administration

Alfie-eden kerr / dean of students

Alfie joined Mountain Village Charter School with 20 years of education experience. She holds a B.S. in Early Child Development and Young Child Education and graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Before joining MVCS Alfie helped develop education programs for Georgetown University, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Agency, National Science Foundation, and Head Start. Alfie is dedicated to supporting MVCS as it continues to grow and stepped in for the 2016-2017 school year and lead as the Interim Head of School. Alfie currently lives in Plymouth NH with her wife and their yellow lab.

Angela Whitman / Office Assistant

Angela is happy to be starting her second year here at MVCS as office assistant helping staff and families with many of the day to day tasks here at school. As a lifelong New Hampshire resident she spent much of her time growing up in nature, camping with family and friends, traveling, and enjoying the outdoors.

When she’s not at MVCS she spends her time with her partner Steve, reading a good book, and playing games with friends.

Lower Elementary Faculty

1st to 3rd grades

krystal elder / Lead teacher

Eaglets

Krystal has been involved with MVCS since 2016 as a parent, substitute and para-educator. It has long been a dream of hers to be in the classroom as a full time staff member. Her three oldest children currently attend MVCS in both upper and lower elementary.

Krystal recently graduated from Granite State College with a concentration in Education and Child Development; she has almost completed the Alt 4 path through the NH Department of Education to become a licensed teacher. She plans to begin the Montessori certification process at the beginning of the summer. She believes that promoting the wonder and magic of early childhood is essential to growth and loves to support families in their journey toward health and wholeness.

Throughout the last decade Krystal has taken on various roles in working with children. She has worked in the traditional public school setting as both a one-on-one aide and a shared para-educator at Wentworth and Campton Elementary schools. She opened her own childcare and preschool program in order to have more opportunity to educate the whole child. She directed Under The Elder Tree Nursery School which provided care for children ages 18 months to 4 years.

Krystal is also very active within her church community and enjoys serving in nursery, children’s church and Vacation Bible School during the summers.

Jared Cullen / Assistant Teacher

Eaglets

Jared recently graduated from Plymouth State University with a B.S. in Adventure Education and a minor in Sustainability. Before transferring to PSU, Jared studied Biology at Massasoit Community College and learned that he valued time spent in the field more than in the lab. This led to a realization that Outdoor Education was the perfect mix of science, nature, and adventure. While studying at Plymouth State, Jared learned about the effectiveness of nature based experiential education in academic and personal growth. Jared often heard about MVCS in classes and was inspired to one day work here. Before becoming the Eaglets full time assistant teacher, Jared was a Field Teacher and Camp Counselor at an Environmental Education Center. While in school, he spent his winters teaching skiing to beginner skiers of all ages and coaching for Loon’s seasonal development team.

In his free time Jared enjoys skiing, climbing, and mountain biking all over the White Mountains. He enjoys sharing his love of the outdoors with friends, family and anyone out at the crag or on the trail. When not outdoors Jared plays the drums, practices Kendama, and reads science fiction.

kenzie ewing/ paraprofessional

eaglets

Kenzie grew up in New Hampshire and attended a Montessori school in early childhood. With a passion for working with children, she is
spending her gap year as the Eaglets’ Assistant Teacher; she will be
attending college in this upcoming 2023-2024 school year to pursue
studies in education in the Early childhood Ed and Special Ed program at UNH. As a high schooler, she was a part of the Early Childhood Education Program and participated in student teaching in a preschool setting. During her senior year, she spent time in the fourth grade classroom for
student teaching. At MVCS, she has found a home at Lower El, where she has been able to embrace her love for the outdoors.

Kenzie recently relocated to Thornton, NH after spending most of her life on the other side of the White Mountains. She loves to hike with her pup and go on adventures in the woods to see what she can discover on any given day. and she is looking forward to being a part of the MVCS team for years to come!

Dawn Grant / lead teacher

saplings

Dawn has had the privilege of being a member of the MVCS staff since 2015. Her passion for education was first discovered while teaching English as a Second Language in South Korea for three years. Since that experience, Dawn has earned her M.Ed in Integrated Learning from Antioch University, where she was introduced to and developed a passion for nature-based education and integrated curriculum. Joining the MVCS staff has given Dawn the opportunity to utilize her educational philosophy of whole child education and hands-on learning, which are at the core of the Montessori philosophy. In the summer of 2017, Dawn completed Montessori training through the Seacoast Center for Montessori Education in Stratham, NH, earning an Elementary I credential. Dawn also has a background in Theater and cherishes any opportunity to integrate the arts into the classroom.

pauline mcclain / assistant teacher

saplings

Pauline and her family have been involved with Mountain Village Charter School from its first days. Her family chose MVCS for their children's education and two of her children are MVCS graduates. Pauline has filled different roles at MVCS over the past six years, including volunteering to run small group lessons for children working on early literacy skills in Lower El, substitute teaching in all classrooms, and occasional office support. She was a long-term substitute in the Loons classroom during the 21-22 school year, which led to her current full-time role as an assistant teacher. 

In her home life she loves to make art. She enjoys creating a world of wild beauty and joy in her garden and sharing her love for the natural world. 

jenna lewis / Lead teacher

black bears

Jenna is a New Hampshire native and grew up exploring and developing a passion for the natural world up in the white mountains. This is Jenna’s third year at MVCS, taking the lead position for the Black Bears classroom. She graduated early from Plymouth State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology. She deeply values the therapeutic and educational benefits of nature and spends most of her free time outdoors. She has worked with kids of all ages since the age of 18, from directing summer camps to teaching and babysitting. Working with children in nature is her calling, making MVCS a perfect fit for her as it aligns with her core values and proves to be a rewarding and fulfilling career for her. She one day plans further her education in psychology and continues to work with children outdoors in a more therapeutic manner.
Her passions include skiing, camping, hiking, swimming, and her favorite of all, chasing hidden waterfalls and swimming holes in the white mountains.

Jim Napier / Assistant

Black Bears

Jim returns to MVCS for the 24/25 school year as an assistant teacher with the Black Bears, after starting the year with the Eaglets and Saplings. Jim grew up in Ohio, but has lived in Vermont and New Hampshire since he was 18. He loves teaching and was an Adjunct Professor at Dartmouth Medical School and the Community College of Vermont. Jim holds degrees from Denison University, Ohio State University College of Medicine, and Dartmouth Medical School specializing in Psychiatry. After graduating from Residency in 1999, he opened a private practice in Vermont, with an emphasis on providing care to those without access to mental health services in the community. He retired in 2010 to focus on a ne art career. Jim has a photography business in Plymouth and has shown his work in throughout Northern New England. When not immersed in photography, Jim loves road cycling, mountain biking, and hiking the White Mountains with his wife, Tonya.

Corinne Cloutier / Float Assistant

Black Bears

Corinne is a floating assistant who works with us three days a week, primarily in the Black Bears classroom. Corinne is finishing up her degree in Sustainability Studies with an Art minor this semester at Plymouth State University. She had an internship that allowed her to educate the public about the ecology of New Hampshire, which began her love of teaching. She was drawn to MVCS because her studies have made her passionate about building strong communities that encourage emotional well-being and support curiosity through education. In her free time, Corinne paints and sketches landscapes. She also hikes around New Hampshire and does yoga.

Kelsi Lessard / lead teacher

loons

Kelsi has worked with children full time for six years as a one on one, a classroom paraprofessional, and as a camp counselor. This is her second year at MVCS, but as a Lead teacher for the Loons. Prior to her career working in schools, she worked at River House Farm for three years where she worked with horses and became a barn manager. While there, she was invited to learn and be a part of the Mountain Valley program that helps young teenagers find coping skills to help with their anxiety or depression. This led to her finding her passion of working with children and earning a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and then a Master’s in Psychology with a focus in childhood and adolescent development and a deeper focus on autism. Kelsi has an out of box thinking when working with children using a psychological approach. One day, she will further her studies and earn a Doctorate.

While at home, she enjoys spending time with her children, growing many different types of plants and vegetables, art, reading, athletics, hiking and paddle boarding.

gretchen d. helmers / assistant teacher / Upper El Science / Nature Connection / Upper El Art Teacher

Loons

Gretchen grew up in New Hampshire, exploring the woods with her siblings which fostered her love of environmental science. She spent most of her summers at camp where she first started leading nature programs. After Gretchen graduated from Allegheny College with a BA in Environmental Science and a minor Education, she returned to New Hampshire. Gretchen traveled around New England for a couple of years, working with various environmental and outdoor programs such as a partnership with Acadia National Park through the Schoodic Institute. When she isn’t working, Gretchen enjoys hiking, creating stories, playing games, or spending time with her family.

Brendan Adams / Assistant float / Music Teacher / ASP Coordinator

Brendan has lived in New Hampshire and has had a love of the outdoors for as long as he can remember. He joined Cub Scouts at age six and has been involved in Scouts ever since. Currently, Brendan holds multiple volunteer scouting positions both at the regional and statewide levels. Giving back to the organization that had a huge impact on his life is very important to Brendan.

For the last ten summers, Brendan has worked as a Program Area Director at Camp Carpenter, a residential Cub Scout camp in Manchester NH. He specializes in the areas of sports, shooting sports, climbing, and aquatics. Working at Camp Carpenter inspired Brendan’s love of outdoor education and motivated him to search for jobs where he could continue to pursue that.

Middle School faculty

7th and 8th grades

Steve terrio / lead teacher

brook trout

Steve grew up in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire for most of his life and still happily calls it home. Originally planning to work in the forensic science field, Steve surprisingly found he had a stronger love for reading and writing, deciding to switch tracks during his first year in college. He graduated with a BA in English Literature with a double major focusing on secondary education, allowing him to leave with all the experience needed for a teaching certification. Since graduation, Steve has been an ESL tutor, the director of a leadership program for teenagers at Mass Audubon’s Wildwood Camp.

When Steve came to Mountain Village Charter School in 2020, he started out as a substitute assistant to help the Brook Trout with their math classes and day-to-day routines. Over the course of the year, though, he eventually took over teaching part of the math curriculum for half of the eighth grade, and helmed each of the science units. Now in the lead teacher role, Steve is eager to keep creating engaging and modernized lessons for his students, all the while trying to fit in as many pop-culture references as possible into each day. When Steve isn’t spending his time at MVCS, he is using those spare moments to catch up on his many backlogs of books to read, shows to watch, stories to write, and games to play.

lisa diener / assistant teacher

brook trout

Lisa has spent the last four years homeschooling her children with a focus on authentic, active learning while providing diverse educational experiences for her sons. During that time, she also taught homeschool classes for students of various ages. She grew up in Wisconsin, but has since lived everywhere from Rhode Island to San Diego to Washington DC and even spent a semester abroad in China.

She earned a Bachelor's Degree in English Secondary Education and has been a New Hampshire certified teacher since 2009. She previously taught English for seven years at the middle and high school level within multiple educational environments.

After recently moving back to NH, she discovered MVCS as the perfect option for her own children. Lisa was also granted to wonderful opportunity to work with the Brook Trout Team. She looks forward to experiencing the unique nature and family atmosphere of MVCS.

In her free time, Lisa enjoys spending time with her family and friends, running long distances, and traveling.

 Ana Brady / assistant teacher

brook trout

Ana is the joyfully exuberant Science and Nature Connection instructor in the Brook Trout middle school classroom. A self proclaimed science nerd, Ana is delightfully enthusiastic in her pursuit of knowledge and understanding. Connecting with students and sharing her love and curiosity for learning is her passion.
  Growing up in the forests of Western Massachusetts instilled Ana’s deep and lifelong connection to the natural world. Throughout her life Ana attended a Waldorf school, an alternative performing arts charter school, apprenticed with a local herbalist and worked closely with a master gardener for many seasons.  She studied martial arts intensively in her youth, eventually going on to teach self defense classes for women and children.
  Ana has spent the last two decades running a custom woodworking business with her husband, tackling many exciting challenges from administrative duties to hands-on projects.
 In the years leading up to, and throughout the pandemic Ana homeschooled her two children, following a nature based curriculum, making use of the beautiful forests, lakes and mountains here in NH for hands-on lessons and nature adventures.
  Ana joined the MVCS team in 2022 as an assistant to the Loons class, and she is now continuing her journey as an educator teaching Science and Nature Connection in the Brook Trout middle school classroom. Ana is also delighted to be part of the MVCS community as the proud parent of both a Loon and an Eaglet!
 In her personal life, Ana loves to hike and fish and snowboard, she loves making art and music with her family, making and eating delicious food, and exploring the beauty of the natural world.

danielle Zecker-Hannon /

student assistance program

Danielle Zecker-Hannon is passionate about using creative arts, movement and nature as a vehicle to help kids navigate challenging socio-emotional issues. Danielle is a NH Licensed School Counselor and a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist. She completed her Master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling Psychology from Antioch University in 2006. She has worked with Elementary, Middle and High school students in NH as a Creative Arts Therapist and as a director of a Student Assistance Program. She is also a certified Yoga and Pilates teacher, and currently teaches at Plymouth State University and Synergy Dance School. In addition to counseling and teaching, Danielle is a dance choreographer, creating dances and teaching master classes for students across NH and beyond. Her love of Nature and the outdoors runs deep as well, as Danielle was an outdoor educator for many years before having children and is still a Registered Maine Guide. Danielle has three daughters (one is still at MVCS and two are MVCS graduates)! She loves to garden, hike, ski and find quiet meditation time outside. Danielle is at MVCS 12 hours/week and really enjoys being part of the MVCS team!!

monica moscillo / Special education

after school lead

Monica began her career in special education in 2016 and joined Mountain Village Charter School in 2022. She has worked with students in grades PreK-12 in a variety of settings, including private, public, and residential schools. Monica loves to help students reach their goals and finds great pleasure in developing a love of learning in her students. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Thomas Edison State University, as well as a Master’s degree in Childhood Education and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Inclusive Special Education from SUNY Potsdam. She is extremely passionate about helping students with varying disabilities and feels blessed to be a part of the MVCS community. 

Monica is a US Army veteran who now happily resides in Plymouth, NH after spending most of her adult life traveling around the world. She feels most at home amongst trees, mountains, and the ocean. She has four children of her own, two of which have graduated high school and are now living their young adult lives in Texas. Monica’s youngest children attend MVCS and are both in Upper Elementary. In her spare time Monica enjoys many hobbies including hiking the 48, kayaking, crafting, playing the bass guitar, gardening, and snuggling her two cats, Shadow and Selene.

Photos by Kimberly Davis