Faculty & Staff
We believe that great teachers are our best asset.
Dedicated to authentic Montessori education, the administration and staff at Rose Hill Montessori School are highly trained, talented, and love working with children.
Julie Douglas
Head of School, AMI Administrator & AMS Elementary Certifications
Originally from Bend, Oregon, Julie has lived in Boise since 1997. Her two children both attended Rose Hill Montessori through 6th grade. Julie holds a BA from Eastern Oregon University, AMS Montessori Elementary I and II certifications from the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies, and AMI Administrators certification from Montessori Institute Prague.
Her experience working with children expands across many ages. She has enjoyed working with children in preschools, elementary schools, an alternative high school, as well as, scouting programs, and residence camps.
Traveling, camping, hiking, archery and listening to live music are just a few ways Julie enjoys spending time with her family.
Julie has been with Rose Hill since 2002, taking on her current leadership-ownership role in 2016.
Laura Martin
Elementary Lead Teacher, AMI Elementary Masters Degree
Laura received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education from the University of North Dakota. After completing her degree in 2008, she and her husband moved to Nevada (to get out of the cold.) She took classes for an ESL certification and shortly after, stumbled upon a Montessori environment and fell in love with it. After completing her ESL certification, she decided to enroll in Montessori Training. Laura attended the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota where she earned her Montessori certification. Laura continued her studies and received her Master’s in Education from Loyola University in Maryland. She has taught at both public and private Montessori Schools before moving to the Boise area. Rose Hill Montessori welcomed Laura in 2020.
During her free time, you’ll find Laura playing and reading with her two young girls and hiking with her dog. Laura enjoys traveling to new places and traveling to see family.
Samantha Nelson
Elementary Assistant Teacher
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, and reared in Southern California, Sam moved to Boise in 1993 after falling in love with the area. Knowing she did not want to raise her children in L. A., she and her husband moved to Idaho right away.
Sam received her Early Childhood Education Certificate from Los Angeles Valley College in 1988. She began her ECE experience with 3 and 4 year olds, and was soon recruited to work with Pre-Kindergarten children. This was a challenging experience at which she spent many years, thoroughly enjoying every minute.
Sam has been at Rose Hill since September of 2003. She enjoys working at the school and spending time with her family and friends. Her hobbies also include reading, hiking, sports, gardening and keeping current in the everyday lives of her children since becoming an empty nester.
Jordyn Turney
Early Childhood Lead Teacher, AMS Certification
Jordyn was born and raised in the mountains of Arizona. She loved reading early on and went to a small public school that emphasized the importance of community, impressing on her the impact of caring teachers and close-knit, peaceful classrooms, which fall perfectly in line with the Montessori philosophy. Upon entering into the educational field, she quickly fell in love with the varied and unique personalities of the 3-6 age group. Helping young children learn and to grow into the people they will later become is one of the greatest privileges, and Jordyn couldn't imagine working with a more motivating and inspiring educational philosophy.
Since moving to Idaho in 2013, Boise and the surrounding area has become Jordyn's adopted hometown. Jordyn spent a few years as a Montessori assistant and substitute. She went through AMS training, for the 3-6 year old classroom, in Montana, and feels fortunate to have landed at Rose Hill Montessori School. Jordyn interned under the guidance of Christel Nordhausen, Rose Hill's founder, in 2017, and has enjoyed being part of the school ever since.
Lonna Kelly
Early Childhood Assistant Teacher
Lonna grew up in Denver, Colorado. She moved to McCall, Idaho, in 1986, and in 2001, moved her family to Boise.
In her free time, Lonna loves to read, walk, and to watch NFL football. Being a grandma, Lonna also enjoys being home with her family, whenever time allows.
She began working at Rose Hill Montessori in July, 2006, and is fond of working with the 3 to 6 year children.
Cassandra Rolfsen
Early Childhood Assistant Teacher, After School Teacher
Cassie grew up in Jerome, Idaho, moving to Boise for college in 2017. She is pursuing a Bachelor’s in History at Boise State University. After graduating, she plans to work with archives and museums, and ultimately would like to become a teacher.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends, her husband, and their two cats. She is a big fan of reading, video games, hiking and biking. Cassie started at Rose Hill Montessori in 2024.
Jadon Schemers
Early Childhood Assistant Teacher, After School Teacher
Originally from Victorville, California, and moving to Idaho in 2017, Jadon started college in 2024, studying marketing. He is now pursuing a degree in early education at Boise State University.
Jadon is a lover of anything creative and outdoorsy. He enjoys camping, hiking, fishing, and connecting with the world around him. He also has a passion for music and photography, which he pursues at every opportunity.
Jadon believes that education is one of the most important experiences that a person can receive. While attending a project-based magnet high school that emphasized a different approach to learning than traditional schools, Jadon discovered an entirely new vision of what education and teaching could be. Since working at Rose Hill Montessori in 2025, he sees a similar approach, and is excited to be a part of it!
Patricia Easteppe
Elementary Art Teacher, After School Teacher
Patty is a native Idahoan. Born in the Treasure Valley, Patricia returned after 25 years residing and working in Oregon and Northern California.
A graduate of Willamette University, with a professional degree in Theatre, she worked backstage in Ashland, OR, at the Shakespeare Festival, running shows and taking care of wardrobe. This was followed by seven years at a private college-prep boarding school, running the Performing Arts Department. There she directed and designed two plays each year, and taught a full curriculum. The next ten years were spent at the Shasta College Theatre Dept. in Redding, CA, teaching Theatre Arts courses (make-up, costume design, and acting.) Summers were spent with Children's Theatre.
Since 2014, Patty has loved working with RHM's children and is always amazed by their creative talents.
Sophie Young
Elementary PE Teacher
Sophie is a Boise native. She holds a degree in Graphic Design from Idaho State University and is currently pursuing a master’s in education at Boise State University. She has been with Rose Hill Montessori since 2025.
Her background includes a strong foundation in both athletics and the arts. She played soccer for many years and has experience coaching the sport, which sparked her love for helping students grow both physically and personally. Sophie’s creative background in art and design continues to influence her approach to education, inspiring her to create engaging and dynamic learning experiences for her students.
Outside of school, Sophie enjoys staying active and exploring the outdoors. She can often be found running along the Boise Greenbelt, hiking in the foothills, or spending quality time with family.
Christel Nordhausen
Rose Hill Montessori's Founder & Staff Substitute, NCME Early Childhood & AMI Elementary Certifications
Boise has been Christel’s home since 1978. The environment and outdoor life of backpacking, camping, and X-C skiing lured her to set down roots in this beautiful state.
Christel’s first job here was assisting in a Montessori classroom. This led to Montessori training for the Early Childhood and Elementary levels, and eventually founding Rose Hill Montessori School. Montessori remained a passion until her retirement.
She feels good to be back at Rose Hill Montessori as staff substitute, and is looking forward to meeting you and your children.
Abigail Castro
Substitute Teacher
Originally from Southern California, Abigail moved to Idaho in 2019. She graduated in 2023 from Boise State University with a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing and a minor in Visual Arts.
After a summer of working at a Parks and Recreation day camp in Boise, she discovered Montessori and began substituting in that environment. She recently joined the Rose Hill team and is excited to help the children there grow and learn!
Abigail loves reading, drawing, running, and being in nature. She also has a growing passion for creating a healthy lifestyle and learning to create natural replacements for everyday products.
