JMS Faculty and Staff

Ms. Carol Andrew, Head of School

Ms. Andrew has been a student of Montessori philosophy since 1976. She has worked in Primary, Elementary and Adolescent Montessori programs. She has participated in AMI, AMS, and St. Nicholas Montessori training programs over the intervening years. After completing a Masters of Education at Loyola College of Maryland, she completed 30 additional graduate hours to obtain a School Administrator’s license. She claims that there is something new to be learned about Montessori every day; our students reveal new truths to us as we are able to observe and understand the continual evolution of the enlightened human spirit.

It has been Carol’s great fortune to have a wide variety of work experiences, all of which serve to keep her a humble servant of the child. She has worked as a school administrator, teacher, park planner, environmental interpreter, and stained glass artist. Carol enjoys playing duplicate bridge, her reading group, and gardening. She patiently endures housecleaning and exercise for health.

Ernest Nielsen and Carol Andrew were married in 1986. They are the proud parents of Max K. Niesen, who started his Montessori education at age 3 and graduated at age 12 from High Desert Montessori School, a school he claims partial credit in having strarted.

Carol is oldest of the nine children of Robert and Eugenia Andrew of Springfield, IL. She attended Little Flower Grade School and Sacred Heart Academy. She graduated from Springfield Southeast High School and attended the University of Illinois, Springfield where she majored in Elementary Education.

Mrs. Kathleen Cornstubble, Primary Guide

Mrs. Minerva Widner, Primary Assistant

Ms. Marie Cunningham, AYM Primary Guide

Mrs. Kristina Reid, AYM Lead Primary Assistant

NaTosha Hamilton, AYM Primary Assistant

Mrs. Nan Renzi, Primary Guide

Ms. Virginia Viscovic, Elementary Guide

Virginia Viscovic is beginning her fifth year here at JMS. Virginia graduated from SUNY StonyBrook in New York with a B.A. in Anthropology, and a Master's in Family and Child Studies/ Elementary Education. Virginia received her AMI Primary certification from the Ohio Montessori Training Center, and her AMI Elementary certification from the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee. She continues work with the training center by both reading the work of students in training, and mentoring new teachers.

Virginia began her career in Montessori teaching Primary, switching to Elementary after eight years, and isnow beginning her seventh year in Elementary. She has taught at three of the oldest AMI schools in the country.

Virginia enjoys reading, crochet, paper crafting and cake decorating.

Miss Francis Wallace

Elementary Guide

Ms. Suzannah Walter

Elementary Guide

Mrs. Vicki Hartmann

Adolescent Guide

Ashley Marszalek

Adolescent Math Specialist and Elementary Afterschool Coordinator