Bastrop Montessori Team

Cheryl Kruckeberg, Founder and Director

My lifelong passion has been working with children. I am constantly inspired by their curiosity, tenacity, eagerness to learn and their fun loving spirit, and am humbled by their trust, kindness and courage. In pursuit of my passion for supporting young people I have worked at over a dozen holistic and non-traditional schools as an assistant, classroom teacher, administrator, director, consultant or board member. The opportunity to create a Montessori School in my own hometown is one that I am very excited about!

I was first introduced to the Montessori Method in 1988, when I was searching for the perfect school for my little girl, and I instantly knew that here was the model that most closely matched my own beliefs; that learning is the innate desire of all children and that in a thoughtfully designed environment and in an atmosphere of respect, they will do what comes naturally to them – inquire, practice, learn and take care of each other! My first inspiration grew into a lasting appreciation of the power and beauty of Dr. Maria Montessori’s work. I have incorporated some of the fundamental aspects of the Montessori Method into my work with children ever since, whether as a teacher, administrator or school director.

In the past 15 years I have been the Director of Austin EcoSchool/Austin Village Academy and have been developing an educational program called Game of Village, which I’ve run both in the homeschool community and in private schools.

Aside from my work with children I enjoy non-traditional building, gardening, puttering around outside, yoga, arts and crafts and spending time with my family and friends!

Ann Jenneman, Montessori Mentor

I have been teaching preschool age children in a Montessori setting since completing my Montessori training at Santa Monica Montessori Institute in 2002. I have taught at Santa Monica Montessori School in Santa Monica, at a rural community Montessori School in Mexico , and at The Montessori Center/Hyde Park Montessori and Mariposas Spanish School, both in Austin

What I love most about the Montessori method is the individual approach that truly strives to meet the child’s needs, encouraging each child to stay connected to their heart while developing a true love of learning, and allows the child to naturally grow into a caring, contributing member of society.

I grew up in the gorgeous piney suburbs of Northwest Houston, and have also lived in Mexico, for a total of six years. I spent my time in Mexico building an adobe house and learning about many aspects of self-sufficiency, gardening, gaining fluency in Spanish, teaching English, and getting a more realistic understanding of the human condition through exposure to another culture.

Apart from teaching, there is nothing I like more than to spend my time dancing. My favorite kind of dancing (which I also teach) is an American folk dance called contra dance. Other favorite activities of mine are yoga, swimming, cooking, gardening, crafting, and spending time with my husband Scott.