Ms. Mairi began her educational career teaching English and Cultural Studies at Shandong Jianzu University in Jinan, China. While there, she spent time volunteering in rural primary schools and discovered a love for working with young children. Additionally, she worked at Volunteer Teaching Corps, inner city schools in Chicago, and Montessori Charter schools. Mairi holds a Master’s Degree in Education and Social Policy, BFA in Interdisciplinary Art and Art History, Special Education and Teaching endorsement, and Elementary Montessori Teaching certificate. Mairi was attracted to Montessori as a philosophy and as an educational process. In the beginning, it was really about building up her craft and challenging her own understandings of how students could and should be taught. What keeps her in a Montessori School, is the unwavering belief in every child’s potential. At Monarch, we do not restrict the child’s potential with our own limited imagination, but we ensure that every child is valued. We also work hard to create a dynamic definition of what “valued” means and honoring that definition and belief is embedded in everything we do. In Mairi’s free time she enjoys traveling and hiking with her husband. She also digs making massive masterful messes that she calls art.

Jenifer has ten years of experience developing and facilitating engaging environmental programming for youth and adults in a variety of outdoor settings. Her love of nature and positive attitude inspires others to explore the world around them. Jenifer’s horticulture expertise includes vegetable gardening, native plants and developing local wildlife ecosystems. She is also a beekeeper, and an urban homesteader with chickens. She has worked at the Butterfly Pavilion, Arapahoe County Open Spaces and Hudson Gardens. Jenifer is a certified interpretive guide, Project Learning Tree facilitator, and active member of the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education. She holds a Bachelors of Art degree from Colorado State University and a Master of Public Administration degree from CU Colorado Springs. She is currently pursuing an Information and Library Science certificate to help Coloradoans increase their environmental literacy skills.

Ana Simental started when Monarch opened its doors in April of 2010. She has worked in a kitchen for many years and enjoys cooking for the First Steps students at Monarch. She has also taken Early Childhood Courses and Infant and Toddler theory. While Ana is not working she enjoys spending time with her family and going to the stock show and of course she loves the Broncos.