Welcome to
Seton Montessori Institute
Katherine Melsa Endowed Scholarship Fund
Join the Seton Montessori community in celebrating the life of Katherine “Kathy” Melsa, mother of Jennifer Melsa Nolan, Seton’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives (former Head of School at Seton Montessori School), and Coordinator of Seton Montessori Institute’s Credential Course for Montessori Leadership and Administration. As a 1982 graduate of Seton’s Early Childhood teacher certification program, Kathy was a skilled and committed Montessori educator and school administrator.
The Katherine Melsa Endowed Scholarship Fund honors Katherine’s lifetime commitment to the education of young children while financially supporting new Montessori certification candidates as they prepare to take on this critical work.
Seton Montessori Institute is grateful to the Melsa and Nolan families for supporting future Montessori educators. We are honored to celebrate Katherine’s life and impact. View Katherine Melsa’s Obituary here.
About Seton Montessori Institute
Seton Montessori Institute is a teacher and Montessori school administrator preparation institute that has graduated thousands of qualified and caring educators and leaders in the last 50 years. Our mission is to prepare children and adults to become thoughtful, effective agents for peace and progress in themselves, their communities, and the world. Seton Montessori Institute is affiliated by American Montessori Society (AMS), accredited by Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE) and is approved to operate by the Private Business and Vocational Schools Division of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
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Dedicated to serving the children of the world by preparing Montessori teachers and administrators, Seton Montessori Institute’s programs specialize in infant and toddler education (birth to age three) early childhood education (ages three to six), and Montessori school leadership and administration. From its founding in 1970 (Originally as MECA-Seton) by Celma Pinho Perry, Seton Montessori Institute’s adult learners have been introduced to the Seton Montessori Institute’s two Chicago-area lab schools, learning to observe, practice teaching skills, and be immersed in a thriving, model Montessori community.
Seton Montessori Institute’s graduates have brought the outlook and skills learned at Seton to communities all over the United States and internationally. Additionally, Seton graduates have brought the Seton approach to teacher education to the world, starting teacher preparation courses in places as remote as Chile, Slovenia, Brazil, France, Canada, and Lithuania. Seton Montessori Institute is proud to have numerous faculty members and graduates named as AMS Living Legacy honorees, demonstrating the lasting impact of the deep understanding and commitment to the Montessori approach sparked at Seton.
Meet Our Faculty & Administration
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Anna Perry
Executive Director
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Eva Parrucci
Director of Pedagogy
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Elena Pappas Bordoshuk
Director of Admissions
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Aniela Muka
Registrar
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Liz Celistan
Director of Accounts
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Ashley Buntrock
Practicum Coordinator
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Heather Harty
Student Advisor - Infant and Toddler Course
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Rosemary Quaranta
Student Advisor - Early Childhood Course
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Jennifer Nolan
Coordinator and Student Advisor – Montessori Leadership and Administration Course
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Melissa Mulvaney
Faculty Member - Early Childhood Course
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Deepa Shreekumar
Faculty Member - Early Childhood Course
Seton Montessori Board Members
Dr. Shirley Morgenthaler, Member – Shirley.Morgenthaler@gmail.com
Anna Perry, President – Anna@SetonMontessori.org
Desmond Perry, Vice President – Desmond@SetonMontessori.org
Stephen Snyder, Secretary & Treasurer – Stephen@SetonMontessori.org
Pedro Soares, Member – p.soares9@gmail.com
Jennifer Nolan, Ex Officio Board Member, Head of School – Jennifer@SetonMontessori.org
Eva Parrucci, Ex Officio Board Member, Director of Pedagogy – Eva@SetonMontessori.org
History of Seton
In 1965, a group of parents sought to bring quality Montessori education to their community of Clarendon Hills, IL. Under the educational direction of Celma Pinho Perry, they founded Seton Montessori School. As the director of that school, she fostered a loving education environment and eventually grew a one-room Early Childhood schoolhouse into a vibrant education community of over 200 children, from birth through Upper Elementary. Celma recognized that would-be teachers of young children needed a preparation program that would enable them to educate in the true spirit of Montessori, and to fill this need she founded the Montessori Education Centers Associated teacher preparation program in 1970. Today Seton Montessori Institute (formerly MECA Seton) is one of the oldest and largest Montessori teacher education programs in North America and has prepared thousands of teachers to thoughtfully and faithfully serve the needs of the children in their care.