Joanne DeFilipp Alex, Education Director and Head Teacher:

1998 Maine Teacher of the Year. Master of Education (Environmental Science Education) from the University of Maine, Orono, May 2001. BA in Art (Cum Laude) from Colby College, Waterville, ME, May 1976. Maine State Certified Teacher (K-8); Montessori Degree from St. Nicholas, in 1979; American Montessori Society certified in 1982. Joanne is on the Early Childhood Education Advisory member for Eastern Maine Community College (Eary Childhood Program). Joanne has taught in Montessori Schools for over 30 years and as a Kindergarten teacher in public school for 1 year. Joanne is an American Montessori Society Intern Supervisor, and has presented numerous workshops and conferences at the local, state and national levels, including the American Montessori Society's 20th Annual Touring Symposia in 2005 and 2006 at various locations nationwide. She also has student teachers and practicum students from The College of Education and Human Development, University of Maine, as well as from The Early Childhood Program, Eastern Maine Community College. Joanne and her husband, Joe founded Stillwater Montessori School in 1983. Joanne serves as Teacher Education Boartd Member for the Maine Montessori Association. She is a teacher member of the American Montessori Society. Joanne is a trained facilitator for STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) and has taught Parenting Courses. She is also a facilitator and workshop presenter for Project Wild ( PW) and Project Learning Tree (PLT). She presently serves on the National Early Childhood Advisory Committeee for Project Learning Tree. For the new early childhood guides for PLT and PW, both just published in 2009, Joanne field tested activities . In 1993, Joanne attended the National Geographic Society's Geography Summer Institute and in 1999 the NGS Alliance Leadership Academy both in Washington, D.C. For Maine Geographic Alliance (MGA), Joanne serves as a Teacher Consultant for both MGA and National Geographic society ( NGS). She presently is Maine's Public Engagement coordinator for the National Geographic Society - led Campaign, My Wonderful World.org since 2006. For the last 3 years Joanne has written articles for the Bangor Daily's Newspapers in Education ExtraExtra Page highlighting geography topics. Joanne was Institute Director for the MGA Summer Geography Institute 2000 and Advance Geography Institute 2001. In 2003, Joanne was the Maine state coordinator for the National Geographic Society's Habitat-Home Sweet Home Project. She is on the Steering Committee for MGA. She worked on the Acadian Series Project in the Bangor Daily News,Spring 2001. She has received the 1994 National Outstanding Environmental Educator of the Year Award from the American Tree Foundation, the 1995 Maine Audobon Society's Teacher of the Year Award from the Maine Association for Child Care for Outstanding Contributions for Quality Child-Care in Maine and a state finialist for the 2002 and 2004 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Education. The fall of 2002 Joanne wrote a book entitled, "I Wonder What's Up There?" on cosmic education for young children. Joanne and her family have been active in Children's International Summer Village. She has been a leader for a village delegation to New Zealand January 2000 and Norway July 2004 and an interchange delegation to British Columbia in 1992 . And most recently was Director of CISV- USA's first International Youth Meeting in the spring of 2009. She also has severd as the Mosaic Chair and run a Passport to the world Summer camp since 2005. She has also serverd as Junior Branch Advisor. In 2005 she and her husband Joe were awarded the Rudie Memmel Chapter Volunteer Ward for CISV-USA. One of her passions is environmental education and she has runan afterschool environmental club since 2001. This year she is teaching the Early childhood Science methods course at UMAINE and having them work with the environmental club as part of the course. Joanne enjoys walking, biking, wildflowers, researching resources, wildlife, hiking, reading and art. and creating units for her classroom. She lives in Old Town with her husband Joe and has three children, Jessica, Joel and Julianna. Additional family members include two cats.

Natalie Martin, Upper Elementary / Middle School Teacher:

Natalie grew up in Seattle and attended Whitman College in Washington State, where she earned a B.A. in history and a minor in studio art in 2004. Following college she was accepted into the University Child Development School (UCDS) teacher residency program in Seattle. At UCDS Natalie was trained in an apprenticeship program that followed many of the philosophies of a Montessori school. After completing this program, Natalie moved abroad and taught 5th grade at an International Baccalaureate school in Amman, Jordan. While in Jordan, she developed her interest in language education and decided to pursue a master's degree. In 2009 she earned an M.A. in education from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. While at UNC, she was awarded a Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowship through the Department of Education, allowing her to study Arabic throughout graduate school. After finishing her graduate studies she moved to Cairo, Egypt, and taught 4th grade at a British school. She and her husband, Justin are very happy to be back in the states and to have moved to such a beautiful part of the country-- Orono, Maine! In her spare time, Natalie loves to paint, read, study Arabic and enjoy the outdoors.

Tammy Roussel, Primary Assistant Teacher:

Tammy has an Associate Degree in Applied Science with a major in Early Childhood Education from the Washington County Community College, Calais, ME in 2006. In May 2009, Tammy received her Ed Tech III Certification and also has had many other trainings through the Maine Roads to Quality. Tammy has worked with children for 20+ years including The Children's Center, Helen Dunn School in Greenbush, Indian Township Daycare in Princeton ME, Princeton Elementary School, Lake Region Headstart Princeton, ME and home daycare. Tammy enjoys spending time outside biking, hiking, fishing, camping, four wheeling, snow sledding and hunting. She also enjoys spending time with their family, crocheting, knitting, reading and surfing the web. Tammy resides in Greenbush with her boyfriend Jim, and between the two of them they have seven children and three grandchildren.

Albert J. Duplessis, Lower Elementary (6-9) Teacher:

B.A. in Education from the University of Maine, Orono,ME in 1989; BS from Husson, Bangor, ME in 1980; Maine State Certified Teacher (K-8); Elementary 6-9 Montessori Certificate from Center for Montessori Teacher Training, an American Montessori Society program in New Rochelle, New York in 1991. Al was born and raised in Old Town, Maine. He is a retired Naval Reservist (SCPO ) and presently a Softball Umpire. He has taught at Stillwater Montessori School for 19 years. His other interests include computers, fishing, racquetball, photography, golf, and tennis. Al lives in Old Town with his wife Laura and has four children; Mark, Scott, Luke, and Rachel and 3 grandchildren, Joie Katerine, Carmen Theresa and Josef James.

Linda Hall, Full Time Teacher Assistant with Administrative Duties:

Before joining Stillwater Montessori School in May 2000, Linda was Director of Children's Circle Day Care in Bangor. She has worked in child care since 1982 including Penquis C.A.P. and Headstart in Bangor, ME and York County C.A.P. in Biddeford, ME. Linda received her CDA in Early Childhood Education in 1994. Linda is experienced in all aspects of administration and enjoys working with children. Her interest include children, reading, crafts, cribbage, and the ocean.. Linda has one grown son Daniel and grandson. Linda lives in Hermon with her husband, Norman.

Peggy Sockalexis, Part-time Elementary Assistant Teacher:

Peggy is originally from the Auburn/Lewiston area of Maine. She moved to Indian Island a few years back with her husband of 13 years this coming December and our two children; Gregory - 11 and Raven - 7. They have many non-human family members including a Chihuahua named Romeo, a Chihuahua/rat terrier named Benvolio, two cats - Mineux and Patrick, a cockatiel named April, a parakeet named Sweetgrass and many many guppies. Peggy is in her last semester at Eastern Maine Community College's two year associates degree in early childhood education. Becoming a part of the Stillwater Montessori family has been an adventure and yet a fairly simple transition because Peggy did her second placement practicum in Al's lower elementary classroom. She is very happy to be a part of Stillwater Montessori School!