Administration
Sophie Wallas Rasmussen
Co-Founder & Head of School
Sophie holds a BA in Anthropology from Copenhagen University, an MSc in Social Anthropology from London School of Economics, an MS in Human Nutrition (Functional Medicine) from University of Bridgeport, and a Diploma in Multi-Disciplinary Project & Innovation Leadership from Copenhagen Business School.
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During 2021-2022, Sophie attained all levels of Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) Orientation Courses for ages 0-3, 3-6, 6-12, and 12-18.
In 2024 she completed a two-year Montessori Leadership program at the Whole School Leadership Institute, (certified by Loyola University, Maryland).
She is the founder of the holistic health institute HOLISCOPE LLC and the non-profit 501(c)(3) KidSkill Fund, which raises funds for affordable children's education. Sophie is a life-long learner and researcher, with a passion for helping people reach their full potential, connecting with earth, as well as creating spaces and environments for human growth and healing. It is a great honor for her to be serving the children in the local community, as well as building an amazing crew around the tenets of Montessori. As a Montessori child alum herself, Sophie enrolled her firstborn in a Montessori Daycare, followed by having her children in a Reggio Emilia-based school. She is excited to having had her kids return to the Montessori method in Bovina.
David Madie
Co-Founder & Head of Business
David holds a MSc in Economics and Business Administration from Aarhus Business School (Denmark). He has been a serial entrepreneur for over 40 years, most recently as the founder and CEO of GrowthWheel International Inc., a training and software company with 20 employees working for economic development agencies worldwide. Prior to this, he has successfully started more than 10 companies across the globe, including in Scandinavia, North America, South and Southeast Asia, as well as East and South Africa.
David is the principal creator and designer of GrowthWheel, a visual toolbox and software platform for business advisors who work with small businesses. David has trained and certified over 4,000 small business advisors in 49 US states and 50+ countries. It is the intention that GrowthWheel will design a child-centered, Montessori-inspired, entrepreneurship toolbox for the school’s curriculum. David also sits as the chairman of the School Advisory Board and helps with the business and legal side of the school's administration.
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David is married to Sophie and together they have two kids, one of whom is currently attending Bovina Center Montessori School.
Kevin Hertel
Caretaker
I grew up in a little town on the West Coast called Sheridan, Oregon. When my wife and I got married, we moved to Utah and spent six years there, then moved to Rochester, NY and started thinking about finding our “forever home” and purchased a 21-acre property in Stamford, NY. We’ve visited over 25 national parks during our time in Utah and various road trips around the country. We’ve also owned 3 homes and have done renovations on each one before moving on to the next!
Although I wasn’t familiar with the Montessori method, it was a pillar of my wife’s childhood education and she was so excited to find a Montessori school out here. I love that the kids get to spend so much time outside. We love being outdoors and our daughter Sophie spent most of her time playing with chickens on our property before she started school!
I love being part of the school and helping take care of the property and buildings, and as an added bonus, being able to catch a glimpse of our daughter going sledding during her school day! We have a 9 month old baby, Luke, who will be joining the school when he is a toddler, so we’re just really looking forward to spending many years being part of this wonderful school community!
Siri Bertelsen
Communications Coordinator
Siri holds a BA in History and Cultural Significance from Aarhus University and an MA in Museum Studies from NYU. She has over a decade of experience working with culture and arts institutions in the U.S. Her work spans from arranging and cataloguing audio archives of historical jazz recordings and artist interviews for the Minnesota Historical Society to organizing Curatorial Intensive programs for Independent Curators International (ICI) in New York City. Siri has also assisted with curatorial work at the Jewish Museum, and worked in administration and HR as Office Manager for a Manhattan architecture firm .
After moving to Delhi with her family in 2020, Siri worked as Assistant Director of the West Kortright Center for three years before joining the Bovina Center Montessori School as Communications Coordinator. Siri and her husband John have two daughters who have attended the school since it opened in 2021.
School Advisory Board
Elizabeth Lamont
Elizabeth is a C-suite executive with over 30 years of experience leading the marketing departments of the world’s top beauty brands. Her skill set covers marketing, sales, education, and PR.
Personally, her upbringing brought her to the Catskills, as summers spent at canoe-tripping camps and family cottages in her native Canada led her to seek a rural balance to her urban life. Elizabeth, now based permanently in Merida, MX has been coming to Delaware County since 2014, seeking comfort in a three-season, camp-style cabin in Bloomville and the beautiful Catskills mountains.
Elizabeth was a volunteer Child Care Assistant at Mother’s Choice in Hong Kong, where she lived for several years, comes from a family of Montessori educators, and has completed AMI Montessori Assistants Certificates for 3-6 and 6-12 Years from the Maria Montessori Institute in London.
Donna Dickson-Noonan
Donna is a native “Bovinian”, her family having lived and farmed in the area for generations.Donna runs Glenanore Farm with her husband Mike, where they produce meat and dairy to the local community in Bovina.
Previously she has held the position of President of the Board at Cornell Corporate Extension of Delaware County, an organization that enables local people with improving their lives and communities through partnerships that put experience and research knowledge to work, in the areas of agriculture, human ecology, and youth development.
Donna is a member of the Town of Bovina Board, and holds a degree from Western New Mexico University, previously working in healthcare in New York, Wyoming, Minnesota, Montana, and New Mexico.
She is a proud mother and grandmother to several children and grandchildren still living in the county, two of which are currently enrolled in Bovina Montessori.
Catherine Sherry-Dubois
Catharine is a lawyer and a professor at Brooklyn Law School teaching legal rhetoric and legal communication. She has been teaching lawyers and soon-to-be lawyers to communicate more effectively for almost two decades. Catharine also consults on curriculum development and effective learning technique.
Catharine is a mother of two children. She alternates between her home in Brooklyn and the family house in Bovina, and is a strong supporter of the local Delaware community.
Montessori Coaches & Consultants
As avid learners, we continue to invite coaches and consultants from the Montessori world to work with us, visit our campus, and guide us - virtually and on-site - with the aim of creating the best conditions for authentic Montessori education at our nature-based school in upstate NY. Coaches and consultants that we work with and/or have worked with, include:
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Barbara "Bobbie" Callahan
Tim Seldin
Gaurapriya Tester
Zahra Majeed
Virginia Viscovic
Allison Manuel
Maryse Postlewaite
Ayize Sabater
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...As well as lots of amazing peers in Montessori schools across the US and the world, who share their knowledge and experiences with us, through the ideals and spirit of Dr. Maria Montessori. May we continue to pay it forward in equal measure, now and onwards!
​Michele Hutchinson
Maria Caradonna
Jonathan Churn
Laurie Ewert-Crocker
Tina Booth
Peter Davidson
Kathy Minardi
George Markham
​Todd Covert
Sue Pritzker​
Tiina Suominen
Mary Reinhardt
Nancy Kodera
Alyssa O'Connell
Andrew Faulstich