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Ruth Jennings

Written by Joshi Haskell on . Posted in Elementary Staff, Specialty Staff, Staff Bios.

A native of the UK, Ruth has a degree in French and German from Oxford University, England. After graduating, she moved to Louisiana, where her two young sons attended the Montessori School for Shreveport. She joined their staff as a part-time French teacher and became interested in teaching at the Elementary level. She obtained her Montessori Elementary I Teaching Credential from the North Carolina Center for Montessori Teacher Education (AMS) in 1997 while living in Germantown, Tennessee. She has since worked at Montessori schools in Tennessee, New Jersey, and North Carolina. She joined FMSL in 2013 as a Lower Elementary Teacher. In summer 2023, she completed the first level of “Take Flight,” a dyslexia training offered by the Shelton School in Dallas, Texas. She gets immense satisfaction from watching children develop their skills and love of learning over the three-year cycle. In her free time, Ruth enjoys writing, calligraphy, yoga, playing the piano, reading, and traveling.

Maria Reynosa

Written by Joshi Haskell on . Posted in Elementary Staff, Specialty Staff, Staff Bios.

Maria was born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador. She and her husband moved to Utah in 2001. They have three children. Maria has spent many years working with young children. Maria has taught Spanish at McKee Language School but currently tutors children from preschool to elementary school ages in Spanish privately. Maria has a bachelor’s degree in Preschool Education and a degree in Communications and Journalism. Maria’s favorite hobbies are reading, music, watching movies, and traveling.

Madison Christensen

Written by Joshi Haskell on . Posted in Staff Bios, Toddler Staff.

Madison is a returning support guide in the toddler department. She started working at FMSL in the summer of 2022. She loves Montessori because it gives one the opportunity to observe the children foster their own independence and make big and small achievements every day. Outside of work, Madison loves to spend time with her family, go on hikes, and be outdoors! She is looking forward to seeing all the returning and new students this school year and observing their love of learning and growing over the school year.

Joshi Haskell

Written by Joshi Haskell on . Posted in Admin Staff, Staff Bios.

Joshi (pronounced Yoshi) Haskell has been in a multitude of roles within Montessori; as a student, child of staff, secondary teacher, part of leadership teams, a toddler parent, and now as Associate Head of School & Head of Operations. She brings a wealth of experience and passion to her role as Assistant Head of School. A proud alumna of Montessori herself, she earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Utah in 2005. Joshi furthered her expertise by completing the NAMTA/AMI Introduction to Adolescent Studies in Cleveland, OH in 2012 and the CMSTEP Curriculum course in 2016. Joshi’s commitment to nurturing students is evident in every aspect of her professional journey. Outside of the classroom, Joshi is an avid outdoors enthusiast, an artist, and enjoys quality time with her son, husband, family, and friends. Her blend of professional experience and personal interests makes her a dynamic and engaging educator. She is excited for the opportunity to support in the growth and development of students, colleagues, and families of Foothill Montessori of Salt Lake.

Donda Hartsfield

Written by Joshi Haskell on . Posted in Specialty Staff, Staff Bios.

Donda has been working as an outdoor educator for the last 17 years, designing and facilitating a four-season outdoor program for ages 3–12. She specializes in developing hands-on engagement and exploration of nature through ecology, biomimicry, gardening, and direct interaction with nature in all seasons. Donda facilitates learning through interactive materials, activities, games, and natural discoveries, with an emphasis on local exploration of habitats, lab experience, and field trips. She loves seeing children connect with nature and learn from it through curiosity, exploration, and creativity.

In 2023, Donda completed the Biomimicry for Educators program through Learn Biomimicry, which has fueled her passion for inspiring children to lean into nature’s genius as mentor, model, and measure.

Donda enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking, dancing, gardening, writing, and tea parties.

Daniela Ramirez

Written by Joshi Haskell on . Posted in Infant Staff, Staff Bios.

Daniela was born in Mexico City (D.F.), Mexico. She was raised in a small desert town in Ridgecrest, California for most of her life. In 2013, she moved to Salt Lake City with her family. She is the oldest in her family and has two younger siblings. She has three Pomeranian dogs named Charlie, Princess, and Oso (Osito). Fun Fact: she’s always been interested in the medical field, but being with children has always been her passion. She’s worked with children for over 10 years and has earned her certificate in Early Education. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and goddaughter, baking desserts like churro cheesecakes, chocoflan tres leches cakes, etc. She likes to make custom floral bouquets, shopping, makeup, and spending some time in the great outdoors.

Cinthya Barajas

Written by Joshi Haskell on . Posted in Early Childhood Staff, Staff Bios.

Cinthya Barajas was born in Baja, Mexico. She worked as an ESL teacher at a private school for 6 years, in which she taught students from 1st through 6th grade. While teaching, she attended the University of Baja, where she obtained her degree for teaching English in elementary schools. She moved to Salt Lake City in February 2001 and continued her education at Salt Lake Community College for an introduction to Utah schools. She joined the FMSL staff in 2007 and received her Early Childhood Montessori credential through the North American Montessori Center (NAMC). She really enjoys being part of children’s educational development, which is extremely rewarding. She truly believes that learning should be fun and a memorable experience, and therefore activities, songs, and manipulative materials should be used to reinforce and develop the children’s learning capabilities. In her spare time, she enjoys going to the movies, plays, music, and spending time with great friends.

Carson Woodard

Written by Joshi Haskell on . Posted in Elementary Staff, Staff Bios.

Carson Woodard has nurtured young minds at Montessori Community School since 2018. His dedication to his craft deepened in November 2023 when he earned his Upper Elementary credentials from the International Montessori Council.

Beyond the classroom, Carson’s passion for language takes center stage. When not inspiring young minds as a Montessori guide, he explores his love for writing and poetry. And to balance his intellectual pursuits, Carson enjoys spending quality time with his partner, her two kids, and their dog, Anubis. He is an adventurous person, often found snowboarding, backpacking, climbing, running, or simply soaking up the beauty of the outdoors.

Amanda Bywaters

Written by Joshi Haskell on . Posted in Admin Staff, Staff Bios.

Amanda is a native Oregonian and grew up in Lake Oswego. Her love of working with children guided her to work in the school district she attended as a child, even working with some of her former teachers. There, her focus was in the area of Special Education for the Lake Oswego School district, where she worked for 17 years. Amanda, her husband, and two children decided to change scenery and move to Utah in November 2020. As lovers of the outdoors, they settled right in. Going on family hikes, enjoying local farmers markets, and exploring new places are their favorite things to do together. Amanda began her Montessori journey at MCS in the fall of 2021, bringing a wealth of knowledge and passion for teaching social emotional learning to her role as Student Support Coordinator. Amanda is inspired by the Montessori philosophy and enjoys working with and learning from kids of all ages.