MCHD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Central Park Campus Co - Director
My name is Amie Miller-Hubach and I am excited to have the opportunity to work with all of you in a new capacity this year.
As some of you may already know, I have filled a dual role within the Elementary team over the past years, as both the Lead Teacher in the Upper Elementary Classroom and the Elementary and Middle School Curriculum Coordinator, a role in which I provided guidance and support to my peers. This year, I will be stepping out of the classroom and committing fully to my leadership role in the MCHD community. I will remain the Coordinator of the Elementary Program and will also support the Central Park campus as the Assistant Director. While it is hard to leave the classroom, I am so excited to be able to support our school in a deeper way, and I am so grateful that I will be able to leave the Upper Elementary Classroom in such capable and committed hands.
For those of you who do not know me well already, I discovered the Montessori philosophy while working as a Zoologist and Educator at the Cheyenne Mt. Zoo in my early twenties. I fell in love with the idea that education could be child-centered, could focus on more than just academics, could be individualized and engaging, and could be respectful and collaborative. From that point, I had the opportunity to move to Denver and start as a Lower Elementary assistant at Parker Montessori, where I eventually took over the Upper Elementary lead teacher position after training at Montessori Education Center of the Rockies (MECR). I was eager to take on this new challenge and learned so much about how Montessori education supports elementary-aged children as they continue to develop into independent and capable adolescents.
In 2007 I joined the Montessori Children's House of Denver as their first Lower Elementary lead teacher. I was so excited to begin this brand new elementary program. Over the next three years, I enjoyed supporting the growth of this program and being a part of this amazing community. During that time I also welcomed my own two children into the world. Eli was born in 2008 and Max in 2010. After the birth of my second child, I decided to take a step back from leading a classroom in order to be more present for my family.
Over the summer of 2013, I returned to MECR to work on completing my Upper Elementary training, before returning to MCHD in the fall as the new Upper Elementary lead teacher. Since then, I have taken on the leadership role as Elementary and Middle School Program Coordinator and have also enjoyed working as a Field Consultant for the MECR. I truly enjoy the opportunity to support and mentor other Montessori teachers. I am so grateful that my family and I are a part of this amazing Montessori community and that we can continue our Montessori journeys here. I love that MCHD is a unique Montessori community where staff, families, and students come together to create a nurturing, family-like environment. Within this nurturing community, students from 12 months to 9th grade receive an authentic Montessori experience that supports their development in all areas. I am proud to be a member of this amazing community!
Job Titles:
- Toddler Curriculum Coordinator
I have been in the Montessori world since 2002, when I joined the staff at Near North Montessori School in Chicago as an assistant and theater teacher. Over my years at Near North, I worked with students 2 years-8th grade and had the joy of absorbing the Montessori philosophy through each stage of development. After our first son was born I stepped back from my work at the school and co-founded an eco-conscious retail and resource center for new families. Over the subsequent seven years, I taught classes, supported, and connected with new families (and had another son!), all while keeping the Montessori foundation present in my work. In 2012, my husband, two boys, and I moved to Denver to be closer to my family, but had no idea that we would discover a second family through MCHD. I had the opportunity to begin my work at MCHD in leadership, as the Park Hill Campus Coordinator. Soon after, I followed a lifelong dream of pursuing my 0-3 Montessori training and, two years later, my master's in education. I enjoyed several wonderful years guiding toddlers, and in 2017 I was given the opportunity to co-pilot our Parent-Infant program with Mavis Baker, our Sustainability Coordinator. In August of 2018, I stepped back into leadership as the Park Hill Campus Director, while continuing to lead the Parent-Infant curriculum. In 2022, I shifted once again to become MCHD's Inclusion Coordinator, working with staff and families to support inclusion in our classrooms. I am so proud that my children have been MCHD students, that my husband is our resident architect, and that they have provided a place where children and adults can thrive in the incredible work of learning. My favorite moments are ones when a child lights up with discovery, when a teacher shares a "Montessori moment," and when a parent sees their infant in a new light. Every day, I have the privilege of bearing witness to young children as they develop and to the amazing teachers who guide them.
My name is Jaquelyn Garcia, and I began my career at MCHD in 2011 as an assistant in the Mayfair Main Level classroom, before becoming the Afternoon Coordinator in 2013. While I loved my time singing and crafting with the children, I soon wanted to bring more to my afternoon programming. I pursued and received my Montessori Certification from the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies in 2018, then used my new mastery to help usher in exciting changes at MCHD. In 2021, I accepted a new role as Admissions Coordinator, and I am excited for the opportunity to help all three campuses of the MCHD community continue to grow. On a personal note, my husband and I have two lovely boys who both attend MCHD, and on weekends, you will find us at family dinners with my parents and sisters, for we are a very close-knit family.
Job Titles:
- HR / Billing & Facilities Coordinator
My name is Michelle O'Donoghue Heine and I'm the executive director of Montessori Children's House of Denver. I have been employed with MCHD for almost 6 years and my journey began as the lead teacher of the main level classroom at our Mayfair campus. I spent two wonderful years teaching and then was invited to become the director of our Central Park campus and spent two years in that role. The following year I became the executive director.
I was born and raised in California and moved to Colorado when I was 24. I was a manager for a company called Crate and Barrel and relocated from California to help open the first store in Colorado located in the Park Meadows Mall. The store proved very successful and I was asked to relocate to Chicago temporarily to learn the furniture business and then return to Colorado to open the furniture store which I did. It was amazing experience with a beautiful company and after 10 years I thought it was time to pursue my love of teaching with children.
I left my career to pursue a new dream as a Montessori teacher. I was an assistant teacher for a year and just knew it was my calling so I decided to take my Montessori training. During that time I also became a mother to my daughter Isobel who is now 14 and my son Reed who is 11.
I was a Montessori intern after my training, a lead teacher for 2-3 year olds, a primary teacher for 2 ½ to 6 year olds and an assistant director. I had a strong desire to return the classroom and decided to have a different experience and that is what brought me to Montessori Children's House of Denver. My career in education now includes my associates credential in Montessori for primary, an associates in early childhood education, Love and Logic Classroom Instructor training and I'm currently pursuing my bachelor's in early childhood education with an emphasis in special education at UNC.
My career in education now includes my associates credential in Montessori for primary, an associates in early childhood education, Love and Logic Classroom Instructor training and I'm currently pursuing my bachelor's in early childhood education with an emphasis in special education at UNC.
On a more personal note I have a wonderful family which includes my husband, daughter, son and our two dogs. I enjoy art, reading, yoga, pursuing my education and spending time with my family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Head of School & Director of Admissions
My name is Sarah Mohagen. I am the Assistant Executive Director at Montessori Children's House of Denver and have worked at MCHD since 2007, where I started as an assistant in the Main Level Primary classroom. While I already had a bachelors in elementary education from the University of Northern Colorado, I had very little understanding of Montessori education at that time. I had been searching for a school that felt right and matched what I believed education should do for children.
I felt at home as soon as I walked in the door at MCHD. After a short amount of time, I fell in love with the Montessori Philosophy and started working towards my Primary certification. I received my Primary diploma from the North American Montessori Center in 2008. Then I received my Montessori Elementary credential and started attending the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies in 2009. When MCHD added an Upper Elementary classroom in 2009, I became the lead teacher and helped continue our elementary program through 6th grade. I received my Montessori Elementary 1 and 2 credential in 2010. In the fall of 2013, I moved into a leadership position as the Assistant Executive Director (AED) to head up the admissions department after I had my first child.
Job Titles:
- Park Hill Campus Director
My name is Sarah Stephens, and I am thrilled to be a member of the MCHD leadership team as the Park HIll Campus Director. I have been in Montessori since 2008, starting as a Montessori Toddler and later Kindergarten co-teacher, receiving my Early Childhood Montessori credential through the Pan American Montessori Society in 2013, five, fabulous years as a Primary Head Guide, and 4.5 years as an Assistant Director. Additionally, I have a B.A. in Spanish Literature and M.A. in Elementary Education. In 2021, I made a shift in my Montessori career, focusing on educational consulting. As an Assistant Director in previous positions, I developed and delivered several professional development and parent education workshops. I used these experiences, Montessori, my challenges as a woman of color in the profession and society, and my desire to return to the roots of Montessori with a modern lens of equity, creating "From Peace to Equity," a series of workshops and resources for educational communities. Using Dr. Montessori's foundational quote of "The whole of mankind is one and only one, one race, one class, and one society," I use her impeccable work on peace to evolve with our desperate need of equity through Montessori education. As the Park Hill Campus Director, I want to partner with families and lead a staff that honors and supports the whole-child: as individuals, as members of their family, and as citizens of the world.
I am delighted to join the MCHD family and will strive to meet and support every member of the school and global community where they are. Together, each unique individual can value ourselves while adjusting our behaviors to create a thriving, developmental space of belonging.