South Walton Montessori Academy Staff

  

Catherine Beall, Head of School, Elementary Lead Teacher

Catherine is the Head of School as well as the Lower Elementary Teacher.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Information Technology.

She worked as a Consultant in Houston, TX for Deloitte Consulting for 2 years.  While in Houston, she was introduced to the Montessori philosophy by a close friend who is a Montessori teacher.  Catherine left Deloitte after 2 years, got married and moved to Spring Hill, FL (just north of Tampa) all within 3 months. Following her dream of becoming a teacher, she obtained a Montessori teaching position at Wider Horizons School in Spring Hill – taught in both the early childhood and lower elementary classes; also taught Freshman English and instituted a Manners class for the junior high and high school students. 

She moved to Panama City in August 2003 for her husband, Kevin’s, new job with hopes to find a Montessori teaching position. Upon discovery that the closest Montessori school was in Ft. Walton, she decided to start a school. She happened upon a group of parents in Rosemary Beach already trying to start a Montessori School in their community.  Everyone seemed to have the same vision for the new school, and Catherine was hired to be the Director of the South Walton Montessori Academy.

Catherine completed the academic phase of the AMS Lower Elementary credential at the Houston Montessori Center summer 2004 and received her credential upon successful completion in summer 2005. Catherine received her Masters of Education in Montessori Integrative Learning through the Houston Montessori Center and Endicott University in Boston in May 2006, with a thesis titled, “Montessori Elementary Education: Nurturing a Universe of Responsible Humans.”  This is Catherine’s eighth year of teaching Montessori Education.

Beth Brock - Assistant Director

Beth Brock grew up in Atlanta, GA and has enjoyed vacationing along the Emerald Coast her entire life. She attended Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, where she graduated on the Dean’s List with a BS in Early Childhood Education.  She is currently in the process of obtaining her Montessori Director Credential through AMS.

Always one for adventure, she was a White Water River Guide in college and has enjoyed extensive travel. After graduation, she was the Assistant Teacher in the Toddler and Primary classrooms at the Montessori School in Breckenridge, Colorado. 

After trying out Restaurant Management and Real Estate, she is thrilled to be back in the field of Education.  
Beth enjoys fishing, hiking, snowboarding, skiing, and spending time on the beautiful emerald coast beaches.  Beth holds the title of Assistant Director and is the main point of contact for the school.  Beth joined SWMA in 2008.

Natalie Jobling, Primary Lead Teacher

Natalie grew up on the gulf coast and earned two degrees from University of West Florida: a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology  and a M. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction . Before teaching Natalie was an archaeologist in Escambia and Ft. Walton and helped excavate the 1st Pensacola site at NAS.

Natalie was drawn to education when she first became a mentor in 1996. From there she continued in education by counseling At-Risk youth in Escambia County and doing research in the Educational Research and Development Center at UWF. At 23 she joined the Peace Corps and went to West Africa. Upon returning she began her master’s and completed student teaching at the Montessori of Pensacola.

Her graduate thesis was a study of Yoga and 3-6 yr. Montessori students. After some inner-city teaching and extensive traveling, Natalie's heart was drawn back to Montessori and she is currently in the testing phase for her Montessori Certification with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies, IMC. She is a Master's Degree Certified teacher with six years classroom experience. She is currently studying the effects of Restorative Yoga on children, teachers and parents and hopes to publish her work.  This is Natalie’s fourth year with SWMA.

 

Tammy Sumner - Toddler Lead Teacher

Tammy is the lead teacher for the Toddler Community.  She received her Montessori Infant/Toddler credential in 1997 from the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies-Pacific Northwest.  Tammy was first introduced to Montessori education when observing a Montessori Toddler classroom in Anchorage, Alaska and knew it was the teaching method that made the most sense to her. 

When the opportunity presented itself to move to Seattle, Washington to take the training, Tammy packed up and moved to Seattle where she taught until 2003 when she moved to Phoenix, Arizona to teach at Khalsa Montessori School.  Although she loved the Southwest, when she got married in the summer of 2005, Tammy found herself in Sylvester, Georgia.  She spent the next few years being a full time step mom for three children. 

Tammy also spent time being a volunteer for CASA, a program that is a judicial advocate for children who are in foster care.  In late 2010, Tammy found an ad for a Toddler Teacher on the AMS website, and made a call to South Walton Montessori Academy.  After observing the classroom and meeting the staff, Tammy fell in love with the school and the area, and began teaching at SWMA in February, 2011.  Tammy enjoys cooking, entertaining, and reading in her spare time.
 
 

David Hopkins, Upper Elementary Lead Teacher

David grew up in Gainesville, GA the second of four boys where he graduated from high school in 1991. He lettered all four years in swimming and performed in countless plays.

David also earned his Eagle Scout at this time. He Has a BFA from Auburn University and a MFA from the University of Florida. While at UF he taught Oral Interpretation, Introduction to Acting, and Speech. He has performed all over the world in countries such as Russia, England, Sweden and Greece.

David and his wife Milla moved to New York and lived in midtown Manhattan for several years. While in New York, David performed in Off-Broadway plays, movies, commercials and soap operas.  After September 11th, David and Milla felt they had had enough of the city and decided to transition down to the most beautiful place in the world.

David earned his Montessori accreditation in both Upper and Lower Elementary  at New Horizon Montessori Training center in Tennessee. This is David’s seventh year with SWMA.  "One of the greatest pleasures in my life is to help shape these young people, to help them unfold themselves and find the love, power and play in learning."

 

Paula Dean - Middle School Lead Teacher

Paula is our newest addition to the SWMA faculty.  She grew up in a military household, which gave her the opportunity to experience living all over the United States.   She attended Mary Baldwin College, a women’s college in southern Virginia, graduating Cum Laude with a BA in Spanish with an emphasis in Spanish Literature.   She also completed over 50 hours of education courses and was awarded her teaching credentials for Elementary Education as well as Spanish.

Paula has taught in five states as well as in Japan.  Her experiences are broad, having taught nearly every age from preschool through high school.  She did so in different educational settings including home-school, private school, and public school.  Her journey to Montessori began in 2008 when she enrolled her daughter in a Public Charter Montessori School.

Impressed by the Montessori philosophy, Paula was excited when the school asked her to create a middle school program.  She attended Secondary I training at the Houston Montessori Center and received her AMS credential in the summer of 2011.  She is also currently pursuing a Masters of Education in Montessori Integrative Learning through the Houston Montessori Center and Endicott College.  She will graduate in 2012.

Her Montessori journey led her to SWMA in the summer of 2011 and she is excited that she and her three children are part of such an amazing school. 

 

Cam Ray - Upper Elementary Teacher Assistant, Music Specialist

Cam was born and raised on Amelia Island in Northeast Florida.  He attended the local Montessori school through kindergarten.  

Cam began piano lessons at age 6, studying classical music for 12 years, and then began studying jazz.  He has scored top ratings at numerous competitions as well as received many scholarships and awards for both classical and jazz piano.  He graduated from the University of North Florida in 2002 with a BM Degree in Jazz Studies/Piano Performance. 

After college, Cam was the instrumental director at Christ’s Church in Jacksonville for 3 years, and following that he became a full-time music instructor/performer.  Cam has been playing piano professionally for 17 years and has been a private music teacher for 12.  He has played keyboards for numerous off-Broadway productions as well as many Big-Band Theme Cruises with the MSC line.  

He has had the privilege of performing with the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin as well as opening for "Earth, Wind, and Fire."  While he loves performing in a variety of settings and styles, Cam is equally as passionate for teaching and sharing knowledge with others.  He loves seeing the moment when something “clicks,” and a student understands a new concept for the first time.
 
 

Debbie Ward - Toddler Teacher Assistant

Debbie has been working with children for many years. After observing the Toddler environment 7 years ago, she fell in love with the Montessori philosophy and joined the staff. Debbie graduated with honors in 1996 with an Associate of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Okaloosa Walton Community College.

This summer she attended the Infant/Toddler teacher training at Montessori Education Center of the Rockies in Boulder, Colorado. She will be completing her training as an intern this year in the toddler community. This will be her 7th year with SWMA.

 

Cynthia Mendez - Primary Teacher Assistant and Spanish Language Specialist

Cynthia is one of the Primary classroom teachers.  She graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a minor in Sociology, 2006.  .After college, she moved to the beach and loved it! 

She began her journey with Montessori in 2008 when she applied for the Spanish teaching position at SWMA.  Her first language was Spanish because her family is from Uruguay.   Cynthia attended NEMTEC in Boston to obtain her Montessori Certification.  She is now certified in Montessori and looks forward to beginning her fourth year with SWMA. 

 

Kimberly Clauson - Primary Assistant and Art Teacher

Kimberly is a native of South Walton.  After attending South Walton High School, she traveled to Tallahassee, FL and earned a B. S. in Art Education from Florida State University in 2008.  In addition to her studies, Kimberly also worked at the University Art Center.  There, she learned the techniques and procedures involved in both ceramics and photography. 

Kimberly is very accepting of almost all art forms, but finds herself compelled to paint, wood burn drawings, photographs in black and white, and producing ceramics within her artistic portfolio.  For two years following college, Kimberly worked with children from 2 to 5 years of age at Scottsdale Academy in Tallahassee. 

When she was not working, she was heavily involved in the bluegrass, artistic, and locally grown food communities that surrounded Tallahassee.  Kimberly is now working on acquiring Spanish as a second language as she studies locally at the community college, and abroad during the summer at a conversation school in Costa Rica.  In the future, Kimberly looks forward to pursuing a Montessori certification and using it to travel, teach, and promote peace around the world.      


 

Carol Gagliardi - Lower Elementary Assistant and Art Teacher

Carol grew up outside of Chicago and spent her youth focusing on performing arts and soaking up the rich cultural legacy of the city. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, and spent several years traveling and working as a massage therapist, living in Salt Lake City, UT; Carmel, CA; Chicago, IL; and Fort Walton Beach, FL before finally landing in South Walton in 2008.

Carol is a strong advocate for the local arts community. She works as a mosaic and jewelry artist and owns Turiya Creations. Prior to joining SWMA, she spent several years working for the Seaside Repertory Theatre in many positions, most recently as its General Manager. She has a long history with Sinfonia Gulf Coast as well. She is the current Production Coordinator, served as Secretary on the Board of Directors for several years, and was the company's first Operations Manager. Finally, she is an active member of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and serves on their Adult Grants Committee. She is thrilled to become a part of the SWMA family and excited to share her love of art with the students.

 

Carol Garner-Houston - Occupational Therapist

Carol is SWMA’s full time Occupational Therapist. She graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond with a Bachelor of Science in the School of Occupational Therapy.  She has 15 years of experience in the field helping those of all ages recover from neurological, orthopedic, psychiatric and developmental conditions.

She began her career near her hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana working in rehabilitation at Slidell Memorial Hospital. Shortly thereafter, she worked as lead therapist of an Outpatient Community Re-entry Program for those discharged from the psychiatric units at Charity Hospital. Her efforts in the program won national recognition for Health System Innovation serving vulnerable populations. She advanced to a position as the Maritime Healthcare Coordinator for LMS Shipmanagement, Inc. where she managed the healthcare of the crews of 20 vessels traveling worldwide. Her program development there interfaced with Emergency Physicians at George Washington University Medical Center. She was integrated into the legal defense and risk management team resulting in decreased medical care and legal costs. She successfully bridged the gap between crewmembers, captains, physicians and company owners to drastically improve the quality of healthcare provided to crewmembers at sea.

In 2004, Carol became the mother of their first child, Grace, with husband Sam Houston. When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, her family landed shelter on the Emerald Coast where she was introduced to SWMA. She was immediately drawn to this Montessori community and served as room mother, organized a toddler community service project with a local nursing home and later became president of the Parent Organization. Carol, Sam and Grace were then blessed with the arrival of Pete. She spent years as a full time mother and manager of her children’s autoimmune medical needs. She returned to the field as Director of Rehabilitation for Assisted Living Communities in Fort Walton and Santa Rosa Beach with Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. While her efforts were rewarding, her passion became focused more on working with other families to meet the unique needs of the pediatric population. Her personal and professional experience is a unique combination of Montessorian mother and renowned therapist which

allowed her to become the perfect addition to the SWMA team of educators.