West Campus Teachers & Paraprofessionals

Kindergarten

Christina Rosello

Kindergarten

Mrs. Christina Rosello is our Kindergarten teacher. This will be Mrs. Christina’s fourth year at Acorn and she will be starting with a new kindergarten class this year. Mrs. Christina loves the family atmosphere Acorn provides. She has a double major Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood and in Elementary Education. Mrs. Christina also just received her Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology. Married with two cats and a dog, Mrs. Christina and her family enjoy the outdoors, hiking, and kayaking. Mrs. Christina loves working with children and seeing how much they grow and learn each day. She believes that children grow and learn best through smaller group instruction and through hands-on learning.

Kate Ganci

Mrs. Kate Ganci has been working in Acorn’s early childhood program for the last 6 years. This year she will be joining the kindergarten classroom. Mrs. Kate’s patience, joy for teaching, and kindness is wonderful to witness each day with her students. When Mrs. Kate is not working with students, she is enjoying every moment with her baby boy, husband, and bulldog.

Hannah Finney

Hannah Finney has been working with Acorn’s early childhood program for the past two years. This year she will be joining the kindergarten classroom.

Maria Brubaker

Kindergarten

Ms. Maria Brubaker is a Kindergarten grade teacher at our West Campus. Acorn Montessori Charter School feels like home to Ms. Maria! She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology with a Minor in Family Studies and Human Development from the University of Arizona in 2017. Bear Down! She also holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Development, Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University. Ms. Maria is a certified teacher with her SEI Endorsement. As a lifelong learner, she is always looking for knowledge she can use to support her students’ growth. She believes in a child-centered approach, chalk full of hands on, play based learning opportunities. Social-Emotional Learning and community building are important components in Ms. Maria’s classroom. When she is not teaching, she is baking, hiking with her dog Luna, and practicing yoga.

Melina Lee

Mrs. Melina Lee is a member of our paraprofessional team. She has been working in the education field for 27 years, 11 of which have been with Acorn. Mrs. Mel earned her Associates Applied Science degree in Early Childhood Education. She is currently working towards her Bachelors in Early Childhood Education through University of Phoenix. Throughout her time in education she has completed many trainings including Love and Logic and trauma focused learning. Her favorite part of being an educator is seeing the excitement students have for learning!

Jennifer Lampi

Kindergarten

Ms. Jennifer Lampi has worked with our preschool program for three years and before coming to Acorn she worked with preschool age children for eleven years. She’s very excited to be joining the kindergarten classroom. She is currently completing her degree in Child Development. She loves engaging with students and supporting their learning through exciting play opportunities! In her free time she likes camping and boating.

1st Grade

Emma Garduno

1st Grade

Mrs. Emma Garduno will be going into her second year as a 1st grade teacher at our West Campus. Ms. Emma graduated from Arizona State University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and completed her teaching credentials through Arizona Teachers of Tomorrow. She is so excited to welcome her students into a loving, fun, and engaging classroom environment. When Mrs. Emma is not teaching, she enjoys being a metalsmith, camping, kayaking, hiking, and spending time with her husband, baby girl, and two dogs. She loves teaching and cannot wait to continue her teaching career!

Jeanette Martinez

Mrs. Jeanette Martinez is a paraprofessional here at Acorn. She has over nineteen years of experience teaching young children. This will be her seventh year teaching at Acorn Montessori and she has loved the family environment. She holds an Early Education Certificate from Yavapai College. The best part about working with children for Mrs. Jeanette are the connections that she makes with them. When she is not teaching, she enjoys hiking with her two kids and spending time with her husband.

Sarah Whitehead

Ms. Sarah Whitehead will be returning for her second year at Acorn. Ms. Sarah attended this school for 9 years and is thrilled to return as a paraprofessional. She graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in liberal studies while minoring in sociology as well as family/human development. Family is her number one priority, and she spends most of her free time with her son, Oliver. Ms. Sarah grew up within the walls of Acorn Montessori and understands the importance of student-teacher relationships. She looks forward to being a positive and stable influence for all the children she is lucky enough to teach.

Amy Hall

Kindergarten

Mrs. Amy Hall is a first grade teacher here at Acorn Montessori’s West Campus. Mrs. Amy has been working with young children from preschool to second grade for the last 16 years. Acorn has been her home for ten years. Mrs. Amy has a Bachelor’s Degree of Graphic Arts along with her NES certification for Kindergarten through 8th grade. As a teacher, her ultimate goal is to help each one of her students become confident in their abilities and to love themselves for who they are. Mrs. Amy, her husband of twelve years, and their three amazing boys are all part of the Acorn family. Painting, singing, and teaching are just a few of her passions and can often be found on her crazy little farm with 19 animals. Mrs. Amy has the ability to connect with every student that enters her classroom and remarks how amazing it is to be able to come to work daily knowing she has the opportunity to help prepare and mold the minds of our future.

Mrs. Paula

Mrs. Paula is entering into her second year with Acorn and came to us with over 11 years as a paraprofessional. Mrs. Paula is passionate about working with kids and gets true joy from working in the school setting with all aged children. When she is not working, Mrs. Paula loves spending time with her own children, hiking, and baking.

Rebecca Tischina

Ms. Rebecca Tischina joined Acorn in the fall of 2020 to support students needing extra support during distance learning. This year, Ms. Becca will be joining Ms. Hall’s 1st Grade team as a paraprofessional. She is so excited for all the memories that will be made working with the little ones at Acorn. When she is not working with the kiddos, Ms. Becca can be found pursuing photography or gardening at home with her 2 cats.

2nd Grade

Shellie Ritter

2nd Grade

Mrs. Shellie Ritter has been teaching for nearly 17 years and is going into her 7th year with Acorn Montessori School. Mrs. Shellie is our 2nd grade teacher and an excellent mentor to all of her fellow teachers as well. Mrs. Shellie has taught Kindergarten, First, and Second grade throughout her teaching career. She loves teaching children all subjects, but her absolute favorite subjects are math and science. She also enjoys implementing STEM activities into the classroom whenever possible. She is thrilled to be part of the Acorn Family and strongly believes in its philosophy to foster growth of children through small groups, hands-on learning, and differentiated instruction. When Mrs. Shellie is not building lessons and planning for her students, she loves spending time with her two amazing children.

Nancy Ludwig

Mrs. Nancy Ludwig will be entering her eleventh year at Acorn Montessori. Mrs. Nancy has been a paraprofessional in kindergarten through second grade and has loved getting to know all of the students and showing her creativity through teaching. Mrs. Nancy has three wonderful children, three handsome grandsons, and one beautiful granddaughter. Mrs. Nancy also has a Great Dane that rules the house. She really looks forward to a new year working with Mrs. Shellie and can’t wait to meet their new 2nd graders and love them as her own.

Morgan Williams

Miss Morgan is joining us for her second year here at Acorn. She is currently working on an elementary education degree which she will receive from Northern Arizona University. Prior to working at Acorn, she volunteered in her church’s nursery. In her free time, she enjoys playing softball and crocheting. Miss Morgan is excited to watch kids grow and make an impact on their lives.

Hannah Little

2nd Grade

Miss Hannah Little graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Special and Elementary Education. This is her fourth year here at Acorn and second year teaching second grade. She feels so lucky to work at a school that provides so much support in the classroom and can accommodate small group instruction and hands-on learning!

Rose Wilson

Mrs. Rose Wilson has been a paraprofessional at Acorn Montessori Charter School for five years. She has worked in Kindergarten, First Grade and this will be her third year working with 2nd graders. Mrs. Rose has been married to the love of her life for 41 years and they have two grown children and two grandchildren. In her free time, Mrs. Rose loves spending time with her family! She also teaches classes on making greeting cards and preserving memories. Mrs. Rose especially enjoys reading and gardening.

Emily Hackman

Miss Emily Hackman is one of our paraprofessionals! This will be her third year working at Acorn. Miss Emily earned her Bachelors of Science in Business Management from Grand Canyon University. During the distance learning in 2020/2021, Miss Emily was able to engage students through creative lessons and create meaningful connections despite the barriers. She finds joy in having the opportunity to change a child’s life. In her freetime, Miss Emily enjoys hiking, spending time with her dog, and playing softball.

3rd Grade

Jamie Radford

3rd Grade

Mrs. Jamie Radford will be teaching at our West Campus this year in one of our third grade classrooms. This will be her second year at Acorn. After serving 4 years in the Navy Mrs. Radford started teaching. This will be Mrs. Radford’s 20th year teaching! She earned her bachelor’s degree in Science of Education from NAU and then a Master’s of Education and Curriculum from University of Phoenix. Mrs. Radford has four children and 10 grandchildren. In her free time, she loves to travel. Fun fact: She has been to every continent other than Antarctica and 42 states!

Ilario Dera

Mr. Ilario Dera is a paraprofessional at Acorn. He has been in the educational field for 6 years, 4 of which have been with Acorn. Mr. Ilario is currently working to complete his degree at Yavapai College. He has a strong background in working with young people who have autism. His favorite thing about working at Acorn is watching students grow and use the knowledge and skills they have gained.

Celine Marin

3rd Grade

Miss Celine Marin is one of our lead 3rd grade teachers. This will be her second year here at Acorn! Miss Celine earned her Bachelor’s of Arts In Elementary Education with SEI endorsement. Throughout her time in college, she did a lot of volunteering which prepared her for managing her own classroom. Miss Celine says her favorite part of working with students is getting to know each of the students’ unique personalities. Outside of the classroom she enjoys going to the movies, being outdoors, and visiting family.

Wendy Faffler

Mrs. Wendy Faffler is a paraprofessional and this will be her fourth school year with Acorn. She has found her life’s calling working with young children. Mrs. Wendy just received her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from Yavapai College. Mrs. Wendy plans on attending Grand Canyon University to complete her Bachelor’s Degree. In her free-time Mrs. Wendy enjoys mountain biking, softball, and time with her family.

Wellness

Substitute

Bri McCoy

Wellness

Ms. Bri McCoy has been a paraprofessional with Acorn for the last ten years. While she has worked in various grade levels with students in preschool through eighth grade, Ms. Bri has found her calling working in the Wellness Center with Ms. Tiffini and Ms. Jamie. Ms. Bri is able to help students navigate through difficult moments in their days, week, and life. She connects with them through humor, love, compassion, and accountability. Students love her bubbly personality and work hard to earn basketball time with her. When Ms. Bri is not with her Acorn students, she enjoys coaching youth sports, spending time with her family, and being with her friends.

Julie Stephenson

Mrs. Julie Stephenson is one of our full time substitutes as well as a member of our transportation department. This is her second year with Acorn. Prior to being in the educational field, she had experience within the medical field. She has experience working with children of all ages in a variety of capacities. She has previously operated an in-home daycare and serves as a foster parent. She loves watching students grow and learn. In her free time, she enjoys riding her Harley and spending time with her family.

Chloe Olenick

Ms. Chloe Olenick has been a paraprofessional at Acorn for 3 years working in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. While working with children was not something she expected to do, she has realized how much it has helped her to grow as a person and she is very thankful for that. Ms. Chloe chares that she may teach kids, but they also teach her new things each day. This year, Ms. Chloe will be the early childhood float paraprofessional helping and assisting in all K-3 classrooms as needed. When not planning fun activities for students, Ms. Chloe spends a lot of her time outdoors, skating, and spending time with her dogs. Living her life to the fullest is her goal and she tries to do that every day.