Violinist and educator Edward Barnes brings an encouraging, growth-focused approach to Hilltop Montessori School, helping students explore violin with confidence, curiosity, and joy. Holding music degrees from St. Olaf College and UMass Amherst, Edward is a Suzuki-trained violin instructor and a recipient of the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s META (Music Educators and Teaching Artists) Fellowship. As...Read More

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...Read More

Abbey has been working in education for 5 years. This is her second year at Hilltop, where she is excited to be continuing her career in education. Abbey grew up in Brattleboro, and now resides in Keene, New Hampshire with her partner, son, three cats, and a hamster. Despite this ,she has always had a...Read More

  Now retired, Paul was Hilltop’s Middle School Director and Humanities Teacher from 2001 – 2022. These days he has the great privilege of continuing his connection with the Middle School through singing songs with students that deepen and enrich the humanities curriculum, a long standing Middle School tradition. He also assists musically with the...Read More

Marco joined Hilltop in 2015 as an After Care and Children’s House assistant, after seeing what a positive effect Hilltop had on his two children, one a Hilltop graduate and one currently in the Upper Elementary program. He moved to Brattleboro in 2014 from his home country of Ecuador. In Ecuador he taught language through...Read More

Akari grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. and moved up to Vermont in 2021 to join the Hilltop community. Akari studied political science, education, and gender studies at Bates College for undergrad and completed AMI’s 6-12 Elementary training program with the Montessori Training Center Northeast in August 2024. They are currently a co-teacher in the Lower Elementary...Read More

From a reading tutor to a ski instructor, Environment Educator at Nature Camps to teaching English as Another Language in Taiwan, Ashlyn has a passion for working with children in any capacity. Ashlyn completed her BS in Environmental Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and her MA in Education at Loyola University in Baltimore....Read More

Miranda grew up in Northern Virginia and moved to Colorado in 2008. She lived there until her husband and two kids moved to Vermont, in August 2023, to be closer to her East Coast family. Miranda studied Early Childhood Education and started working with toddlers at a Montessori school in 2013. She worked in this environment...Read More

Jessica grew up in Southern New Hampshire and moved to the area in October of 2022. Jessica developed a passion for working with children during the Covid-19 pandemic as a nanny. During her time as a nanny Jessica learned about the Montessori philosophy and strongly agreed with its principles. After leaving that job to move...Read More