Staff Spotlight: Jennifer Marra
𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟? 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫
𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬.
I was born in Toledo, Ohio, and am the youngest of four sisters. My parents were Ann and Edwin Nazar. My sisters and I were spread out between Maumee Valley and St. Ursula Academy. I went to OLPH, St. Ursula and spent my summers at Culver Military Academy until my junior year in high school. You could always find me in the art room at any of these places. My parents were always exposing my sisters and I to art, opera, and Broadway performances. One of my earliest memories of life is being curled up in a seat between my parents at The Stranahan Theater listening to Puccini's La boheme. Art and music became an important part of my development and lead me to New York City where I attended and graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduating I worked as a visual merchandiser before moving to Oslo, Norway, for three years. I spent these years traveling Europe and stumbled on an art teacher at the Rodin Museum in Paris. As I was sitting in Rodin's garden I watched this teacher interact with young children explaining Rodin's work. Her dynamic disposition and their reaction to her was my light bulb moment. I returned to Toledo and added on an Art Education Degree K-12. I began teaching at Douglas Road Elementary in the Bedford school system. Art Education became my passion. I taught 700 students a week for 13 years. After marrying my husband, Joe, and having our sons, Roman and Rocco, I stopped teaching to stay home to raise our sons. I eventually returned to part-time teaching when our sons were in Junior high. West Side Montessori fell into my lap as a surprise. I often compare it to my lightbulb moment in Rodin's garden. I fell in love with this community immediately.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞?
"The things he sees are not just remembered; they form a part of his soul."
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬?
Enjoy the journey and do not make judgements about the journey until the end. My students sometimes become frustrated in the process of art projects. I often remind them they must see it through and not quit because it is in those moments of frustration that we grow, problem-solve, and might discover something unexpected and beautiful.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢?
EVERYTHING!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞?
This curriculum feeds the souls of children creatively and intellectually like no other school. Hands down.
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𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬.
I was born in Toledo, Ohio, and am the youngest of four sisters. My parents were Ann and Edwin Nazar. My sisters and I were spread out between Maumee Valley and St. Ursula Academy. I went to OLPH, St. Ursula and spent my summers at Culver Military Academy until my junior year in high school. You could always find me in the art room at any of these places. My parents were always exposing my sisters and I to art, opera, and Broadway performances. One of my earliest memories of life is being curled up in a seat between my parents at The Stranahan Theater listening to Puccini's La boheme. Art and music became an important part of my development and lead me to New York City where I attended and graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduating I worked as a visual merchandiser before moving to Oslo, Norway, for three years. I spent these years traveling Europe and stumbled on an art teacher at the Rodin Museum in Paris. As I was sitting in Rodin's garden I watched this teacher interact with young children explaining Rodin's work. Her dynamic disposition and their reaction to her was my light bulb moment. I returned to Toledo and added on an Art Education Degree K-12. I began teaching at Douglas Road Elementary in the Bedford school system. Art Education became my passion. I taught 700 students a week for 13 years. After marrying my husband, Joe, and having our sons, Roman and Rocco, I stopped teaching to stay home to raise our sons. I eventually returned to part-time teaching when our sons were in Junior high. West Side Montessori fell into my lap as a surprise. I often compare it to my lightbulb moment in Rodin's garden. I fell in love with this community immediately.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢 𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞?
"The things he sees are not just remembered; they form a part of his soul."
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬?
Enjoy the journey and do not make judgements about the journey until the end. My students sometimes become frustrated in the process of art projects. I often remind them they must see it through and not quit because it is in those moments of frustration that we grow, problem-solve, and might discover something unexpected and beautiful.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢?
EVERYTHING!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞?
This curriculum feeds the souls of children creatively and intellectually like no other school. Hands down.
Toledo Campus
Perrysburg Campus
West Side Montessori is an independent, accredited Montessori school educating children 13 months through 8th grade (preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school). We are one of the leading private schools in Toledo and the nation.
WSM does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic origin, race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its admission policy, educational policy, or any school-administered program.
WSM does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic origin, race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its admission policy, educational policy, or any school-administered program.