Certified Montessori Guide::Teri Therkelsen
Teri completed her rigorous primary-level teacher training at Montessori Institute Northwest (MINW). Her program will culminate in a Master of Education Degree in conjunction with Loyola University.  MINW is affiliated with the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), the organization founded by Dr. Maria Montessori to continue her life’s work. Before her post-graduate training, Teri earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Humboldt State University.  Teri has five children of her own, four of which she home-schooled. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities such as a camping, hiking, and sailing.

Certified Montessori Assistant::Heather Kofstad
Heather lives in Silverton with her husband and two sons. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Social and Behavioral Studies from George Fox University. Previously, she earned an Associate of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from Clackamas Community College.  Before working at Bluebird, Heather was a preschool teacher in Oregon City.  Heather is committed to ongoing professional development in the Montessori method, including a 60-hour training at Montessori Institute Northwest in Portland.

Admissions Director::Jennifer Traeger
Along with Teri Therkelsen and Jacquie Curtis, Jennifer helped to found Bluebird Montessori in 2008.  She is starting her fifteenth year as a certified teacher at the high school level in the Woodburn School District where she has worked as a social studies instructor and a coordinator of “talented and gifted” services at the high school and elementary levels.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Portland State University and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Willamette University.