montessori program with Lindy Rivera. Kristi received her B.A. in German and Journalism from the University of Alabama, and studied at the Universität Hamburg in Germany. Kristi is trained in Level I of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She became a CFMS parent in 2017.

Andrea is the Director of Development and assists with the fundraising efforts for the school. She comes to CFMS with over 10 years of nonprofit development experience, previously with the Pontifical North American College. Born and raised in New Jersey, she moved to the Washington, DC area after earning her B.A. from the Catholic University of America. Andrea is also a current CFMS parent in All-Day Primary and Lower Elementary.

Angie is the Business Manager at CFMS. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Angie received her B.S. in Marketing Management from Virginia Tech. She spent most of her professional career in management consulting where she specialized in process redesign and productivity improvement. She lives in Potomac, MD with her husband and their three children.

Dan is the assistant in Upper Elementary and in Elementary Extended Care. He has previously worked in other Montessori schools and in higher education. He has completed the AMI Primary Orientation Course and the Certificate Course in Montessori Sports Fundamentals. He is excited to learn more about how Montessori education nurtures the whole child.  

Duncan serves as Administrative Coordinator at CFMS.  Born and raised in Washington, DC, Duncan earned a BA in Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis.  He now lives with his wife, Catherine, and their three children in Cheverly, MD.  He enjoys hiking, kayaking, and going on adventures with his family.    

Janine joined CFMS as the Assistant in the Traditional Primary classroom in 2019. She has been working with children for 4 years at the RDU Tennis summer camp, where she served as a camp counselor and director. She was born and raised in Washington, DC. She graduated from Trinity Washington University in 2019 with a B.A. in Human Relations and a minor in Fine Arts. Janine has always been passionate about working with children. While working for CFMS she plans to go back to school and get her masters degree in early childhood education. 

Jodi-Beth is the Elementary Catechist. She began working as a catechist in the Primary classroom in September 2006, and trained in all three levels of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Jodi-Beth began her journey as an educator while working with the Mennonite Central Committee in Bolivia over 15 years ago. Jodi-Beth earned a B.A. in Religion from Duke University and an M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa. Jodi-Beth is fluent in Spanish and has begun work to develop bi-lingual materials for the 3-6 atrium. Her two daughters are graduates of CFMS.

Karen serves as a support assistant in Traditional Primary, as well as a frequent substitute in other CFMS classrooms/Elementary Extended Care. She has been a parent in the CFMS community since 2015. She served as a recess assistant, then a  frequent substitute, and then became a part time assistant serving in the Upper Elementary Classroom Community in 2020.  She joined the ADP team in 2022-23.

Oona is the Catechist in the Primary Atrium. She began her work at CFMS in 2006 as an assistant in the classroom. In 2007, she completed the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd training to work with 3-6 year old children, and in 2012 she completed the training to work with 6-9 year olds. In 2013, she began the training to work with 9-12 year olds. Oona holds a B.A. in Human Services from George Washington University, with a minor in Psychology and Religion.

Sarah is the Upper Elementary teacher at CFMS.  She received her AMI Elementary diploma from Washington Montessori Institute at Loyola University, Maryland in 2010. She's taught Lower and Upper Elementary in Montessori School in the United States Virgin Islands and in Maryland. She served as the Washington Montessori Institute Course Assistant.  In addition to her Montessori training, Sarah holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John's College and is trained through Level III in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Sarahi is the Traditional Primary Teacher. She earned her Elementary Assistant Certificate from the Washington Montessori Institute (WMI) at Loyola University Maryland in 2015 and her AMI Primary Diploma at WMI in 2022. She was born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she graduated from the University of Guadalajara in 2010 with a B.A. in Visual Arts with an orientation in Photography. Sarahi also was a volunteer for the University's Sea Turtle and Wildlife Rescue Center from 2005 to 2008. Sarahi and her husband Joey are parents of three sons who are CFMS students in Traditional Primary, Lower Elementary, and Upper Elementary.

Sippy serves as the All Day Primary Guide at CFMS. Originally from Jinhua, China, she trained at the Zhejiang Academy of Art in Hangzhou and the China Drama Academy in Beijing. After working in China as an actor to integrate children’s theater with education, she moved from Shanghai to Virginia in 2019. She obtained her AMI Primary Assistant Certificate in 2020 and her AMI Primary Diploma from the Washington Montessori Institute in 2022, reflecting her commitment to Montessori education at CFMS. Sippy's rich background in performing arts brings a unique perspective to her teaching approach. Sippy loves her two cats, guinea pig and all kinds of animals.

Tatyanna the afternoon assistant in All Day Primary. A DC native, Tatyanna discovered Montessori after years of working in other educational settings. She immediately became deeply passionate about the philosophy and how it supports the child’s learning and growth. Tatyanna has a goal to become a Montessori Guide in the future. She is currently enrolled at Trinity University studying Psychology. In her free time, Tatyanna is a foodie who loves cooking, trying new recipes, and exploring different restaurants.

Virginia is the Lower Elementary Teacher at CFMS. Virginia is a dedicated practitioner with a well-established career in Montessori Education. She has a deep commitment to community building and respect for the individual child. Virginia holds AMI credentials at both the Primary and Elementary levels. She is also trained in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at Levels I and II and is certified as an AMI Elementary Consultant and Teacher Trainer. Virginia holds a BA in Anthropology; an MA in Elementary Education; and has completed significant professional development in serving children with learning differences. In her free time Virginia enjoys creative endeavors including making beautiful Montessori materials (she has made materials for six AMI training centers) and is a professional cake decorator and instructor.

Yamuna is the Morning All Day Primary Assistant. A graduate of Wilson High School in DC, Yamuna went on to receive her degree in Philosophy and History from Baruch College - City University of New York. Yamuna is a mother of four children, and has been a CFMS parent for ten years. After watching her oldest transition from CFMS into Middle School in 2019, she’s noted how well CFMS prepared her child for that transition. She has previously served as a Classroom Assistant in both Upper Elementary and Lower Elementary.