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 joining 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 is equally excited to be joining the Grand Valley community and looks forward to exploring all the beauty and splendor of the surrounding region. He is joined on this awesome adventure by his wife, Joan.
Office Manager
Kelly Carpenter (k.carpenter@mvmcharter.org)
Kelly graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Textile Science, Apparel Design, and Merchandising. This served her well for decades of work and as a creative outlet, but it left her discontented. 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 who are almost adults, and now in the classroom. Watching 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 outdoor,s 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
Stephen Lugo (s.lugo@mvmcharter.org)
Stephen feels privileged by the opportunity to join the MVMCS staff as the Kindergarten Assistant, as well as excited to work with the MVMCS team, students, and family.
Before MVMCS, Stephen was a K-5 Significant Behavioral Needs Paraprofessional for 2.5 years and completed 96 hours as a Significant Support Needs Paraprofessional. He attended Dickinson State University (ND) and Minnesota State University Moorhead, majoring in Elementary Education, and is hoping to soon get his degree and certification.
Although the Montessori philosophy and methods are new to Stephen, he 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
Kellsie Chase (k.chase@mvmcharter.org)
Ms. Kellise is coming to us from Hope Montessori in Colorado Springs, where she has been a lead teacher there for over 5 years. Kellsie has done her Montessori Primary teacher training in St. Louis and has been on her Montessori journey since 2008. She is looking forward to joining the MVM team and enjoying all the Grand Valley has to offer.
When she is not working, she enjoys going on adventures with her boyfriend and her fur baby. She wants to thank you for entrusting her with your children.
Assistant Teacher
Lexus Bradford (lexus@mvmcharter.org)
Ms. Lexus is pursuing her degree in ECE from Colorado Mesa University and looks forward to a long career working with children. She is excited to be working in the Upper Primary class and looking forward to learning more about Montessori education. Lexus worked as a Registered Behavior Technician for ACES in California. She has her child at Monument View Montessori in our Lower Primary classroom. In her spare time, she loves exploring the outdoors of Western Colorado with her husband and son.
Lower Primary Classroom
Lead Teachers
Ashlie Samson
Ashlie is a recent graduate of CMU with an AA degree in Early Childhood Education. She joins MVMCS this year after working as a Lead Preschool Teacher with the city of Grand Junction. This is where she did her student teaching, also in the 3-5-year-old classroom. Ashlie has extensive experience working with D51 in their Special Education classrooms.
When Ashlie is not at work, you can find her riding her bike, 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 are all in school on the East Coast.
Ashlie is thrilled to be joining the MVM family and looks forward to getting to know all the amazing families.
Assistant Teacher
micah espinoza
Micah is a new Assistant Teacher at MVM, having recently entered his AA at Colorado Mesa University, studying Early Childhood Education and Political Science. Micah went to Montessori schoolsfrom Preschool through 8th grade before coming to the Grand Valley.
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