Meet The Staff
Erika Nicole Locatelli (she/her) - Director, Lead Teacher
Erika was born in Idaho, but moved to Seattle to work in Montessori programs at age 19. She has been a teacher and caregiver for children ages 0-6 in Seattle since 2002 years. She is a MACTE (Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education) accredited Montessori Early Childhood Education Teacher since 2012. MACTE is the only Montessori accreditation recognized by the United States Department of Education. It has been Erika's dream for many years to open her own school, and share her passion for teaching and education with the community. This dream became a reality with the opening of Peaceful Place Montessori in the Fall of 2017. Erika enjoys watching her students progress through the Montessori materials and gain new knowledge about life, themselves, and the world around them. She creates space for her students to learn independently while having the most loving support system from teachers. When Erika is not at school she teaches Pilates and dance to her adult clients, walks her pup Eddie, and visits Northwest hotsprings and saunas.
Jane Kim (she/her) - Lead Teacher
Jane grew up and currently lives in Kent, WA. She has always felt a deep joy when working with children and their families. Jane has worked with children in various settings, such as youth gym programs, nannying, and most recently (since 2021) was an assistant Montessori teacher at Little Scholars Montessori Academy in Kent. Jane graduated with her Associates in Early Childhood Education & Diversity Studies last year and is currently pursuing a Bachelors in ECE: Infant and Child Mental Health at Green River College. She deeply values the importance of children’s social and emotional well-being and finds that the Montessori setting creates an environment where children flourish in all domains of development. Outside of working with children, Jane loves being out in nature, eating sweets, and playing video games!
Jonah Ury (they/them) - Lead Teacher
Jonah was born and raised in Seattle. They went to school at UW and started working in childcare at The Learning Tree Montessori Preschool soon after college. They have worked with toddlers and preschoolers as an Assistant Teacher or Nanny for 7 years ,and completed their MACTE (Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education) Teacher Certification program for ages 2.5-6 at MEIPN (Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest) in August 2024. Jonah has a passion for teaching that is rooted in meeting children where they are , and guiding them through life in a way that reinforces their love for learning. It brings them joy to see children succeed and grow their self confidence, as they learn and experience new things. In Jonah’s free time they enjoy getting outdoors to ski, hike, and camp. They also enjoy traveling and going on fun trips with friends.
Ralph