Katie Swisher is the guide in the Ocean Room class which we opened in January 2008. She is a Montessori child and the daughter of a Montessori teacher. She received an AMI Primary Diploma from the Montessori Institute Northwest in May of 2004 and her M.Ed. that summer from Loyola College in Maryland. She is a violinist/violist, and her B.A. focused on music with young children in the Montessori Primary setting. In the classroom, Katie is passionate about supporting children’s development as social human beings and inspiring each child’s love of life-long learning. Her other interests include cooking, hiking, camping and spending time with her family.
Betsy Black is the assistant guide in the Ocean Room. She began her experience at Harmony Montessori as a parent when her first child, Max, was enrolled in the Ocean Room. She began working at Harmony, last spring, as a part-time assistant in the Ocean Room and was the lead teacher for the Late Care Program. Betsy realized her passion for child development with the birth of Max, and enrolled in the AMI training course at the Montessori Institute Northwest. She received her AMI Diploma in the Spring of 2009, at which time she was welcoming her new daughter London into the world. During the training she also completed 3/4 of the classes required to achieve her Masters degree in Montessori Education. Betsy has plans to travel to Baltimore next summer to complete her degree at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland. Betsy enjoys snowboarding, camping, and swimming outdoors, along with a strong passion and interest in personal fitness and Pilates.
