FLOAT

David (pictured with his cat) joined the DMS team in 2024. He can be found subbing, covering for teacher planning, and helping in aftercare. He loves connecting with the students and helping them enjoy and appreciate the natural world.

ADMINISTRATOR - OWL’S NEST OFFICE

Mrs. Blake joined the DMS team in 2021.

She has a degree in Business Administration and Marketing from the University of Massachusetts and worked in management for several years before moving into education, spending over ten years in the North Carolina public school system before joining the DMS team.

Mrs. Blake enjoys being out in nature and is happy to be back in New England, where her daughter also lives.

ASSISTANT TEACHER - HERON’S NEST LOWER ELEMENTARY

Ms. daCosta joined DMS in 2026, after graduating from USM with a degree in education. She has always been passionate about the Montessori Method. As a child, she attended a Montessori school in New Jersey for Primary and Lower Elementary, where she later worked as a substitute during high school and college. She is passionate about helping children foster a lifelong love of learning. 

Outside of school, Bella is a passionate knitter, crafter, and gardener!

FLOAT

Ms. Hannah started working at DMS in 2024. As a “Float,” she can be found in any classroom. In the morning, she is most often found supporting the Heron’s Nest Lower Elementary students. Ms. Hannah is a regular in Aftercare.

TEACHER - LOON’S NEST PRIMARY

Liz joined the DMS team during the summer of 2021. She is a long-time Montessori parent of three children, who all attend(ed) DMS.

Liz studied child development at Southern Maine Community College and education at Endicott University. She has over 17 years of experience working in child care, both in facilities and as a private nanny. She also worked for six years in health care before her own children were born.

Liz’s Montessori certification is through the Age of Montessori, AMS-affiliated.

Liz loves being out in nature with her family, cooking meals (especially for other people), and photography. 

ASSISTANT TEACHER - EAGLE’S NEST MIDDLE SCHOOL

ART & MUSIC - EAGLE’S & OSPREY’S NESTS

Mr. Hove has a foundation in carpentry, art, and music. He is using his excellent “fix-it” skills at DMS to help beautify the campus and also as a teaching method with the students. He emphasizes how to observe the world and see what you can do to make it a better place, which includes fixing (and making!) things.

Mr. Hov started working at DMS in 2018 as the Lower Elementary Assistant and Art Instructor. He stepped away for a while to deal with a family emergency, but soon enrolled his two children. We were thrilled to welcome Eric back into a teaching role in 2025!

Mr. Hov has a bachelor’s degree from the Maine College of Arts, in Portland, ME, and a Boat Building Diploma from The Landing School, in Arundel, ME.

LITERACY SUPPORT, ART, MUSIC - HERON’S NEST LOWER EL

Ms. Martin joined DMS in the fall of 2022. She loves sharing her passion for music and art with the children, as well as supporting their daily work in the classroom. Ms. Martin is trained in the Orton-Gillingham reading & literacy approach.

Although Ms. Martin is usually with the Heron’s Nest, she also supports the other classrooms with reading development.

Fun fact: Madison Martin is Kristen Robinson's niece!

CUSTODIAN & CARETAKER

Jeff began working at DMS in 2021 as an evening cleaner. It quickly became clear that he was so much more to DMS. Jeff does minor “fix-it” tasks, sanitizes surfaces at the end of the day, ensures the school is locked up, does weekly water testing, and so much more. Jeff usually arrives in the late evening, so you may not ever meet him in person. Jeff cleans for other local schools, as well.

TEACHER - EAGLE’S NEST MIDDLE SCHOOL

Jessica began working at DMS in 2023 and has been teaching since 2017. She has a teaching credential for Arizona and Maine, a Master’s Degree in Science Education, and is finishing her Montessori credential for Secondary Education (ages 12-18). Her Montessori certification is through the Cincinnati Montessori Secondary Teacher Education Program (CMSTEP).

Although science and math are her passion, Jessica loves that Montessori integrates all of the subjects together, which reflects the way that the real world works. The farm, hands-on science, exploratory math, and educational projects are part of her personal philosophy on education. Jessica loves seeing students blossom into independence and get excited about learning!

Jessica, her husband, and two children have lived in many places, including Japan. They feel at home in Maine and love exploring the beautiful forests and beaches and learning about the history and science of our wonderful state.

CLASSROOM SUPPORT - OSPREY’S NEST UPPER EL

FRENCH & LATIN - OSPREY’S & EAGLE’S NESTS

PHYSICAL EDUCATION - K-8TH

Monsieur Phinney is our P.E. Instructor. He works with students in Kindergarten through 8th grade in weekly sessions to teach physical education skills and promote healthy habits. Leighton is also the Upper El & Middle School French/Latin instructor.

Monsieur Phinney is currently working on his Upper Elementary Montessori training.

Fun Facts: Monsieur Phinney is a United States Veteran. He also loves all things Disney!

ASSISTANT TEACHER - PUFFIN’S NEST

Ms. Zaniah joined DMS as a sub in 2025 and came on full-time in 2026. She has a strong early childhood background, including training and working at Kieve.

Ms. Zaniah has been working towards getting her teaching certificate. She has always appreciated the Montessori approach and loves to encourage independence and self motivation.

Her favorite quiet pastime is reading. She also loves to dance and swim.

TEACHER - OSPREY’S NEST UPPER EL

Mr. Richins joined our team in 2018 and stepped into a lead teacher role in 2022. After graduating from Bates College in 2017, he worked at Kieve as a Leadership School Educator and Educator in Residence, stationed at DMS during the academic year and in Kieve’s camp over the summer.

Mr. Richins has a unique perspective of the flow of Montessori. He has worked with Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and the Middle School, supporting both the academic work and the social-emotional environment. Beyond his training through Kieve, Ross is trained in Montessori and Positive Discipline. His Monttessori training is through the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative.

His love of math has rubbed off on the students. There is a lot of excitement for math in the Upper Elementary!

When not working at DMS, Ross enjoys sailing, golfing, and exploring the outdoors with his friends

TEACHER - LOON’S NEST

Mrs. Roberts began working at DMS in 2008. In 2014 she stayed home to raise two children. In 2017 she returned to DMS as a parent and a staff member. Allison has a Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders, with a minor in Child Development.  Her Montessori education is through the Age of Montessori, AMS Affiliated.

Mrs. Roberts was born and raised in Northern Maine with Mt. Katahdin in her backyard.  She spent a lot of time outdoors exploring the woods, camping, hiking, and fishing. She was part of theater and choral groups all through high school and was very involved in church activities. She met her husband at the University of Maine at Orono. After graduation, she moved to Damariscotta and found DMS!

Mrs. Roberts has been part of this community for over a decade, and during that time she got married, built a house, and welcomed two beautiful children to the world. 

TEACHER - PUFFIN’S NEST PRIMARY

Ms. Robinson began working at DMS in 2013, as an assistant teacher. She moved into the role of Head Teacher in 2018. She studied Montessori through Age of Montessori (MACTE certified), earning her certification for 3-6 (Primary) in 2020. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Endicott College. 

Ms. Robinson is currently working on her Master’s Degree in Education.

Ms. Robinson is a local. She grew up in Portland, ME, and currently lives in Alna with her family. When not in the classroom, she enjoys spending time with her son and performing on stage in local theater productions.

HEAD OF SCHOOL - OWL’S NEST OFFICE

Shawnaly began working at DMS in 2009 as the Lower Elementary Lead Teacher. In 2021 she moved into Administration as the Associate Head of School and became the Head of School the following year.

She grew up in Kalispell, MT, and attended a Montessori school from Primary through Upper Elementary. As an adult, her love of learning led her to become an educator. In addition to her teaching degree, she holds a credential for Lower Elementary from the Montana Center for Montessori Teacher Education (AMS affiliated) and a Master’s Degree from Saint Catherine’s University. Her Administration credential is from Seton Montessori Institute.

Shawnaly’s son attended DMS from primary through 8th grade. He graduated from the University of Maine in 2026 with an Engineering Degree. He loves cooking and will often be the one to cook dinner when he is at home. He attributes his cooking skills to the years of Culinary Arts he had at DMS.

Shawnaly loves teaching Positive Discipline, both at DMS and in other schools around the country.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT - OWL’S NEST OFFICE

Mrs. Becky is a Brewer, Maine native. She graduated from the University of Maine in Orono in 1998 with a B.A. in Theatre. She moved to the Mid-Coast in 1999 and lives in Warren with her husband Jon, and her two teenage sons. When she married Jon, she gained two wonderful step sons, who are now grown up and out on their own.

Jon owns and operates an automotive repair shop in Rockland where Becky helps out in the office, when she isn’t working at DMS. She is very passionate about animal rescue and is on the board of the Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County. She has two rescue dogs, Sam and Nigel.

Mrs. Becky’s cheerful, peaceful presence helps everyone feel welcome when they enter the office!

ASSISTANT TEACHER & LANGUAGE ARTS - OSPREY’S NEST UPPER ELEMENTARY

Mrs. Tyrrell joined the DMS Upper El classroom in 2019, after moving to Maine in 2018. Rose taught Middle School English for twelve years before moving to Maine. Before that, she was involved in the world of business. She has a BA in Business and Economics.

Mrs. Tyrrell helps facilitate Language Arts in the classroom, including literature, Latin, and writing.

Mrs. Tyrrell and her husband love spending time with their three adult children and their twin grandsons who attend DMS. In her spare time, Rose also enjoys reading and gardening.

MUSIC - OSPREY’S NEST UPPER ELEMENTARY

AFTERSCHOOL PRIVATE GUITAR/UKULELE - K-8TH

Mr. Tyrrell teaches music for 4th - 6th graders. He has had a passion for music from a young age and played in multiple bands while in college. He teaches private lessons on the guitar and ukulele after school. When he isn't at DMS, he works in the behavioral health field. He graduated from Keene State College with a master's in clinical social work from UNE with an emphasis on social justice and geriatric honors.

Mr. Tyrrell has twin sons who attend DMS.

Fun Fact: Rose Tyrrell (Osprey’s Nest Assistant) is his mom!

TEACHER - HERON’S NEST LOWER ELEMENTARY

Mrs. Wells joined the DMS team in 2021. She has been a teacher for almost 20 years and a Montessori parent of two girls for close to a decade. She completed her Montessori training for ages 6 to 12 with the Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative in Lexington, MA. She has been teaching in a Montessori elementary classroom since 2018. Before that, she was an elementary math specialist and coach.

Mrs. Wells is trained in the Orton-Gillingham reading & literacy approach.

Mrs. Wells loves cooking, traveling, hiking, and spending time with her family. She loves to sing and is learning to play the ukulele. She loves children's literature and enjoys finding books to share for every occasion.