Anna Sanor, School Co-Founder, Head of School, and Co-Lead Elementary Teacher
An A.M.I. certified Primary teacher with twenty years of experience, Anna received her B.A. in Art History at Boston University before discovering the educational methods of Maria Montessori. She became fascinated with Montessori’s vision for the holistic development of each unique, individual child and moved to Portland, OR, to pursue her Montessori degree. She has since taught in Oregon, Washington and Montana.
Anna has specialized experience in training and information sessions for staff and parent outreach and believes that transparency and partnership are crucial for the work we do in support of human development. She brings enthusiasm and dedication to both the classroom and the community at large.
Married to Winter and the proud mother of Elijah and Lucia, Anna continues to enjoy exploring art galleries and museums as well as the many outdoor adventures Montana has to offer. A lover of literature, she spends as much time as she can with a book in hand.
Julie Fayen, School Co-Founder and Lead Primary Teacher
Julie earned her B.A. in History from Boston University and is an A.M.I certified primary teacher with nineteen years of classroom experience. Julie deeply values the emphasis within the Montessori approach on the adult’s responsibility to model loving actions, to observe with compassion and knowledge and to trust in every child’s positive inner motivations.
The most rewarding moments for Julie in working with children are those where she witnesses spontaneous acts of generosity and kindness, and the epiphany moments when a child exclaims, ‘Ah-ha!’ and then turns and declares, “Look, I did it all by myself!” The joy is transformative!
Growing up in New Jersey, Julie loved trips to the beach, playing in the woods, and catching lightning bugs. She feels blessed to now live in Montana and call Missoula home, where one can escape into the woods right on the edge of town.
Our Staff
Melodie Stenger, Co-Lead Elementary Teacher
While Melodie has taught philosophy at the University of Montana and Penn State University for twenty years, reading Montessori’s works convinced her that her true calling lies in reaching students when they are much younger. She has a Master’s in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College and a PhD in Philosophy from Penn State, and her research has centered on philosophies of education. She received her lower and upper elementary Montessori certification from Authentic Institute of Montessori in 2022.
Her time homeschooling her two dyslexic children convinced her that different children follow different paths toward full development, but with the right environment and guide, every child will reach that destination. Melodie believes that Montessori education provides that right environment, and she strives to be that right guide.
Melodie and her husband Rob love getting outside with their children Oliver, Elliot, Timothy, and Rose, and their dog Bugaboo. She collects flying pigs, loves tiny things, is a terrible gardener, and wishes she had more time to read.
Gabby Weber, Primary Assistant
Gabby earned a Master's Degree in Social Work from Walla Walla University and spent four years in clinical practice. She then enjoyed a sabbatical in which she was both humbled and forged by the experience of raising her two incredible children Cameron and Ellie. She began focusing her personal and professional energy on understanding early childhood attachment, its impact on development, and pursuing a career in the development of young persons.
In her spare time, Gabby is a beach volleyball nut and enjoys chasing her oversized puppy "Rosie" through the woods with her family.
"Having the opportunity to work in this Montessori environment is a blessing beyond words and I greatly look forward to each new day in the classroom."
Becca Everett, Primary Assistant
Children have always had a special place in Becca's heart. She was a babysitter as soon as she was old enough and has always enjoyed building relationships with all children. Becca received an Associate degree in Early Childhood Education and then had 3 children of her own. She provided childcare out of her home for 14 years and then decided to look for a teaching job. That is when Becca found MCMS and started learning about Montessori. Becca loves how peaceful and happy the Montessori classroom is and thoroughly enjoys being an assistant in it!
Laura Lympus, Primary Assistant
Laura holds a Master's Degree in Theology from Fuller Seminary and has many years of experience in ministry and non-profit work. She and her husband Steve have four teenage/young adult children, all domestically adopted. Her experience as an adoptive mom has allowed Laura to learn and practice connected parenting and trauma-informed care on a deeply personal level.
Laura fell in love with the Montessori method when her kids attended a public Montessori school in Spokane from 1st-8th grade. She values the uniqueness of each child in the journey towards adulthood and how the Montessori environment provides children with agency and personal growth.
A fun fact about Laura is that she and her family live in an intentional Christian community with 20-some college students at the Alpha Omega House, where she and her husband serve as House Parents!
Melody Ballew, Lead AMP Guide
Melody holds a BA in Elementary Education and was a stay-at-home mom for 25+ years,
homeschooling her five children and helping in various homeschool co-ops Billings, MT. After homeschooling, Melody was blessed to re-enter the classroom in a Montessori school in Billings. She taught 6th-8th grade at Grace Montessori for 6 years before moving to Missoula in 2022 to be closer to her two granddaughters.
Melody has been married to her awesome husband, Mark, for 41 years, and has five adult
children and two beautiful granddaughters, Chloe and Ellie, who also attend Missoula Christian Montessori School. She began assisting in MCMS in 2024 and is so excited to help launch the AMP program.
Tayleigh Sykes, AMP English Guide
Tayleigh earned her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Montana and holds teaching certificates in English and French. She has nearly 20 years of experience in education in a variety of settings, including 15 years teaching high school. Tayleigh has deep respect for Montessori education, and she’s thrilled to be part of the Adolescent Montessori Program at MCMS.
When she’s not teaching, Tayleigh enjoys cooking, reading, gardening, and, of course, spending time with her husband Ray and their two children, Ashton and Colton.
Vivienne Detrick, AMP Spanish Guide
This is Vivienne's ninth year teaching, having taught five years in middle school and three years as a 5th grade teacher. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and a Masters in Teaching, with plans to earn her Doctorate degree. Vivienne loves how language can connect us with so many people around the world and help us become well rounded individuals. She loves seeing students connect Spanish through fun activities, creative projects and develop intercultural understanding. She belongs to a happy family of three with her husband Matt and their seventeen month old son Marcello, along with their amazing cat, Tiger.
Jason Stewart, AMP Math Guide
Jason graduated from the University of Montana in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics. He has taught in public schools for seven years and private schools for about five, and has loved every classroom he's been part of along the way. He still cherishes the notes and letters he received from students in Florence more than a decade ago — a reminder of how much the relationships built in a classroom can outlast the material covered in it. It’s mind-boggling that some of his first students are in their 30s now, but he’s not going to dwell on it.
What draws Jason to teaching, again and again, is watching a student move from confusion to understanding — especially with the concepts that feel most intimidating at first glance. He believes math is far richer than a set of steps to memorize; done well, it can be as creative and beautiful a discipline as music or sculpture, full of patterns worth discovering rather than just facts to recall.
Jason is thrilled to bring that philosophy to Missoula Christian Montessori’s new campus, and is especially looking forward to exploring all the wonderful math manipulatives Montessori classrooms are known for. He can't wait to see students build hands-on, intuitive understanding of ideas that too often get reduced to abstraction.