Supporting Staff: Enhancing our World

Our teachers and students are blessed to have a wonderful array of supporting staff who help make Green Mountain Montessori a truly special and unique environment.

Andrea Sandy - Office Manager

Mrs. Andrea lives in Jericho with her husband, Eric and their two daughters; Abigail, 9 and Madilyn, 7. She is an alumni of St. Michael’s College where she obtained a BA in English. Prior to becoming office Manager at GMMS in October, she was a Referral Specialist at Child Care Resource in Williston for two years after a long stint as a stay-at-home Mom.

Currently she serves as the president of the PTO at Underhill ID Elementary School and is a volunteer with the Four Winds Science Program at the school. She is also a weekly volunteer in both her daughter’s classrooms. In her spare time, you’ll find her on the slopes at Smugg’s, spending time with her family or curled up with a great book.

Mrs. Kari Trudo - Lead After School Teacher

Mrs. Kari lives in Essex Town, with her husband Bruce. They have three children, Kyle 20, Adam 16 and Holli 11.She has been a pre-school teacher for 17 years and has her Child Development Associates Degree. Upon closing her childcare center she went back to Champlain College to further her education in Early Childhood Education. She worked as a Para- Educator at Essex Elementary School among other various teaching positions. She has also worked part time at Goodwill in Williston.

She is looking forward to spending some weekends learning how to snowshoe this winter along with other winter sports on the mountain with her family. In her spare time she enjoys scrap booking her many family memories.

Eliza Volk -After School Teacher

Mrs. Eliza grew up on a small farm one hour north of New York City. She moved to Burlington, VT as a UVM student in 2005. She graduated last May, with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Environmental Studies. Eliza has always been involved with working with kids, particularly in outdoor environments. She wants to continue her own studies in becoming an educator.

Eliza loves to be spend time outside. This past fall she biked from San Francisco to Portland, OR. She greatly enjoys playing lacrosse, snowboarding, and enjoying other outdoor adventures. Being involved in the arts and reading is also an important part of her life.

Beth Tailer - Science & Nature Specialist

Mrs. Beth has brought wonder and delight to our children since 2002 - engaging them in an exploration of patterns and designs in nature with boundless creativity and energy. Ms. Beth has held many jobs in her lifetime. She is a trained nurse, and works at the Neo- Natal Intensive Care Unit at FAHC. But that is just one of many ways she brings joy to parents and children.

Ms. Beth has been an Environmental Learning for the Future (ELF) instructor with the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) since 2003 . She was recognized by VINS as an outstanding educator in 2006 and we certainly agree! She has also taught science to children in the Smuggler’s Notch Ski Camp since 2001, using a tepee for her classroom.

She practices what she teaches at her home in Essex with her husband, Tim - a wonderful area for natural exploration with farm animals, gardens, brook and forest that inspire her work.

Maria Castro - After School & Substitute Teacher

Mrs. Maria volunteers her time because she loves working with children and especially enjoys doing arts and craft projects with them. We love having her too!

Maria was born on the island of LaPalma, Spain and went to the University of the Island of Tennerife where she received her education degree. After coming to the United States in 1954, Ms. Maria lived and worked on Long Island for 26 years where she was an assistant teacher for three and four year-olds at a nursery school before moving to Vermont. She lives in Essex Junction with her husband Ernest and they have a son and a daughter and grand children who live in Shelburne.

Gloria McGrail - Substitute Teacher

Mrs. Gloria officially "retired" in June 2006 as a classroom teacher at Green Mountain Montessori in 2006. However, we are blessed that her love for children and the joy she experiences teaching children about the world around them has kept her active at our school in a substitute teaching role.

Gloria's love of children extends from her own family to many other young children whom she has enlightened over the years.  She began her formal experience with a B.S. in Elementary Education from Framingham State College and teacher certifications in Elementary Education from Massachusetts and Connecticut, and then led toddler and preschool classrooms for 14 years at the Children's Academy in Ridgefield, CT.

Gloria and her husband Tom relocated to Vermont in 2003. The McGrails have 3 children and 4 grandchildren who live in Massachusetts and Vermont. The family enjoys boating on beautiful Lake Champlain in the summer and skiing in the Green Mountains in the winter. If the weather outside is frightful, Gloria enjoys reading and solving crossword puzzles.

Our Parents

We would be remiss in not including our parent community on this page - they are an important part of our classroom experience. Parents actively participate in our classrooms nearly every day - teaching additional crafts and skills and helping with special projects. A few of many examples are told through the pictures below: