MERCILL STAFF & TEACHERS

Hello my name is Adrienne Coca and I am the lead teacher in the Montessori classroom.  I was born and raised in Jackson, graduating from Jackson Hole High School in 2001.  I then attended Montana State University, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Family Science.  Upon graduating, a close friend of mine recommended that I look into Montessori teacher training.  As a former Montessori student, I was excited at the idea of becoming a teacher of this wonderful philosophy.  I attended the Caspari Montessori Institute in Boise, ID in 2007.  Upon completion of the teaching course and a supervised internship, I earned my teaching certificate.  In the summer of 2008 I returned to Jackson and was thrilled to begin working in the Mercill Montessori classroom. I am blessed that my parents live in the valley and that my sister is not too far away in Salt Lake City where she is a NICU nurse.  When not teaching I enjoy spending time with my husband and friends, singing, traveling, reading and being outdoors.

TC Education Co-Director

My name is Miriam Lenz and I am an Aide in the Montessori classroom.  I have been teaching Montessori preschool for thirty years.  I obviously love it.  I previously taught elementary school and loved that too.  When my oldest son was preschool age we put him in a Montessori preschool.  We were in awe of what he learned.  Then his teacher moved.  We had two other children who needed Montessori.  We hired a nanny and I took the American Montessori program in Boulder, Colorado.  I bought the school and have been teaching since that time. In 2000 I was asked to bring my program to what was then the Community Children’s Project.  C.C.P. evolved into Children’s Learning Center. My husband, Bob, and I moved to Jackson in 1975 from Montana.  We have four children, three of whom have been Montessori trained.

Hi my name is Michele Terry, I was born and raised in Washington State, I have lived in Jackson for almost 6 years and I love it.  I have worked at CLC since 2007, I work in the Montessori classroom, I have my CDA and look forward to continuing my education learning more about the Montessori philosophy.  I enjoy working with the families and the children and feel that I learn from them everyday.

My name is Laura Zepko and I am the Teacher’s Aide in the Raven’s Preschool at Mercill.  I was born and raised in Western Massachusetts.  I attended the University of New Hampshire and graduated with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Outdoor Education in 2010. Throughout college, I volunteered working with adaptive hiking programs and rock climbing programs for kids. I hope to eventually get my Masters degree in Outdoor Education or Recreational Therapy and to continure working with kids in an outdoor setting. I have lived in Jackson on-and-off for four years, and love to ski, hike, and trail run. I wish there were more hours in the day to spend outside. I love working with kids and I am very excited to be here at the Children’s Learning Center!