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| BS English Literature | Lewis and Clark College | 1991 |
| Montessori Teaching Certificate | Montessori Institute NW | 1999 |
| Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies | Marylhurst University | 2000 |
I
was born in Quebec, Canada and graduated from Concordia University with
a BA in Philosophy and Theology. In 1990, having been introduced to the
Montessori Method by a Portland area professor, I came to Portland to
take the AMI Teacher Training at the Montessori Institute Northwest. I
met my husband, Al, while studying and working at the Franciscan
Montessori Earth School in Portland. Since then, I’ve had the experience
and pleasure of teaching a bilingual classroom of 3-6 year-olds, helping
establish a Montessori School in Longview, WA, and operating an
infant/toddler community in my home when my own children were very young.
I received my M.Ed. from Cleveland State and have served two years as
President of the Oregon Montessori Association. My son and daughter
currently attend Cascadia Montessori Elementary. In my spare time, I
love pursuing art, reading, cooking and being an active member of my
community. The Montessori Philosophy is more to me than a job or even a
career. It is truly bound to me as a way of life.
Laurie Adams is our Toddler Community teacher; she designed, maintains and directs our program. Laurie received her AMI Assistants to Infancy teaching diploma in 2007 from the Montessori Institute Northwest. Her training encompasses children from birth to age three. Laurie's long history with Vancouver Montessori School includes her three daughters attended here, beginning in 1992. Laurie joined our staff in 1997 as a Children's House classroom assistant for three years. In 2003, Laurie was invited to research and design our Toddler Community Program. When Laurie is not at VMS, she enjoys spending time with her family and pets, bird watching, camping in the mountains, trips to the beach, craft activities and reading.
I have been familiar with the teachings of Maria Montessori since my early twenties, yet it wasn’t until my daughter Marley was born that I began to understand her work on a very real level. As I watch my daughter grow, I am constantly marveling at the important work she is doing every day. Because of the inspiration and truth I found in Dr. Montessori’s teachings, I decided to study her method more deeply. I attended the Montessori Institute Northwest in 2007 and received my Primary AMI diploma. During my nine months of training at MINW, Marley spent her days in the Honeysuckle room at VMS. As I observe her now, I attribute much of what she can do to her experience in the Honeysuckle room. Under the guidance of her loving teachers, she was able to truly explore and experience her environment - learning important skills and increasing in her independence every day. It was with great excitement that I joined VMS as a guide in the Fall of 2009. It is an honor to work with the children, families and staff of this incredible community.
| BA English and Spanish | University of Portland | 1997 |
| MA Theatre and Dance | University of New Mexico | 2004 |
| AMI Primary Diploma | Montessori Institute Northwest | 2008 |
| M.Ed. | to be received from Loyola College in Maryland | 2010 |
Vancouver Montessori School was founded by Shirley Hofmeister in the fall of 1973. Until that time it was ABC Preschool owned by Mr. Gerald Mugg. In 1976 Margie Stangeland, the present owner of VMS, enrolled her daughter at VMS. In 1977 Shirley Hofmeister designed the new building for VMS which was then on X street. This same year Margie Stangeland began working as Shirley's classroom assistant. In March of 1979 John and Margie Stangeland purchased VMS from Mr. Mugg. The school consisted of two classrooms and was located near downtown Vancouver. In the fall of 1987, a 10,000 sq. ft. building was purchased near Cascade Park to house the growing school. The third classroom opened in February of 1988 and the fourth classroom in September of 1990. VMS is a corporation owned by Margie Stangeland and is a for profit business.
Copyright © 2007 Vancouver Montessori School. All rights reserved
Originally from New Jersey, Arlene first moved to Portland, OR in 1989. Her family’s love of travel is an innate part of her. As soon as she could venture out on her own she did. First she moved to South Carolina to attend the University of South Carolina, and then to London, England to study at Regents College. After spending a summer with a backpack exploring parts of Europe, Arlene moved to Portland, OR. She received a BS in English Literature from Lewis and Clark College. During her first few years in Portland, she worked in a local natural foods store researching products and expanding their specialty foods, creating their recycling system, setting up services to donate food and bookkeeping. An opportunity to return to London arose and Arlene spent another three years in Europe traveling and working. Arlene’s interest in Montessori philosophy was first piqued while teaching art classes in London. Many of her students attended a Montessori school. Upon returning to Portland in 1995, her interest in teaching grew. In 1999 she received her Primary diploma from the Montessori Institute Northwest and soon after began working with children in the Sunflower classroom here at VMS. During those early years at VMS, Arlene worked to complete her Masters degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Marylhurst University. Arlene still travels whenever she can, with the added joy of sharing the wonders of the world with the children in her classroom. In her free time she enjoys craft projects, gardening, swimming, kayaking and working to improve her 107 year old home.