About Us

Middle School Facility

Designed by Belfast-based OPAL Architecture, and built by a collaboration between Cornersping and OPAL Build, a sister company to OPAL Architecture, the Middle School building is built to the Passive House-standard for energy efficiency. It matches the existing Cornerspring facility, which opened in 2017 and was designed by OPAL and built by GO Logic. The construction of the new school utilized Cross-Laminated Timber and wood fiber insulation, which OPAL’s sister company Timber HP plans to manufacture in Madison, Maine.

The University of Maine Orono is partnering with Cornerspring and OPAL to provide energy, thermal and moisture monitoring of the structure’s ground-breaking all wood structural and thermal construction system. “Working with Cornerspring to be able to demonstrate, on their Belfast Campus, the first-of-its-kind renewable, sustainable, all-wood construction is an incredible opportunity,” said OPAL Architecture’s executive partner Matthew O’Malia. “We are also fortunate to be able to collaborate with the University of Maine on monitoring this project, as we will be able to demonstrate together not only the performance benefits of the next generation of carbon-sequestering, high-performance wood construction, but also the latest innovations Maine’s forest products industry has to offer.”

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Our Facility
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We moved into our Passiv House-standard building in 2017. Designed and built by Belfast-based architecture and construction firm GO Logic, the new facility is highly energy efficient and green, with photovoltaic panels supplying the majority of our electricity. The architect, Tim Lock, was awarded an Institutional and Commercial Merit Award by the AIA Maine in the summer of 2019.  Just minutes from downtown Belfast but situated on more than 35 acres of woodlands, Cornerspring offers a wealth of opportunities for nature-based education.

Our solar array has been producing electricity and boosting our sustainable practices since June of 2017. We worked with Liberty based ReVision Energy  to install a 54 panel grid-tied solar electric system that provides all the electric power we need.

When the sun is shining we either use the power in real time or feed it back to the grid where it benefits our community (and earns us a credit). Each year, the system will generate roughly 19,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, offsetting the equivalent of driving over 32,000 miles in a gas-powered car.

The project was financed through a Power Purchase Agreement, which means our school paid no upfront fee to install the solar panels. Instead, an investor (in this case, ReVision) paid for the upfront cost while the school pays for the power generated each month, rather than paying for power from CMP. After a period of time, the school can opt to buy the system at a significantly reduced price and own all the equipment and power outright!

To see what our school’s system is producing, both today and across its lifetime, click here.

Our History
11
About Us

Cornerspring Montessori School was founded in 2001 by Paula Johnson in response to a need in the area for a high-quality preschool program. Originally located in a Victorian home in downtown Belfast with an enrollment of eight children, the school’s reputation and the appeal of Dr. Maria Montessori’s teaching philosophy grew and enrollment increased.

In 2007, Cornerspring became a non-profit institution, and in 2008, in order to meet the needs of its growing community, Cornerspring added an elementary program and moved to the athenahealth campus on Route 3. 

A few years later, in 2012, the Board of Directors conducted a strategic planning process to identify a new, permanent home. During a yearlong search, the committee reviewed 40 potential buildings and sites, and ultimately recommended building a 6100 sq. ft. school on a wooded property on Lower Congress Street. In the fall of 2014 the board approved the purchase of 35 acres and a building design by GO Logic, an architecture and construction firm based in Belfast, Maine that creates sustainable, super-insulated, highly energy-efficient buildings. Ground was broken in the Fall of 2016 and the community moved into the new building in July of 2017.

Today, Cornerspring is recognized as offering families an outstanding choice for children ages 18 months to 14 years in a beautiful natural setting.

Mission Statement
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Using an approach based in the methods developed by educational visionary Maria Montessori, Cornerspring Montessori School is committed to individualized education, allowing children freedom to develop at their own pace. We strive to satisfy a child’s need to know, to belong, to feel safe and secure, and to develop their self-esteem. Our nurturing staff is Montessori-trained, and our school accepts all children as individuals and does not discriminate in any way based on race, ethnic background, gender, disability, or financial position.

“Let the children be free; let them run outside when it is raining; and when the grass of the meadows is wet with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning.” – Maria Montessori

Board of Trustees

Geir Gasiednes, President

Geoff Bird, Vice President

Mica Schweitzer-Bluhm, Secretary

Jennifer Albee, Treasurer

Meg Barker,  Trustee

Paul Brown, Trustee

 

 

 

Staff
  • Hannah Morris
    Hannah Morris Music Teacher

    Hannah is a graduate of Ithaca College with a degree in Music Education, K-12. She has worked as a Music Together teacher in the greater Boston area, as well as a private instrumental/vocal teacher around the Northeast. She plays and teaches all wind and brass instruments, along with piano and voice. In addition to a growing private studio here in midcoast Maine, she spends my time practicing, volunteering, and learning!

    “My work is to create a container for young musicians to take charge of their learning in the music-making journey. My focus is to help students develop a relationship with music, sound, movement, and play that allows for a lifetime of growth and exploration. Along the way, I’m here to guide their learning and provide support when needs, interests, and wants arise.”

     

     

     

  • Sue Beemer
    Sue Beemer Head of School

    A native of southern Minnesota, Sue grew up on a farm on the prairie. She holds a BS in Home Economics Education with an emphasis on Family Life and Child Development from Minnesota State University—Mankato. Sue has worked in early education for over thirty years, serving as a parent educator, preschool teacher and administrator. She currently lives in the woods in Searsport with her husband Jeff and beagle Chewie. Her two grown children live in the NYC area and visits with her grandchildren Jackson, Eloise, Teddy and Hank are the highlights of Sue’s vacations. Sue also enjoys baking, sewing, crocheting, gardening, hiking and a good snowstorm.

  • Amanda Barnes
    Amanda Barnes Lead Teacher: Puffin Classroom (18 months-3 years)


    Amanda received her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from Beal College and certification from Northeast Montessori Institute. Amanda has worked in the Chickadee and Cardinal classrooms and is excited to apply her training to the Puffin classroom. Amanda lives in Monroe with her husband Terry and son Jayden. She enjoys swimming, dancing, taking care of her horses and other farm animals.

  • Wiola Shaw
    Wiola Shaw 
Lead Teacher: Chickadee Classroom (3-6 years)

    Wiola has worked with kids for over 20 years, including time teaching in Poland, where she was raised. Wiola began her employ with Cornerspring as the Assistant Teacher in the Chickadee classroom, and now is the Lead Teacher as she completes her Montessori teacher training. Wiola lives in Camden with her husband Ethan and their son Tristan, and is committed to making your child’s Montessori experience productive, stimulating and fun!

  • Lori Pearson
    Lori Pearson Assistant Teacher

    Lori has over 30 years of experience in early childhood education, including 10 years as a head teacher in the aftercare program at Montessori Discovery School in Norwich, CT. She is glad to be returning for her 11th year at Cornerspring as Assistant Teacher in the Chickadee classroom. Lori lives at Swan Lake in Searsport and loves baking, especially anything chocolate! When not baking, she can be found kayaking, gardening, weaving, crafting or just relaxing with a good book and a cup of tea.

  • Haley Norris
    Haley Norris Lead Teacher: Robin Classroom (6-9 years)

    Now in her sixth year at Cornerspring, Haley is excited to be the Lead Teacher in the Robin Classroom and she recently completed her Montessori Elementary Teacher Certification. Before moving to Maine, Haley managed a 120-acre organic CSA farm while earning a degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she studied linguistics, Spanish and education. Here in Maine, Haley continues to farm, while also working at her local fire department. When she is able to grab some free time, she likes to sit on her porch in Morrill, enjoying the evening with her partner Emily and their cat He-Man.

  • Alexandra Woodruff
    Alexandra Woodruff 
Lead Teacher: Raven Classroom (9-12 years)

    Alex holds a Masters in Education in Montessori Elementary Education from Loyola University and has earned Elementary 6-12 certification from the Association Montessori Internationale as well as primary certification from the North American Montessori Center. She has over fifteen years experience in Montessori classrooms and lives in Camden with her husband Scott and two daughters.

  • Susan Therio
    Susan Therio Middle School Teacher

    With a Masters in Chemistry, over 20 years of experience in scientific laboratories, and professional teaching certification from the University of Maine, Susan has been the science teacher at Cornerspring for ten years. When the school needed a Middle School Teacher, she was the perfect fit!  She lives in Stockton Springs with her husband Frank, their son Isaias and two dogs. Susan enjoys swimming, canoeing, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and gardening.

  • Conor Quincey
    Conor Quincey Administrative Assistant

    Originally from New Jersey, Conor and his wife relocated to Maine for a change of pace. Conor is a graduate from the Military College of Vermont: Norwich University where he received his bachelor’s degree in History. Conor, his wife and  three young daughters live in Palermo and are excited to be starting their life and family together in Maine with a flock of chickens and honeybees.

  • Annabelle Walke
    Annabelle Walke Puffin Classroom Assistant Teacher

    Annabelle lives in Searsport and is a recent graduate of Mount Desert Island High School. She’s attended the music education program at the University of Southern Maine and enjoyed volunteering in classroom music programs. As a performing artist, Annabelle is the 2019 and 2020 Allstate Vocalist and loves to sing jazz. You can find Annabelle enjoying the outdoors and spending time with her family when she’s not having a ball with the toddlers at Cornerspring.

  • Debra Rabinowitz
    Debra Rabinowitz Cardinal Classroom Lead Teacher

    Deb is a New Yorker turned Maine transplant, bringing over 15 years of early childhood education experience with her up north to Belfast. Teaching is Debs’ passion and joy. She always strives to create a classroom community where each child feels valid and a part of that community and celebrated for who they are. Deb is actively engaged in Montessori Primary Teacher training, and she is thrilled to join the Cornerspring Montessori team.

  • Casey Robison
    Casey Robison Art Teacher and Assistant Teacher in the Falcon Room

    Casey is a transplant from Pennsylvania, drawn to Maine for the farming community. She graduated from Unity College with a BS in Sustainable Agriculture. She has six years of experience working on small organic farms and is an avid gardener. Before she discovered farming, art was her passion. Now she has a chance to share both her love of art and growing food with the kids at Cornerspring. You can find Casey in the garden, snowboarding down a mountain, curled up with a sketchbook, and planning her next adventure.

  • Rowan Walauski
    Rowan Walauski Cardinal Room Assistant Teacher

    Rowan has been a lifelong Mainer and has considered Belfast to be her hometown for more than a decade. She was homeschooled through high school, has her GED, and is working to further her education. She has ten years’ experience working with children of all ages. Rowan has worked at a Montessori preschool, a farm-based summer camp, as a private nanny, and as a middle and high school rowing coach before joining the Cornerspring family in 2021. She loves being out on the water, knitting while listening to a good audiobook, going for walks outdoors, and spending time with her family and the people she’s close to.

Newsletters

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Newsletter Archive: 

Our Facility
webcam21379_edit

We moved into our Passiv House-standard building in 2017. Designed and built by Belfast-based architecture and construction firm GO Logic, the new facility is highly energy efficient and green, with photovoltaic panels supplying the majority of our electricity. Just minutes from downtown Belfast but situated on more than 35 acres of woodlands, Cornerspring offers a wealth of opportunities for nature-based education.

Our History
11
About Us

Cornerspring Montessori School was founded in 2001 by Paula Johnson in response to a need in the area for a high-quality preschool program. Originally located in a Victorian home in downtown Belfast with an enrollment of eight children, the school’s reputation and the appeal of Dr. Maria Montessori’s teaching philosophy grew and enrollment increased.

In 2007, Cornerspring became a non-profit institution, and in 2008, in order to meet the needs of its growing community, Cornerspring added an elementary program and moved to the athenahealth campus on Route 3. 

A few years later, in 2012, the Board of Directors conducted a strategic planning process to identify a new, permanent home. During a yearlong search, the committee reviewed 40 potential buildings and sites, and ultimately recommended building a 6100 sq. ft. school on a wooded property on Lower Congress Street. In the fall of 2014 the board approved the purchase of 35 acres and a building design by GO Logic, an architecture and construction firm based in Belfast, Maine that creates sustainable, super-insulated, highly energy-efficient buildings. Ground was broken in the Fall of 2016 and the community moved into the new building in July of 2017.

Today, Cornerspring is recognized as offering families an outstanding choice for children ages 18 months to 12 years in a beautiful natural setting.

Mission Statement
mg_8649
mg_0182

Using an approach based in the methods developed by educational visionary Maria Montessori, Cornerspring Montessori School is committed to individualized education, allowing children freedom to develop at their own pace. We strive to satisfy a child’s need to know, to belong, to feel safe and secure, and to develop their self-esteem. Our nurturing staff is Montessori-trained, and our school accepts all children as individuals and does not discriminate in any way based on race, ethnic background, gender, disability, or financial position.

“Let the children be free; let them run outside when it is raining; and when the grass of the meadows is wet with dew, let them run on it and trample it with their bare feet; let them rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade; let them shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning.” – Maria Montessori

Staff
  • Hannah Morris
    Hannah Morris Music Teacher

    Hannah is a graduate of Ithaca College with a degree in Music Education, K-12. She has worked as a Music Together teacher in the greater Boston area, as well as a private instrumental/vocal teacher around the Northeast. She plays and teaches all wind and brass instruments, along with piano and voice. In addition to a growing private studio here in midcoast Maine, she spends my time practicing, volunteering, and learning!

    “My work is to create a container for young musicians to take charge of their learning in the music-making journey. My focus is to help students develop a relationship with music, sound, movement, and play that allows for a lifetime of growth and exploration. Along the way, I’m here to guide their learning and provide support when needs, interests, and wants arise.”

     

     

     

  • Sue Beemer
    Sue Beemer Head of School

    A native of southern Minnesota, Sue grew up on a farm on the prairie. She holds a BS in Home Economics Education with an emphasis on Family Life and Child Development from Minnesota State University—Mankato. Sue has worked in early education for over thirty years, serving as a parent educator, preschool teacher and administrator. She currently lives in the woods in Searsport with her husband Jeff and beagle Chewie. Her two grown children live in the NYC area and visits with her grandchildren Jackson, Eloise, Teddy and Hank are the highlights of Sue’s vacations. Sue also enjoys baking, sewing, crocheting, gardening, hiking and a good snowstorm.

  • Amanda Barnes
    Amanda Barnes Lead Teacher: Puffin Classroom (18 months-3 years)


    Amanda received her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from Beal College and certification from Northeast Montessori Institute. Amanda has worked in the Chickadee and Cardinal classrooms and is excited to apply her training to the Puffin classroom. Amanda lives in Monroe with her husband Terry and son Jayden. She enjoys swimming, dancing, taking care of her horses and other farm animals.

  • Wiola Shaw
    Wiola Shaw 
Lead Teacher: Chickadee Classroom (3-6 years)

    Wiola has worked with kids for over 20 years, including time teaching in Poland, where she was raised. Wiola began her employ with Cornerspring as the Assistant Teacher in the Chickadee classroom, and now is the Lead Teacher as she completes her Montessori teacher training. Wiola lives in Camden with her husband Ethan and their son Tristan, and is committed to making your child’s Montessori experience productive, stimulating and fun!

  • Lori Pearson
    Lori Pearson Assistant Teacher

    Lori has over 30 years of experience in early childhood education, including 10 years as a head teacher in the aftercare program at Montessori Discovery School in Norwich, CT. She is glad to be returning for her 11th year at Cornerspring as Assistant Teacher in the Chickadee classroom. Lori lives at Swan Lake in Searsport and loves baking, especially anything chocolate! When not baking, she can be found kayaking, gardening, weaving, crafting or just relaxing with a good book and a cup of tea.

  • Haley Norris
    Haley Norris Lead Teacher: Robin Classroom (6-9 years)

    Now in her sixth year at Cornerspring, Haley is excited to be the Lead Teacher in the Robin Classroom and she recently completed her Montessori Elementary Teacher Certification. Before moving to Maine, Haley managed a 120-acre organic CSA farm while earning a degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she studied linguistics, Spanish and education. Here in Maine, Haley continues to farm, while also working at her local fire department. When she is able to grab some free time, she likes to sit on her porch in Morrill, enjoying the evening with her partner Emily and their cat He-Man.

  • Alexandra Woodruff
    Alexandra Woodruff 
Lead Teacher: Raven Classroom (9-12 years)

    Alex holds a Masters in Education in Montessori Elementary Education from Loyola University and has earned Elementary 6-12 certification from the Association Montessori Internationale as well as primary certification from the North American Montessori Center. She has over fifteen years experience in Montessori classrooms and lives in Camden with her husband Scott and two daughters.

  • Susan Therio
    Susan Therio Middle School Teacher

    With a Masters in Chemistry, over 20 years of experience in scientific laboratories, and professional teaching certification from the University of Maine, Susan has been the science teacher at Cornerspring for ten years. When the school needed a Middle School Teacher, she was the perfect fit!  She lives in Stockton Springs with her husband Frank, their son Isaias and two dogs. Susan enjoys swimming, canoeing, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing and gardening.

  • Conor Quincey
    Conor Quincey Administrative Assistant

    Originally from New Jersey, Conor and his wife relocated to Maine for a change of pace. Conor is a graduate from the Military College of Vermont: Norwich University where he received his bachelor’s degree in History. Conor, his wife and  three young daughters live in Palermo and are excited to be starting their life and family together in Maine with a flock of chickens and honeybees.

  • Annabelle Walke
    Annabelle Walke Puffin Classroom Assistant Teacher

    Annabelle lives in Searsport and is a recent graduate of Mount Desert Island High School. She’s attended the music education program at the University of Southern Maine and enjoyed volunteering in classroom music programs. As a performing artist, Annabelle is the 2019 and 2020 Allstate Vocalist and loves to sing jazz. You can find Annabelle enjoying the outdoors and spending time with her family when she’s not having a ball with the toddlers at Cornerspring.

  • Debra Rabinowitz
    Debra Rabinowitz Cardinal Classroom Lead Teacher

    Deb is a New Yorker turned Maine transplant, bringing over 15 years of early childhood education experience with her up north to Belfast. Teaching is Debs’ passion and joy. She always strives to create a classroom community where each child feels valid and a part of that community and celebrated for who they are. Deb is actively engaged in Montessori Primary Teacher training, and she is thrilled to join the Cornerspring Montessori team.

  • Casey Robison
    Casey Robison Art Teacher and Assistant Teacher in the Falcon Room

    Casey is a transplant from Pennsylvania, drawn to Maine for the farming community. She graduated from Unity College with a BS in Sustainable Agriculture. She has six years of experience working on small organic farms and is an avid gardener. Before she discovered farming, art was her passion. Now she has a chance to share both her love of art and growing food with the kids at Cornerspring. You can find Casey in the garden, snowboarding down a mountain, curled up with a sketchbook, and planning her next adventure.

  • Rowan Walauski
    Rowan Walauski Cardinal Room Assistant Teacher

    Rowan has been a lifelong Mainer and has considered Belfast to be her hometown for more than a decade. She was homeschooled through high school, has her GED, and is working to further her education. She has ten years’ experience working with children of all ages. Rowan has worked at a Montessori preschool, a farm-based summer camp, as a private nanny, and as a middle and high school rowing coach before joining the Cornerspring family in 2021. She loves being out on the water, knitting while listening to a good audiobook, going for walks outdoors, and spending time with her family and the people she’s close to.

Board of Trustees

Michael Comer, President

Geoff Bird, Vice President

Fred Jackson, Treasurer

Michael Comer, Secretary

Jennifer Albee,  Trustee

Geir Gasiednes, Trustee

Morgan Hotham, Trustee

Scott Kelley, Trustee

Charndra Michaud, Trustee

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