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Elise Winther

Written by Alejandro Malespin on . Posted in Specialty Staff, Staff Bios.

Elise Angeline was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she found her passion for dance music and self-expression from a young age naturally and continued in two decades of professional dance training into her adulthood.

Elise explored many different career opportunities, from motherhood to business management to human resources, and serendipitously she found her way into teaching a few years ago.
Elise is now in her third year at Foothill Montessori of Salt Lake and has enjoyed so much of guiding young curious minds.

In her free time, Elise enjoys collecting new hobbies. She loves finding new activities that inspire movement, music, creativity, and nature. Elise enjoys roller skating, rock climbing, dancing, life music, hiking, kayaking, and just enjoying life. She is an avid reader and writer who has been working on her first young adult novel this year.

Elise is excited to continue to play, learn, and grow with the students of FMSL.

Tori Snarr

Written by Alejandro Malespin on . Posted in Specialty Staff, Staff Bios.

Originally from Phoenix, AZ, Tori has always believed in the transformative power of art. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Art History in 2016, she was drawn to the non-profit arts sector. She worked as a program coordinator for an organization that provides free arts programs to youth who have experienced trauma. This experience inspired her to pursue an educator certification in K-12 Arts Education. She gained experience as an art teacher in a public K-8 elementary school prior to relocating to Salt Lake City in 2022 and joining the FMSL faculty.

Tori is passionate about creating an art studio where students have the creative agency to discover and express their own ideas. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of choice in the art studio, working alongside young artists as they develop a learner-directed curriculum that centers their authentic interests. Outside of teaching, she loves creating with clay, traveling, cooking (and eating!), reading, being in nature, and spending time with her partner and their dog.

Maria Reynosa

Written by Alejandro Malespin on . Posted in Specialty Staff, Staff Bios.

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 Hartsfield

Written by Alejandro Malespin on . Posted in Specialty Staff, Staff Bios.

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.