Katie Sellers is thrilled to return to Foothill Montessori of Salt Lake as the Music Specialist. With over 15 years of experience as a Montessori Early Childhood guide and a lifelong background in vocal performance, guitar, and songwriting, she brings both teaching and musical expertise to her work. Trained in First Steps in Music, Katie creates joyful, research-based lessons that nurture each child’s love of music.

Katie grew up in the rolling hills of Northern California’s wine country, but now calls Utah home, where she lives with her husband, their two children—both students at FMSL—and their dog, Arlo. When she’s not humming a tune or strumming her guitar, Katie loves exploring nature, tackling remodeling projects with her husband, and tending to her ever-growing collection of plant babies.

A native of the UK, Ruth has a degree in French and German from Oxford University, England. After graduating, she moved to Louisiana, where her two young sons attended the Montessori School for Shreveport. She joined their staff as a part-time French teacher and became interested in teaching at the Elementary level. She obtained her Montessori Elementary I Teaching Credential from the North Carolina Center for Montessori Teacher Education (AMS) in 1997 while living in Germantown, Tennessee. She has since worked at Montessori schools in Tennessee, New Jersey, and North Carolina. She joined FMSL in 2013 as a Lower Elementary Teacher. In summer 2023, she completed the first level of “Take Flight,” a dyslexia training offered by the Shelton School in Dallas, Texas. She gets immense satisfaction from watching children develop their skills and love of learning over the three-year cycle. In her free time, Ruth enjoys writing, calligraphy, yoga, playing the piano, reading, and traveling.

Maria was born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador. She and her husband moved to Utah in 2001. They have three children. Maria has spent many years working with young children. Maria has taught Spanish at McKee Language School but currently tutors children from preschool to elementary school ages in Spanish privately. Maria has a bachelor’s degree in Preschool Education and a degree in Communications and Journalism. Maria’s favorite hobbies are reading, music, watching movies, and traveling.

Donda has been working as an outdoor educator for the last 17 years, designing and facilitating a four-season outdoor program for ages 3–12. She specializes in developing hands-on engagement and exploration of nature through ecology, biomimicry, gardening, and direct interaction with nature in all seasons. Donda facilitates learning through interactive materials, activities, games, and natural discoveries, with an emphasis on local exploration of habitats, lab experience, and field trips. She loves seeing children connect with nature and learn from it through curiosity, exploration, and creativity.

In 2023, Donda completed the Biomimicry for Educators program through Learn Biomimicry, which has fueled her passion for inspiring children to lean into nature’s genius as mentor, model, and measure.

Donda enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking, dancing, gardening, writing, and tea parties.