Faculty

Toby Welch (Head of School)

 

Children's House
(Ages 3 to Kindergarten)

Birch Room

Cheryl Matthews (Directress)

Cheryl has been teaching in Hilltop's Primary program since 1987. She possesses a BS from Lyndon State College and has both of her Primary (age 3-6) and Lower Elementary (age 6-9) AMS (American Montessori Society) certifications as well as her elementary education state certification.

Sarah Doolittle (Assistant)

Sarah joined the Primary program in 2000. She is working towards a dual-program degree at Greenfield Community College and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. She is majoring in psychology with a minor in education. Sarah completed her Montessori Assistant's training at Northeast Montessori Institute.

Willow Room

Melissa Mroz-Gaskill (Directress)

Melissa joined Hilltop in 1993 as Director of the After-Care program. Completing her Montessori training (3 – 6 years) in the summer of 2000, Melissa took over as a Primary Directress bringing with her fourteen years of teaching experience and a commitment to helping students with learning differences. She holds a BS in Early Childhood Education from the University of Rhode Island.

Ellie Pennell (Assistant)

Ellie joined Hilltop in 2010.

Elementary

Lower Elementary

Jessica Thomas (Director)

Jessica began teaching at Hilltop in 1985, first as a substitute teacher in the after school program, and then, from 1986 to 1990, as assistant in the Lower El. She was appointed head teacher in 1990. Jessica obtained her Elementary (ages 6 to 9) certification at the Center for Montessori Teacher Education, and her BA in Psychology and Education from Vermont College.

Kerstin Kjellberg

 

Connie Rugg-Damery

 

Upper Elementary

Dan Filler (Director)

Dan graduated from Yale University with a BA in Art, and received a Masters of Art in Teaching (MAT) at Brown. His teaching experiences include private and public school settings serving diverse student populations. Dan also implemented a community-based internship program at Brattleboro Union High School which is still going strong today. Dan completed his 9-12 year old Montessori certification at CMTE and is currently working on his 6-9 year old certification.

Tom Griffith

Tom has been teaching at Hilltop in various capacities since 1994. Tom possesses a BA in Music Theory from Kenyon College and a MS in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England. He participated in Montessori training courses at the Seacoast Montessori Training Center.

Middle School

Paul Dedell (Director: Humanities & Music)

Paul joined Hilltop in 1997. A graduate of Windham College, Paul is a generalist par excellence. Paul is an accomplished composer, sings, plays guitar and piano and wields a hammer and a cook pot all with equal dexterity.

Finn Campman (Lead Teacher: Language Arts & Fine Arts)

Finn is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College where he focused on Humanities and World Peace. After working in publishing and graphic design in New York City he moved back to Vermont where he worked at Sandglass Theater in Putney as technical director and associate artist while forming his own theater, Company of Strangers.

Jesslyn Mullett  (Lead Teacher: Math & Science)

Jesslyn hce teas joined Hilltop for fall of 2011 as the full-time Math and Scienacher. Since graduating from Smith College in 2009 she has taught mathematics at the middle school level; first at a small charter school in Miami, Florida, and most recently at Marlborough School in Marlborough, New Hampshire. Jesslyn will graduate in autumn of 2011 from Marlboro College with a Master's degree in Education for Social Justice.

Jessica Turner ( Math)

Jessica attended Bryn Mawr College, earning a BA in Physics and receiving her teaching credential. Jessica also possesses a Masters in Education degree from Antioch University New England; her master’s project focused on Montessori math education. Jessica received her Montessori Adolescent Certification from North American Montessori Teachers Association. She has taught chemistry, physics, calculus, and geometry for several years at the high school level.

Music, Art & Physical Education

Jay Cook (Music)

Jay is the school's musical pied piper. He has a BA in Music from Middlebury College and plays an array of instruments, specializing in African style percussion groups. Jay is involved in drumming residencies in schools throughout the state and in keeping the beat with his band, Jazzberry Jam.

 

Helen Schmidt (Art)

 

 

Maureen Ketcham (Athletics & Physical Education)

Maureen has been teaching at Hilltop since 1997. She attended the University of Vermont where she received a BS in Education and competed in gymnastics all four years; she was selected to the All-East team one year and was inducted into her high school Athletic Hall of Fame for gymnastics. Maureen works with every program in the school, teaching extended day through Middle School. Maureen also oversees the downhill skiing component of Hilltop's winter sports program.