School Administration
Head of School
Michael Girodo (M.GIRODO@mvmcharter.org)
Michael is inspired and honored by the opportunity to serve as Head of School for Monument View Montessori Charter School. He is incredibly excited to be serving in his fourth year with such a committed and passionate community of educators, board members, and parents who have put so much heart and soul into creating this amazing school.
Michael is a long-time believer in the Charter School movement. Much like the Montessori movement, whose aim is to nurture the development of the whole child, the Charter School movement aims to bring high-quality educational offerings to diverse groups of children throughout the country in a public school setting.
Before coming to the Grand Valley, Michael resided in Steamboat Springs, where he was the Head of School at Steamboat Montessori. Before that, he was Head of School at Jarrow Montessori in Boulder, Colorado’s first Montessori school. Michael holds a Primary Montessori teaching degree from MECR, as well as a Master’s in Education and a BA in Psychology from Naropa University. Michael has been working in the field of holistic and alternative education for 40 years.
Michael enjoys being part of the Grand Valley community and exploring all the beauty and splendor of the surrounding region with his wife, Joan.
Office Manager
Kelly Carpenter (k.carpenter@mvmcharter.org)
Kelly graduated from Louisiana State University with a BS degree in Textile Science, Apparel Design, and Merchandising. This served her well for decades of work and as a creative outlet, but after moving to Grand Junction with her husband in 2015 and having a daughter, she was finally able to focus on a more fulfilling career: parenthood.
Countless parenting and early childhood education books later, she was drawn to the Montessori method. She has seen its effectiveness with her daughter, her friends’ children, and now in the classroom. Seeing children practice and learn a new skill is an amazing process to witness, and Kelly is grateful to be a part of it. She is excited to learn with your children and contribute to their development and education.
Lower Elementary Classroom
Lead Teacher
kirra dyer
Kirra Dyer joined MVMCS briefly in 2022 when she worked to support teachers and students with intervention for literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional learning. After a short break, she is excited to be back and digging deeper into Montessori philosophies.
Kirra has a BA. Education K-12. During her teaching career, she continued to study and gained a Graduate Diploma in Educational Leadership, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education – International Baccalaureate (PYP), and became an Accredited Growth Coach for schools.
For several years, she taught in the Outdoor Education realm before moving into the classroom. She has taught all grades from K-12 in literacy and numeracy. She was a Science coordinator for 5 years in one school and 3 years in her next school. She also taught in a Waldorf Steiner school for a year and a remote Australian Aboriginal school for 4 years. She is passionate about developing productive and kind citizens of the world through inquiry and holistic education.
Outside of the classroom, Kirra volunteers with Mesa County Search & Rescue and loves all things outdoors, along with recreational sports such as hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and paddling. For a bit of quiet time, she loves to get lost in a great book.
Assistant Teacher
Samantha ott
Samantha feels privileged by the opportunity to join the MVMCS staff as the Elementary Assistant, as well as excited to work with the MVMCS team, students, and family.
Before MVMCS, Samantha has perused her passion and training in ceramic arts, as well as led a variety of art workshops. She completed her BA at Metro State University with a BFA in Fine Arts.
Although the Montessori philosophy and methods are new to Samantha, she holds a receptive mind and is passionate about positively supporting students while giving them the knowledge and abilities they need to support themselves.
Upper Primary – Kindergarten Classroom
Lead Teacher
Jenny brey
Jenny is unbelievably excited to be back at Monument View! She taught Kindergarten here from 2019-2022, then left for a short time to pursue other teaching opportunities. Montessori education is her passion, and she is happy to rejoin the wonderful community at MVM.
Originally from Kentucky, Jenny has lived in Colorado since 2003, when she moved here to work as an Interpretive Ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park. Jenny holds a BS degree in Recreation and Park Administration from Eastern Kentucky University; she worked in Steamboat Lake State Park for several years as a Naturalist Ranger, then went back to graduate school at University of Northern Colorado to become a licensed elementary teacher. She has taught preschool, kindergarten, and first grade reading intervention and special education. After moving around quite a bit, she and her husband and two boys settled in the Grand Valley in 2019. They love the small town feel of Fruita and Grand Junction, and they love spending their free time exploring the abundance of public lands that surround us.
Assistant Teacher
kelsey lindner
Kelsey was born and raised in Southern California and spent her early years in Montessori and Waldorf inspired schools. She attended the University of Wyoming where she received a BA in Humanities and Fine Arts and played on the women’s soccer team. She moved to Fruita in 2012 and spent a few years working in local restaurants until going back to school and receiving a BS degree in Environmental Science from Colorado Mesa University.
In 2017 she and her partner moved back to Southern California where she spent two years working for a research center at the University of California San Diego. Her twin boys were born in 2019, and they moved back to Colorado in 2020. Kelsey has spent the last three and a half years working for the US Department of Agriculture, and she is very excited to now join the MVM team, as her boys have been students here since 2022.
In her free time, Kelsey enjoys camping and mountain biking with her family, playing soccer, and woodworking.
Lower Primary Classroom
Lead Teachers
Ashlie Samson
Ashlie is a graduate of CMU with an AA degree in Early Childhood Education. In her third year at Monument View Montessori, Ashlie is continuing her education, pursuing an Early Childhood Special Education endorsement as well as continuing Montessori studies. She also holds a BS degree in Outdoor Studies and Recreation from Southeastern Louisiana State University.
When Ashlie is not at work, you can find her enjoying dinners with her partner Kevin, skiing in the winter, and taking walks with her two fur babies. She also enjoys every moment she can spend with her three children, who all reside on the east coast.
Assistant Teacher
Sara O’Campo
-bio coming soon-
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