Anne Schollenberger
Head of School
Anne began her Montessori journey in 2003, while looking for a preschool option for her oldest child. She was delighted to discover this method that honored children developmentally—from an emotional and academic perspective. Her children attended a Montessori preschool, where she volunteered and served as board president. They later attended one of IPS’s Montessori Magnet schools. Anne was a classroom volunteer, served on the PTA and gave school tours— welcoming prospective and new families.
In 2016 Anne joined Village Montessori as the Director of Admissions
and Operations, a position she held until 2021,and she is now
delighted to be serving as the Head of School.
Tara King
Lead Teacher
Miss Tara is passionate about the Montessori Method. She discovered the Montessori philosophy and methods of learning while working at a K-8 IPS magnet school. She believes that the Montessori Method allows teachers to reach students at their level. It also fosters independence and instills confidence in every student. Previously, Miss Tara has been a Montessori classroom assistant, a behavioral interventionist and a special education paraprofessional.
An Indianapolis native, Tara is married with one child who is an alum of Village Montessori. In her free time, Tara enjoys discovering the natural world with her family, visiting museums and exploring national and state parks
Alyssa Dyar
Assistant Teacher
Alyssa attended a Montessori school for eight years and is passionate about the Montessori philosophy and methods of learning.
Alyssa graduated from Indiana University in 2012 with B.A. degrees in math and linguistics. After graduating and roaming the country she
returned to Bloomington, IN and began teaching preschool at Bloomington Montessori School. She moved to Indianapolis to serve in Americorps at Herron High School in 2016. She is grateful to have
found the Village Montessori community and has enjoyed working here since 2017. She continues to apply the compassion and life skills she learned through Montessori education to other life
experiences, big and small.
Kate Porter Knutson
Assistant Teacher
Kate was born in England to Irish parents and was raised in England and Ireland. At the age of 20, she moved to Southern California where she spent a year,
before moving to Orlando, Florida. in 1985 She spent the next 22 years there and met her husband, Eric, who is from Indiana.
After their daughter was born in 2002, she retired from her career with Marriott Vacation Club to focus on mothering and developed a keen interest in child development. In 2007, their family moved to County Clare Ireland, to be alongside Kate’s family and in order for their daughter to attend Raheen Wood Steiner National School (Waldorf School). They lived on the shores of Lough Derg, immersed in nature. The school, which as the name implies, is situated on the entrance to Raheen Woods and has been educating children for 35 years. Her interest in child development continued as she enrolled in Waldorf teacher training, which led to working as an Assistant Kindergarten Teacher for six years. She attended the 2010 Waldorf Early Childhood Conference in Donarch, Switzerland, which included speakers from all areas of child development along with attendees from all over the world.
In 2015 their family returned to the US to be close to family in Indiana.
Maya Colmenero
Assistant Teacher
Maya was first introduced to Montessori when she was looking for ways to engage and cater to her child's development. When her daughter started Montessori kindergarten, Maya joined the teaching staff at Village Montessori. Maya has always enjoyed being around kids, but truly discovered her passion for working with children while volunteering at her daughter’s co-op preschool. She has always admired children’s curiosity and love for the world and thinks that as adults we can learn so much from children. She has really enjoyed learning more about the Montessori philosophy as well as witnessing how it facilitates a love for learning.
Maya hopes to pursue degrees in Art Education, Anthropology, and Ethnomusicology in the future as she is passionate about the arts/culture from around the world.
She enjoys being outside and holds a high regard for getting in touch with nature! A goal of hers down the line is to host events or programs focused on getting children outdoors to explore the world around them.
Maya lives on the East side of Indianapolis with her daughter and dog Luna.
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