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René Arthur moved from Lancaster, PA to Sarasota in 1982. She graduated from MCC with an AA of Science, SPJC with an AS of Veterinary medicine, CDA, and the State of Florida Director Credential. René worked as a certified vet tech and hospital manager of a local vet hospital for 11 years. René is the Director of IVM Preschool. In 2005 Rene became accredited the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Leanne McSmythe was born in a small village in Zululand, Natal, in the Republic of South Africa. She became a paralegal secretary and worked at a law firm for 8 years. Leanne has traveled extensively around the Indian Ocean area, Europe, Africa, and several states in the USA. In 1989, she immigrated to the US and married her childhood friend. She is blessed with two beautiful children, Kyle and Mishe. In 1996, Leanne taught preschool while attending classes at Manatee Community College to obtain her CDA. She is currently completing her AA in Elementary Education and plans to obtain her BA in elementary education. Leanne has her elementary Montessori certification from The North American Progressive Montessori Teacher Training Center. She is excited about being a part of the team at Island Village. Children present one of life's most precious gifts everyday -- themselves.
Wilfriede Geletka will be joining our preschool program and has taught Montessori at the Preschool level in Youngstown, Ohio for twenty years. It is our good fortune that she is moving to Florida and has that she has chosen to join our faculty at our Island Village Montessori School.
Pam Seim came to our school in 2003 from Denver, Colorado, where she was a licensed, in-home, child care provider for 25 years. Pam will be working with the before and aftercare programs, and assisting this year at the Island Village Preschool. Pam has 3 grown children, and 2 grandchildren who also attend IVMS.
Gail was born and completed her schooling in small towns in Natal, South Africa. She traveled to different countries around the world, including America, and worked in the exporting industry in South Africa, shipping animals and household effects. Gail and her family immigrated to America in 1990. Her children now attend college in Florida. In 1996, Gail obtained her certification for susbstitute teacher and teacher’s assistant as well as passing the Praxis parapro assessment test. Gail will complete her CDA in the near future. She was employed as a long term substitute and FCAT assistant in public elementary and middle schools in Florida and Louisiana for 10 years, and was a long term substitute teacher at Montessori Island school in the Florida Keys. Gail looks forward to working with
the children and staff at IVMS. |
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IVMS early childhood program has entered into an exciting partnership with Children First and Early Head Start. The goal of IVM preschool is similar to that of the IVM charter school: to assure that all families, regardless of socioeconomic factors, can have the opportunity of a quality Montessori educational experience. Children First is a non-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment of families who need a helping hand. In addition to educating children in high quality day care settings, Children First reaches out to families with home visits, parenting classes, family advocacy, counseling and therapy services, and a community resource center. Children First teachers are also highly trained and dedicated to the children and families they serve. IVM preschool shares our facility with a Montessori infant/toddler classroom run by Children First. Our blended program includes three co-managed Montessori early childhood classrooms and one Montessori infant-toddler classroom. The hope of Island Village and Children First is that our partnership will be a model for others around the nation.
Ventrina Horvath currently lives in Venice with her husband of 35 years, a retired Navy Chief. In addition to raising two children and now two grandchildren, in various locations around the world as a Navy wife, she operated a 24 hour, In Home Care Facility in Grants Pass Oregon. She was a preschool teachers’ aide and a teacher for five years with the San Diego County school system and served six years as a teachers aide for the Catholic Diocese of San Diego school system. She comes to us from another preschool and child care center right here in Venice, where she has been a preschool teacher since 1993. She is certified in the North American Montessori system for Infants’, Toddlers and Two’s program. Ventrina currently holds a CDA in child care and is pursuing a certification as a preschool teacher with NAMC.
Harsha comes to IVMS from Kenya, East Africa and is of East Indian descent. She moved here from Kenya in May, 1999 with her husband and three children. She worked with her aunt who had a kindergarten school. She loves to work with children and is very happy to be working with them.
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René
Arthur
Leanne
McSmythe
Wilfriede
Geletka
Pam
Seim
Gail
Jacquelin
Ventrina Horvath
Harsha
Patel 
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