Trail Ridge Montessori Faculty

Ada was born and raised in Beamsville and enjoyed living on a farm with her large family. She went to Brock University and graduated with an Honours degree in Psychology. When Ada was in her final year at Brock she was introduced to the Montessori Method when studying non-traditional educational approaches. Ada found the Montessori classroom inspirational and she began to envision a small-town school of her own. Shortly after university, Ada married Tim and moved to Grimsby. In 2001, they opened Trail Ridge and have continued to nurture the growth of the school together. When not at TRM, you can find Ada on the sidelines supporting her two children in all pursuits and working around her family farm. Ada loves to cook and bake in the kitchen, garden, travel, ski and go for long walks.

Tim has lived in the Grimsby/Beamsville area his whole life. Tim is no stranger to hard work and likes to keep busy either at Trail Ridge or working on the farm of Mountain Ridge Organics, a personal challenge as of 2019. As soon as Tim and Ada had their children, Tim was very excited to stay home with the kids and loved his paternal leaves. Today, Tim manages the day to day operations of both Trail Ridge Facilities and keeps quite busy with projects around the farm or putting his gas license to good use. Keep an eye out for Tim driving around town in his vintage cars and bikes.

​Born and raised in Grimsby, Addison holds a Master of Education from Yorkville University, a Bachelor of Administration from Brock University, and an Elementary Montessori Diploma. A TRM alumnus from the inaugural class of 2001, he values education and is dedicated to providing students with the best resources and opportunities. In his free time, Addison enjoys playing hockey, soccer, and golfing with family and friends.

Cassidy was born and raised in Niagara Falls and graduated from Early Childhood Education in 2016. She has previous experience at a private school and has completed her Casa Montessori diploma. Cassidy has been dancing at a studio in the Falls for the past 20+ years and has been teaching various classes there since 2011. In her spare time, she enjoys watching football (Go Cowboys!), sitting in the sun, planting and playing soccer.

Megan is an experienced educator with a passion for nurturing young minds, she holds an Early Childhood Education Diploma from Niagara College where she graduated from in 2009. Megan began her Montessori journey at Trail Ridge in 2011, where she earned her Montessori Infant-Toddler and Casa Diplomas. Outside of the classroom, Megan enjoys spending quality time with her family, swimming and hiking with her son.

Jennifer grew up in the Niagara Region and holds a B.A. from the University of Waterloo. Jennifer worked in the software industry before taking a career break to raise her two sons. When looking to return to work, Jennifer decided to follow a lifelong dream of teaching. She completed the Lower Elementary diploma with the North American Montessori Centre and in 2006 joined Trail Ridge as co-teacher of the Elementary class. Outside of the classroom, Jennifer enjoys cooking, yoga, reading, and travelling. ​

Olivia grew up in Stoney Creek and earned her B.A. from McMaster University, in Sociology and Religious Studies. While at McMaster, Olivia played Varsity Women’s Water Polo. She attended Niagara University where she obtained her Masters of Education. Olivia completed her Montessori Elementary Training and is currently finishing her Post-Graduate Certificate in Autism and Behavioral Sciences at Mohawk College. Starting in University, Olivia found her love for coaching and working with children. Olivia coaches competitive swimming with the Golden Horseshoe Aquatic Club. In Olivia’s spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, travelling and watching live sports.

Adelina joined the Trail Ridge family in 2003 as one of our Head Casa Directresses. Adelina graduated from McMaster University with a B.A. in Geography and a Minor in Religion. She then completed her Montessori training at Sheridan College. An important aspect of Adelina’s life is her family. She has been married to her husband, Milan since 2008. Adelina also has two beautiful children, Michael who was born in 2010 and Alexandra who was born in 2012. In her spare time, Adelina enjoys going for long walks, playing sports and watching movies.

Alexis Malone grew up in the Niagara Region and attended Niagara College, obtaining a diploma in both the Educational Assistant program as well as a post graduate diploma in Autism and Behavioural Science. Her passion for education and creating inclusive learning environments is a main focus of her teaching style and leadership. Alexis has thus far spent most of her career working as an ABA Therapist for children with autism. She was eager to complete the Montessori Casa Program certification to join the wonderful team at Trail Ridge and believes in the focus of building independent and confident learners. Alexis enjoys spending time with her wife and daughter, dance, all inclusive vacations, and all the cups of coffee!

Colleen was born in St.Catharines and moved to Grimsby 28 years ago when she started her family. She worked as a PSW for 25 years for the Niagara Region and has three adult sons whom she is very proud of. Colleen’s love of children drove her career change and she joined the TRM team in 2021. She has since completed the Montessori Assistant course and obtained a certificate in interior design, her other passion. In her spare time you can find Colleen either gardening, in a yoga class or spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys to travel and is looking forward to exploring new places with her husband Todd.

​Bronwyn grew up in Grimsby and Graduated from West Niagara Secondary School. She is currently enrolled in an Early Childhood Education program at Fanshawe college, as she works toward achieving a Bachelor of Education degree. As a child Bronwyn and her five siblings attended Trail Ridge Montessori. Being the oldest daughter in her family Bronwyn has always had a passion for working with children. In her free time Bronwyn enjoys being outdoors and making memories with her friends and family.

Madame was born and raised in Niagara Falls. She graduated from Brock University with a B.A in Modern Languages specializing in French. Kristen continued her education at Niagara University, receiving her Masters of Science in Elementary Education. Kristen lives with her husband Emerth and 3 children; Avianna, Amir and Aymin in the small town of Chippawa. Kristen has always been very passionate about education, teaching and raising her children. Being a great mom and a teacher is something she holds very close to her heart. Kristen is a major foodie and loves cooking with her husband. She loves creating memories with her family, loves the beach, hot sun and has a collective admiration for many music genres.

Karina is a singer, musician and actor born and raised in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. Karina started taking voice lessons at 8 years of age and completed Grade 8 RCM (Voice and Piano) by age 16; she went on to study with Laura Pudwell at Wilfrid Laurier University (BA 2006) where she was a founding member of the Laurier Musical Theatre club. Karina has been teaching since 2007 and is currently on staff at the Niagara School of Music. In addition to teaching, she has performed both on stage, and as Music Director for numerous theatre productions and concerts, directed and accompanied multiple choirs, and served as Music Director at many churches. Karina lives in St. Catharines with her four children: Sushi, Caprice, Vesper, and Dumblydore. Yes, they are cats.

Krista grew up in the Niagara Region and attended Niagara College for Early Childhood Education. In August 2024, Krista will graduate with a Honours Bachelor Applied Science Degree in Early Childhood Studies from Guelph University. She has been a member of the College of Early Childhood Educators ever since she graduated in 2015. As a child, she was always passionate about teaching and helping others. Krista has completed the Montessori Casa Diploma Program and absolutely loves the Montessori environment. In her spare time, Krista enjoys teaching Hip Hop, Jazz Funk and Jazz to a variety of ages. Krista is excited to return back to TRM after spending the last year with the newest member of her family – her daughter Evelyn!

Justine was born and raised in Grimsby. She attended Brock University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Child and Youth Studies & Bachelor of Education. Justine currently lives in St. Catharines with her husband, Josh and two boys, Peyton and Hayden. Spending time with her family and making special memories with them is very important to her. Ever since she can remember, she has been passionate about teaching children! She also enjoys playing sports and going to watch live sports events. Justine is very excited to join the Trail Ridge team and is looking forward to getting to know all families this year!

​Grace was born in Ottawa but moved to Grimsby when she was 2 and has grown up here since then. She has spent the last 4 years in Ottawa and recently graduated from Carleton with a Communications and Media Studies degree. She has always had a passion for teaching ever since she was little and has previously worked at Trailridge in the summer helping run the camps. She’s excited to accept a more permanent role within the classroom this year and looks forward to what the future will bring. In her free time Grace loves to be outdoors or spending time with family and friends and also hopes to spend time traveling in the future.

Desiree graduated from Niagara College in 2012 with a diploma in Early Childhood Education. Shortly after graduating, she joined Trail Ridge in the Toddler program. Desiree has always had a passion for teaching young children. In 2016, Desiree acquired her Infant/Toddler Montessori diploma. An important aspect of Desiree’s life is her daughter Aliza, who was born in 2016. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing sports, reading and watching movies.

Natasha lives in Smithville with her husband Jon & two children, Lia and Bradley. She graduated in 2012 after completing her diploma in a three year Child & Youth Worker program at Mohawk College. After graduating, Natasha worked in group homes in Brantford & Grimsby supporting high risk adolescent youth. Natasha then decided to stay home and raise her family over the past five years. She has always been passionate about working in an educational setting and feels so excited to be a part of Trail Ridge Montessori School. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to Florida and weekends at her trailer.

Elizabeth attended Mohawk College for the Office Administration Program. Elizabeth and her husband Brad have been residence of Grimsby since 1993! They have four children Kayleigh, Megan, Brian and Leah. Elizabeth decided to stay at home and raise her family after her second daughter Megan was born in 2000. Elizabeth joined the Trail Ridge staff as a Toddler Assistant in 2014. She has recently completed the Montessori Classroom Assistant Course and is excited to be working in the Casa class this year! In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, gardening, crafting and taking the family dog Hallie for walks!

Lauren was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas. She received her B.A. from Loyola University New Orleans in Psychology and Sociology followed by a Masters of Education at DePaul University (Chicago, IL) in Early Childhood. She started her career teaching preschool in Lyford Cay, Bahamas before marrying her husband in 2011 and moving to Grimsby. Over the past 10 years she has taught various programs from toddler all the way up to school aged before and after at a local childcare centre. She loves listening to music and enjoys incorporating it into the classroom through songs and finger plays. She also loves to travel, especially to Chicago where she has a lot of family and friends. She currently resides in Beamsville with her husband and three young children who keep her busy with sports and other outdoor adventures!

Melissa grew up in Burlington and is now living in Grimsby with her boyfriend, his son & cat. She has worked in childcare for 6 years and loves every moment of it. After starting in childcare she decided she wanted to benefit her career & she went to Mohawk college, and completed the apprenticeship program and has become and early childhood educator. Melissa is also a photographer & loves capturing special moments. On her free time she loves seeing her family and friends, watching sports, travelling & going to concerts. ​

Leah was born and raised in Grimsby Ontario. She is a recent West Niagara Secondary School graduate. For the past 3 summers Leah has helped out in Trail Ridges summer camps. Since she was in elementary school Leah has volunteered at Trail Ridge and she is passionate about helping children. She is looking forward to working at Trail Ridge this coming school year!

Originally from Vaughan, Alexis has lived in Grimsby since 2011. During that time, she found and married her husband Mike and has two beautiful children Maverick and Harper. Their family loves nothing more than spending time outdoors either at a cottage or in the backyard. Alexis is also a huge advocate for Autism and the proud sister to her younger nonverbal autistic brother. In her spare time, you can catch her cheering for the Habs or Chiefs, cooking for her family or searching for amazing deals on Facebook marketplace.

Kayla was born and raised in Niagara Falls and moved to Grimsby in 2013. She graduated from Conestoga College in 2015 with a diploma in Early Childhood Education. She has always had a magnetic connection with young children, which began in her teenage years when she actively participated in children’s events. Her passion for teaching and nurturing young minds has only grown since then. Kayla lives with her boyfriend, Darren, and their two boys, Declen and Daxten. In her free time, she loves creating special memories with her family, enjoying sports, spending time outdoors, and watching movies or TV series.

Kate was born and raised in the Niagara Region and currently lives at home with her family, and 3 dogs. Kate recently graduated from TVO ILC Secondary School and has years of experience working with children at the YMCA. As a Youth Program Instructor for 3 years, she facilitated physical literacy programs for children such as volleyball, yoga, and sports skills. In her spare time, Kate enjoys weightlifting, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. She is passionate about working with children and is looking forward to spending this school year with Trail Ridge!

Julia is an Ontario Certified Teacher with classroom and special education experience. Her children both attended Trail Ridge and a few years after they left, Julia returned as one of our supply teachers. Since then she has watched many of the TRM students grow from toddlers to graduates. When she’s not in one of the classrooms at TRM, she is often a on the road with her kids, taking care of animals or maybe catching a yoga class.

Elizabeth Lidstrom was born in New Brunswick but lived most of her life in Grimsby. She graduated from the Early Childhood Education program at Mohawk College and has completed the Montessori Casa Diploma program. She worked as a Casa teacher at Trail Ridge
Montessori School in the early 2000’s and has been a stay at home mom for many years. Elizabeth is married and has six children. All of her children attended Trail Ridge Montessori School. Her oldest son Aidan began his education at TRM the year after it opened and is now a paramedic, married and living in Australia. Elizabeth loves spending time with her husband and children and enjoys traveling, running and gardening in her spare time. She is very excited to be
back teaching at Trail Ridge Montessori School.

​Yoga has been a part of Megan’s life for over 12 years and she is passionate about helping others learn how to overcome and manage their individual physical and mental health challenges. After completing her yoga teacher training in May of 2014, Megan has been regularly teaching classes to students of all ages and abilities including gentle chair yoga, mom & baby yoga, family yoga and yoga for children of all ages. She currently teaches in the Grimsby and Port Colborne areas, operating as Peace Of Heart, Yoga & Art. Megan is creative and outgoing. She enjoys laughing at herself and making others giggle. Classes with Megan are playful, light-hearted and fun, but also reflect a strong sense of alignment and postures are always thoughtfully guided.

Miss Mandy was introduced to the wide and amazing world of dance at the young age of three and has been active in the industry in one way or another ever since. In 2018, she sold the dance studio she founded and successfully operated in the Niagara Region for 21 years but proudly continues to study and learn (as well as) teach the art of dance. Over the past twenty five years, Miss Mandy has attended many classes, workshops, certification courses and training programs – studying, dancing and training with many of the best dance educators and programs in the industry – including (but not limited to) Dance Educators of America, Leap ‘N Learn, Charles Kelley, Al Gilbert and Rhee Gold making her a well rounded and sought after dance instructor and educator. Not only has Miss Mandy has been bringing her enthusiasm for dance and fun energetic spirit to TRM students for the past five years but her son is a 2020 Trail Ridge graduate. She is very much looking forward to seeing many familiar and new faces in the TRM classrooms again this year!