Our Staff

Christie Huck is a native of St. Louis. She became involved in the start-up of City Garden’s charter school as a parent and a community organizer. Christie is convinced that school can be a place where the light in children is kindled, where community and creativity merge and where hope for the betterment of our society and our planet resides. In 2006, she, Founder Trish Curtis and other parents began to meet to envision an elementary school that provides a nurturing, individualized education to every child, is racially and economically integrated and is rooted in its surrounding neighborhoods. After much work, City Garden’s charter school then opened in Fall, 2008 as St. Louis’ first neighborhood charter school. After serving as Assistant Director, Christie accepted the position of Executive Director at City Garden in May, 2010. Christie remains passionate about education reform as a key component to wider social change. She is grateful to share the City Garden journey with her sons, Jude and Nicholas, who attend City Garden, and her daughter Madalyn, who is studying to become an early childhood education teacher. Christie and her family are residents of the Shaw neighborhood.

Jami joined the City Garden community as Head of School in 2010, relocating from Lawrence, Kansas. Certified in Montessori instruction at the primary and elementary levels, Jami taught children ages 3 to 12 in the Montessori environment for 7 years. His education and years of work in the field of special education have long given him a heart for children with particular needs and considerations. He served as a consultant to schools seeking compliance with state and federal education regulations, and at the taught at university level working in the field of inclusion for children with significant disabilities. Most recently, Jami served as science and health instructor at grade levels 7-12 at a college preparatory Episcopal school. He was delighted to find City Garden as a pioneering commitment to creative education excellence for all children in a neighborhood environment. He and Sarah live in the Shaw neighborhood with their children, Taylor, Austin, and Ira.

• Association Montessori Internationale - Elementary Certification, 2003
• Association Montessori Internationale - Primary Certification, 1998
• M.Ed., Special Education- Severe/Multiple Disabilities, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 1996
• M.Ed., Early Childhood Special Education, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 1996
• B.S., Cellular Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 1990

Kristina joined the City Garden School team in 2010. In her role as family support coordinator, she collaborates with students and families to assess needs, provide support, and link with additional community resources. Kristina also teaches the school-wide character education curriculum, coordinates the volunteer program, and organizes family events at the school. While assistant teaching in an early childhood center in college, Kristina became inspired to pursue a career working with children particularly in the areas of social and emotional development. After completing masters degrees in Human Development and Social Work at the University of Illinois, she went  on to provide services to children, adolescents, and families as a mental health clinician. All of these experiences have shaped her role at City Garden, and Kristina is looking forward to continuing to learn and grow in her work with children and families. Outside of City Garden, Kristina enjoys spending time with her family, decorating her old home, trying new restaurants, and travelling.

• University of Missouri- Columbia - Bachelor of Arts Psychology
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Master of Science Human and Community Development, Master of Social Work

John Carroll is originally from Omaha, NE. After graduating with a Bachelor's in Sociology from Saint Louis University 2007, he began working with Karen House, a women and children's shelter in North St. Louis. He then spent several years as a political organizer and fundraiser for environmental groups, including Environment Missouri and MoPIRG. At City Garden, he worked as a jack-of-all-trades, at some point acting as substitute teacher, running the after-school program, teaching Physical Education, and acting as executive assistant to Christie Huck, before settling into his current position as Development Associate. John is excited about getting the word out about City Garden's amazing school culture, the results it creates for our neighborhood's children, and helping strengthen the school community as it continues to grow.

Carrie Tallon was first introduced to Montessori in 1996 when she accepted a teacher’s assistant position in a small, private Montessori School. She completed the AMI Primary training program in St. Louis the following year. After teaching for three years at the Primary level in Colorado she completed the AMS Lower Elementary training program in Boulder and taught at that level in Denver for another three years. Carrie and her husband moved back to her hometown of Saint Louis to be close to family and raise their two boys, Finn and Kipper. With both her children in school, Carrie joined City Garden Montessori Charter School in the fall of 2009 as the lead teacher in the Primary environment. In the fall of 2010, while remaining in the classroom, Carrie became the Head of the Primary program. Aside from her passion for Montessori, she loves being in the wilderness, camping and traveling with her family. Carrie loves to read, she enjoys running, cycling and yoga, and is a lover of adventure, no matter how big or small. She is also a Certified Yoga Instructor and teaches two Yoga classes a week. She is honored and grateful to be a part of the City Garden Montessori Community.

• B.S. Psychology, Minor in Art and Photography, Missouri State University
• AMI Primary Diploma, Montessori Training Center of Saint Louis
• AMS Lower Elementary Diploma, Montessori Education Center of The Rockies

 I enjoy being a part of the City Garden family. I was born and raised in the beautiful country sides of Franklin County Missouri. I have been blessed with a beautiful daughter named Chelsea. I enjoy Biblical studies, and hope to visit Egypt in the near future. My hobbies are digital scrapbooking, photography, and creating edible art.

Donna began employment as a Kindergarten teacher at City Garden Montessori School in 2010. She co-teaches in the Kindergarten classroom with Kassidy Wahlstrom. She has worked with children from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade in English and Spanish, and enjoys learning about diverse cultures. She grew up in Kansas City and moved to St. Louis in 2005.

Donna holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary education from K-State University in Manhattan, KS. She loves teaching and learning, and among her previous accomplishments are: developing an English as a second language program and a character education program at Della Lamb Charter School in Kansas City, designing an outdoor science classroom and mentoring other teachers at St. Louis Language Immersion School, and being nominated for teacher of the year at Baden Elementary school in St. Louis City. 

Aside from teaching, her hobbies include: singing Irish music, playing the fiddle, reading, oil painting, embroidery, doing medieval illuminations, and canoeing.  

Kassidy has been employed at City Garden Montessori Charter School for one year as a kindergarten teacher. She has been teaching in a Montessori environment for the past 10 years. Kassidy received her Montessori certification in 2004 from Association Montessori Internationale through The Montessori Training Center of St. Louis. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Media Communications from Webster University. Her hobbies include hiking, biking, camping and curling up with a good book. She has two beautiful daughters, Chloe 10, and Chelsea, 3. Kassidy has lived in South City with her family for the past ten years.

Anne Lacey began working at City Garden in 2008. She has 10 years of Montessori teaching experience, working in both public and private settings. Anne received her elementary Montessori teaching credentials from the Montessori Training Centre of British Columbia. In addition, she received further Montessori training at the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee, mentoring four teachers through the training program. Also a Missouri-certified teacher, she has taught grades 1st through 6th. She has also co-authored a pamphlet entitled, “Montessori, the Brain, and Literacy.”

Anne received a bachelors of arts in sociology and anthropology, with minors in history, women’s studies, and African American studies from Truman State University. Though she contemplated continuing on in sociology, the desire to work with children won out. She is committed both to Montessori education as well as community-based, public schools. She is dedicated to melding Montessori education with traditional education to provide the best possible experience for her students. In her free time, Anne enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and teaching herself how to knit.

Bridget Doughty has a BA in English from Saint Louis University. She spent 4 years working at Chesterfield Montessori School, during which time she spent 3 years as an assistant to Ms. Anne Lacey. Bridget is in her 4th year teaching at City Garden, and she brings an incredible energy to everything she does, which her students clearly enjoy. She has been with the school since the first year of it's charter, when she was the lead teacher in the Primary (preschool) Program. Then she rejoined Ms. Anne Lacey in their Lower Elementary classroom. Ms. Bridget is originally from St. Louis, she's a big fan of Captain Jack Sparrow, the Colts, and she is easily one of the most popular babysitters for City Garden families.

Mrs. Darcell Williams-Butler hails from a family of educators. She spent her high school years at Mary Institute and Country Day (MICDS), received her undergraduate degree from Washington University, and a Masters in Teaching from Webster University. 

Mrs. Butler did post graduate work at St. Louis University and completed several intensive programs including the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education - Orton Gillingham, “All Kinds of Minds” Institute - The Schools Attuned Program, Southeast Multi-Sensory Structured Language Institute – Project Read, and Southeast Center for Education in the Arts - Disciplined Based Arts Education in Theater. 

She earned the Pre-Primary Montessori Certificate (3-6) from the Missouri Montessori Teacher Education Program (MOMTEP) in St. Louis, Missouri and the Primary Montessori Certificate (6-9) from Central Ohio Montessori Education for Teachers (COMET) in Columbus, Ohio. 

Mrs. Butler has taught science, math, sensorial, and language in pre-primary teacher education programs and is considering pursuing a PhD. She began her teaching career more than twenty years ago in Columbia, Missouri, taught kindergarten and first grade in New Orleans public schools, and came to CGMS from Chesterfield Day School where she taught kindergarten through second grade. 

Over the years, Mrs. Butler has received several teaching awards. She has two wonderful children and a magnificent husband who whole-heartedly support her love for teaching.

Matthew Fisher was born and raised in the great state of North Carolina.  He has a bachelors degree in psychology from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Matthew got his lower elementary certification from The Montessori Education Center of the Rockies in Boulder, Colorado.  He has now been living and teaching in St. Louis for one year, and is very excited to be returning to City Garden.  Matt is an avid traveler, and has been on several cross-country adventures.  He is also a die-hard North Carolina Tar Heels fan, and enjoys surfing, backpacking and teaching.  Matt has a new puppy named Balou who would love to meet you.  Matthew will be teaching with Darcell Butler this year, and offers beginner guitar lessons afterschool to any City Garden student.

Trent Rouse is an upper elementary school teacher at City Garden Montessori. He grew up in California, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of California, Riverside in 2000. In 2002, Trent received a Masters in Education and Teaching Credential from the University of California, Santa Cruz. For four years, he taught 4^th and 5^th grade classes at a public elementary school in Southern California. Trent has taught at City Garden since 2009.

Trent moved to Missouri in 2008, where his wife Lynne studies archaeology at Washington University in St. Louis. They spent part of that year at a language school in Kyrgyzstan, where Trent taught English courses while Lynne learned Russian. Since then, Trent and Lynne have also spent two summers working in Jordan at an archaeology site built around ancient copper mines.

Trent is a lifelong baseball fan. One of the many highlights of the year for him was leading the entire school in singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame on the field at Busch Stadium, an event that he plans to make an annual tradition.

B.S. in Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Foreign Language
Eastern Illinois University
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis with a concentration in Curriculum & Instruction
University of Missouri- Columbia

Eileen Wellinghoff began working at City Garden in 2010 as an upper elementary classroom teacher. She has 10 years teaching experience in both elementary and middle school grades, with an emphasis on the constructivist model for teaching and learning. Prior to coming to City Garden, Eileen brought together children’s ideas, interests, and abilities through individualized learning plans, creating exploratory-based projects for her students to acquire real world learning at a charter school in Detroit, Michigan.
At City Garden Eileen continues to follow the constructivist philosophy, planning to attend Montessori middle school training in the upcoming summer of 2012. Most recently she has participated in the Orton-Gillingham Reading training to promote the success of students in need of instructional reading support in her classroom.
In addition to teaching and learning, Eileen looks forward to spending time in the outdoors with her family and friends. Eileen frequently visits Forest Park for running and enjoying the seasons in St. Louis.

B.A. in Elementary Education from Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa; M.A. in Education from Lindenwood University, St. Charles, Missouri; Missouri State Certified in Special Reading

Joined City Garden Montessori Charter School in 2010

 Anne Beney has been in the field of education for 16 years.  She has worked with students from the ages of 3 years to 14 years.  Anne joined the staff of City Garden in 2010 as a Reading Specialist.  She holds both a Bachelors of Arts and a Master of Arts degrees in education, receiving her Special Reading certification in 2008. 

When not looking for new and fun reading games, Anne enjoys reading, sewing, working in her garden, and spending time with her husband and their two children, when they’re home from college.