They/Them graduated from the University of Vermont in May 2020 with a Bachelors in Sociology and Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies. Sam lives in Brattleboro and went to the The Putney School. Sam is thrilled to become a part of the Hilltop community this fall as Afternoon/AfterCare Assistant. They love being in Vermont, and you...Read More

Fynn Crooks originally hails from Mid-Missouri, but she spent 14 years teaching, living, and loving in Asheville, North Carolina before making the move north to Brattleboro to be nearer family and friends. She has been involved with the traditional dance and music community in New England since before a single gray hair graced her head, and...Read More

Akari is excited to join Hilltop this fall as a Lower Elementary Assistant Teacher! She just spent the past school year teaching first grade at a local charter school in Brooklyn, New York where she was born and raised. Before teaching first grade, Akari attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine and got her undergraduate degree...Read More

Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Madeline has long loved rolling hills and mountains, swimming in rivers, hiking, and getting acquainted with many varieties of flora and fauna. As a recent transplant to New England, Madeline is enjoying exploring her new home (recommendations welcome!). Having worked in a variety of different educational settings, Madeline...Read More

Born on a commune in Guilford, Vermont, and raised in Marlboro and Bennington, Ani Schaeffer attended a Dewey based alternative school as a child, eventually going to Sarah Lawrence College. She then moved to New York City, where she lived for thirteen years, to pursue a full career as a conceptual choreographer and dancer. After...Read More

Rebecca Baldini, a self-described Minnesotan/Montanan, settled in New England in 1998 and never looked back. She raised three Montessori children before becoming a teacher herself. Rebecca was the integrated arts coordinator and violin teacher before leading a children’s house classroom for the past four years at the Montessori Schoolhouse in Keene, NH. A believer in...Read More

Wendy is our in-house Learning Specialist. She has a degree in Early Childhood Education and is a certified Wilson Reading Instructor. She has been teaching for over 30 years including more than 20 years working with children who need additional support in order for them to be successful in the classroom. Her Special Education experience...Read More

Jay has been the school’s musical pied piper since 1996! He has a BA in Music from Middlebury College and plays an array of instruments. Jay enjoys instrumental and vocal improvisation, and plays bass, keyboard and sings with his bands, Jazzberry Jam and Hipfunk Associates. He introduces rhythm, movement and song to our youngest students;...Read More

Becky joined the Hilltop Montessori staff in the summer of 2014 as an Elementary Assistant and AfterCare leader for Elementary aged children. In 2015, she joined the Middle school team, bringing an enthusiasm for math and health science. Becky has a BS in Mathematics-Physics from Keene State College and an MS in Leadership for Sustainability...Read More

Finn grew up in the Brattleboro area. He went to the Putney School and is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College where he focused on 19th-century Literature, Philosophy, 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...Read More