Administration
Our wonderful Administration at Dixie Montessori Academy
Chelsea Bergeron
Director
The Board of Directors of Dixie Montessori Academy is pleased to announce the
appointment of Mrs. Chelsea Bergeron as the new Director/Principal effective July
29, 2019.
Mrs. Bergeron is a native of Jackson, Tennessee. She studied Business at
The University of Louisiana and then went on to receive her Master of Arts in Education
and Education Specialist degree from Union University. She also studied
Montessori Philosophy and Pedagogy at Mid- America Montessori Institute in
Omaha, Nebraska. She is also a National Geographic Certified Educator, and very
passionate about teaching children to explore and protect the natural world around
them. Mrs. Bergeron has been a public-school teacher, an Instructional Coach, and
Lower Elementary Leader in Jackson-Madison County School System for ten years.
For the past five years, she has been teaching at Community Montessori School in
Jackson, TN. “I have always had a passion for writing poetry and would frequently
model the creative writing process for my students in the classroom,” said Mrs.
Bergeron. Her passion for writing has led her to publish her first book, Belly
Laughs in 2018.
Mrs. Bergeron is the mother of six children, three of whom are adopted, creating a
beautiful multi-racial family. She is a true Montessorian and passionate about
public education.
We are thankful and excited to have found Mrs. Bergeron to take Dixie Montessori
Academy to the next level.
DMA Board of Directors
Mariah Phares
Operations Manager
Mariah Phares is a native of Clinton, LA. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 1997 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. While serving in the Air Force, Mariah conducted felony criminal investigations as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Upon completion of her military service, she continued in law enforcement as a Deputy Sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and as a police officer with the Huntington Beach, CA Police Department. Mariah has been with DMA since 2014. Mariah obtained a commercial fixed wing single and multi-engine pilot’s license with an instrument rating while in high school and continues to enjoy flying.
Heather King
Registrar
My Montessori journey has been very serendipitous and began in 2009 when I started working for Dayspring Montessori as a teachers assistant. I began to fill other roles as needed and knew that Montessori was going to be a big part of my life.
I was soon given the opportunity to take the 3-6 training which was incredible. During my practicum year, however, I began to take on another role as Dixie Montessori Academy was being created which has become my current position as the Registrar.
I am thrilled to be here doing what I do. I love learning every aspect of my position and the Montessori world. Montessori has become a way of life and I am better for it.
