Meet the Teachers

Linda Hart, Directress, brings a rich history of Montessori education of more than 30 years to Grace Montessori Academy. After receiving her Montessori training at Rocky Mountain Montessori Teacher Training Program in Boulder, CO., she interned for a year at Billings Montessori. In Washington, she continued her education with a degree in Early Childhood Education from Pierce College and several classes from Green River Montessori in Renton, WA. She was lead teacher and Assistant Directress of Mountain View Montessori and served as Head teacher and Assistant director for 5 years before owning and operating a small private Montessori school for 6 years in Billings. She recently completed a refresher course in Early Childhood Montessori training at Caspari Montessori Institute through Pan American Montessori Society.

Jackie McMurrey, Early Childhood Teacher, joined Grace Montessori Academy in December, 2007. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from Southwest Texas State University. She spent a few years editing technical manuals before discovering a love of teaching young children with the Montessori Method. She completed the Association Montessori International (AMI) training with Virginia Buckley and Carol Ferguson through the Texas Montessori Education Center in Dallas, Texas in December 1992. While raising four children of her own, she assisted in many AMI Montessori classrooms as well as provided before and after school care in Austin, Texas and Portland, Oregon. She has experience teaching toddlers in a Montessori environment and most recently was a teacher at Billing Montessori School.

Heather Crilly, Early Childhood Teacher, joined Grace Montessori Academy since its opening in the Fall of 2007. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Religion form Oklahoma Baptist University and a Master of Education degree along with the American Montessori Society Early Childhood certification from Oklahoma City University. Heather taught a number of years in Oklahoma City before moving to Billings in 2005.

Catherine "Cackie" Germic, Early Childhood Teacher, joined Grace Montessori Academy in December 2007. Cackie is a graduate of Albion College where she earned her undergraduate degree in Physical Education. She completed her Master’s degree in Early Childhood education at Bank Street College of Education in New York City. She has taught in both public and private schools leading classrooms from Pre-K- 8th grade P.E. curriculum. Cackie has received her Montessori certification through the North American Montessori Center Diploma program.