Faculty and Staff

Sarah Bingham Office Coordinator Sarah has worked as the Bamboo Room Assistant since Spring 2007. Sarah obtained her B.A. in Psychology from Western Oregon University, and has worked in several child-related settings including The Parry Center for Children and The Children's Farm Home which provide residential treatment for children with mental health needs. Sarah enjoys inspiring conversation with family and friends, cooking, and a new found interest in chess. Sarah lives with her husband and dog Logan in Independence, OR. Cindy Guschov Ginkgo Room Guide A native of New Hampshire, Cindy relocated to the West Coast more than 25 years ago and has been working with young children ever since. First introduced to Montessori philosophy while working as an Assistant in a small school on the Oregon coast, Cindy went on to earn her AMI Primary degree in 1985 from the Montessori Institute Northwest in Portland, and shortly thereafter trained as an AMI Elementary teacher through the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Cindy also holds a bachelor's degree in Human Studies from Marylhurst University in Oregon. In addition to raising and nurturing two children, Cindy has a wealth of teaching experience at various AMI Montessori schools and other private and public schools throughout Oregon and Washington. She has often focused on special education and reading in her work with children, and has co-founded a community mentor and support network for parents of children with disabilities. Cindy is a regular participant of various AMI refresher courses, workshops, and conferences, and is on the board of the Oregon Montessori Association. She spends much of her free time enjoying her granddaughter, gardening, travel, cooking, relaxing with friends, and her 11-acre rainforest retreat on the Oregon coast. As she taught in the Ginkgo Elementary classroom for a brief period in 1995, Cindy is thrilled to formally return to CMS as the Ginkgo Room Guide. Karin Lamberson Montessori Spanish Teacher Karin has been working at CMS for 5 years. Believing in the potential for Montessori education to further world peace, Karin is currently pursuing an AMI Primary degree during the summer training program at the Montessori Training Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Karin enjoys hiking, canoeing, and spending time at home with her partner and their cat. Ronna Pomeroy Maple Room Guide Originally from Minnesota, Ronna has lived in the Corvallis community for over 25 years where she and her husband have raised their three children. Ronna is a long-standing member of the CMS community where she has spent many years involved both as a parent (all 3 of her children attended CMS) and a member of the faculty. She has over 12 years experience teaching young children, 8 of which have been as a Primary Assistant (5 yrs) and Guide (3 yrs) in the Maple Room at CMS. Ronna earned her AMI Primary degree in 1973 in Toronto, Canada, and additionally holds a certificate as a Licensed Practical Nurse from Green River College in Auburn, Washington. Ronna has also worked at the Eugene Montessori School, and as a teacher volunteer in a small fishing village on Labrador and Newfoundland, Canada. She has traveled extensively, most notably to Mexico and India where she became acutely aware of the need for children to be given opportunities to learn peace keeping and a sense of belonging to a community. Ronna is a regular participant of various AMI refresher courses, workshops, and conferences, and has also served as a board member and classroom facilitator for PlainTalk, a child abuse prevention program. In her free time, Ronna enjoys gardening, travel, sewing, and cooking. Dorothy Price Toddler Program Assistant Dorothy has been with CMS for 18 years. She received a B.A. in English and Theology in 1971 from Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois, and in 1974, earned a Nursing Diploma from St. Mary's Hospital School of Nursing in Chicago. Prior to coming to CMS, Dorothy worked as a Registered Nurse for 17 years, including as a pediatric nurse for 6 years. She then worked as the Primary Assistant in the Bamboo Room for 16 years, and in 1996, received her AMI Children's House Certificate of Assistant's Training. Dorothy is currently a teacher in the Cedar Room for the after school Enrichment Program. She enjoys the outdoors, especially horseback riding in the beautiful Coastal Mountains, and playing softball with her church's team The Holy Sox. Dorothy lives in Corvallis with her partner and their small dog Lucie. Michael Taft Willow Room Guide Originally from the north coast of California, Michael has lived in the Corvallis community for nearly 10 years. He received a B.S. degree in Wildlife Biology from Humboldt State University in 1996, and spent over 10 years working as a research biologist, traveling to remote field sites throughout the Pacific Northwest, the Great Basin, and the Antarctic Peninsula. While contemplating a new career in teaching, Michael's interest in Montessori education and philosophy was first piqued when observing his daughter during her first year in a Primary classroom at CMS. The following year he received his AMI Primary diploma from the Montessori Institute Northwest in Portland, Oregon and, by pure serendipity, recently returned to the CMS community to serve as the Willow Room Guide. He is currently working towards a Master's in Education from Loyola College in Maryland, and is a regular participant of various AMI refresher courses and conferences. Michael enjoys discovering the world with his two young daughters (also enrolled at CMS), and strives to bring his love of nature into the classroom. With his free time, Michael enjoys backpacking, surfing, soccer, yoga, and martial arts. Stephanie Vasil Bamboo Room Guide Stephanie has been working with young children for 11 years, 9 of which have been as a Primary Guide in the Bamboo Room at CMS. Stephanie was raised in Minnesota, where she received a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Minnesota in 1996. Stephanie has always found an endless supply of patience and tremendous respect for the child. First introduced to Montessori philosophy while working as an Elementary Assistant in Portland, Oregon, Stephanie had the opportunity to observe at the Primary level and knew it was for her. She then earned her AMI Primary degree in 1999 at the Montessori Institute Northwest in Portland, and shortly thereafter came to CMS. She is a regular participant of several AMI refresher courses, workshops, and conferences. Stephanie loves animals, gardening, and the natural world, particularly the peacefulness of living in her countryside home tucked in the woods. She spends much of her free time cross-country skiing, rafting, backpacking, and practicing pilates.