JAN HAAS, “MRS. HAAS”, IS THE OWNER/ADMINISTRATOR OF TRENT MONTESSORI.
Jan has a BA in Sociology/Early Childhood from Hanover College and her AMI (Association Montessori International) Certification. Jan started Trent in 1981 with 4 students. Jan enjoys traveling and reading. camping, and antique mall shopping. Jan, along with her husband, Eric, and their three adult children: Lan, (Katie), Ryan, (Kate), and Erin, (Kraig), all Trent graduates, and eight grandchildren. She enjoys spending time together at their lake house….” No Worries”.
My favorite part of leading such a wonderful group of teachers is when I see them truly loving their job and putting their time and attention into meeting each and every child’s needs. Whether it is holding a child until a parent arrives, making Valentine’s cards because the parent forgot, going the extra mile to see that the child has just the right lesson to help them “get it”, calling the parent and letting them know that their child is ok, and looking out for each other. This is what makes our school so very special with extremely special and loving teachers.
ERIN HAAS ECKSTEIN, “MRS. ERIN”, IS THE DIRECTOR AND THE LEAD DIRECTRESS IN THE MORNING MONTESSORI CLASS.
Erin has a BA in Elementary Education from Hanover College and 0-3 & 3-6 Montessori Certification from the GCCME (Greater Cincinnati Center for Montessori Education). Erin has been a Montessori student from birth through 6th grade. This is Erin’s 16th year at Trent, and she is a Trent graduate. Erin enjoys creating Montessori spaces within their home, new lessons for her kids, and sharing her passion through her Instagram account (Montessori.on.a.Mission). She also guides parents in how they can incorporate Montessori into their own home/goes into the home to reorganize “Montessori-FYI” for the family. She enjoys photography, soccer, shopping, crafting, and traveling. Erin, along with her husband, Kraig, and sons, Oliver, Declan, & Jenson, and dog, Copper, enjoy going to the park and hiking the trails.
The part I enjoy most about teaching is seeing the children experience a love of learning each day. The beauty of the Montessori philosophy is that a child will learn through self-directed discovery, a lesson from a teacher, observation or peer lessons. I love to witness the confidence, independence and self-esteem growth that comes through an older child giving a younger child a lesson. My goal as a Montessori Directress is to assist, direct, encourage, support, and aid in each and every child’s love of learning.
JENNY ADAMS, “MRS. ADAMS”, IS OUR LEAD TODDLER GUIDE AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
This is Jenny’s 19th year at Trent, working as a Primary Directress and her 2nd year as a Toddler Guide. Jenny has the 0-3 & 3-6 Montessori Certification from GCCME (Greater Cincinnati Center for Montessori Education). Jenny enjoys shopping, watching sports, and walking. Jenny, along with her husband, Kevin, and their three daughters, Maggie, Madeline, and Charlotte, enjoys spending time together at the neighborhood parks.
The part I most enjoy about teaching is seeing the children grow over 3 years and teaching them to love and respect one another. Watching the children gain self-confidence in themselves and the work they do. My goal as a Montessori Directress is to meet the children’s needs each day and to make sure they feel loved.
JENNY FREY, “MRS. FREY”, IS OUR LEAD DIRECTRESS IN THE AFTERNOON MONTESSORI CLASSROOM AND WORKS IN THE EXTENDED CARE.
Jenny worked at Trent many years ago and has been back, teaching at Trent, for the past 8 years. Jenny graduated from GCCME with a 3-6 Certification and taught in a Montessori classroom for 14 years. Jenny, along with her husband, Michael, and son, Chris, enjoys baking, playing board games, and taking walks.
My favorite part of teaching is getting to know and form a relationship with each child and seeing a child’s face light up with pride when a new concept “clicks.”
SAMANTHA McLAUGHLIN, MRS SAMANTHA, IS OUR FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN TEACHER AND WORKS IN EXTENDED CARE.
Samantha has a BA in Early Childhood Education from Northern Kentucky University. Samantha is a Trent graduate. This will be her 10th year. She and her husband, Jacob, have two daughters, Olivia, 3, and Emma, who was born in November. They live in Ludlow with their dog, Pocket. Samantha & her family enjoy traveling, exploring different cities, and visiting their favorite Major League Baseball parks, a pastime they particularly enjoy. Samantha has many years of nannying experience with previous Trent children.
My favorite part of teaching is making a positive impact & seeing the children’s faces light up every morning, ready to learn. I love interacting with them & building those trusting student-teacher relationships!
MEREDITH TERRY, “MRS. MEREDITH”, IS ONE OF OUR MONTESSORI ASSISTANTS AND WORKS IN OUR EXTENDED CARE.
This is Meredith’s 3rd year working at Trent Montessori. She is also a Trent graduate. Meredith has a BS in Biology with a minor in Psychology from NKU. Meredith lives in Fort Thomas with her son Grayson (4) and her cat, Rocket. Meredith enjoys acrylic painting, gardening, cooking, and going to the zoo with her family. Meredith has been babysitting since she was 13 years old, was a nanny for 2 years, and has several years of experience as a lifeguard.
I’m looking forward to working with a great group of teachers and children, and seeing how they grow socially while learning new things together. One of my favorite aspects of bringing Grayson to Trent is seeing his classmates get excited when they greet him in the mornings, and how quickly he has developed friendships at such a young age.
MACEY PORTER, “MISS MACEY,” IS ONE OF OUR TODDLER GUIDES & EXTENDED CARE ASSISTANTS
This is Macey’s 1st year at Trent.
Macey is currently a student at the University of Cincinnati pursuing a degree in Integrated Social Studies Education. Macey comes from a large family in rural Ohio and has a lot of experience with children and hands-on learning. She was a camp counselor throughout all of high school, was a leader in her 4-H program, and babysat for local families. In her free time, she loves to be outside, read, watch sports, and explore new places.
My favorite thing about working with children is watching them learn new things and gain independence as they grow. I absolutely love getting to know each child individually and see how their personality interacts with others!
LISA WEBSTER, “MRS LISA,” IS ONE OF OUR TODDLER GUIDES.
This is Lisa’s 1st year at Trent.
Lisa is a retiree who is married to her husband Joe, has 2 grown sons and 3 granddaughters.
Lisa spent many years caring, carpooling, and going on field trips with her granddaughters, but now that they are older, she has more free time. Lisa is looking forward to interacting with the students, helping and supporting them when needed.
In her spare time, Lisa likes to spend summers at her river camp, swimming, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Lisa is excited to start her new adventure at Trent!
MANDY HESTER, “MRS MANDY,” WORKS IN OUR EXTENDED CARE.
This is Mandy Hester’s first year working at Trent Montessori. She has a BS in Business Management and a Minor in Business Administration from Northern Kentucky University. Mandy lives in Fort Thomas with her husband, Neal, and daughter, Peyton. She enjoys shopping, watching movies, and spending time with her family. Mandy has experience babysitting her nieces and nephews and helping her mom run a daycare from their family home while in high school and college.
I am excited to start my journey at Trent Montessori where I can build new relationships and help students grow.
PEYTON HESTER, “MISS PEYTON”, WORKS IN OUR EXTENDED CARE
Peyton Hester is currently a Junior at Highlands High School. This is her first year at Trent Montessori and she is loving every minute of it. She has been in the Early Childhood Development program at Highlands High School for three years, and has now decided to grow her skills after school, four days a week, here at Trent. Peyton enjoys fashion, babysitting, reading, spending time with family, and watching her favorite movies. She has experience with children through the many babysitting jobs and time spent with her little cousins.
KATIE HAAS, “MRS. KATIE”, IS ONE OF OUR SUBSTITUTES.
My name is Katie Haas, and I am a substitute at Trent. I have a BA degree in early childhood education from the University of South Carolina. I’ve had 10 years of experience in education. I worked at a Montessori school in South Carolina for a year. Then, my husband (Lan) and I decided to move back to Ft. Thomas, where I worked at Trent for 5 years and later led a 4s preschool class at Bluebird Preschool for 4 years. I have two children, Emma (13) and Ben (10) and 3 dogs, a bearded dragon, and a turtle! I enjoy walking my dogs, cooking, hiking, and spending time with my family.
I have really enjoyed teaching, especially preschool-aged children. I believe that these are the most fun and fundamental years of education, and I get the chance to make a positive impact on their school experience! Plus, they say the funniest things that always brighten my day!
JOYCE TRAUTH, “MRS. JOYCE”, IS ONE OF OUR SUBSTITUTES.
This is my 3rd year at Trent. I attended Bishop Brossart High School and worked as a Dental Assistant until I had my two children. My husband, Rick, and I live in Alexandria. I have had the privilege of watching my six beautiful grandchildren, an experience I dearly loved.
I love being with the children at Trent. Kids make me smile, and I love to see their progress.
HEIDI MALONE, “MRS. HEIDI”, IS ONE OF OUR SUBSTITUTES.
This is Heidi’s 3rd year at Trent. Heidi has a BS in Physical Ed/Health from NKU. She has worked as an assistant at Rainbow Preschool, as a supervisor at the Carmel Swim Club, as a supervisor for the PE Department, and served as a nanny for an infant. Heidi and her husband, Ron, have three grown children and live in Cold Spring.
My favorite part of teaching is seeing their faces light up when they figure out how to do something all by themselves:).
Laurel Thomas, “Mrs. Laurel,” is our Speech Therapist.
Laurel is licensed by the Ohio and Kentucky Boards of Speech Pathology, and has her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. As a lifelong Cincinnatian, she is excited to own a private practice to give back to the community she calls home. Laurel attended the University of Cincinnati, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in German Language and Literature. She attended Miami University, where she completed her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology. During her 20+ year professional career, Laurel has worked with a variety of pediatric populations and disorders in settings including schools, outpatient facilities, and homes. Laurel has received specialized training in the areas of verbal apraxia, early intervention, articulation disorders, phonological disorders, and fluency disorders.