Administration
Sophie Wallas Rasmussen
Co-Founder & Head of School
Sophie holds a BA in Anthropology from Copenhagen University, an MSc in Social Anthropology from London School of Economics, an MS in Human Nutrition (Functional Medicine) from University of Bridgeport, and a Diploma in Multi-Disciplinary Project & Innovation Leadership from Copenhagen Business School.
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During 2021-2022, Sophie attained all levels of AMI Montessori Orientation Certificates for ages 0-3, 3-6, 6-12, and 12-18.
In 2024 she completed a two-year Montessori Leadership program at the Whole School Leadership Institute, (certified by Loyola University, Maryland).
She is the founder of KidSkill Fund, a 501(c)(3) which raises funds for affordable children's education. Sophie is a life-long learner and researcher, with a passion for helping people reach their full potential, connecting with earth, as well as creating spaces and environments for human growth and healing. It is a great honor for her to be serving the children in the local community, as well as building an amazing crew and campus around the tenets of Montessori. As a Montessori child alum herself, Sophie enrolled her firstborn in a Montessori Daycare, followed by having her children in a Reggio Emilia-based school. She is excited to having had her kids return to the Montessori method in Bovina.
David Madie
Co-Founder & Head of Admin
David holds a BA and MSc in Economics and Business Administration from Aarhus Business School (Denmark). He has been a serial entrepreneur for over 40 years, most recently as the founder and CEO of GrowthWheel International Inc., a training and software company with 20 employees working for economic development agencies worldwide. Prior to this, he has successfully started more than 10 companies across the globe, including in Scandinavia, North America, South and Southeast Asia, as well as East and South Africa.
David is the principal creator and designer of GrowthWheel, a visual toolbox and software platform for business advisors who work with small businesses. David has trained and certified over 4,000 small business advisors in 49 US states and 50+ countries. It is the intention that GrowthWheel will design a child-centered, Montessori-inspired, entrepreneurship toolbox for the school’s curriculum. David also sits as the chairman of the School Advisory Board and helps with the business and legal side of the school's administration.
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David is married to Sophie and together they have two kids, one of whom is currently attending Bovina Center Montessori School.
Katie Henry
Guide Coach & Learning Specialist
I hold an AMI 6-12 (Elementary) Diploma and an AMI 3-6 (Primary) Diploma from Montessori Institute of North Texas (MINT). In 2024 I completed my Montessori Coaching Course with Public Montessori in Action under the tutelage of renowned Montessori Coach Elizabeth Slade.
I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and moved to Dallas, Texas to attend Southern Methodist University where I did my BS in Economics with a minor in Human Rights. It was there I met my now-husband, Taylor, who is an Adolescent Lead Guide here.
After college, I obtained several teaching certificates and I taught high school math for 5 years. Through a distant connection I was introduced to the Montessori Method that changed my life - I finally found an educational method faithful to and following the child's developmental needs!
I have been at Bovina Montessori since 2022 and live on campus with my family. Between 2022-2024 I was the Elementary Lead Guide in our elementary environment. Since Fall 2024 I now work mainly with our guides in their professional development, supporting our faculty towards upholding our beloved Montessori standards in all of our classrooms, as well as providing math learning specialism in our elementary environment.
In my spare time I enjoy reading and spending time with our two young daughters.
I love being part of the community at Bovina Center Montessori School and building this magical place for our community!
Annemarie Neary
Communications Coordinator &
Learning Specialist
I hold an AMI 6-12 (Elementary) Montessori Orientation Certificate with MTCNE, and am currently completing the course "Understanding Interventions & Therapies in a Montessori Setting" with the Montessori 4 Inclusion (MMPI) Organization.
I earned my MS degree in Special Education and a BA degree in English/Journalism at SUNY New Paltz. I also hold the first level of Orton-Gillingham Training through the Reading Center, Dyslexia Institute of MN.
I grew up in Candor, NY on a small farm. I have two adult children who benefitted from the Montessori approach in their early years. Our family has lived in Massachusetts, Illinois, and most recently Long Island. I am happy to be back in the Catskills in Downsville, surrounded by woods and possibilities.
In my early career I found purpose through Therapeutic Recreation in a nursing home where I first learned about adapting materials to address different needs, and what it means to have quality of life. Through experience as a Special Education Itinerant Teacher and Early Intervention Provider, I learned how to meet learners where they are, find creative means to adapt instruction, and nurture language and skill development. Applied Behavior Analysis, adaptive communication and sensory integration strategies were some of the tools I found most useful. I enjoyed working with young families to collaboratively meet challenges and celebrate successes. More recently, I spent eight years in Community Habilitation where I provided direct care to individuals with complex medical needs.
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In my spare time I enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and writing and playing with my dogs.
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I’m excited to now be working in the supportive folds of other Montessori professionals, integrating my past experiences with continuous learning to benefit young individuals, hereunder literacy support in our elementary environment as well as further, individualized learning support for our students.
Siri Bertelsen
Communications Coordinator
I hold a BA in History and Cultural Significance from Aarhus University and an MA in Museum Studies from NYU. I have over a decade of experience working with culture and arts institutions in the U.S.
My work spans from arranging and cataloguing audio archives of historical jazz recordings and artist interviews for the Minnesota Historical Society to organizing Curatorial Intensive programs for Independent Curators International (ICI) in New York City. I have also assisted with curatorial work at the Jewish Museum, and worked in administration and HR as Office Manager for a Manhattan architecture firm .
After moving to Delhi with my family in 2020, I worked as Assistant Director of the West Kortright Center for three years before joining the Bovina Center Montessori School as Communications Coordinator. My husband John and I have two daughters who have attended the school since it opened in 2021.
Cassidy Smith
Property Caretaker
I hold an AMI 12-18 (Adolescent) Montessori Orientation Certificate from Train Montessori.
I've lived in Delaware County my whole life. I graduated from Delaware Academy in 2020 with a technical degree in agriculture. I was a very active member in 4-H and a FFA Officer. My main interests included studying different types of livestock, breeds, process of maple syrup, and business management. I bred and showed rabbits, Hereford hogs, chickens, turkeys and guinea pigs. My years as a 4-Her and FFAer have made a tremendous impact on who I am today.
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After graduation I began working at my uncle's farm in Meridale, Greenane farms. I helped raise poultry, black angus beef, goats, and pigs, as well as processing the poultry on our own meat processing facility, to sell locally. We also had a Mexican restaurant where I ran customer service, sales, and front house of the restaurant for two years.
After leaving our family farm, I worked a few odd jobs before starting a nanny job for a family at BCMS. That's when I met Sophie and found out about Bovina Montessori! I absolutely love the style of learning and the atmosphere here is amazing! I honestly wish this place was around when I was a youth, so I could have gone here! I enjoying taking care and improving on what is already a beautiful campus.
Other than my passion for running around and helping the school, I love to spend any time with my 4 dogs, 7 rabbits, and my kitten. I recently got into gardening and spend all my free time in the dirt!
Joy Tirado
Indoor Caretaker
I grew up in Brooklyn NY and went to private school, while I spent my summers on my grandmother\s farm learning about nature and animals. Later in life, I relocated to the Catskills with my horses and continued to enjoy the country life.
My work with project managing phone systems for banking institutions in NYC and my volunteer work downstate in care-giving, as well as my work here in the Catskills in the nursing field, has been key in shaping my skills for life. I am a firm believer in that it takes a village to build a strong community.
I enjoy spending time with my horses and cooking. I am also on the board to Stars and Stripes of Ande,s which is so gratifying to see the community come together to continue making the town of Andes such a warm and beautiful place to be.
Here at the Bovina Center Montessori School I once again have been fortunate to encounter amazing people with same to similar beliefs and love being able to help where I can!
Ron Maendel
Handyman
I am currently studying at SUNY Delhi with a major in Residential Construction, while working part-time at the school helping with carpentry and other projects.
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I grew up in the backwoods of Pennsylvania, including during my grade school years, where I attended a school with a Montessori curriculum similar to the awesome school here in Bovina.
I have always had a passion for building and fixing things and am happy to put my passion to use for the sake of the school and the children attending here.
School Advisory Board
Elizabeth Lamont
Elizabeth is a C-suite executive with over 30 years of experience leading the marketing departments of the world’s top beauty brands. Her skill set covers marketing, sales, education, and PR.
Personally, her upbringing brought her to the Catskills, as summers spent at canoe-tripping camps and family cottages in her native Canada led her to seek a rural balance to her urban life. Elizabeth, now based permanently in Merida, MX has been coming to Delaware County since 2014, seeking comfort in a three-season, camp-style cabin in Bloomville and the beautiful Catskills mountains.
Elizabeth was a volunteer Child Care Assistant at Mother’s Choice in Hong Kong, where she lived for several years, comes from a family of Montessori educators, and has completed AMI Montessori Assistants Certificates for 3-6 and 6-12 Years from the Maria Montessori Institute in London.
Donna Dickson-Noonan
Donna is a native Bovinian, her family having lived and farmed in the area for generations. Donna runs Glenanore Farm with her husband Mike, where they produce meat and dairy to the local community in Bovina.
Previously she held the position of President of the Board at Cornell Corporate Extension of Delaware County, an organization that enables local people with improving their lives and communities through partnerships that put experience and research knowledge to work, in the areas of agriculture, human ecology, and youth development.
Donna is a member of the Town of Bovina Board, and holds a degree from Western New Mexico University, previously working in healthcare in New York, Wyoming, Minnesota, Montana, and New Mexico.
She is a proud mother and grandmother to several children and grandchildren still living in the county, two of which are currently enrolled in Bovina Montessori.
Catherine Sherry-Dubois
Catharine is a lawyer and a professor at Brooklyn Law School teaching legal rhetoric and legal communication. She has been teaching lawyers and soon-to-be lawyers to communicate more effectively for over two decades. Catharine also consults on curriculum development and effective learning technique.
Catharine is a mother of two children. She alternates between her home in Brooklyn and the family house in Bovina, and is a strong supporter of the local Delaware community.
Montessori Coaches & Consultants
As avid learners, we continue to invite coaches and consultants from the Montessori world to work with us, visit our campus, and guide us - virtually and on-site - with the aim of creating the best conditions for authentic Montessori education at our nature-based school in upstate NY. Coaches and consultants that we work with and/or have worked with, include:
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Gaurapriya Tester
Barbara "Bobbie" Callahan
Tim Seldin
Gaurapriya Tester
Zahra Majeed
Virginia Viscovic
Allison Manuel
Maryse Postlewaite
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...As well as lots of amazing peers in Montessori schools across the US and the world, who share their knowledge and experiences with us, through the ideals and spirit of Dr. Maria Montessori. May we continue to pay it forward in equal measure, now and onwards!
Ayize Sabater
​Michele Hutchinson
Maria Caradonna
Jonathan Churn
Laurie Ewert-Crocker
Tina Booth
Peter Davidson
Kathy Minardi
George Markham
​Todd Covert
Sue Pritzker​
Tiina Suominen
Mary Reinhardt
Nancy Kodera
Alyssa O'Connell
Andrew Faulstich
Beven Barnhart