some information About us.......

Ali is a certified teacher from the UK, where she was born and raised. She has a passion for working with children and has more than 30 years teaching experience, ranging from preschool to high school. She has taught in different parts of our world, including England, Scotland, the Middle East and the USA, providing a wealth of experience from which to draw upon. It was during Ali’s second spell of living in Kitsap County, when she discovered Montessori education and was hooked! She took her American Montessori Society (AMS) training at the Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest (M.E.I.P.N.) to become an AMS Early Childhood Montessori certified teacher and went on to complete a M.Ed in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Montessori. Ali is also delighted to be working as an AMS Instructor and Field Consultant at M.E.I.P.N., sharing experience and knowledge to a new cohort of Montessori teachers in training and is a graduate from the  AMS Instructor Academy, having been accepted into their first cohort, when the program first started.

Ali is a mother of two wonderful young ladies and lives in Poulsbo with her husband John and fur baby Maggie.  

When Ali isn’t busy teaching or running the school, she is often out hiking, swimming, cycling or ‘treading the boards’ in some of the wonderful theaters of Kitsap County. 

Ali is delighted and honored to be welcoming all the families who will be part of our wonderful community this year!

Angel began working with children in high school and continued to do so following a family move from Minnesota, WI to Bainbridge Island, WA. 

After raising a family here in Kitsap County, Angel pursued her career working with people and spent her time assisting seniors on Bainbridge.

When she is not working, Angel loves the being outdoors and is an avid gardener. Angel enjoys walking and hiking in the great Pacific Northwest especially with her furry pal Piper.  Her other hobbies include floral design and cooking.  Angel completed her assistant training at MEIPN and is a wonderful and calm presence at school.

Angel has worked at First Stage Montessori since 2012 and enjoys being a part of the FSM team. She finds working with all our wonderful students a joy!

Genevieve, a Montessori alumni, was born in Ireland and grew up in Galway where she spent most of her time involved in dance and theatre.  At 16 she discovered her love for teaching and worked as a teacher's assistant at a local performing arts school. 

After attending Newcastle College and Hull University, UK and obtaining a degree in Musical Dance and Theatre, Genevieve secured a job with a top Spanish Performing Company where she spent 8 years dancing and singing professionally around Spain and on cruise-ships.

In 2010 she opened her own dance school in El Puerto de Santa Maria teaching ages 3 – 70! It was here she met her husband Jake. Their daughter Lia was born and then the family moved to Kitsap County, WA, where Genevieve ran the dance program at Bremerton Family YMCA and taught at Irene’s School of Dance, Silverdale.

In 2017, Genevieve and her family moved back to Spain and it was there the family welcomed their son Lowen. Recently, Genevieve made the decision to pursue a career in early childhood education and, having always loved the Montessori Philosophy, decided to look into Montessori training and certification. After returning to Kitsap in June 2021 she was delighted to find First Stage Montessori, located practically on her doorstep. She is so excited to be joining this inspiring team and is confident that her previous experience working with children will blend well with her new role. Genevieve is also fluent in Spanish and also speaks some Gaelic, German and Russian. Genevieve and her family love singing, hiking, bike rides and beaches and she is so excited for this new adventure and for her family once again being part of the Kitsap County community.

Valerie is originally from the Seattle area, however, she spent most of her childhood in Montana. Having a passion for history and experiencing other cultures, she completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology and Archaeology from the University of Montana. Upon finishing her degree, Valerie and her husband had several military moves spending time in California, Florida, Spain, and finally Washington. After arriving in the Bremerton area, Valerie enrolled her son at FSM and they quickly fell in love with the school and the Montessori philosophy. Valerie decided to go back to school to take classes in education and work with children, which led her to being interested in becoming a Teaching Assistant as FSM. Valerie enjoys reading, cooking, exercising, and exploring the outdoors, when she’s not wrangling her two children and two dogs. 

Takako is from Japan and mother to two adult children. Her husband’s work has provided opportunities for travel and Takako and her family have lived in both Japan and the United States. She has embraced life in Bremerton and the Pacific Northwest since arriving in August 2022. This is Takako's first year working in early childhood education, but she is passionate about supporting children as they grow and discover new things. She enjoys singing, watching sports, and doing crafts. Takako looks forward to sharing many fun and joyful moments with the children.

My name is Racheal Nelson and I have a bachelors degree in communication sciences and disorders from Western Washington University. After attending college, I worked as an SLP-A in Olympia, Washington in the Birth to Three Program. I love spending time with my two young boys, husband, and dog. We enjoy bring outside together and traveling. 

A native of Washington and now a permanent resident of Poulsbo, Maggie is an important member of the classroom, having joined FSM in 2024. 

Having pets in the classroom provides  opportunities to learn about canine body language and how to care for another living being. 

Maggie is frequently petted,  read to, loves playing ball and gets lots of love.