Children's House Faculty and Staff | Hudson Montessori School Blog

Mary Blatnik

Children’s House Directress

Mary Blatnik has been teaching at Hudson Montessori School going on 23 years. Ms. Blatnik earned two degrees from Kent State University, a BA in Psychology and a BA in Studio Art, graduating Summa Cum Laude and with Highest University Honors. She went on to receive her AMI Primary Montessori diploma from the Ohio Montessori Training Institute and an M.Ed. from Cleveland State University. Ms. Blatnik wears several hats at HMS. She teaches in the Children’s House Program, coordinates the Ceramics Studio, offers art camps during the summer and is the mother of an HMS students.

Ms. Blatnik became interested in Montessori when working at an inner-city Montessori program. The well-made materials and the individualistic and flexible approach to learning impressed her. It paralleled her art education, setting up limits to a project while allowing for exploration and personal growth in an atmosphere of trust and respect. Ms. Blatnik continues to enjoy the complexity and richness of the Montessori approach. She values the adaptability of the materials to support a wide variety of learners.

“I am grateful to teach in an environment that allows children the time and opportunity to explore their interests, tackle their challenges and develop a sense of mastery. As a teacher, and a mother, I believe that HMS is a wonderful place for children to grow into confident and competent individuals.”

When at home, Ms. Blatnik enjoys digging in the soil, art activities and home restoration projects with her husband, daughters, dog, multiple cats, and chickens.

Jennifer Case

Children’s House Directress

Jennifer worked at a Montessori school while completing her undergraduate degree and decided to continue her education by enrolling at the Ohio Montessori Training Institute in Cleveland, Ohio where she received her AMI Primary certification. Jennifer moved to Ohio after her training and joined Hudson Montessori School in 1997 after working for a year at another school in the area. Jennifer has worked as a course assistant for the Ohio Montessori Training Institute at courses in Cleveland and New York, and she gives workshops for teachers on material-making for the classroom.

When not at HMS you would likely find Jennifer spending time with her husband hiking, kayaking, running or just sitting at home watching old movies and knitting. She also likes to volunteer at church and at Cups Cafe.

“It is an honor to be part of the Hudson Montessori School family. I feel so privileged to be able to journey with these children through the early years of their lives.”

Rachel Loomis

Children’s House Directress

Rachel grew up down the road from Hudson Montessori School in Twinsburg, Ohio. Her parents enrolled her in HMS when she was three years old, and she continued through 6^th level. After high school, she attended Hiram College for Early Childhood Education. She knew she wanted to become a Montessori guide ever since she was in second grade in Ms. Laura White’s class. She was drawn to the materials and the teachers. There has never been another career option in her mind! After college, she attended the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota, located in St. Paul, Minnesota. During the training, she began her graduate studies in Education through Loyola University of Maryland and completed it in the summer of 2014. She has an abundance of memories from her early days as a student at HMS and is thrilled to be the first alumni to come back to work at the school!

In her spare time, she can be found supporting our local Cleveland sports teams, walking through her favorite stores (Target and JoAnn Fabrics) looking for crafty things to do, and spending time at home with her two cats, Furnando and Orbi. She is looking forward to countless more magnificent years of guiding children toward their own self-discoveries!

Cindi Gonzalez

Children’s House Assistant

Cindi Gonzalez is a certified Montessori Directress and has been an educator for over 30 years. She is a native of Chicago where she served as a Children’s house directress for 15 years. During that time, Cindi facilitated parent education workshops, as well as trained Montessori interns and student teachers. She has lectured on various educational topics including language development in the Montessori classroom and Creating a Montessori Environment to Foster Independence in the Home. Even though Cindi loves to teach, she is always seeking knowledge and loves to learn. Cindi took a break from Montessori to study Native American history and traditions and traveled extensively to reservations in South Dakota and Wisconsin where she lived and learned from Lakota Sioux elders and teachers. She used her experience and teachings to become an instructor for a class for educators on Lakota Studies at the College of DuPage in Illinois.

Cindi and her family are very involved with 4H and helping Veterans. She is an instructor for a Veteran’s creative writing class through Warrior’s Journey Home and Wick Poetry Center at Kent State Univerisity. Cindi, her husband, and two daughters use their horses to help Veterans with post-combat issues. Cindi can never get enough of the outdoors and enjoys riding her horse, sailing, hiking, biking and exploring the natural world of Ohio. She is excited to be back in the Montessori classroom where she always felt at home.

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