Meet Our Faculty & Staff
Kedra Hauser
Director
Owner and Director of The Frost Montessori School of Albemarle. Kedra purchased Frost Montessori School in 2006 from the original founder. Her three sons completed the 3 year Children’s House cycle. She firmly believes the Montessori foundation for education is irreplaceable and better than any other preschool program available. Kedra has a Bachelor degree in Early Childhood Education from James Madison University and taught fourth grade for twelve years. She has completed graduate work at The University of Virginia. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, vacations, exercising, watching her children play sports, socializing, and reading a good book.
Tessa Amell
Assistant Director
Tessa Amell has a bachelor's degree from Colorado College and has worked in both private and public schools since 2010. A member of the Frost team since 2021, she has enjoyed her time both in the classroom and in her current role as Assistant Director. In her free time, you can find her on the trails or at the library. From chasing sunrises to sunsets and everything in between, she is always on the lookout for the next adventure.
Ashley Reece
Lead Teacher Children's House I
Ashley has been a Montessori teacher since 2005. She began her career in Prague, Czech Republic and has been teaching in Charlottesville, Virginia since 2009. She has a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of South Carolina and obtained her Montessori certification from the Princeton Center for Teacher Education in Princeton, New Jersey. She also holds a Master of Arts in Montessori Education from St. Catherine University in St. Paul Minnesota. Since 2012, Ashley has been a field consultant for new interns at the Virginia Center for Montessori Studies and has been the instructor for Math for the past two years. In her free time, Ashley enjoys country living, playing traditional Irish fiddle, and the fiber arts. She lives in Gordonsville with her husband and her twin sons, their dog “Hamish”, and the family chickens.
Alyssa Marlowe
Lead Teacher Children's House II
Alyssa Marlowe was born and raised in Blacksburg, VA. She received her degree in Education from Radford University in 2010 and her Montessori certification for Early Childhood from the Maitland Montessori Teacher Education Program in 2016. She joined Frost in August 2017. Alyssa enjoys spending time outdoors listening to live music and hiking as well as art projects, movies, and all things Disney! She loves spending time with family and friends making memories and cuddle time with her orange tabby, Mufasa.
Annelise Riedel
Lead Teacher Children’s House III
Annelise has been working at Frost for 6 years; she began as an assistant with Ashley in Children’s House I. Annelise is thrilled to be leading the Children’s House III class this year and working with the children there. She graduated from the University of Mary Washington in 2013 with a BA in English and recently received her Montessori teacher certification from the Virginia Center for Montessori Studies (VCMS) in Richmond. In her free time, Annelise enjoys cooking, hiking, going on camping trips, traveling to new places and reading good books.
Brittany Moore
Lead Teacher Toddler Class
Brittany Moore, originally from Chesterfield, Virginia, is an experienced toddler teacher at Frost Montessori. With a strong background in early childhood education, she embarked on her journey as the Frost Toddler teacher in 2022. Brittany holds a bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech and has recently obtained her Montessori teacher certification from the Virginia Center for Montessori Studies (VCMS) in Richmond. In addition to her teaching role, Brittany is also responsible for managing Frost's social media accounts. During her leisure time, she enjoys immersing herself in books and spending quality time with her dog, Bailey.
Rachel Cook
Full Day Director
Rachel recently relocated to Virginia from Illinois. She graduated from DePauw University with a bachelor’s degree in 2022. Since graduating, she has received her substitute license and additionally has worked as an instructional aid in a public school setting. She is excited to be in the Montessori environment and find a way to connect with each child throughout their day. Rachel loves being outside where she is either going for a run or walking dogs.
Fakiha M. Amin "Fifi"
Teacher Assistant Children’s House I
Fifi graduated with a BA in Agriculture. She initiated her professional career by working in a small family business as an associate and manager. She enjoyed working with children in ISCV community daycare and Arabic school. At Frost she is pursuing her new passion and love for children by bringing her positive energy to contribute to the growth of children. As a mother of 4, Fifi enjoys spending her time with family and cooking their favorite cultural food and sweets.
Mary Kathryn Calhoun
Teacher Assistant Children's House II
Mary Kathryn Calhoun has a bachelor's degree in Dance and Elementary Education from Randolph-Macon Woman's College. This is her first year at Frost and she is excited to be joining this wonderful school community. The children's wonder and curiosity are a gift to experience each day. She is the mother of four teen/adult children. Mary Kathryn enjoys being active outdoors, spending time with friends and family, and exploring new places.
Kirsten Shanks
Teacher Assistant Children's House III
Kirsten Shanks is a native of Culpeper, Virginia. She has multiple years of experience in both public and private school classrooms. She prefers and respects the Montessori School philosophy. She is a graduate of Full Sail University with a Bachelor’s degree in Game Art Design. She enjoys drawing and designing, reading, spending time with her family and watching the New York Giants play football. She is excited to be part of the Frost staff.