Camille Brandt, Director of Education
It is difficult to write my biography without acknowledging the many teachers in my past who have guided me and have provided excellent learning experiences.
I owe so much to education and to those who have devoted their lives to sharing their love of learning with children. I am proud to join their ranks.
As a child, I attended school in Lakota, North Dakota. I enjoyed participating in many extracurricular events and organizations and was
excited to graduate and begin my college career at Valley City State University. After completing a degree in Elementary Education, I attended
Minnesota State University Moorhead and earned my Master's Degree in Special Education. Professionally, I began to teach in both public and
private schools and earned a credential in Montessori Education. I am currently a Doctoral Candidate in Curriculum and Instruction,
studying at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota, where my field of study includes both general and special education and autism.
My current position at Children's Montessori Center is that of Director of Education. I also teach at Minnesota State University in the School of
Teaching and Learning.
I enjoy reading biographies, studying art, hiking and camping, and writing. I am involved in church and volunteer activities, and believe it
is important to spend time with friends and family. My husband and I, along with our four children, love to explore the North Woods of Minnesota.
We also enjoy traveling - our most recent family trip was to Washington, D.C. While I presented at a Montessori conference, the rest of my
family visited museums and landmarks. We all had a wonderful and memorable time.
I have a strong respect for families and children, and hope to devote my professional career to supporting early education and the education
of those who wish to become teachers. I believe in partnering with parents and families to bring out the best in each child, and am honored
to be a part of the lives of young learners.
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Jason Brandt, Administrator/Co-Director
As a child my family moved quite a bit. Though I primarily grew up in Austin, Texas, I lived for short periods of time in cities in Wisconsin,
Illinois, Tennessee and Minnesota. Without a doubt, living in so many places was in some ways a great experience, giving me an opportunity
to know the diversity of people and places. The changes and transitions that I made throughout my childhood certainly had an effect on how
I would deal with my everyday situations and my relationships with people. I was happy but also unsure, insecure of how I fit in with my peers.
The idea of being 'part of the group' seemed to pass me by. Ultimately these experiences are what lead me to teaching and working with children.
As a young adult, the last thing I would ever have done was stand in front of a classroom full of people and talk. This to me seemed to be the
kind of situation to avoid, something I was growing accustomed to doing. I attended college at Bemidji State University where for the first
couple of years was not sure what I really wanted to do. Music has always been my passion and I studied theory and composition for a short time.
But again, I didn't feel like I fit into the program and eventually left it. Then my son was born and he became my world. The thing I remember
most about raising him in the early years was that there would be a lot of things I would need to do with him if he were to have the experiences
and opportunities that I wanted him to have. I didn't necessarily want him to be a 'little me'. So, we went places and did things that were out
of my comfort zone but as he grew up I could see in him the joy and curiosity that came as a result of his experiences.
Using what I had learned in my life, I realized while still in college that what I really wanted to do was help kids. I know, still, that
feeling of having to say goodbye to my mom on the first day of school and wanting to cry. Or wondering who I could sit with at lunch time
when I didn't really know anybody. This is why I especially wanted to work with younger children. I graduated from Bemidji State with an
elementary teaching degree and immediately found a job in Moorhead. So for 12 years I stood up in front of a classroom full of people and
talked. Each year I enjoyed it more and more. And it never was about 'standing up and talking' but rather working with and getting to know
people and hopefully make a difference in someone's life along the way.
The other wonderful thing that happened is that my wife, Camille, was also a teacher at the same school. She more than anyone has helped me
continue to grow and learn about myself. Together we have four great kids and a truly complete life. It has always been our desire to have
our own school and, thanks in particular to my dad's hard work, vision and determination, Children's Montessori Center is that school.
I left Moorhead Public Schools in the summer of 2008 to devote all of my time to this school. I have enjoyed getting to know the families and
especially the children and look forward to each new school year.
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Anne Marie Maylath, Instructor
I recently moved to Fargo from St. Paul where I taught in a Montessori school for the past 10 years. I grew up in the north
woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so the plains of North Dakota are a different landscape for me.
We moved here when my husband Bruce was offered a position at NDSU. He is a professor at NDSU in the English department.
The two of us were introduced by a longtime friend of Bruce's, when her son Dominic was a student in my class.
Sometimes matchmaking does work! This past year has been full of changes for both of us-recently married, new jobs, and a new home.
We both feel blessed to have found jobs that fit both our passions and life work. We would like to become involved in the community and growth of Fargo.
I have a BA degree in Elementary Education from St. Norbert College and received my Montessori certification through the College of St. Catherine.
I had the honor of being trained by a native Sri Lankan woman who was trained by Dr. Maria Montessori herself. I also bring a new prospective
to the traditional Montessori educational method with my experience and training in the Reggio Emilia approach. I did a study tour of the early
childhood schools in the city of Reggio Emilia, Italy, in 2003. My own Italian heritage is a definite component in my interest in Montessori and
Reggio Emilia, which are both Italian teaching methods.
I discovered Montessori when I was a nanny for a young boy in a Montessori school in Connecticut and was intrigued to learn more about the method.
I lived in Connecticut and Massachusetts and discovered a natural affinity for the history and landscape of New England. While there, I lived a
somewhat gypsy life, working various jobs and travelling. Years later I moved to Minnesota to be nearer my family. Currently, my family is scattered
from coast to coast. I settled in a St. Paul neighborhood with a Montessori school, reentered the early childhood teaching profession, and earned my Montessori certification.
My own interests and passions in life are integrated into my work with children. Children have a natural sense of wonder and curiosity.
Everything is new and fresh to them. My wonder in the world is captured in my interests. I love reading and poetry. Animals and nature are
instant pleasures for me. I love dogs--especially large breeds. Golden and Labrador retrievers are my favorites. My husband and I recently
bought a house here in Fargo with a fenced backyard. Perfect for a dog(s). My small town upbringing gave me a natural curiosity to explore new places.
Travel allows a fresh and different perspective on cultures and people. My most unusual travel was when I lived on a small Pacific atoll for a month
while my sister was a volunteer in the Peace Corps in the Marshall Islands. I also have had the privilege of tracing my ancestry and visiting the villages
of my grandparents in Italy and Slovenia. Along with travel, I equally enjoy the thrill of flight. Years ago I took flying lessons.
One of my proudest achievements was the day I soloed my own plane. Even today, I love flying on commercial jets. My interest in space and moon
explorations are an extension of my love of flight.
It is a privilege to be working alongside such a dedicated and professional team of teachers and management.
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Mary Leibel, Instructor
I grew up in Fargo and attended Fargo South High School. After graduating from High School I attended college at Northern State University
in Aberdeen, SD. While at Northern I studied Art and received my Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education with an Endorsement in Art
Education in 2005. After graduating I taught sixth grade along with Art for first through sixth grade at First Baptist Christian School in Aberdeen,
SD for one year. The following year my husband Zach and I moved to Fargo for his job. I worked at Park Christian School as the first through sixth
grade Art Teacher for a year along with working at Prairie Public Broadcasting as an assistant and Volunteer Coordinator during their annual Pledge
Drives. I still work at Prairie Public during their television Pledge Drives along with working at Children's Montessori Center. I received my
International Montessori Teaching Diploma from the North American Montessori Center in August of 2008.
I met my husband Zach during my junior year of college at a spaghetti feed fundraiser for a Mission Trip to Chicago. We were married
in July of 2005, and lived in Aberdeen, SD while he finished his final year of nursing school. After graduating he decided to accept a job
at Innovis Hospital, and we moved to Fargo in June of 2006. In April of 2007 Zach and I purchased our first home. What a blessing. We love
being able to do little projects inside and outside our house. In June of 2007 Zach and I were able to take a Mission trip to Kunming, China.
It was a wonderful, life-changing experience for us and we are currently trying to learn Mandarin for a return trip. After returning from
China we decided to get a dog, a black miniature poodle we named Chewy. He makes guest appearances at school, he loves the children,
and the children love him. We enjoy his company, and, quite often, he makes us laugh. Zach and I enjoy the time we get to spend together because of
his varying night and day shift schedules at the hospital. Zach and I love to read books, go for walks, garage sales, thrift stores, occasional
travel, and doing anything we can do together. In any extra spare time, I also love painting flowers and baking.
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Brittany Hoffman, Instructor
Every child is a product of their environment. I am a perfect example. I was adopted at the age of three months.
I have three older siblings, all adopted as well. My brother who is closest to me in age is also bi-racial.
My parents felt it was extremely important for us to be able to share our experiences.
When I was three, we moved from Fargo to rural northern Minnesota and lived on thirty acres, five minutes from a town of 1,200.
Beginning in 1st grade, my brother and I were home schooled (my two older siblings already in college) until we graduated from high school.
Being home schooled was a great advantage for me because I had freedom of choice and lots of one on one time. I could explore the land,
finding treasures to look at under a microscope, seeing the seasons change, and writing about what I was experiencing with all my senses.
Being home schooled and bi-racial in a small rural area, we did not fit the round hole in the peg board. I learned to be self sufficient,
not leaning on my peers for approval.
When I was nine, I became an aunt which made a huge impact on my life because I realized how much I loved being around children.
I now have six nieces and nephews, each unique in their own way.
At the age of eighteen, I passed my boards to become an EMT-dBasic. Unfortunately, I didn't know you had to be twenty one
to work as an EMT and there were few opportunities to volunteer, so after a short stint with Barnesville Ambulance,
and after incurring a back injury, I allowed my certification to lapse.
I have worked in child care settings, including Montessori, which inspired me to learn more about the Montessori approach.
In retrospect, I realize this was the same approach my mom used in our home schooling. In addition to North Dakota and
Minnesota, I have lived in Atlanta, Georgia and Hudson, Wisconsin. In my personal time I enjoy travel, my favorite
destinations being the mountains of Colorado and the sunny beaches of Southern California. I also scrapbook, write,
read, bake, and love trying my hand at new arts and crafts projects. Of course, the real center of my life is my two dogs,
Roxie and Roo!
My previous life experiences, including being home schooled, have instilled in me a security to be different and embrace
it for the gift it is.
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Bob Brandt, Administrator/Owner
I grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota, a small mining town in the North East corner of that wonderful state. After graduating from Hibbing High School,
I attended Hibbing State College. In the early 70's I began my career in the retail food business. I was responsible for a group of stores
while holding the position of General Manager for my own retail unit. I was a member of various civic organizations including different
Chamber of Commerce and Kiwinas chapters throughout the state of Texas. I received various recognition awards while in the grocery business
but the one I am especially proud of was called "Heroes for Children" presented by then Governor of Texas, George Bush. I retired in 2005.
While most people retire and move South, my wife Rosemary and I were lured out of the state of Texas by our wonderful grandchildren.
We moved back north to Alexandria, Minnesota. There, we enjoyed being closer to two of our sons, Todd and Jason both of whom lived in Fargo,
North Dakota. We have a third son Jon who lives in Portland, Oregon. We currently reside in Moorhead, Minnesota.
The format for the Children's Montessori Center was enthusiastically researched and formulated in late 2005 by my wife and me along with
my son Jason and his wife Camille. My two other children Todd and Jon also played a big role in the school.
Todd hand crafted a great deal of the furniture while Jon created the web site for the school. The heart and soul of the
school belong to Jason and Camille.
It is my goal that the school provides the best possible learning environment for the children. I stand behind our mission
statement: Our commitment and passion will guide us to provide the highest quality of early childhood education where students
thrive as respectful, joyful, healthy children.
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1612 Tom Williams Dr, Fargo ND 58104