Staff bios: Learn more about our highly-qualified and experienced staff.

James Farwell, jfarwell@msfortmyers.com

Mr. James grew up in Woodbury, MN attending several Montessori schools throughout childhood including Woodbury Montessori (3-4 years old), Nokomis Montessori School (Kindergarten), J.J. Hill Montessori (1st grade) and Valley Crossing Community School (5th – 6th grade).  A lifelong learner and teacher, Mr. James has served for three years as a Sunday school teacher (1st - 3rd graders), six years as a snowboard instructor (11 – 13 year olds), one year as a teaching assistant at the University of Florida, has served as an occasional guest speaker at Florida International University several times from 2009-2013, and taught financial analysis courses.  Mr. James enjoys finding ways to better serve our students, families, and staff.  In his free time, he enjoys working on the school facility, playing soccer, weight lifting, growing fruit trees, reading, and discussing self improvement. 

Credentials

• Head of School since 2013.
• Montessori Administrator Credential - September 2016.  Seton Montessori Institute, an American Montessori Society (AMS) affiliated teacher education program.
• B.S.B.A. in Finance and minor in Spanish - University of Florida.  Significant college coursework in early childhood education at Nova Southeast University.
• Florida Department of Children & Families - Staff Credential, Director Credential, Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Director Endorsement, 40 hours of child care training, numerous continuing education courses
• Certified Instructor of 15 Hour Redirecting Children's Behavior Course
• Published contributor to Montessori Leadership magazine published by the Montessori Foundation.

Terri Shippey, administrator@msfortmyers.com

A native of Houston, Texas, Ms. Terri began her career in Montessori right after high school. She worked in a small Montessori school as a summer job. This summer job lasted 10 years. During those 10 years, she obtained her Montessori Diploma.  Ms. Terri was given the opportunity to become a Director of a Montessori School in Amarillo, Texas. It was there that Terri gained experience managing a Montessori school. She moved to Fort Myers, Florida in 2008, where she and a few of her co-workers spent the next 8 years transforming a small childcare center in the Dunbar area into a beautiful Montessori school that offered quality education to lower income families.  Ms. Terri loves the outdoors and spending time with her two horses and photography. She enjoys all sports. She loves the Houston Astros, Rockets and Texans. 

Credentials

• 10+ Years school administration experience
• Spent a summer at the University of Texas 
• Montessori Diploma – Texas Montessori Education Center
• Florida Department of Children & Families - Staff Credential, Director Credential, Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Director Endorsement, 40 hours of child care training, numerous continuing education courses
• Certified Instructor of 15 Hour Redirecting Children's Behavior Course
• American Heart Association - Infant & Child CPR, AED, First Aid, and Blood Borne Pathogen training
• ALICE training
• A.S. in Early Childhood Education- Rasmussen College
• Working on Her B.S. in Early Education- Rasmussen College
• Infant and Child CPR and First-aid certified

Ashley Andrews, officemanager@msfortmyers.com

Ms. Ashley grew up in the Fort Myers/Cape Coral area. She is an alumni of Montessori School of Fort Myers from 1994-1997. She also attended a Montessori school for Middle School where she later volunteered over the summer and worked as an Assistant Teacher a few years later. Ms. Ashley Graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2014 with her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. She has always had a love for Montessori School of Fort Myers and couldn't pass up the opportunity to return back as the Office Manager! Ms. Ashley loves to travel and spend time outdoors and you can typically find her on the boat or ATV on her days off! 

Credentials

• Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from FGCU
• 10+ years of Office Experience
• Many years of Montessori experience as both a student and teacher
• Currently working on 15 Hour Redirecting Children's Behavior Certificate
• Currently completing Credentials for Florida Department of Children & Families 

Ms. Wendy

Ms. Wendy came to us from Fort Wayne, Indiana along with her son and daughter. She  grew up on a lake vacationing in Florida. While raising her 3 children, Wendy was also a foster parent.  Ms. Wendy loves all things in nature and anything related to music, art, water activities, the beach, and ocean life.

Credentials

• Licensed Foster Care Provider in Indiana
• Paraprofessional-Lee County
• First Aid and CPR certified
• 18 years Home Educator
• 5 years Teaching Assistant in Montessori/Public School
• Florida Department of Children and Families- 45 hours Child Care Training
• Working on her Primary Montessori Credentials

Ms. Cristina

Ms. Cristina is a Cape Coral native.  She is now attending Florida Southwestern State College working towards her Bachelors in Elementary/Early Childhood Education. She has previous experience working with children in various ages of the Early childhood age levels. She has also worked with high school aged students with special needs in the Baker Buddies Program.  Ms. Christina enjoys working with young children in the Montessori environment!

Credentials

• Associate Degree
• Florida Department of Children and Families - 45 hours Child Care Training
• First Aid and CPR certified

Ms. Skylar

Skylar was born in Fort Myers, but grew up in Nebraska. I started working in a preschool at 16 and realized this is the career I belong in. From then, Ms. Skylar started working towards my Associate’s Degree at the age of 18. Skylar finished 5 years later at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne, Fl. After she graduated in 2019, she  decided to move to Fort Myers. Skylar has not been at a Montessori school before, but she is excited to learn knew techniques! In her free time Skylar enjoys spending time in nature and taking adventures. 

Credentials: 

• Associate degree in Early Childhood Education
• Director Credential
• 8 years of experience working with children
• CPR certified
• Florida Department of Children and Families- 45 hours Child Care Training 
• Working on 15 hours of Redirecting Children's Behavior
  

 CPR certified

Ms. Ana 

One of our most experienced staff members, Ms. Ana completed her Early Childhood (3-6 years) Montessori Teacher Training in 1984 and taught for several years at Alexander Montessori School in Miami, FL.  She then opened her own school, Christian Montessori Children's House in Miami, FL,  for 3-6 year old children which she ran for 10 years.  She moved to Cape Coral and soon began work as a lower elementary school lead teacher (grades 1-3) from 1996-2001 at Michigan Montessori Elementary School, the first public Montessori school in Fort Myers, FL.   After Michigan Montessori Elementary School shut down, Ms. Ana worked as an elementary school teacher at James Stephens Intentional Academy, an international baccalaureate school, before joining Renaissance Montessori school in 2010 where she was an elementary lead teacher until 2015.  After a short retirement, Ms. Ana rejoined the Montessori community at our school.

Credentials

• AMS Early Childhood (3-6 years old) Montessori Teacher credential, Montessori Teacher Training Institute (MTTI), Miami, FL
• AMS Lower Elementary Teacher  credential, Barry University, North Miami, FL
• Master of Science Degree in Montessori Education, Barry University 
• Bachelor Degree in Human Resources and Management, Trinity University, Miami, FL
• Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education, Miami-Dade Community College, Miami, FL
• Primary Teacher (PreK-grade 3) Certification, University of South Florida
•  Florida Department of Children and Families- 45 hours Child Care Training 
• Infant and Child CPR and First-aid certified
• 15 Hourse Redireting Children's Behavior Course certificate

Ms. Sarah

Ms. Sarah was born in Hialeah, FL and relocated to Cape Coral, FL when she was young. She has had experience working with children, including 6 years as a Sunday school teacher working with ages 2-6, and has also had 2 years’ experience as a lead teacher in a toddler level classroom. She is currently working on obtaining her Associate’s Degree at Florida Southwestern State College. In her free time, Sarah enjoys reading and writing, drawing, and spending time with her family, friends, and dogs.

Credentials

• 8+ years of childcare experience
• Florida Department of Children and Families – 45 hours Child Care Training
• Infant & child CPR and First-Aid certified
• ALICE training
• 15 Hours Redirecting Children's Behavior Course certificate

Ms. Seydel

Ms. Seydel comes from California and has experience in a K-12 IB program Academy. Earlier in life, she worked for her mother's daycare for many years until she decided to become a teacher herself. She is currently working towards her Bachelor's Degree in Education with a minor in Psychology. She also has many Leadership roles such as Honor's Mentor, Student Goverment, and the PTK Honor Society, in which she helps other students succeed in their educational goals. She has a great love and passion for teaching and helping students succeed. 

Credentials

• Associates in Liberal Arts/Social Behavioral Sciences
• Associates in Liberal Arts/Art, Humanities and Communications
• Medical Assistant Certification
• Honors Enrichment Certification
• Phi Theta Kappa Certification
• FDA Hours Certificates

Ms. Livia 

Ms. Livia has a long career in teaching starting with first lamaze (childbirth) classes from 1987-1993, as a certified substitute teacher and teachers aide in the early 1990’s working with elementary, special needs, and high school students, in 1991 as a Head Start program working with 4 and 5 year olds, in 1992 as an administrator in a early education childhood program, in a preschool classroom from 1994 – 1997, and since 2000, Ms. Livia has served the Montessori School of Fort Myers where she earned her Infant/Toddler Montessori Credential.  Ms. Livia loves spending quality time with her family and her grandchildren.  She likes reading, gardening, trying new foods, and is very active with her bible classes.

Credentials

• American Montessori Society (AMS) Infant/Toddler Credential (0-3 years old) - Summit Montessori Teaching Training Institute
• North American Montessori Center – Infant/Toddler Montessori Credential, 2004
• Florida Department of Children and Families – 45 hours of childcare training, many years of continued education
• American Heart Association – Infant & Child CPR, AED, First Aid, and Blood Borne Pathogen training
• 15 Hour Redirecting Children’s Behavior Course certificate

Ms. Pam

A life-long Montessori teacher, Ms. Pam began teaching at Florence Foster Montessori School in Chicago, IL in 1986 where she taught until 1989 when she moved to Fort Myers.  Ms. Pam has taught at Montessori School of Fort Myers since 1990 as an assistant teacher and is a strong presence in the classroom.  She loves working with our children and is very skilled in keeping her classroom running in good order.

Credentials

• Florida Department of Children and Families – 45 hours Child Care Training
• 25+ years of in-service training courses in a variety of early childhood education topics
• American Heart Association – Infant & Child CPR, AED, First -Aid, and Blood Borne Pathogen training
• 15 Hour Redirecting Children’s Behavior Course ceritficate

Ms. Irene

Ms. Irene is a native from Fort Myers, Florida. She is studying at  Florida Southwest College for education. She has previous experience working at Early Childhood Centers around town. Ms. Irene's family is from Belize. 

In her spare time, Ms. Irene enjoys relaxing, watching television and movies.

Credentials

• Florida Department of Children and Families- 45 hours Child Care Training
• Infant and Child  CPR and First-Aid Certified
• Working on Associates Degree in Education

Ms. Melanie

Ms. Melanie studied in Michigan prior to relocating to Cape Coral, Fl.  She has previous experience working with infants and children in Michigan. In her free time, Ms. Melanie enjoys spending time with her three teenage children and her husband, boating and going to the beach.

Credentials

•  American Montessori Society (AMS) Infant/Toddler Credential (0-3 years old) - Summit Montessori Teaching Training Institute (expected June 2021)
• Florida Department of Children and Families- 45 hours Child Care Training
• Fire Extinguisher Trained
• Infant and Child CPR and First-aid certified
• 15 Hours Redirecting Children's Behavior Course  certificate

Ms. Taylor

Ms. Taylor was born and raised in a small town called Pittsburg, Kansas. After moving to Colorado in 2016 with her husband, she began working more consistently with children at Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs. Taylor worked there for 2 years until she moved to Florida in July of 2019. Since moving to Florida and becoming part of the Montessori school, Taylor finds that she finds the Montessori Method quite helpful and insightful and is excited to learn more about it. In her free time, Taylor can be found spending time with her husband and 2 Australian Shepherd dogs and working on as many crafts as possible.

Credentials

• Working on Florida Department of Children and Families- 45 hours Child Care Training
• Fire Extinguisher Trained
• Infant and Child CPR and First-aid certified
• Working on 15 Hours Redirecting Children's Behavior Course  certificate

Ms. Briana

Ms. Briana was raised in the Chicago area. Prior to joining our school, she volunteered at a child care center in Northfield, IL. She is an Early Childhood Education major at Florida Southwestern State College.   In her free time, you'll find her either adventuring  on her stand up paddle board or spending time with her pup, Ares. 

Credentials

•  American Montessori Society (AMS) Infant/Toddler Credential (0-3 years old) - Summit Montessori Teaching Training Institute 
• Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education (In progress)
•  Florida Department of Children and Families- 45 hours Child Care Training 
•  Certified Instructor of 15 Hour Redirecting Children's Behavior Course 
• Infant and Child First Aid, AED, and CPR certified
• Certified Instructor of 15 Hour Redirecting Children's Behavior Course 

Ms. Cira

Ms. Cira is originally from Maryland. She has completed her Associate's Degree and is currently obtaining her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education from FSW. She has always had a love for children and genuinely enjoys working with them. In her spare time she loves going to the beach with her family and playing fetch with her puppy!

Credentials

•  Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education
• Currently completing her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education