Meet the Team - Main Campus

Ms. Heather was born in New Jersey and migrated down south after living in New York City. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from Rutgers University and has been a ballet teacher for twenty years. Ms. Heather worked as a teaching artist/ arts educator with a nonprofit arts organization while living in New York. She found her passion here for little ones during teaching residencies at many schools throughout the tri state area. Heather received her Montessori Teacher Certification in 2019 and has been a teacher in the preschool classroom since 2018. She is also a certified yoga instructor, nature lover, and enjoys planting veggies in her garden. Heather loves her role in guiding children towards finding their independence in the classroom and enjoys seeing their growth and confidence build each day. Ms. Heather resides in Covington with her husband Ryan, daughter Harper, chicken Zebra, and cat Dr. Honeydew.

Ariadna Herrera was born in Honduras and moved to the United States at the age of five. She lived in Baltimore, Maryland, until January 2025, when she relocated to Mandeville to live with her father and pursue personal growth and new opportunities. Since the move, Ariadna has experienced tremendous personal development and is excited to continue learning and growing.

From a young age, Ariadna has cared for children—family members, friends’ children, and most significantly, her younger brother, who is now three years old. Living with and caring for him daily while her mother worked gave her hands-on experience and a deep understanding of early childhood needs. Through these experiences, she has developed a genuine love for working with children, along with a calm and patient demeanor. She always strives to create a safe, loving, and supportive environment for the children in her care.

Ariadna is not currently enrolled in school but hopes to continue her education in the future. She describes herself as honest, attentive, calm, and kind. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, attending church, and traveling. Ariadna is grateful for the warm welcome she has received at Kinder Haus Montessori and looks forward to creating lasting memories with both the staff and the children.

Ms. Mandy brings a wealth of experience, warmth, and joy to the Preschool classroom at Kinder Haus Montessori. Before joining the teaching team, she had a successful career as a Pediatric Dental Assistant—an experience that deepened her connection with children and affirmed her calling to work with young learners.

Mandy’s love for children is truly at the heart of who she is. She began teaching Sunday School at just 14 years old and quickly became the go-to babysitter in her community—well into adulthood. Today, she is a proud mother of four, and a guiding presence for the students in her classroom, along with countless nieces, nephews, and cousins.

For Ms. Mandy, spending time with children brings a sense of completeness and pure joy. Her nurturing spirit and lifelong dedication to support young minds make her a treasured part of the Kinder Haus family.

Jocelyn was born and raised in Louisiana and joined the Kinder Haus Montessori team in June 2025. She is currently pursuing a degree in psychology, with a strong interest in child development.

Her passion for working with children began at age 14 when she started babysitting, and it has only grown since. Jocelyn is dedicated to creating a warm, supportive environment where children feel safe, valued, and inspired to learn and grow.

In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her beloved dogs.

Mrs. Chantell brings over 34 years of experience working with children of all ages, from infants to preteens. Throughout her career, she has served in a variety of roles in Class A childcare centers, including teacher, cook, and director. Her dedication to early childhood education is reflected in the more than 200 hours of training she has completed, along with numerous professional certifications.

Early on, Chantell also served as a youth minister alongside her husband, teaching and mentoring young people ages 11 to 18 at their church—a role that helped shape her passion for guiding children through all stages of development.

Now, Chantell is embracing a new chapter as a devoted grandmother. She and her husband of 10 years, Ron, share a family 5 children, 12 grandchildren, 4 dogs, chickens, a bearded dragon, and aquatic frogs. Her love for children and animals shines through in every aspect of her life.

In her free time, Chantell enjoys photography, baking, reading, and spending quality time with her husband.

Although new to the Montessori method, Chantell is no stranger to nurturing young minds. She has always had a deep passion for helping children grow into independent thinkers and confident individuals. She is excited to be part of the Kinder Haus team and looks forward to growing within the program, contributing her experience, and learning alongside her new colleagues.

Mrs. Taylor began her career in early childhood education working in a multi-age childcare facility, caring for children ranging from six weeks to 13 years old. During her three years there, she discovered the powerful benefits of mixed-age learning—particularly how older children naturally model behavior and skills for younger peers.

Her journey into the Montessori Method began in 2016 when she joined Kinder Haus Montessori. She started in the Preschool classroom at the Main Campus and was soon promoted to Preschool Lead Teacher. Over her four years in that role, she deepened her understanding of Montessori principles and earned her Birth to Three Montessori Certification from the North American Montessori Center in August 2017.

In 2020, Mrs. Taylor transitioned into the role of Primary Lead Teacher, where she focused on core areas such as Math, Sensorial, Cultural Arts, and Science. She continued her professional development by completing her Three to Six Montessori Certification through the North American Montessori Center.

Known for her creativity, friendliness, and infectious positive energy, Mrs. Taylor has made a meaningful impact in every classroom she has been a part of. In 2023, she was a natural choice to step into the role of Director of the Nido School, where her leadership and passion for early childhood education continued to shine. Still, her heart remained in the classroom, and in 2025 she returned to her roots as the Primary Lead Teacher.

Outside of Kinder Haus, Mrs. Taylor enjoys spending time with her husband, Zach, and their two children, Zachary and Emery.

Ms. Rachel is Montessori certified for children from birth to age three, and it was at Kinder Haus Montessori where she first fell in love with the Montessori method in 2016. She began her journey as a Toddler Aftercare Teacher and went on to gain valuable experience working in both the Preschool and Primary classrooms at the Main Campus.

A proud Montessori parent, Ms. Rachel has loved watching all four of her children grow and thrive at Kinder Haus—from her oldest, Julian (6), to her 4-year-old triplets, Melina, Ariana, and Dominic, all of whom began as infants.

Over the years, Ms. Rachel has had the opportunity to serve as both a Nido and Primary guide at several Montessori schools on both the Northshore and Southshore. Her favorite part of being a Montessori guide is witnessing each child’s joy and independence blossom as they discover their favorite materials and begin to create and learn on their own.

Her passion for caring for children began long before Kinder Haus—she previously worked in childcare, served as a nanny, and taught in after-school art programs.

A proud Ragin’ Cajun, Ms. Rachel holds a BFA in Visual Arts from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. When she’s not in the classroom, she enjoys drawing, painting, exploring nature, and spending quality time with her husband and their four lively kiddos.

Madisyn loves to help the children learn and grow and aspires to bring a good influence to young minds. She is a skilled artist who spent time spent studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is excited to apply her skills in all mediums of art with the children of the Primary Classroom.

Jennifer relocated to Mandeville from Biloxi, Mississippi, in 2007. She holds two Master’s degrees in Psychology—one from The University of Southern Mississippi and another from William Carey University. Additionally, she completed graduate-level coursework in Education to earn an Alternate Route Teaching Certification in English Language Arts. While attending graduate school, she also taught ninth-grade English and Literature.

Jennifer has extensive experience in the mental health field, having served as a child and adolescent therapist in both Louisiana and Mississippi. She worked as a Specialized Crisis Counselor for the Mississippi Department of Mental Health in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and later as a psychoeducational examiner in charter schools throughout the New Orleans area.

In her free time, Jennifer enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time outdoors. She lives in Mandeville with her 10-year-old son, Jennings, and their dog, Sailor.

Cindy absolutely loves being around children.  She spends as much time as possible with her adorable 2 1/2 year old granddaughter Josie. Josie enjoys going to a Montessori school in Baton Rouge, where she is always learning new things, singing new songs and telling stories of her day. Ms. Cindy was born in Baton Rouge and now lives in Madisonville.  She has a Bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University, where most of her courses were in Psychology and Sociology.

When not spending time with her Granddaughter, her interests include, gardening, arts and crafts, taking walks and visiting with friends and family.

Ali has been working at Kinder Haus since February 2020. She started working in Primary aftercare and subbing in other classrooms. When she subbed in the Bridge Room she found her soft spot for that age group. This is now her second year as the lead teacher in the Bridge Classroom using her Montessori Certification through NAMC for ages 3-6.

Ali comes from a big, close-knit family. Even as a child, she was drawn to caring for the younger ones in her family. This is what encouraged her to become a teacher.

As a child she was independent to almost a fault. Seeing an environment that encourages kids to be independent made her love the Montessori teaching approach just as much as she loves the kids. She loves seeing a child grow their confidence in themselves and how much they can do.

When Ali isn’t working she is most likely traveling. She also enjoys swimming, live music, and spending quality time with family and friends.