Academic
Coordinator :

Lead Toddler Teacher:

Amanda Sjulstad

I was born and raised in Colorado. I have always loved taking care of others. From a very young age I enjoyed being around children and caring for them. Over the past two decades I have worked with them in varying capacities. I fell in love with the Montessori philosophy ten years ago. The way that it draws children in and allows them to work through their true potential is amazing! I completed my Infant/Toddler credential at the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies in Boulder, CO. After my training I worked as an assistant teacher at Mountain View Montessori under an incredible teacher, who has become my mentor. I then worked as a Lead Montessori Teacher for 5 years before having my first son.
We have created a Montessori home environment for my, now two, boys and I have watched several other children in my home over the past 4 years. I am drawn to the Montessori classroom and love being a part of children's lives at such an important time. I am working my way toward a degree in Early Childhood Education at CCD.

The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful husband. We have known each other since middle school and have been together for over 10 years. We have two beautiful boys and two dogs. We love the outdoors; hiking, biking, camping, and paddle boarding together.

Toddler Teacher:

Nicole Rutledge

I come from a large family in a small town in Kansas. I always enjoyed taking care of children and was babysitting my cousins before I could even drive. I spent four amazing summers in Maine teaching art classes to 13 to 16-year olds as a camp counselor over the summers, while I worked on my Bachelor’s degree. After college I moved to Colorado in 2010, to be closer to my nieces. After my move I was introduced to the Montessori philosophy, by a friend and began subbing in both Toddler and Primary classrooms. Quickly I realized toddlers were really my favorite age group, and I went from subbing to working on my degree and teaching a lead position in about a year. While training I worked closely with Amanda who was my mentor teacher. In 2013 I Completed my Early Childhood Education Degree from North American Montessori Center and I have continued to work with toddlers all this time.  I love seeing a toddler achieve something they have been working towards and finally reach that ‘I did it moment’. I also find that even knowing how much they can achieve I can still be surprised by their independence and determination.

Music Teacher:

Ms. Amy Haywood , singer, storyteller, writer, and mother of two, grew up in Asia and sang in bands throughout high school. She worked summers in an orphanage in Viet Nam which sparked a lifelong devotion to young children. Amy obtained a BA in education and a second BA in English Literature at Guilford College with a minor in Music. She has been teaching Musicare since 1987. In 1999, Amy and four other Musicare instructors created, Camp Oonie Koonie Cha, an early childhood music camp in Winston-Salem. Musicare and Camp OKC, nourish Amy's profound interest in children. In addition to educating children, Amy conducted workshops for teachers through Smart Start in North Carolina, and she was a key note presenter at the South Carolina early childhood educators conference. Amy and her music partner, Claire Valine have won two Parents' Choice Awards for children's music recordings. They have five works.
Amy resides and teaches in Boulder, Colorado. She is working on publishing "Miss Ellie", the story from her "Rockin in the Rabbit Hole" cd".
Amy is available for, assemblies, special occasions and classroom enrichment. Email her at: missamyh@gmail.com.