Sunrise Montessori School

Judy Donovan

Hailing from Lansing, Michigan, Judy holds a BS Degree in Early Childhood Education, and received Montessori training in primary and lower elementary.  Prior to joining Sunrise, Judy was a Montessori primary teacher for sixteen years.  Judy loves collecting amusing anecdotes about her students, storytelling, and making up children's songs about nature and peace.


Melanie Oftedal

Mel has worked at Sunrise since 1990 in a variety of capacities.  Currently, she is a teaching assistant in Maple and the school's site manager.  Her hobbies include whipping up gourmet meals (she is often joined by son, Tyler, a Sunrise graduate), gardening, traveling, and music.   At one time, Mel was a competitive 50-mile endurance rider -- on horseback!


Paula Texeira

Paula called Africa and Portugal home before settling in the United States.  A parent, along with her husband, Pedro, of two Sunrise students, Eduardo and Maria, Paula has worn many hats at the school including working in the office, serving on the Friends of Sunrise Board, and working as a substitute teacher. She became an assistant teacher in the Maple room in 2007.