The classroom teachers in the Primary Montessori program have a vast background in the Montessori teaching method. They are all AMI (American Montessori Internationale) trained and accredited teachers with a myriad of talents and interests.
Biographies:
Pema Chogyal, Substitute Teacher
Pema discovered Montessori first as a parent and then took Montessori training. She has a B.A. in Human Studies from Marylhurst University. Pema believes Skinner is a great place to work. She enjoys the dedicated staff, supportive parents and wonderful loving children. Pema has been with Skinner for 15 years, as a parent, assistant teacher and now a primary teacher. She continues personal and professional develpment with workshops at Montessori Institute. Pema is also active in volunteering in the Tibetan community, walking, meditations and spiritual practice and development in her spare time.
Katey Manninen, Primary Teacher
Katey has a B.A. in Education from Multnomah University. She was Pema´´s assistant for two years and then assumed the role of Primary Teacher beginning in 2010. She also worked in the public school system for 3 years. If not in the classroom, Katey can be found in a coffee shop, reading or hiking, biking or running. She will also teach the soccer program here at Skinner.
Classroom Assistant: Laura Branfield
Gina Pinnelli Lefever, Primary Teacher
Gina Pinnelli LeFever, Primary Teacher, AMI has been with Skinner for 21 years, seventeen as a Primary Montessori teacher. She has a Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Marylhurst University and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science with a major concentration in History and minor in Anthropology from Washington State University. She has headed up the school´´s Elementary Summer Camp for the previous two years. For the last three years, she has also worked part time as bookseller at Barnes and Noble in Vancouver. When she is not teaching she enjoys spending time with her three grandchildren, scrap booking, antiquing, and reading.
Classroom Assistant: Helen Steelman