STAFF 2026-27
Nancy Fowler, Head of School
B.A. Dartmouth College, New England Montessori Teacher Education Center 3-6 Training, M.Ed. Lesley University
Nancy Fowler comes to CTMS from nearby hometown of Hilton Head Island. It was there that she was first introduced to the Montessori method at the age of 9. After graduating from Dartmouth with a degree in Psychology, she spent her summer participating in a Montessori 3-6 year old training program in Boston, New England Montessori Training Program. She returned home to Hilton Head to begin her career in Montessori.
Driven by her commitment to education, Nancy pursued a Master's in Education at Lesley University, specializing in Conflict Resolution and Peaceable Schools. Her professional path led her to manage Montessori schools in Georgia and Boston, until she found herself enriching young minds at Hilton Head's local children’s museum. A stint as Head of School back in Hilton Head preceded her latest adventure: leading CTMS as Head of School in Charleston.
Nancy is a proud mother of four adult Montessori children and two fur babies. Beyond her role in education, Nancy embraces a vibrant array of interests. When not enthusiastically supporting her daughter's lacrosse games, she delights in running, beach outings, immersing herself in captivating reads, and cheering on her favorite sports teams., Her unwavering dedication to Montessori principles enriches her leadership at CTMS
Shardae Gamble, Office Manager
B.S Rassmussen College, M.A. Univ. of Arizona
Shardae brings over 8 years of joyful dedication to education, working with children from toddlers to elementary age. She holds a Master’s in Early Childhood Education and first joined Charles Towne Montessori as a beloved floater, quickly becoming an integral part of the team.
Shardae now lives in Charleston with her daughter, where they enjoy exploring all the Lowcountry has to offer.
Luke Jones, Property Manager
B.A Kutztown University
Mr. Luke moved to Charleston from Pennsylvania in 2018. Before getting into property management, Luke gained years of experience working with youth as a former youth director and after school volunteer. Luke is also a multi-disciplinary artist and works out of his art studio on Johns Island. He enjoys utilizing all of his skills to keep Charles Towne Montessori a beautiful place!
Clarissa Lesnak, Admission Coordinator
B.A.Emory & Herny College, M.S.W. Univ. of Tennesssee
Clarissa obtained her undergraduate from Emory & Henry College and her MSW from the University of Tennessee. She formerly served as the Director of Admissions at a Montessori school in Hilton Head where she lives with her husband and two little boys.
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In her down time she enjoys running marathons and spending time at the Disney parks with her family.
Svenja Xeller, Lead Elementary Teacher
B.S. College of Charleston, AMS certification for Elementary i & II, Center for Montessori Teacher Education in New York,
Svenja Xeller was born in Germany, but spent her childhood moving back and forth between Germany and the U.S. She came to Charleston in 2000, and after earning her B.S. in Psychology, she took an education staff position at the South Carolina Aquarium, where she volunteered during college. As she grew in her teaching, Svenja desired more of a long-term connection with children, and this led her to leave the Aquarium in 2009, and follow her heart to Montessori education. She taught at East Cooper Montessori Charter School and Sundrops Montessori. During the summers, Svenja worked as a Montessori teacher trainer. After Covid, and while going through some other life transitions, Svenja decided to take a step back from teaching and worked with her partner in his structured wiring company. After three years, her heart told her to get back into education, so she once again returned to the Aquarium as an educator, which was a very rewarding full-circle moment.
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Svenja is thrilled to return to her biggest passion in life - leading a Montessori classroom - and to join the CTM community. In her free time, you will find her outdoors, interacting with nature in some way, and spending time with her loved ones, including her 13-year-old son, who attended Montessori school from birth to 6th grade.
Chloe Eidson, Lead Primary Teacher
AMS certification for Primary, Northeast Montessori Institute
Chloe was born in Charlotte and raised in Charleston, where she developed a passion for teaching, inspired by her mother’s career as an educator. She pursued Early Childhood Education through the bridge program at the University of South Carolina. In the summer of 2019, Chloe joined Charles Towne Montessori as a summer job and quickly realized her affinity for the Montessori method, leading her to stay and build her career with CTM. She later completed her Primary certification at the Northeast Montessori Institute in Boston.
Outside of school, Chloe enjoys spending time outdoors and staying active with her dog, Boone. She also loves traveling and exploring new places with her friends and family.
Amber Papini, Lead Primary Teacher
B.A. Univ. Of Missouri, MFA Yale University, M.Ed. Lander University - Montessori EC Educ.
Charles Towne Montessori is thrilled to welcome Amber Papini. . Ms. Amber joins us from Murray LaSaine Montessori School. She brings a strong Montessori background, a passion for working with children, and a commitment to fostering a nurturing and engaging classroom community. Amber is a dedicated Montessori teacher who is thrilled to be a part of the Charles Towne Montessori community. She has been working in education for twelve years — six years in Brooklyn, NY and six years in Charleston, SC. She first fell in love with Montessori in 2021 as a Teaching Assistant in a primary classroom. The hands-on materials and child- led learning resonated, and inspired her to get a Masters in Education in Montessori at Lander University.
Before discovering Montessori, Amber surrounded herself with music. She grew up in a musical family, played piano and guitar, and studied sound design at the Yale School of Drama. Between teaching jobs, she, was in a band, Hospitality, that made Rolling Stone’s top 100 albums of the year and was featured on NPR’S Tiny Desk series. They played festivals and toured Europe and North America. Now as a teacher, Amber incorporates music to spark joy and enrich the culture and language studies in her classroom. In her free time, Amber enjoys cooking, practicing classical guitar and making music and art with her family—husband, Nathan, and two children, Paul, 11 and Ruthie, 8.
Atarah Fish, Lead Primary Teacher
AMS Early Childhood Adult Learner, Sea Coast Montessori Training Center
Atarah’s love for Montessori began in childhood—she grew up in a Montessori environment, and it’s been close to her heart ever since. As a young girl, she also pursued a passion for ballet, studying at the renowned Joffrey School of Ballet in New York. After a career-ending injury shifted her path, she poured her energy into Montessori education, earning her 3–6 training and currently awaiting final certification.
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She first applied her Montessori knowledge in a unique setting—working with residents living with dementia and Alzheimer’s in private care facilities in New York. After returning to the Lowcountry, Atarah stepped in as a temporary teacher at Charles Towne Montessori—and instantly fell in love with the school’s vibrant community and mission. She’s now a cherished member of the CTM team, bringing creativity, compassion, and a deep respect for each child’s journey.
April Armentrout, Lead Toddler Teacher
NAMC Infant/Toddler certification, Adult Learner Authentic Montessori Institute
Ms. April, originally from California, grew up around the Charleston area and calls North Charleston home. Three years ago, she applied to become a Montessori floater teacher on a whim and fell in love with the method. She became a lead toddler teacher two years ago, receiving an infant/toddler certificate from NAMC, and is continuing her education to become MACTE accredited at AIM Montessori.
Outside of school, Ms. April loves to oil paint, wander around used bookstores, and catch an old movie at the theater.
Tamekia Frazier, Lead Toddler Teacher
AMS Infant/Toddler Adult Learner, Institute of Montessori Training
Ms. Tamekia was born in Norfolk, Virginia and raised here in Charleston, South Carolina, which she is proud to call home. She is the youngest of two, and family means everything to her. She loves traveling with her family and creating special memories together. Recently, she has also discovered a love for pottery, which has become a fun and creative outlet for me. She has been working with children for about 10 years, and caring for and teaching young children has truly become her passion.
Kristyn Holding, Lead Toddler Teacher
AMS Infant/Toddler Adult Leaner, Center for Guided Montessori Studies
Coming Soon!
Sam Lauderback, Co-Lead Nido Teacher
B.S. Oregon State University, AMS Toddler certification from Montessori of Alameda Teacher Education Program, Portland, OR
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Ms. Sam relocated to the East Coast in 2022 with her husband. She discovered her passion for early childhood education early on, earning her B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Oregon State University in 2017 and beginning her AMS Montessori certification in 2018. With over a decade of experience in Montessori education, she is dedicated to fostering children’s growth through the Montessori method and is continually inspired by its holistic approach.
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Outside the classroom, Ms. Sam is an avid nature lover who enjoys hiking, backpacking, camping, the beach- you name it! She also has a love for reading, her cats, and exploring new places through travel.
Kate Maiola, Co-Lead NidoTeacher
B.S. Plymouth State University in K-12 Art Education, AMS Credential in Infant and Toddler at Montessori Institute of New England
Ms Kate started her Montessori journey as a student and became a certified Montessorian at
the Montessori Institute of New England three years ago. Upon graduating college with a degree
in Art Education in 2015, Kate worked in the public school system for elementary and middle
school levels. In 2017, she began her life as a Montessori teacher at Winfield Children’s House
in her home state of Maine, where she has lived for seven years before moving to South Carolina.
Kate, her husband, Ryan, and their golden retriever, Mackworth, made the move to Charleston for a new adventure and for Kate’s position at CTM as a Lead Toddler Teacher. Kate is also a practicing
artist outside of school and is co-lead of the Maria and Me Program.
Lee Dragan
Elementary Support
Leslie Denton
Primary Assistant &
Primary Summer Camp Coordinator
Gianna Seaver
Primary Assistant
Payton Moon
Primary Assistant
Florence Bromell
Toddler Assistant
Mary Claire Richardson
Toddler Assistant
Ravone Richardson
Toddler Assistant
Wendy Gee
Primary After School Director
Cameo White
After School Assistant
Robert Reed
After School Assistant
Jessica Deal
Floater and Staff Support
Marie Washington
Toddler Floater & Aftercare
Victoria Rabinowitz
Toddler After School Coordinator
Toddler Summer Coordinator
Isaiah Washington, Music Teacher
ECE Certification - Trident Technical College, pursuing B.A in Music Composition - College of Charleston
Born on a Marine base in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in 1998, he grew up immersed in diverse culture due to his parents military lifestyle. His father served in the Marines for 24 years so he was always moving around. When he was young he spent 11 years of his childhood stationed on Kadena airbase in Okinawa Japan. After moving to California for a year then to Charleston South Carolina for the rest of his teenage years, he decided to join the Air Force to be an Aircraft Structural Mechanic. And to his surprise he was sent back to Japan for another 3 years for his first duty station.
Traveling and experiencing different cultures has shaped who he is. Last year he and his girlfriend went backpacking in Europe for 5 weeks, embracing every new culture and walk of life they came across.
Music has always been his passion, leading him to study Music theory and composition at the College of Charleston. Alongside his studies he has worked in early childhood education for almost 5 years, combining his passion for teaching with his deep appreciation of music.
Damian Elder, Physical Education
Coming soon
Bio coming soon!