Meet Our Staff

Karl Zierhut
Head of School

Ms. Susie is beginning her 2nd year at Rising Sun Montessori, as a Primary teacher (Guide). She has a Master of Arts in Education and is finalizing the Montessori certificate for Primary. She has three years’ experience teaching in a Montessori classroom and is in her tenth year of teaching in a public-school setting. Before that, while her own children were growing up, she was an instructional aide for 14 years in a rural school in the California foothills above Fresno, working in all grades from K to 8th and Special Ed.

Susie has a strong interest in the arts and has engaged in many different art forms from clay, weaving, all things fiber, and many more artistic endeavors. Her dream for this year is to bring as many art experiences as possible to the Sunflower students. She believes art, music, and the Montessori Method give children the chance to express themselves in a way that supports self-esteem and sense of autonomy; something that is so important for a growing child.

Susie has a fiber workshop at her house where she spends hours weaving, knitting, felting, and sewing. She also loves to travel and has been to Chile, Peru, and Spain. Her daughter, Sophie, is a mediator in the fall, winter, and spring months and runs trail crews in the high Sierras in the summer. Susie’s son, Eli, lives in New York City and works as a comedy writer, with SNL on his resume. They are 9th and 10th generation Californians, whose ancestor walked with Father Serra into Alta-California as a foot soldier.

Susie is excited about being back in a primary classroom. She has a deep love and respect for the Montessori approach and believes it is THE key to raising a well-balance individual who knows how to successfully meet the challenges of today’s world. She looks forward to this new school year and all the amazing times with the students.

Susan Vickers
Lead Teacher TK/K

Mrs. Mary is beginning her second year with us here at Rising Sun Montessori. Mrs. Mary  graduated from California State University Sacramento with a Bachelors degree in Psychology.  She has a California Multi Subject Teaching Credential from Chapman University, with authorization to teach second language learners. She also has her certificate in Early Child Development. Mrs. Mary will finish her Montessori Teaching Certificate for lower elementary (6-9 year olds) this school year.  She has been teaching for over ten years.  The lower grade levels are still her favorite age group to inspire. Mrs. Mary has a genuine caring for her students that shows in her teaching environment every day.

Mrs. Mary has been married for 21 years and has two children, Bud and Samantha.  Mrs. Mary was born in the Bay Area and now lives in Placerville with her family. 

Mrs. Mary enjoys travel; she has been to 11 countries and hopes to share some of those cultures in her classroom.  She also enjoys camping, and kayaking. In her spare time, she enjoys crafting, reading books, and playing cards with her family.  She enjoys teaching children reading, math and how to explore the world around them. From day one, Mrs. Mary has been a great addition to our family of talented educators. She looks forward to many more adventures here at Rising Sun Montessori School.

Supreet Kullar
Lead Teacher 1st-3rd

Ms. Elissa comes to Rising Sun with 8 years of Montessori teaching experience. She will be the lead teacher in the Andromeda classroom.

Ms. Elissa earned her Bachelor’s of Science from Sacramento State in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management, where she focused on Event Planning and “experiential learning.” She
received her K-8 multiple subject teaching credential from Fresno State. Ms. Elissa received her Early Elementary Montessori Credential from The Montessori Training Center.

Ms. Elissa functioned as the lead teacher for the 1st-3rd grade levels, a Montessori Mentor, and Teacher Induction Mentor. She loves Montessori because she loves having students for three consecutive years and nurturing long term relationships with families (especially in the case of siblings.) She leaves behind a school community that loved her dearly and strong student/parental relationships.

Ms. Elissa has a deep appreciation for Montessori learning because of its emphasis on hands-on learning, social and emotional growth, and incorporation of leadership and time-management skills starting at an early age. She cultivates a classroom of warmth, comfort, and safety for the children. She facilitates learning through play, experimentation, and experiences.

Ms. Elissa has a home studio where she creates pottery, using her own pottery wheel and kiln.  She has two small dogs that she enjoys taking on long walks. She is an avid reader and loves to cook. Ms. Elissa is close with her family. This includes her father, a pastor, and her mother, a retired teacher. She also has two brothers and a nephew, who is entering 1st grade.

2023-2023 will be Ms. Raquel de la Cruz first year with Rising Sun Montessori as our Lead Middle school teacher. Ms. Raquel graduated from Patten University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies. She has 12 years of experience in the educational field with three years as a credentialed Montessori teacher.

Ms. Raquel grew up in the Natomas area. Currently, she resides in Fair Oaks with her husband, Jayson, and two children, Aby and Caleb.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, camping, making bread, and cooking.  The Philippines is her second home with most of her husband’s family residing there.  Ms. Raquel is very excited to work with our Middle School group and create an authentic Montessori community with our future leaders.

Stacey Gregersen
Assistant Teacher/Science Expert

Ms. Maggie attended  Fresno Pacific University, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.  Maggie has had the opportunity to work with children as a teacher assistant, preschool teacher, and an early Head Start teacher.

Ms. Maggie is a “military wife” and has been married to her husband for over 10 years.  About 7 years ago, they decided to put down roots in Pollock Pines.  They have two energetic kids, Ella and Alexander.  They love spending time together as a family, enjoying the outdoors.

Ms. Maggie has been at Rising Sun since 2017 and she is excited about working with your children this school year.

Sumita Ghorpade
Assistant Teacher

Ms. Michelle was born and raised in Sacramento. Currently, she lives in Folsom and has lived there for 12 years. She has graduated from California State University Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. She has a California Multiple Teaching Credential.   Ms. Michelle has worked at different California Montessori Project Campuses for 11 years as a
teacher assistant and in 3 of those years were in Special Education. Then she worked at a Montessori Preschool for 2 years.

In the past, she has tutored students K-8th grade in different subject areas for many years. She also enjoys volunteering for different festivals and races like the Donut Dash and Iron Man.  She looks forward to volunteering again during the summer at the children’s hospital where she was
able to play and interact with children of all ages.

Ms. Michelle has been married for 22 years and has two caring and thoughtful daughters, Emily and Allison. Allison is a senior this year at the nearby high school and Emily is studying Psychology at the nearby community college.

In Ms. Michelle’s spare time she loves to travel! In the last four months, she visited Ireland, Scotland, and Colorado for the first time. She loves adventure and enjoys the outdoors while kayaking, hiking, rollerblading, swimming, gardening, and biking. She is looking forward to her first year of adventures and new beginnings here at Rising Sun Montessori School.

Mariel McDonald
 Director of Special Education

This will be Mr. Nick’s 2nd year at Rising Sun Montessori as our office administrator and food service director. He was originally from San Jose, CA and moved to this area back in 1990. After high school he joined the ARMY and was stationed in Germany. He has worked as a retail manager for multiple companies in multiple states. He had moved to Florida to be with his now
wife. They both moved back to the area in 2021. They got married last September and are now expecting their first child this November.

Mr. Nick enjoys snowboarding, music, skateboarding, camping, and visiting new places.

Jenn Short
Administrative Assistant

Ms. Robin has Montessori teaching certifications in Early Childhood (3-6) and Elementary (6-12) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Education Administration.  Robin is currently enrolled in a Master’s program to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has been teaching children and designing curriculum for over twenty years.  At a private Montessori School in Folsom, where she was a teacher and the director, Ms. Robin not only taught all grades from PreK-5, she also conducted professional development training with the teaching staff, sharing her knowledge of Montessori best practices to ensure a school-wide authentic model.

Ms. Robin is a board member and Chief Executive Officer of a local behavioral therapy company, which she co-founded in 2006.  She has vast experience serving children with diverse needs and helping families gain access to therapy services that enable their children to be contributing members of their community.

As an original founding member of Rising Sun Montessori School, Ms. Robin continues to provide her vast knowledge and support to the classrooms, teachers, students and families by ensuring RSMS provides authentic, meaningful Montessori education to all students.

Amanda Pena
Assistant Teacher

Heather Barnby
Lead Teacher 4th-6th

Amanda Grigsby
TK/K Assistant Teacher

Chad Davis
Administrative Assistant/Human Resources

Kaylee Smith
Additional Adult Support