Joy Ullrich: Executive Director
Joy Ullrich joined the board of Montessori Children’s Garden in January 2009 and was named as the school’s first Executive Director in May 2009. Prior to joining the MCG team, Joy served as Sr. Consultant with HR Dimensions LLC, and focused on designing and facilitating organizational and leadership development projects which increased the effectiveness of a wide variety of corporate and nonprofit clients. Joy’s career experience also includes 10 years in Human Resource management and Leadership & Organizational Development consulting with Roche Diagnostics. She has held Human Resource leadership positions with American Trans Air (ATA) and Baxter Healthcare in Chicago. Joy achieved early career success and global experience as the HR Project Manager for the Subaru-Isuzu Automotive (SIA) plant start-up.
Joy’s broad base of experience is complemented by a B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Indianapolis and an M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. She is professionally certified in Organizational Development Consulting, as well as a variety of assessment tools and program facilitation. Joy is currently participating in the multi-year “Course for Montessori School Management” through the Center for Montessori Teacher Education / New York.
E-mail Joy!
Jamie Sellhorn: Founder and Director of Education
Jamie Sellhorn's Montessori journey began in her daughter Haley's Toddler Class at Chesterton Montessori. She fell in love with the Montessori method as she volunteered in Haley's class and saw the incredible learning taking place.
Jamie did her undergraduate work at Duke University in Family and Child Psychology and did her graduate work at Indiana University in business and technology. She also taught in several Waldorf Programs and did her Waldorf Teacher Training at Arcturus in Chicago. Jamie has experience working with children with Autism and other special needs. She taught for several years at a Montessori School for children with Autism.
Jamie holds two AMS Montessori Credentials: Early Childhood (ages 2.5-6) and Infant and Toddler (Ages Birth-3). She received both credentials from the Columbus Montessori Education Center.
In 2006, after the birth of her daughter Brooke, Jamie started Children's Garden so Indy's Southside would have a Montessori environment for the youngest children.
Kelly Sikora: Director of Admissions
As a mother of three bright and energetic children; Jasi, Kaya, and Elijah, Kelly first became interested in Montessori many years ago when she enrolled her oldest daughter in Montessori. Kelly volunteered in the classroom and immediately became hooked on the Montessori philosophy and practice. All three of her children have attended Montessori.
Kelly became so enthralled with Montessori that she started working with Jamie in the summer 2007 and started taking the Infant/Toddler Montessori Teacher Training in Columbus, Ohio. Kelly completed this course in the Summer of 2008.
Kelly's background includes a Secondary Teacher’s License with a B.S. degree in Health and Physical Education and a minor in Coaching from Michigan State University. With a Master’s degree in Public Health from Indiana University, Kelly has worked for the City of Bloomington and Cornell University as an Alcohol/Drug Educator, taught Personal Health at IU, taught K-8th graders growth and development/puberty education, and taught outdoor/environmental education at the Joy Outdoor Education Center. Kelly also spent two years teaching K-8th graders peace and self-esteem skills at the Indianapolis Peace Learning Center. In addition, she spent three years working on a Master’s degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology at the Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.
Since Kelly spent 15 of her early years competing in gymnastics, she has now developed a love for tai chi and especially yoga. She has studied ashtanga, hatha, and kripalu yoga styles in addition to studying Thai massage, and Insight Meditation. She is also an avid reader.
E-mail Ms. Kelly!
Tosha Ward-Janni: Infant and Toddler Director
From an early age, Tosha has always worked with young children. For many years, Tosha was involved with the Vivian Smith House, a program that provided infant and toddler care for teenage mothers who were attending school. Tosha also volunteered as an assistant to to Bridget Huffman working with severely handicapped children, helping them with hygiene, feeding, crafts, and music.
Tosha home schooled her son Ashtin until he was four years old. Tosha incorporated many of Montessori's hands-on learning activities while teaching Ashtin.
Tosha graduated with her AMS Infant and Toddler Montessori Credential in the Spring of 2009. She also attended the Columbus Montessori Education Center. Tosha is also an avid photograher and coaches Pee Wee baseball for Lowell Little League.
Susan Caskey: Teacher
Susan Caskey holds a bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education from Purdue University. She has worked with children at the preschool level as a nanny, preschool teacher and in childcare. She has also worked with older children at the Perry Meridian Middle School library, the Marion County library bookmobile and as a Kindergarten aide.
Susan had first learned of the Montessori Method while an undergraduate at Purdue when she visited a Montessori school in West Lafayette.
Susan found that Montessori's educational philosophy really resonated with what she had observed in children. She especially has been an advocate of individuality in art expression. She has always believed the process, not the product, was the important thing. She enjoyed seeing how each child, when given the same materials as every other child, would create something unique in a unique way. That is why she feels the Montessori philosophy is so important. It allows each child to be self-expressive and to learn what that individual needs to learn in their own time.
Susan has discovered that teaching at Montessori Garden Academy is not just a learning experience for the children but for the adults as well. Over the Summer of 2009, Susan attended the Montessori Paraprofessional Training from Meca-Seton in Chicago.
In her spare time, Susan enjoys quilting, gardening, vegetarian cooking, Yoga, Pilates, and reading mysteries and non-fiction. She has a certificate in Feng Shui training from the Nine Harmonies School of Feng Shui and is very interested in how a person’s surroundings affect them in all areas of their lives.
E-mail Ms. Susan!
Philomel "Mhel" Mamot: Teacher
Philomel "Mhel" Mamot is originally from the Philippines. She graduated in March 1996 with a degree in Medical Technology. Mhel used to work in The Philippine National Red Cross Blood Bank as a Phlebotomist and Laboratory Technician.
Mhel has experience working with both Toddlers and Preschoolers. Since Mhel had her daughter, Nathalia, teaching children has become one of her passions. She is so glad to be a part of the Montessori Family now. Over the Summer of 2009, Mhel attended the Montessori Paraprofessional Training from Meca-Seton in Chicago.
E-mail Ms. Mhel!
