Administration
Emily Steele ~ Head of School
Bachelor of Arts 2011
Emily grew up outside of Denver, CO and moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2007 to study education at the University of Portland. Between the rain, the food and the proximity to the ocean, she knew she was here to stay. After receiving her degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Emily worked in preschools and elementary schools for 11 years, including working as an assistant guide at Montessori Children's House in Portland.
She is very excited to combine her skills of early childhood development with her love of gardening and the outdoors. She believes in reaching and teaching the whole child and that Montessori is the perfect environment for that.
Her husband, Charles is an alumni of SunGarden and their son, Enzo is in the Garden Room. In her spare time, she enjoys being with her family, keeping up with her own garden, going to the beach, reading and watching baseball.
Theresa Starreveld ~ Director of Operations
Theresa has spent her career supporting children, families, educators, and school communities. Theresa attended Waldorf schools from kindergarten through high school, where she developed a deep appreciation for education, creativity, and community. She later returned to education as a mixed-age preschool and kindergarten teacher and elementary handwork teacher, experiences that fostered her deep appreciation for child development and child-centered learning.
For the past several years, Theresa has worked as an administrator in nonprofit early childhood education, combining her passion for education with strengths in organizational leadership, systems development, and community building. She is committed to creating inclusive, affirming environments where children, families, and educators feel a strong sense of belonging and support. Theresa values collaborative leadership and believes meaningful change happens through strong relationships, shared purpose, and a commitment to community.
Theresa lives in Milwaukie with her husband and two children. In her free time, she enjoys listening to audiobooks, cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, beading, and exploring a variety of culinary, fiber, and applied arts. She also enjoys studying herbal medicine and is continually inspired by the connections between plants, wellness, and the natural world.
Toddler Program (15 mos. - 3 yrs.)
The Rose Room
Nicole Pelletier ~ Rose Room Lead & Early Care Lead
Bachelor of Science 2006
Nicole grew up watching birds, insects, and catching lizards in the meadows & forests surrounding a small town in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California. She moved to San Diego to be with family and go to college. There, she fell in love with the natural health industry, biochemistry, and her husband. After the birth of their first child, Nicole was nostalgic for the seasons, trees, and community of Northern California. So they moved to Portland fifteen years ago to raise their family in the Pacific Northwest.
Nicole started working in STEM & science education, wanting a career that allowed her more time with her young children during the fleeting and magical years of infancy & toddlerhood. When she started looking for preschool options for her eldest, she found Montessori. It was everything she had intuitively found with nurturing children wrapped in a scientific structure, environment, and methodology that was truly designed to respect & serve the child’s innate abilities. Montessori education has been a part of her family ever since.
Nicole has been a parent of children through Toddler, Children’s House, and Elementary programs at local Montessori schools and served as a Guide/Assistant Guide in Infant and Toddler classrooms at two different Montessori schools. One of her favorite things about working with children is watching their eyes light up when they have succeeded at something they were working hard on or when they observe something unexpected and magical in the world that delights them.
Some of Nicole’s favorite things outside of the classroom are watching the moon rise, playing barefoot with her family, backpacking, reading fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books, cooking & enjoying delicious food, and taking road trips - exploring and experiencing new places in this beautiful world with her family and friends.
Eileen Egger M.Ed. ~ Rose Room Assistant
Bachelor of Science 1997, AMS Primary Diploma 2007, Master of Arts 2020
Eileen was born and raised in Ohio, graduating with a B.S. in Elementary Education from Miami University. Following a few years experience as a nanny in Chicago, a friend suggested she look into Montessori education. She found a position as an assistant in a primary classroom and quickly became enamored with the Montessori Method.
In 2003 Eileen packed up her car and drove west, seeking new adventures in the Pacific Northwest. After settling in Washington, she decided to pursue an Early Childhood Credential through the Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest (MEIPN). She found a diverse Montessori community in Sammamish for her internship, remaining there for the next 18 years while filling various roles including Primary Lead Teacher, Early Childhood Program Coordinator, and Upper Elementary Assistant. Since 2016 she has also served as a Field Consultant for MEIPN interns and current instructor for the EC Physical Science course.
Eileen has been diligent in continually renewing her passion for and understanding of Montessori Education by regularly attending national conferences and earning an M.Ed in Montessori Integrative Learning in 2020. After moving to Oregon in the summer of 2024, she began the search for a new Montessori community to join and was delighted to find SunGarden Montessori right in the neighborhood.
When not at school, Eileen loves spending time exploring the great outdoors with her partner, Jason, and pup, Cedar.
Makea Buchanan ~ Rose Room Assistant
Makea spent her childhood in various places including Utah, Maine, and Portland, Oregon. She was raised to be a curious student of life and nature and developed a very early love for critters, plants, and the great outdoors. As the oldest of five siblings, she has cared for young children for the majority of her life, which has included teaching piano lessons to families in her community, providing after school care in nearby schools, and most recently teaching English during an 18-month mission trip to Santa Catarina, Brazil! In Brazil, she was blessed with a wealth of culture, learning, and love for the people there. Upon her return to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, she decided to move to beautiful Oregon. It was here that she rediscovered SunGarden, the place where her mother had studied as a child, and is excited to join the team!
Makea believes that each child has an incredible potential for learning and growth that, with the right guidance, can be reached in beautiful and surprising ways. She loves the Montessori method for its focus on curiosity and independence and is a firm advocate for always keeping a student's mindset in the classroom of life.
In her free time, Makea can be found singing, playing the guitar or piano, teasing her siblings, dancing, exploring everywhere she goes, and enjoying good food, good books, and good people.
Primary Programs (3-6 yrs.)
Rosemary Sotto ~ Guide
For more than a decade, Rosemary has dedicated her career to Montessori education — a journey that has shaped not only her teaching practice, but also her understanding of children, community, and herself. Rosemary earned her International Montessori Teaching Diploma in 2015 at the North American Montessori Center in Las Vegas, Nevada after completing coursework in children with special needs, child care, preschool, kindergarten development in early childhood, curriculum development, and classroom management in 2011 in Los Angeles, California. She has practiced as a Montessori Lead Primary Guide in California and Nevada before moving to Oregon. Rosemary is passionate about collaborating with fellow Montessori educators to create meaningful, high‑quality learning environments where children can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Rosemary is excited to begin her next chapter at SunGarden Montessori School, where she is looking forward to sharing her experience, supporting educators, and nurturing the growth and progress of every child.
Outside the classroom, Rosemary is deeply family‑oriented. She loves spending time with her fiancé and his 14‑year‑old son, exploring the outdoors on hikes, and walking their three dogs. She was recently gifted a ukulele by her soon‑to‑be mother‑in‑law and is enjoying learning to play.
William Steele ~ Community Support
Bachelor of Arts 2009
Will was born in Lincoln City, Oregon and has lived most of his life in West Linn. He went to preschool and kindergarten at SunGarden in the SunRoom. Will graduated from the University of Portland with a BA in psychology and theatre. He spent several years working at the Dougy Center for grieving children and developed a sincere joy of working with children. Although Will has not been involved in a Montessori classroom for quite some time, he is excited to get the chance to participate in making the creative and wonderful process work. Will’s theatre and service background make him very adaptable and capable of matching individuals where they are at. Will is thoroughly impressed by the creative and imaginative potential of youth and believes in helping the young explore the ways they want to express their voice. On the weekends, Will enjoys doing outdoor activities with his beautiful wife Megan, including mountain climbing, waterskiing, and camping. He is also an avid musician and enjoys playing piano, highland bagpipes, and accordion. Most of all, Will loves telling stories, and he can’t wait to see what stories he gets to be a part of at SunGarden.
Garden Program
Hale Mednick, Garden Steward
Bachelor of Arts 1995
Hale grew up outside of Los Angeles, California in the San Fernando Valley. He moved to Santa Cruz, CA in his 20s and graduated from the University of Santa Cruz with a BA in Theater Arts and Film. After working as an organic farmer for several years in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Hale decided to move into teaching. Hale's career focus since 2000 has been education; he has extensive experience working with children both in K - 12 classrooms and as a tutor. He shares his life with his partner and two children in Damascus. Hale is excited to join SunGarden to introduce young children to all aspects of organic farming from sprout to harvest in collaboration with Emily Steele, our Early Childhood Learning Specialist for the Garden.
Aftercare / Community Support / Substitute Specialists
Janis Wulgart ~ Aftercare Lead & Garden Science Educator
Bachelor of Science 1989, Master of Science 1992
In the Science World, Janis is known as Electra Current. When she retired from teaching in California after 30 years, she immediately realized that she was not done with working for children. She says she has worked with every age and ability of more than a thousand children and is still amazed by their individuality and creativity. She believes in the whole child and loves to guide them through their curiosity and ingenuity by creating exciting curriculum in the form of camps and workshops.
Kathleen Rush ~ Community Support
Bachelor of Arts 2005
Kathleen grew up in a small Swiss/Mennonite community in Northeast Ohio, where walks in the woods with her grandparents sparked her lifelong love of nature and creativity. She earned her B.A. in Business and Marketing from Ashland University.
Life took a joyful turn when she met native Oregonian, Ryan; after falling in love, she moved to Portland in 2005. For the next decade, she worked in Providence’s regional business office, where the mission of compassion and service resonated deeply with her faith and values. Continuing, she discovered how meaningful nonprofit work felt to her, especially when it involved supporting children.
Her Montessori journey began when her sons attended a Montessori preschool in SE Portland. She loved watching them progress from practical‑life work like pouring to confidently tracing continent maps. After her daughter was born, she became a full‑time stay‑at‑home mother, pouring her energy into creating a warm, creative home filled with library trips, art projects, baking, and nurturing her children’s curiosities—from flying squirrels to volcanoes to fennec foxes.
Now living in Canby with her husband, their three children, and a spirited mini labradoodle named Winnie, Kathleen enjoys hiking, volunteering as a Reading Mentor, visiting art museums, all things Jane Austen, cozy baking, and making quilled and iris‑folded cards. She is delighted to join the SunGarden Montessori community.
Christine Maltez, Substitute Specialist
Bachelor of Arts 2016, AMI Primary Diploma 2022
Christine is originally from Sacramento, California and visited Portland in the Fall of 2017 where she fell in love with the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. In 2019, she and her husband were ready for new adventures, so they packed their car and their cat and moved to Portland where they have been living happily ever since.
Christine had plans to become an elementary teacher, but life took her on a different path, and she started teaching young children in 2017 in a Reggio inspired play-based school. Being a lover of the fiber arts, children's books, and art, she created an open-ended curriculum for children to explore different art processes and introduced them to many different children's books through a monthly author studies unit. It was during this time that she discovered the Montessori method through an ECE college course, but it was not until 2020 when she worked in a small in-home Montessori school that she fell in love with the Montessori pedagogy. She then completed her AMI 3-6 Primary training through Montessori Northwest in Portland in 2022. During her free time, Christine enjoys knitting, sewing, reading, being outdoors, and spending time with her two children. She is excited to be a part of the SunGarden team and to bring her passion of Montessori education to the community.
Miranda Mandadi Laxman, Substitute Specialist
Bachelor of Science, 2025
Miranda has always enjoyed working with children and began helping care for younger children from an early age. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, she developed a deep appreciation for the region’s natural beauty and the many outdoor activities it offers.
While completing her Bachelor’s of Science, with additional coursework in Child Development, Miranda worked as a Montessori Substitute Teacher and Assistant and quickly developed a passion for Montessori education. She was inspired by the ways practical life activities foster a sense of community, care for the environment, and independence while helping children develop confidence and meaningful life skills.
Miranda brings a thoughtful, data-informed approach to her work with children. She values careful observation, documentation, and collaboration with families to better understand each child’s needs. When challenges arise, she is committed to partnering with families and colleagues to develop individualized strategies that support every child’s growth, confidence, and success.
In her free time, Miranda enjoys kayaking, swimming, and river/creek walking. She also loves spending time with her two dogs, who especially enjoy visits to Sellwood Riverfront Park.