Watershed Montessori School
Meet our Guides
Jed Burchett
Director, Heron Class Guide
Jed earned his BA in Art History from Sonoma State University in 2002. After working as a counselor in a program for deaf and hard of hearing clients in the foster care system, Jed began his Montessori journey in 2005 when he started as an Assistant Teacher. In 2008, Jed earned his Certificate as Montessori Primary Guide from the Maria Montessori Teacher Training Center under the guidance of Susan Cohn, a student of famous Montessorian Ursula Thrush, and who was recently awarded a Wisdom of the Elders award from the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). In 2013, Jed earned a certificate with the NAMTA-AMI Orientation to Adolescent studies at the Hershey Montessori School, Huntsburg campus. It was during this time Jed began work as a teacher trainer for the Maria Montessori Teacher Training Center. Jed is now Co-Director of MMTTC with Rebecca Keith, with Susan Cohn as director emerita.
Jed has a passion for the Montessori system of education and developing new and experienced teachers to grow in their ever-changing roles as Montessori professionals. He lives with his husband Bernie and several pets, and loves gardening, travel and singing.
Jessica Omar
Kingfisher Class Guide
Jessica found her calling to Montessori Education in 2003 while working as an assistant teacher at Little Oaks Montessori. She began working at Brush Creek Montessori in 2004, where she taught primary and elementary students for sixteen years. Her experience includes teaching first grade at The Presentation School in Sonoma and serving as Associate Director for College Oak Montessori. She received her primary teacher training at the Maria Montessori Teacher Training Center of the North Bay from instructor and mentor, Susan Cohn. She received her elementary training at the Montessori Teacher Education Center San Francisco Bay Area. Jessica holds a BA in Liberal Studies from Sonoma State University. She serves on the Sonoma County Child Care Planning Council.
Jessica lives in Santa Rosa with her husband, Abdullah, and their sons, Adam and Noah.
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Stephanie Hrycak
Heron Class Guide
Stephanie discovered the Montessori philosophy of education while unrelentingly researching how to better serve her students and families at an early care center in Delaware, her home state. Eager to simultaneously nurture her love for travel and outdoor adventure, Stephanie drove to San Diego, CA the summer of 2019 to train under Dr. Christina and Dr. Sylvia Dubovoy at MISD. Continuing to follow both her curiosity for the different landscapes of the world, and seeking out great Montessori Mentors, Stephanie made her way to Napa, CA where she stayed to teach at a nature-focused Montessori school for three years. Northern California proved to be a perfect fit for Stephanie's love for the outdoors and a good pinot noir. Stephanie says that she conducted a thorough search for directors aligned with her desire to honor the individual child through Montessori principles, and we are delighted she has chosen to grow with us here at Watershed!
Emma Adams
Kingfisher Class Guide
Emma is a graduate of Brigham Young University, where she earned a BS in Child Development with an Emphasis in Early Childhood. She is passionate about creating environments that promote creativity and exploration. Emma loves being outdoors, taking road trips, and thrift shopping for peace-signs and sunflowers.
Maria Gomez Olivares
Assistant Teacher
Maria recently transferred from SRJC where she earned an Associates Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences. She is currently pursuing a Bachelors degree at Sonoma State in Early Childhood Studies with a concentration in Community Health and Social Services for Children.
Outside of school she loves to spend time with friends and family. She is looking forward to gaining hands on experience working with children in a Montessori environment.
Barbara Golden
Guest Art Teacher
Profile coming soon.
Pauline Gutierrez
Guest Yoga Teacher
Pauline received her Yoga training at the Ananda Seva Yoga Training Center in Santa Rosa, CA. She's been involved in her yoga practice for over twenty years and has incorporated yoga into every aspect of her life. As a Montessori elementary teacher in her classroom she held a yoga class once a week, although her students had the opportunity to practice whatever they felt the need to stretch or calm down or just sit on a mat! She's taught classes in Hatha Yoga in various studios in West County, and continues to practice in her home. She lives in Bodega Bay, California with her husband Dean, and their dog Luna...who at times loves to sit on the mat while she practices.
Susan Cohn
Teacher Trainer Emerita and Mentor
After retiring as Director of the Maria Montessori Training Course, North Bay in 2015, Susan moved to Kansas to help with the Kansans Can Initiative where she continued her work in Montessori education by assisting Kansas State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Randy Watson in this initiative to promote the Montessori framework within all Kansas public schools Kindergarten through high school. This program is now fully operational in all Kansas public schools. Susan Bakel Cohn has dedicated nearly 50 years to the successful education of children and is currently enrolled in Ananda’s Education for Life teacher training course. She feels that the lessons she is learning from the course are invaluable in the continuing spiritual education of children. She is currently serving as the Educational Director of Polestar Gardens Summer Camps and the Project Director of the Polestar Intergenerational Wellness Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, where a Montessori preschool will inhabit the same facility as Elders. Susan plans on establishing a teacher training course there by September, 2024. In addition to JHU Teaching Awards, Susan was honored with the Dominican University Caritas Veritas Award in 2018, and the Wisdom of the Elders Award in 2022 from the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education.
Heron Class
Guest Music Teacher
Profile coming soon.