Cornerstones

Alumni Feature: Maggie (Spork) Koehler
I attended Montessori in Suttons Bay from age 2
through kindergarten and then again for grades 2-4 at the
Montessori Children’s House and Montessori Elementary,
respectively. I look back on this time as both formative and
magical. The teachers who guided us at these Montessori
schools were so loving, supportive, and creative. I am also
still in touch with several of my classmates from that time
including a few life-long, dear friends that I made during
my Montessori days. Montessori allowed me room for
creativity and growth in a way that was very natural and
powerful. I believe that it was my Montessori days that
helped foster my love for school and provoked a great
value of education in me. I truly feel lucky to have had this
unique educational experience when I was young.
Many of my fond Montessori memories are focused
around recess forest explorations, unique field trips, and
being a part of the “Dance of the Cosmos” where we
learned about planets and space not by reading about
them but by becoming them! Birthday celebrations took
on new meaning, a journey around the sun, literally, as the
“birthday” student carried a model of the Earth around a
burning candle which symbolized the sun, in a memorable
celebration of their special day. Helping to take care of
the many classroom pets was something I always looked
forward to. I was on the “Bird Committee” and helped
pick out the classroom cockatiel, “Tommy” who proudly
perched in his cage as we wondered over his perfect orange,
yellow, and white feathers. Some of my favorite classroom
activities were to work independently while mastering the
geography of pin maps and to sit in a corner on the floor
writing stories in my journal. I also loved to study the large
poster of the “history of life on earth” which illustrated
Earth’s various epochs and included noteworthy periods in
time such as what time various fossil organisms lived and
when humans evolved.
After my Montessori days I attended Suttons Bay Public
Schools for grades 5-12 and started to duel enroll at
Northwestern Michigan College during my senior year,
eventually earning an AA degree with a major in fine art.
I then attended Ferris State University earning BS degrees
biology and English Education, and from there I started
graduate studies in Botany at the University of Hawaii
(UH). I earned a PhD. in Botany with a specialization in
Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology in 2011.
Since then I have lectured at UH and at the Community
College in Honolulu. I am currently the State Botanist
for Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources,
Division of Forestry and Wildlife. I have an exciting and
challenging job as botanist and administrator for the State’s
Rare Plant Program. As State Botanist, I help to protect
and restore over 400 federally listed native Hawaiian plant
species that are found in Hawaii and nowhere else on
Earth. A recent accomplishment that I am most proud of is
being part of a team to discover and describe a new species
of plant from the Hawaiian Islands.
In my free time I enjoy spending time with my loving
husband, Tobias, and our two dogs Magic and Koa. I
dabble in cooking, botanical illustration, pottery, jewelry
making, yoga, running, and scuba diving. I love to travel
and stay active.
You Can Make a Difference
Goodwill
Cooperation
Mindfulness
Respect
Gratitude
Leelanau Montessori’s
Cornerstones To Community Growth
Growth is never by mere chance it is the
result of forces working together.
- James C. Penney
How You Can Help
Our goal is to have 100% involvement from all members of our school community: students,
parents, faculty/staff, and board members.
Giving Period/Levels: Our giving period is from December 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015
Inspiring Charity - Matching Donor
Nurturing Leaders - $5000 +
Practicing Stewardship - $2500
Empowering Children - $500
Creating Culture - $250
Planting Seeds - ($1/day)
At the close of our Annual Campaign, a Level Giving Board will be displayed in the main entryway of our
school. Names of donors in each of the giving categories will be posted in this area.
Donation options
Online payment:
www.gofundme.com/leelanaumontessori
Check: mail a check to Leelanau Montessori 310 S. Elm Street Suttons
Bay, MI 49682
Leelanau Montessori has begun an effort to reconnect with our alumni and build what we call our family
Montessori Family Tree. Alumni families are a meaningful part of our school history, and we are reaching out
because we believe each one of our former students is a valued lifelong Montessori community member.
As an alumni you can help us in on of the following ways:
1. Call the school at 231-271-8609 and leave your contact information.
2. Email us at info@leelanaumontessori.org
3. Spread the word to other Montessori Alumni you know!
Thank you
Alumni!
Electronic Funds Transfer: make a pledge to fulfill a donation over
time via electronic funds transfer (lump sum, quarterly, bi-monthly or
monthly options available)
An educational method which cultivates and protects the inner activities
of the child is not a question which concerns merely the school or the
teachers; it is a universal question.
Dr. Maria Montessori