Melissa Telford, Head of School at Vista Montessori School, was born and raised in Boise, Idaho. She majored in finance and marketing at Boise State University with plans to work in business. Her lifelong dream of becoming a teacher overruled her desire to work in business. Being a bit discouraged by traditonal methods and looking for her purpose in life, she ventured to Bozeman, Montana and found herself studying education from the Montessori approach with Caspari Montessori Institute International (CMI). Melissa received her Montessori certification in 2004 and taught in two Montana schools (including a life-changing two year experience teaching a special-needs child). She returned to Boise after giving birth to her son and initiated plans to open her own Montessori school. Helping Hands Montessori School, now Vista Montessori School, opened in August of 2006 with the help of her family, friends and many parent volunteers. The next year, she persuaded her Montessori mentor, Anita Wolberd, to open an additional training site in Boise for the benefit of area children and to assure that she would always have well-trained staff for her school. Melissa is a part time Pre-K Teacher spending the morning work period working directly with the children and supervising CMI intern teachers. She is a full-time student pursuing her A.A. in Early Childhood Education. Melissa is the founder and first president of the CMI Alumni Association. She enjoys the outdoors - snowboarding in the winter, gardening in the spring, camping in the summer and going for long walks in the fall. She loves football and enjoys reading, painting, music, and spending time with her family and friends. She looks forward to each new day with her students at Vista Montessori and to taking a greater role in assisting with the CMI Montessori teacher training.
Aimee Reuter has been employed at Vista Montessori since its opening in 2006. Aimee received her Montessori Infant/Toddler certification in 2007. After teaching children 1 - 3 years old for 3 years, Aimee expanded her family and began working part time as the Lead After School Teacher. Aimee's interests include snowboarding and anything involving the outdoors, as well as photography. It was through her 8 years as a professional photographer that Aimee discovered her love of working with children and found Montessori education.
Antoinette Barrera, Co-Teacher, Toddler Program, began working at Vista Montessori School in the summer of 2008. In June of 2008, Antoinette received her Montessori teaching certificate through Caspari Montessori Institute. She loves Maria Montessori's educational approach which facilitates independence and builds character in children. Antoinette earned her Art Education Teacher Certificate and has several years of experience in Art Education. Antoinette combines her art and gardening experience in developing lessons in the outdoor and indoor classrooms at Vista Montessori. She enjoys bike riding, hiking in the foothills and spending time with her husband and her three children.
Lysandra Wolberd, Lead Pre-K Teacher, joined the Vista Montessori staff in the fall of 2008. She received her Montessori certification through Caspari Montessori Institute in June of 2009. Lysandra is originally from Montana and earned a degree in History from the University of Montana. Lysandra enjoys working with children and sharing her love of learning. She especially loves playing music and singing with the children. Lysandra enjoys outdoor recreation. She spends her free time hiking, rafting, camping and playing in the snow.
Frances English, Pre-K Teacher, received her Montessori certification through Caspari Montessori Institute in June of 2010. She served her internship in our Pre-K classroom during the 2009-2010 school year. Born and raised in Florida, Frances later moved west and graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah with a BS in University Studies. Her four areas of emphasis were biological science; social science; child development; and family living. Following her first career as a homemaker, Frances returned to work outside the home after her youngest child graduated from high school. She worked as an assistant in a lower elementary Montessori classroom in Michigan for two years before moving to Boise, where she worked in various Montessori preschool classrooms as an on-call substitute for two years. Frances has a genuine love for children and teaching. She also has a love for learning, and since her graduation from college she has taken various university level classes including 6 courses in Spanish as well as various Montessori-sponsored workshops such as “Teaching with the Brain in Mind” and “Teaching with Love and Logic.” In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, arts and crafts, sewing, and reading.
Carly McGinnis, Co-Teacher, Toddler Program, began working at Vista Montessori in 2007. She worked as a toddler teaching assistant. In 2008, Carly recieved her Infant/Toddler teaching certification and began pursuing her B.A. in Early Childhood Education. Carly returned to the teaching staff at Vista Montessori in 2010. She is exicited to be back in a Montessori classroom working as a certified teacher. Carly enjoys eating sushi, floating the Boise river and going on hikes in the foothills. She loves working with children and still finds amazement in the capabilities of the youngest.