STAFF​
Elementary
Aolani Aguirre
Ms. Aguirre found a love for the Montessori philosophy when her siblings began attending and her mother began working as a Spanish teacher at MVA. She then decided to pursue a career in Montessori education and to become Montessori elementary certified. She has been playing the violin for over 10 years and is excited to share her musical talents and knowledge with the MVA community.
Griselda Aguirre
Mrs. Aguirre was born and raised in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. She has been teaching for more than fifteen years and is certified in Montessori Early Childhood. She has been married for 19 years and has three children. She loves to work with children and treats them as her own. She has a passion for teaching and loves to teach in the Montessori method. She is bilingual, speaking Spanish and English fluently. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and broadening her musical talents.
Melanie Browning
Mrs. Browning grew up in a very small town in southeast Ohio. She attended the University of Rio Grande and graduated with a Bachelor's in Elementary Education. Mrs. Browning has a Montessori Elementary I-II credential. She has taught grades 2-8 including special education for 17 years. Mrs. Browning has two amazing children. Her daughter, Jhediah, is 24 years old and lives in Ohio. Her son, Trae, is 23 and moved to Las Vegas last fall. She has lived in Las Vegas since 2013 and looks forward to many more years here. Her hobbies include reading, listening to music, and camping.
Lisa Knutsen
Ms. Knutsen is a certified Montessori Primary, Lower and Upper Elementary teacher. She also is a certified Montessori Middle School and High School teacher. She holds a BA in Secondary Education and she is currently working on her Master of Education program with an emphasis in Montessori Education. She teaches American Sign Language as an additional language in our Upper Elementary program and continues to work on developing curriculum for the upper level classes. She also enjoys working as a teacher trainer for Montessori Training of Southern Nevada. She enjoys volunteering in her church and throughout the community. She has served on mission trips to Australia, Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Macau. She recently become a licensed foster parent in Clark County.
Karen Merino
Mrs. Merino started teaching Early Music Stimulation classes in 2001 in Mexico City at the Artene Institute, Sala Chopin, Music and Arts and Montessori Schools among others. She has a background in Child Psychology and Music Pedagogy and has taught other educators from all of Latin America at the Latin American Forum of Music Education (FLADEM). In the US, after becoming a mom to two amazing kids, she has worked in Early Intervention and ABA therapies, applying musical therapies and also taught a workshop to other ABA therapists and Child Development Resources in CA. Currently, she is collaborating with Child Abuse Prevention in California and Nevada. Her and her husband have created KIMET (Karen Iniciación Musical Estimulación Temprana) teaching once again, babies and parents, continuing her passion for kids, music and education. Mrs. Merino is excited to be teaching in a Montessori Spanish immersion classroom!
Kirsten Roes
Ms. Roes is both an educator and a 'creative inspirer'! From a very young age she loved helping children learn and grow. What drew her to teaching is her love of taking care of her younger siblings and teaching them. It all started when she helped teach her younger brother and sister to read. Since then she has gone on to study Elementary education, discovered Montessori and become a certified Montessori Primary teacher. In any spare time Ms. Roes has, she likes to sing, read books watch old and new movies, eat breakfast food for any meal anytime, visit museums or places she's never been and go on hikes.
Travis Wells
Mr. Wells was born and raised in Virginia where he started working with children in 2002 as a soccer coach and instructor. Upon obtaining a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology from Shenandoah University, he began working in self-contained special needs classrooms. His interest in Montessori was sparked when he first became a parent, and he is passionate about learning about and sharing the Montesori method. He recently returned to the soccer field as a volunteer coach for his older son’s neighborhood team, and along with his wife and two sons, enjoys trying out different restaurants around Las Vegas, visiting the beaches of LA, and traveling to new places.