“Of all things, love is the most potent” -Maria Montessori
Leah Walsh (she/her)
Leah is the director and lead teacher of Bluebird Montessori. She is the mother of two children (one in college and one in high school) and lives in Delmar with them, her husband, a cat, and a handful of chickens. She completed her Montessori training at Northeast Montessori Institute and is a certified teacher through the American Montessori Society (AMS). Leah has a background in visual and performing arts and holds a BA from Bennington College. She is passionate about handcrafting materials for family and classroom learning, and inspiring a joyful life.
Leah has presented workshops to Montessori educators including at the national AMS conference in Chicago, at the CMS regional conference in Cincinnati, and Trillium Montessori’s online conference called “Montessori and the Science of Reading.” This summer she joins the faculty at Northeast Montessori Institute to support others on their path to becoming Montessori teachers too!
Shannon Maker (she/her)
Shannon is a certified Montessori assistant teacher for children aged 3-6. She studied at the Northeast Montessori Institute in 2018. She worked alongside Leah, at Bluebird, the following year and has been a devoted substitute-teacher and parent-volunteer from the start. With her classroom experience and, as a mother of two former students, Shannon has a unique perspective on the needs and growth of children in Montessori settings. She follows each child's curiosity and creates environments where they can thrive and love learning.
Shannon's previous experience as a registered nurse and yoga teacher enhances her ability to incorporate empathy and mindfulness into her teaching. She is dedicated to nurturing individual development and wellness. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys climbing mountains, gardening, dancing, music, and art. She is most frequently accompanied on adventures by her loving partner, school age children, and her super friendly cat, Marvin, but he doesn’t venture far from their Delmar neighborhood.
Camilla Walsh (she/her)
Camilla is committed to meeting every situation with kindness and creativity - from visual design to restaurant cooking. Her experience in educational programming at the Albany Institute of History and Art and as a kindergarten art teacher at Cheongshim Language Institute in South Korea gave her a diverse teaching experience and an ability to thoughtfully engage with learners of all ages. With a B.A. in studio art from SUNY Albany, she believes in the potential of an art and craft centered education to connect with children for imaginative learning in all subjects.
Camilla is devoted to finding magic and beauty in everyday experiences and sharing that with others. Working with children is a natural way to share that enthusiasm. At home in Troy, she enjoys exploring nature and is always trying to continue learning - currently she is working on improving her DIY home renovation skills.
Camillla is a frequent substitute at Bluebird and is excited to join the summer faculty.
Eleanor Toomey (she/her)
Eleanor is a current student at Bard College studying Sociology and Studio Art. She loves cooking and baking, digging for worms, having adventures, drawing barnyard animals, collecting interesting objects, mending clothing, and wandering for hours in art museums. She brings her creativity, enthusiasm, whit, and calm demeanor to the classroom. She was even a Montessori student from ages 3-13!
This will be Eleanor’s third summer teaching Bluebird summer camp.