Marcy Prochaska

Director / lead teacher

Montessori Certified for ages 2.5-6 by the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.

I learned about Montessori education when I worked in the summer extended care program at Richmond Montessori School in Virginia. I was captivated by the peaceful, orderly, inviting environment where children were free to work comfortably with activities they chose. When my daughter got to preschool age, the closest Montessori school was an hour’s drive away. We made it work for the three years of the early childhood program; at the time it was more practical to commute than to try to get the training and start a local program.

In the spring of 2017 circumstances allowed me to enroll in CGMS’s early childhood training, which I completed in January 2019. The program included a 120-hr summer residency at Community Montessori in New Albany, IN, a year’s supervised internship at Marquette Primary Montessori Academy in South Bend (a magnet program of South Bend Schools), and eight modules of distance learning through video lectures and demonstrations, practicum assignments, papers and presentations, forum discussions, and video chats. The program is MACTE accredited.

During the 2018-2019 school year I worked as an early childhood assistant at Chesterton Montessori School, with additional responsibility for a small group of full day students in the afternoons.

Besides Montessori, my interests and activities include music (singing, playing the pipe organ and hammered dulcimer), theology and spiritual practice, friends, and family (including the cat).

Roscinda Rhinehart

Assistant teacher

I am honored to be the assistant this year, having previously served as a substitute. The school sent me to an assistant training program this past spring and I have learned wonderful ways to educate. I can’t wait to be with the kids again!

Before helping out with Little Way, being retired but not too old gave me a chance to help with Vacation Bible School. Having this beautiful opportunity gave me the grace of being with our future leaders. It took me back to my very first job. Because I came from a large family, all the moms thought I would be good as a sitter. It was found to be true; I stayed busy and was appreciated. Later in life I was a professional swimmer who then turned rescue team scuba diver. After an especially distressing mission, some of us went to the Keys. Three months later I went there to live, and stayed for 27 years.

With my child at heart attitude, I’m prayerfully looking forward to working with these little ones.