Rachel Ellis is excited to join Hilltop Montessori for the 2025-2026 school year. She grew up in Washington state, where she attended three different Montessori schools: one for preschool, one for elementary school (3rd-5th grades), and one for middle school (8th and 9th grades). She graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Guided by her love of learning and the Montessori method, Rachel returned to Montessori as a teacher, earning her Elementary I-II credential through the Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest (MEIPN). She taught Montessori upper elementary for 7 years in Washington State. Rachel moved to Vermont in October 2023 and received her Master’s in Teaching for Elementary in June of 2025. In her free time, she loves road tripping, hiking, contra dancing, ice skating, and rowing.