Montessori Children's House of Durham

Tina Margas, LHAS Director
Tina discovered her love for the MCHD community in 2004 when her daughter entered Preschool. A stay-at-home mom at the time, she found that the Montessori philosophy rang true to her family. To spend more time within the Montessori environment, she became part of the lunch and substitute staff, and found herself intrigued with the Montessori approach to language use and the importance of one’s own joy in completing a task. Tina subsequently accepted the position of LHAS Elementary instructor. In 2005, she became the LHAS Early Childhood instructor and later the LHAS Director. She brings to this position her organizational strengths, and her love for the after-school environment. Tina attended East Carolina University and received her degree as a Professional Massage Therapist and Natural Health Educator from Twin Lakes College of the Healing Arts in Santa Cruz, CA.

In college, Jennifer's first part-time job was working in a Montessori school where she discovered a love for the calm and nurturing atmosphere. Following her graduation from UNC with a BA in Early Childhood Education, Jennifer began teaching school in Chapel Hill. Over the next 20 years she lived in Spain, New Mexico, Virginia, and Tennessee, working with toddlers and three year old’s, kindergarten, elementary, and after-school children, and for a few years ran a movie projector for a local theater. When her son began looking at colleges, he wanted to be a Tar Heel just like his mom and dad. Jennifer and her husband Karl loved the idea of returning to the Triangle, and moved back home in 2006. Since then, Jennifer has worked in Raleigh with More at Four, a program for at-risk preschoolers. While she loves that program, when an opportunity to work at a Montessori school became available, she joined our staff in the summer and after-school program at Little House.

When not working with children, Jennifer enjoys raising ducks, walking her dog, and swimming. Her son, a recently UNC graduate, lives in Raleigh and often visits for some of Dad's home-cooked meals and Mom's laundry service.

Ebony Williams , Early Childhood After School Instructor

Ebony received her BA in Psychology from UNC in Chapel Hill in 2009. Since then, she has worked for Residential Services Inc. in Chapel Hill assisting developmentally delayed adults in daily-living activities. To foster her interest in working with children, she began working at MCHD in 2009 as a lunch assistant and substitute, continuing her work at RSI. She now joins us in the after-school program as an Assistant in the Early Childhood program for ages 3-4. Ebony’s hobbies include reading, music, decorating and cooking.

Heather Cramer, Extended Day After School Instructor
Heather grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, where her father was a music professor at FSU, and where Heather acquired her education from kindergarten through college. With a degree in art education, she has taught art to all ages, in a multitude of circumstances, with a genuine love for discovering and nurturing the creative spirit in all. Her years of teaching have blended with her own multi-media art work and graphic design and illustration, including children’s popup books designed to overcome reading difficulties associated with dyslexia. Heather moved to Durham from Atlanta in 2007 and has immersed herself in the world of art and children through teaching at Carolina Friends School and Camelot Academy. She comes to the MCHD community ready to laugh, play, and learn with our children!

Paul is an MCHD alumnus with strong roots in the benefits of a Montessori education. He enjoys working with children, outdoor education, and music. Over the past several years, Paul has worked at MCHD as a Lower Elementary Assistant Teacher and Elementary After School Instructor. He brings a playful approach to childcare with strong conflict resolution skills. A lifelong vegetarian, his hobbies include sports, travel, and reading.