Ms. Dolores brings creativity and warmth to her dual roles at MCS as both the assistant in the two- and three-day toddler program with Ms. Tarra and the art teacher for kindergarten and lower elementary classes. Her days are filled with variety—from reading stories and building block towers with toddlers to teaching young students about the artwork of Edvard Munch. Every day at MCS brings something new, allowing her to know most of the children personally and greet them all by name each morning.

Ms. Dolores’s introduction to Montessori came in 2014 when she volunteered in her son’s Spirit Play program, a Montessori-inspired class for young children. She loved it so much that she earned her Spirit Play Teaching Certificate from Mead Lumbard Unitarian School, going on to teach for five more years. Her background is richly varied, with experiences in retail management, floral design (certified by Bill Hixon), and children’s art. She also owns her own art-based business, Morning Lori Art.

A devoted nature lover, Ms. Dolores appreciates how much MCS weaves the natural world into daily learning. Known as the “plant person” around school, she adores hearing children’s stories about their pets and often shares tales of her own cats and her “grandturtle,” Tortimer Gamera.

A fun fact about Ms. Dolores: she’s a “blizzard baby,” born during a snowstorm and a true winter enthusiast. She even participated in an ice show once with her son!

With her boundless love for art, nature, and children, Ms. Dolores fills MCS with creativity, care, and a sense of wonder.