MaryKate Franklin
Board Member – Treasurer
(Teacher)
MaryKate Franklin
Hi! My name is MaryKate Franklin and I am the SI (Grades 7-8) and math Learning Leader. I also currently serve on the School Board as the treasurer. I grew up in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, went to college at Winona State University and graduated with a degree in Secondary Mathematics Education, fell in love with the town and have never left. Some of my passions are spending time on the river whether it is kayaking, pontooning, swimming, fishing, or ice fishing. I truly enjoy it all. Another is traveling, whether it is taking a road trip across the country or taking a plane across the sea I really enjoy meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. Oh and I also love to cheer for the Packers!
I started working at Riverway in 2018. Riverway drew me in because it was different from other schools. From the importance of environmental education to the multiage classrooms and the project based learning I was very interested in it all. Throughout my time at Riverway I have really enjoyed the relationships that I have built with my students and really appreciate being able to teach them for more than just one year. If you are interested in helping out in my classroom please feel free to send me an email. I am always looking for people to share their passions with my students.
Janine Stanton
Board Member
(Teacher)
Janine Stanton
Hello!
My name is Janine Stanton and I am the Special Education teacher for the Primary program, grades Pre-K – 6th grade. I also work as the Special Education Coordinator for the school and a teacher member on the school board. I grew up here in Winona going through the Cotter system. I played many sports and was part of the well known band, playing the trumpet. I continued to stay in Winona while I attended Winona State University to obtain my teaching degree. I double majored in Special Education receiving a license for Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) and Developmental Disabilities (DD).
This is my 7th year teaching; 5th year teaching at Riverway Learning Community (RLC) – starting in 2015. After that first year of teaching, I was hooked on staying at RLC for my career. I knew the philosophy of the school, integrity of my co-workers, and dedication of the families to the school were only some of the reasons I knew this is the perfect school to be at. One thing I love about RLC is the angle of inclusion for Special Education. Working with the students inside of their own classrooms with their own peers is the best feeling I have ever had and continue to feel with each lesson I give.
Throughout my years here, I have been able to become a CPI Trainer for the school. CPI stands for Crisis Prevention Institute in which we train team members to recognize, de-escalate, and manage behaviors in the most safe and respectful way possible for all the individuals involved in a crisis. In the future I hope to further educate myself in the areas of Emotional Behavior Disorder (EBD), Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), and Montessori Philosophy and Practices.
If you are interested in participating in the SPED program, either as a parent or family member of a student or a volunteer out of the good of your heart, feel free to email me and we can talk more specifics regarding what that might look like. Examples could be cutting and laminating works for future use; educating yourself on different needs that your student might need to help them succeed; volunteering as a reading buddy or recess supervisor; the possibilities are endless depending on the time of year.
Dana Merkel
Board Member – Secretary
(Teacher)
Dana Merkel
Hello!
My name is Jodie Mohan. I am currently the Remediation Learning Leader at Riverway Learning Community. I began my journey with Montessori 23 years ago when my daughter began Children’s House. Eight years later when my youngest was starting Children’s House, I decided to be a classroom assistant. After being an assistant for 4 years, I went back to school to become a teacher and to get Montessori training. I have a Master of Arts in Instruction degree,, I am licensed in MN to teach K-6 with a Middle School specialty in Language Arts, and also hold both an E1 and E2 Montessori Credential. Prior to coming to Riverway, I worked for two other Montessori charter schools and served on their Board of Directors.
I began teaching at Riverway nine years ago as the E2 learning leader. Five years ago I left the E2 classroom to become the Remediation Learning Leader. While at Riverway, I have served on the Board of Directors as well as several other committees.
I love the community here at Riverway. It is so much fun to be able to see children progress through the Primary and Secondary programs. Last year I was able to see students that I had as E2 students graduate from Riverway!
