Our Staff
Each room is staffed by a Lead teacher with early childhood education. Our lead teachers have Montessori certification, Montessori professional development training or the opportunity to acquire the certification through AMS. All professional staff meet yearly requirements for continuing education with additional trainings.
All staff participate in Professional Development opportunities throughout each school year and are given the opportunity to attend Montessori-based workshops and conferences.
Teacher-student ratios are 1:5 (Young Toddler), 1:8 (Toddler House) and 1:12 (Children’s House and Kindergarten). Lead teachers have assistants who have completed various levels of certified Montessori training.
Teachers and assistants are assessed each year by the Head of School and the parents so that the staff is continually improving their skills and capabilities.
Teacher Training
- All Day Montessori teachers are Montessori certified or are in the process of completing their certification.
- All lead teachers have bachelors degrees in education or comparable student teaching experience.
- Assistants are strongly encouraged to complete their undergraduate degrees.
- All Day Montessori requires all lead teachers to complete their Montessori certification and provides financial assistance for this purpose.
Staff -Academic Term 2023 – 2024
Toddler Houses
Young Toddler House (15 months – 30 months)
Denneille Thomas
Lead teacher, Asst. Director of ADM Young Toddler/Toddler House Program
Denneille or Mrs Nell joined the ADM family in 2021. She is married with three children, ages 9, 14 & 15. Previously, she worked with children for over 10 years in a home daycare setting. Most recently she was a teacher’s assistant with 1st and 2nd grade special education students. She recently received her Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Practice from National Louis University. This achievement led her back to her passion of working with preschool age children. When not teaching Mrs. Nell loves to spend time with her family! Nell has completed the Discover Montessori course at Seton Montessori Institute.
Jumitrius Reed
Assistant Teacher
Jumitrius originally started in 2021 as the kitchen coordinator. She loved the children so much that she was asked to step into the classroom was an assistant teacher. She loves to read and sing and is a natural comedian.
Karen Harris
Assistant Teacher
The youngest of 10 children, Karen Harris was born and raised in the Beverly neighborhood. After earning her associate’s degree from NIU she moved to San Francisco where she taught for 5 years at the exclusive Getty Montessori PlayGroup. She eventually moved back to the Beverly neighborhood to raise her family of four girls, all Montessori trained of course. She has returned now to her first love, teaching young minds in the Montessori tradition.
Toddler House I (2 years – 3.5 years)
Brianna Burge
Lead Teacher
Hello! I’m Brianna or Ms. Bri. I recently joined the ADM family September 2022 as the Co-Lead teacher for Toddler House 2. I have a BA in Family Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Family Services from Eastern Illinois University. I have been in the early childhood education field for 3 years as both a lead teacher and permanent substitute. When I am not teaching, I am spending time with my family and dog! I come from a big family of 7 brothers and sisters, most of whom are younger than me. They are where my passion for children and education derived from. As a teacher my goal is to encourage my children to flourish and become independent young people.
Brianna has completed the Discover Montessori course at Seton Montessori Institute.
Shannon WhelanAssistant Teacher
Shannon or Ms. Shan joined the ADM family in the Summer of 2023. Previously she was a middle school teacher at Saint Casimir in Hammond, Indiana; before transitioning to a teacher, Ms. Shan worked in Chicago for several radio stations. She loves to sing and dance and is extremely excited to be a part of the ADM crew! Ms. Shan has her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame and her teaching certificate and license in 7 -12 ELA. Ms. Shan doesn’t have any kids yet, but she loves to hang out with her younger cousins, nieces, and nephews; their activeness keeps her young and on the move. As a teacher and a continued learner, Ms. Shan’s goals are to learn something new daily and make learning fun.
Ms. Shan loves reading, writing, listening to podcasts, baking recipes off of Pinterest, and making people try her new creations.
Toddler House II (2 years – 3.5 years)
Shannon O’Keefe-Anderson
Lead Teacher
Hello my name is Ms. Shannon. I have recently joined All Day Montessori in January 2021, but it already has my heart. I started off as a substitute teacher, working with all ages at the school. I co-taught in CH1 with three to six year olds. I have known for years that I wanted to make a career out of working with children because they really light up my life. I started my career working at daycares. I pursued my Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, which led me to working in DCFS as a caseworker. After leaving DCFS, I returned to my previous daycare and received my Teaching Certificate. I happily worked as the teacher for the infant room for two years. Prior to coming to ADM, I had nearly seven years working professionally with children along with fifteen years of informal experience. When I am not at work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our animals. My goal as a teacher is to provide a complete education to all children with love and fun.
(Shannon is currently in the Infant/Toddler Montessori Endorsement Program through Seton Montessori.)
Autumn Hill
Assistant Teacher
Children’s Houses (3 years – Kindergarten)
Children’s House 1 (Annex Building)
Betsy Sosa
Lead Teacher, Director of ADM Young Toddler/Toddler House Program
Ms. Betsy is an AMS certified Montessori Directress with an early childhood background. She joined the ADM staff in 2016. She had been working in a Montessori Environment for the previous ten years. In her free time she enjoys sewing, painting with watercolors, cooking, and being with her cat, Marce. While here at ADM she has been teaching Spanish to all the students and enjoys getting to spend time with each and everyone of them.
LaVerne Bailey
Assistant Teacher
(Info coming soon).
Children’s House 2 (Annex Building)
Angela Franklin
Lead Teacher (Session 2)
Angela joined the ADM staff in 2017. She has found much joy in working with children for the previous five years. Before starting to work with the kids, Angela worked with the elderly population in places like Iowa, California, and Hawaii. When she is not at ADM, Angela enjoys cooking and traveling the world.
Khalia Milon
Assistant Teacher
Ms. Khalia joined the ADM family in 2018. Ms. Khalia graduated Simeon Career in 2019. She has been babysitting and working with children since she was 14 years old. She has Completed the Discover Montessori course at Seton Montessori. Ms. Khalia also professionally roller skates. She has been in multiple tv shows and commercials. Also, teaches children skate lessons on weekends.
Jada Hayden
After Care/Substitute Teacher
Jada returns to ADM for her second year. She is a Senior at St. Xavier University seeking a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She hopes to begin her student teaching in Spring of 2023. She strives to get to know the children and help them with their needs.
Irene Hermanowski
Substitute Teacher
(Info coming soon).
Chelsea joined ADM in 2021 and beginning her second year as a teaching assistant at All Day Montessori! She has worked with children and professes that they are always a joy to be around and work with. In her free time, she loves going to the zoo, museums, and aquariums, riding her bike, going to new restaurants and exploring new towns.
Chelsea has completed the Discover Montessori course at Seton Montessori Institute.
Nevel Kasiner
Floating Assistant
Ms Nevel has been with ADM since 2013. She has been working with young children for over 20 years, with emphasis on children with special needs. Her background includes integrated learning programs, early childhood training and special needs adult services.
Michaela Hoskin
Childcare Coordinator
Michaela has been at All Day Montessori since 2019. Michaela is an amazing artist and truly loves being creative with the children. She enjoys drawing, painting and playing sports. Michaela has spent many summers as a camp counselor and art teacher at Holiday Home Camp in Lake Geneva. Michaela plans to return to school to finish her degree in early childhood. Fun fact about Michaela, she is a twin.
Michaela holds a Food Sanitation Certification.
Amber Tinsley
Floating Assistant
I have a degree from National Louis University. Moreover, I have always been interested in the Montessori practices, and now I can learn and grow to further my development in this environment. That said, I have been teaching and learning in education for eight years. I will continue my journey by obtaining my Master’s in early childhood education and adopting new skills in Montessori.
Dorothy Price
Kitchen Manager
(Info coming soon).
Debbie Kelley
Administrative Mentor
Debbie Kelley has recently joined All Day Montessori as a part-time Executive Director. Semi-retired, she is thrilled to support All Day Montessori School as it continues on its journey of continuous school improvement.
Debbie has been in Montessori for over 40 years with experience as a Montessori teacher, director, consultant, workshop presenter, past and present accreditation commissioner, teacher trainer and Head of school.
Debbie Kelley earned her Masters degree in education from National Louis University, her AMS Montessori Primary Certification from the Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center and her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northeastern. She holds a certificate of advanced professional education from AMS and earned the Kellogg Executive Scholar Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She served as Head of School of Brickton Montessori School for 25 years and was instrumental in leading the school through numerous school accreditations. Over the past seven years she has served in a leadership capacity at the Montessori Academy of North Hoffman and the Montessori School of Englewood.
Debbie has many interests and hobbies. She loves spending time with her 2 adult children and 2 grandchildren. Her hobbies include gardening, singing, dancing, reading, bike riding, photography and travel.
Jone Arsenault
Montessori Coach
Jone Arsenault is an experienced Montessori Teacher with a demonstrated history of working in education management. She is skilled in Primary and Elementary Education, Montessori Philosophy and Curriculum, Instructional Coaching, Montessori Special Education Inclusion, and Lesson Development. She is certified as a Montessori teacher for ages 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and Adolescence. Jone has a deep interest in the Natural world and has attained certification as a Forest School and Nature Play Teacher. She has worked in public, charter, and private schools during her career as an educator and is Illinois state certified for elementary, secondary, and special education. She facilitated a fourth and fifth-grade Elementary Montessori classroom at Clissold School, a Chicago Public School, for twenty years.
Jone also works as a researcher and writer, with research interests that include ecopsychology, urban agriculture, botany, herbal and medicinal plants, and education. She is a pioneer in arts-based research techniques and recently completed a Doctorate in Ecopsychology and Environmental Humanities using her dissertation to develop arts-based research protocols, methodology, and complete data collection for a deep mapping project of a Chicago Urban Farm. Jone has thirty-five years of experience with sustainable and biodynamic agriculture and using food as medicine and is currently completing an apprenticeship in Herbal Studies with the Urban Growers Collective at the South Chicago Farm. Jone has been a beekeeper for the past fifteen years and owns and operates hives at her urban farm, Axis Mundi Gardens.
Administration
Caitlyn Solomon
ADM Head of School
headofschool@alldaymontessori.org
Caitlyn (She/Her) is eager to return to All Day Montessori as the Head of School! She has worked in a Montessori classroom for over nine years as a teacher and administrator, including six years at ADM! Caitlyn earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and her 3-6 Montessori certification from Xavier University in Cincinnati. Her love of learning continued as she got her M.ED in Educational Policy and Leadership with a focus on Diversity and Equity in Education from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Caitlyn also works as a white Anti-Racist facilitator for a consulting firm founded by a Montessorian in Chicago. When not in school, Caitlyn loves riding her bike, crocheting, reading, and being with her family.
Cyndi Williams
Business Manager
cwilliams@alldaymontessori.org
Cyndi joined the ADM staff in the Spring of 2016. She received her BA from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and a Masters in Curriculum & Instruction from the American College of Education. A former 6-12 Language Arts and Social Studies teacher with years of office management and accounting experience, Cyndi is married with three children and enjoys the theater, reading and traveling with her husband, George. Her granddaughter and grandson are the delights of her life.
Cyndi has completed the Discover Montessori course at Seton Montessori Institute.
Pat Bentley
Administrative Assistant
assistant@alldaymontessori.org