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About Us

Mission Statement

At Cornerspring Montessori School, we foster a peaceful and engaging learning environment in which we cultivate independence and a passion for learning by utilizing Montessori methods that embrace the world around us and inspire our children to become responsible and caring contributors to their communities.

Using methods developed by educational visionary Maria Montessori, Cornerspring Montessori School is committed to individualized education, allowing children freedom to develop at their own pace. We strive to satisfy a child’s need to know, to belong, to feel safe and secure, and to develop their self-esteem. Our nurturing staff is Montessori-trained, and our school accepts all children as individuals and does not discriminate in any way based on race, ethnic background, gender, disability, or financial position.

“Let the children be free; let them run outside when it is raining; and when the grass of the meadows is wet with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning.” —Maria Montessori

Our Grounds + Facility

Just minutes from downtown Belfast but situated on more than 42 acres of woodlands, Cornerspring offers a wealth of opportunities for nature-based education. Our Passiv House-standard building opened in 2017, designed and built by Belfast-based architecture and construction firm GO Logic. This new facility is highly energy efficient and green, with photovoltaic panels supplying the majority of our electricity.
Designed by Belfast-based OPAL Architecture, and built by a collaboration between Cornersping and OPAL Build, the middle school building is also built to the Passiv House-standard for energy efficiency. With help from the University of Maine Orono, the building is monitored to gauge the performance benefits of the next generation of carbon-sequestering, high-performance wood construction.

Our History

Cornerspring Montessori School was founded in 2001 by Paula Johnson in response to a local need for a high-quality preschool program. Originally located in a historic home in downtown Belfast with an enrollment of eight children, the school’s reputation and the appeal of Dr. Maria Montessori’s teaching philosophy grew and enrollment increased.

In 2007, Cornerspring became a non-profit institution, and in 2008, in order to meet the needs of its growing community, Cornerspring added an elementary program and moved to the athenahealth campus on Route 3.

A few years later, in 2012, the Board of Directors conducted a strategic planning process to identify a new, permanent home for the school. The committee ultimately recommended building a 6100 sq. ft. sustainable, energy-efficient school on a wooded property on Lower Congress Street. Ground was broken in the Fall of 2016 and the community moved into the new building in July of 2017.

The school has grown over the past decade to include a full-time toddler program and a middle school program; the middle school has its own beautiful and ecological building that was built on campus in 2021. Alongside this expansion of programs, Cornerspring has been investing in its teachers and staff, supporting them in gaining Montessori certification, which will continue to boost our commitment to and integration of the Montessori philosophy.

Today, Cornerspring is recognized as offering families an outstanding choice for children ages 18 months to 14 years in a beautiful natural setting.

Staff

Sue Beemer

A native of southern Minnesota, Sue grew up on a farm on the prairie. She holds a BS in Home Economics Education with an emphasis on Family Life and Child Development from Minnesota State University—Mankato. Sue has worked in early education for nearly forty years, serving as a parent educator, preschool teacher and administrator. Sue holds a Maine Director Credential and is actively engaged in the Maine Montessori Association as a board member.  She currently lives in the woods in Searsport with her husband Jeff and beagle Chewie. Her two grown children live in the NYC area and visits with her six grandchildren are the highlights of Sue’s vacations. Sue also enjoys baking, sewing, crocheting, gardening, hiking and a good snowstorm.

Poppy Bednorz

Originally from the mountains of Northern Idaho, Poppy has held multiple leadership positions in youth development with organizations such as the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club of America. Poppy has a BS in health education, an MS in sports management and an MS in health promotion. She appreciates working with kids from all walks of life and loves seeing them grow into confident, independent, and caring individuals. When not at her desk, Poppy spends time with her husband and son hiking, cooking or chasing their two Bassett hounds.

Ariel Nelson

Ariel joins the Puffin Classroom.  She has a master’s degree in fine art and a deep appreciation for the wonderfully serious work of very small people. Ariel has 15 years of childcare and education experience, including in Montessori classrooms.  She wants to pursue Montessori certification soon!

Outside the classroom, you can find her eating popsicles with her son Malcolm, dreaming up an elaborate future garden and homestead, or collecting far more ideas than any one person could realistically complete. She excited to join the Cornerspring community and get to know everyone!

Amanda Barnes

Amanda received her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from Beal College and certification from Northeast Montessori Institute. At Cornerspring, Amanda has worked in the Puffin, Chickadee and Cardinal classrooms. Amanda lives in Monroe with her husband Terry and son Jayden. She enjoys swimming, dancing, and taking care of her horses and other farm animals.

Haley Braga

Haley Braga graduated from University of Maine Orono with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and minors’ degrees in history, Native American studies and Maine studies. Haley was honored as a Maine Top Scholar with a 3.98 GPA. Haley joined the Cardinal Room as Assistant Teacher the spring of 2024 and has begun her Montessori teacher training. Haley lives with her family in Stockton Springs, and is a beekeeper who loves time in nature.

Wiola Shaw

Wiola has worked with kids for over 20 years, including time teaching in Poland, where she was raised. Wiola began her employ with Cornerspring as the Assistant Teacher in the Chickadee classroom and is completing her Montessori teacher training. Wiola lives in Camden with her son Tristan, and is committed to making your child’s Montessori experience productive, stimulating and fun!

Lori Pearson

Lori has over 35 years of experience in early childhood education, including 10 years as a head teacher in the aftercare program at Montessori Discovery School in Norwich, CT. Lori lives at Swan Lake in Searsport and loves baking, especially anything chocolate! When not baking, she can be found kayaking, gardening, weaving, crafting or just relaxing with a good book and a cup of tea.

Haley Norris

Haley has Montessori Elementary Teacher Certification from the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. Before moving to Maine, Haley managed a 120-acre organic CSA farm while earning a degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she studied linguistics, Spanish and education. Here in Maine, Haley continues to farm while also working at her local fire department. When she is able to grab some free time, she likes to sit on her porch in Morrill, enjoying the evening with her partner Emily and their cat He-Man.

Molly Bolick

Molly is an educator, organizer, and folk art + craft specialist. She has recently relocated to Maine with her family and is thrilled to be a part of this community! In her free time, Molly enjoys all things textiles, including home-grown natural dyes.  She holds a Masters of Arts in Folk Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology.  She has over a decade of experience in student-centered program development with a strong foundation in developing, managing and communicating experiential learning opportunities for students in higher education and community-based programming. 

Alexandra Woodruff

Alex holds a Masters in Education in Montessori Elementary Education from Loyola University and has earned Elementary 6-12 certification from the Association Montessori Internationale as well as primary certification from the North American Montessori Center. She has over fifteen years experience in Montessori classrooms and lives in Camden with her husband Scott and two daughters.

Susan Therio

With a Masters in Chemistry, over 20 years of experience in scientific laboratories, and professional teaching certification from the University of Maine, Susan has been the science teacher at Cornerspring for over ten years. When the school needed a middle school teacher, she was the perfect fit! She is proud to hold certification from the Cincinnati Montessori Secondary Teacher Education Program. Susan lives in Stockton Springs with her husband Frank, their son Isaias and two dogs, and enjoys swimming, canoeing, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and gardening.

Casey Robison

Casey is a transplant from Pennsylvania, drawn to Maine for the farming community. She graduated from Unity College with a BS in Sustainable Agriculture. She has six years of experience working on small organic farms and is an avid gardener. Before she discovered farming, art was her passion. Now she has a chance to share both her love of art and growing food with the kids at Cornerspring. You can find Casey in the garden, snowboarding down a mountain, curled up with a sketchbook, and planning her next adventure.

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Jason Dean

Originally from NY, Jason has worked with children for over ten years. His previous positions include jobs as a counselor at the Penobscot Bay YMCA Teen Center as well as offering private music instruction to students from ages five to adult. A former attendee of Berklee College of Music and resident of Northport, Jason plays music locally in a handful of bands, and has a YouTube channel dedicated to his love of cinema.

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Board of Trustees

Sadie Lloyd Mudge

Sadie Lloyd Mudge holds a Master’s degree in Community Planning and Development and has had a career in city planning and town management (she managed the original development review for the current Cornerspring property while she was the City Planner in Belfast), and has a background in nonprofit fundraising and energy planning at the local level.

She is a writer and artist who lives in Waldo with her husband and their two adventurous young boys (one current and one future Cornerspring student).

Geoff Bird

Geoff and his wife Mike arrived in Belfast in 2014 after careers in independent secondary schools, she working in admissions and college counseling and he in teaching, coaching, and administration, both as head of a year abroad program in France and a financial aid director. Geoff is grandparent to two CMS alums and came to Cornerspring as part of the Journey Home campaign team.

Jen Albee

Jen originally hails from Jefferson, Maine, where her family has lived for more than 200 years! She is a graduate of High Mowing School in Wilton, NH, a Waldorf boarding high school, and Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. She is a branch manager and employee-owner at ReVision Energy in Liberty, where she’s worked for over a decade. Jen lives in Brooks with her husband Hans and son Turner, a Cornerspring alum. Favorite things include growing flowers, drinking strong cups of coffee, and sailing aboard her 35 foot cutter, Sea Pea.

Amanda Roy

Amanda is an educator who has taught a variety of grade levels and subjects in both Maine and Massachusetts. She spent a large portion of her childhood in Belfast with her grandparents, which is when she fell in love with this vibrant and beautiful area. Amanda became a Trustee in 2025, and she looks forward to supporting the Cornerspring school and community. Amanda loves to plant pumpkins, go fishing, and spend time with her husband and their daughter, a Cornerspring student.

Dottie Bryan Cole

Dottie Bryan Cole moved to Maine in 2021 with her family. She came delighted with the prospects of a life by the sea and found a community that quickly became family, much in thanks to ties made by way of Cornerspring. In her spare time, she enjoys oscillating between general shenanigans with her four children, writing and other creative pursuits, as well as spending time outdoors. Dottie joins the board with a background in project and financial management, excited to support the growth and stability of a school whose mission and educational philosophy she deeply believes in.

Corinne Grant

Corinne Grant is a family medicine physician at MaineHealth Primary Care–Family Medicine in Belfast. A Belfast native, Corinne is grateful to be back in her hometown, raising her two children with her husband and reconnecting with the community that shaped her. In addition to serving as a trustee, Corinne contributes to Cornerspring Montessori School as the healthcare consultant, offering her expertise to support the well-being of students and staff. Her passion for holistic, child-centered education aligns closely with the Montessori philosophy, and she is committed to helping the school thrive and grow.

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What Our Families Have to Say about Cornerspring

“Cornerspring’s teachers provide an extremely caring and welcoming environment for all of the students (and parents!).” –Cornerspring Parent