Faculty & Staff

Mrs. Davio

Head Directress of The Montessori Center

Mrs. Davio is the daughter of the founder of The Montessori Center, Nancy Elkins. She grew up in Rochester, MN, and received an MS in Mathematics and a graduate degree in Statistics from Oakland University. She retired from her career as an adjunct lecturer in Mathematics to move to Bend in 2000 and raise her 4 children, for whom The Montessori Center was started! She joined the school as a classroom assistant in 2006, did her teacher training through The North American Montessori Center, did a year of in-classroom practicum under the guidance of Mrs. Elkins, and has worked as a Primary Classroom Lead at The Montessori Center since 2007. In 2022, after the death of her mother and mentor, Mrs. Davio and her siblings acquired the business and Mrs. Davio took over as Head Directress. In her free time, Mrs. Davio loves to spend time with her family and friends. She also loves to play pickleball, hike, read, and cook.

Mrs. Hayashi

Lead Primary Directress

Mrs. Hayashi has been at The Montessori Center for seven years. She started in the classroom as an assistant and then moved into a directress position after receiving her Montessori training from the North American Montessori Center in 2019. She received her BA in Fine Arts with a minor in Business from the University of San Francisco and her master’s in education from Oregon State University. She enjoys integrating her passion for botany, art, environmental science, and culture into her classroom. Mrs. Hayashi moved to Bend ten years ago from San Francisco and loves everything Bend has to offer! She and her husband enjoy traveling, trying new restaurants, movies, looking for vintage treasures, the outdoors and spending time with their dogs Ponyo and Lola.

Mrs. Gallivan

Primary Directress

Mrs. Gallivan was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated from UCLA and earned a master’s degree in education from UC Irvine. She worked as a second-grade teacher at a small private school in Orange County until starting a family of her own. In 2001 Mrs. Gallivan and her husband moved to Bend to raise their four children. She began working at The Montessori Center in 2022 as a classroom assistant. She completed her Montessori directress training through the North American Montessori Center and is now teaching part-time in the Northwest Crossing location.

Miss Crocker

Primary Classroom Assistant

Campbell Crocker was born and raised here in Bend, Oregon and started at The Montessori Center when she was a senior at Summit High School. She has worked as an assistant for over 4 years and completed her directress training through the North American Montessori center in the summer of 2023. During her free time, she enjoys spending time outside hiking, camping, and running. She is very close to her family and loves getting to work alongside her mom (Mrs. Crocker) and her sister Payton. She looks forward to growing as an assistant and directress at The Montessori Center.

Miss Nopp

Primary Classroom Assistant

Born and raised in Bend, Oregon, Ms. Nopp is a third generation Bend-ite! She graduated Mt. View High School in 2017 and attended The University of Oregon, where she graduated with a BS in Business Administration and a minor in Economics. She was an active Delta Gamma Sorority member and held various leadership positions in her four years of college. Ms. Nopp has a passion for working with children. She has worked many babysitting jobs, coached youth soccer in the summers and worked three years in a nanny-share. Ms. Nopp has many hobbies including woodworking, skiing, wake surfing, hunting, and fishing. She is excited and honored to work for The Montessori Center.

Mrs. Huit

Primary Assistant

Mrs. Huit has been working in Montessori environments for 17 years, 16 of those here at The Montessori Center Both her children attended The Montessori Center and still ask if they can be part of the classroom! When she is not in the classroom she enjoys spending time with her husband, Drew, and two children, Allanis and Liam. She also loves doing all the fun Bend offers. She also loves snow sports, bike riding, music, comedy, theater, and gardening. She looks forward to being an extension of your family here at The Montessori Center.

Mrs. Crocker

Lead Primary Directress

Mrs. Crocker has called Bend home for over 30 years. She met her husband here and together they raised three amazing children. She is part of a close-knit family that spends an abundance of time together enjoying all the outdoor activities that Bend has to offer. She has worked with small children in various settings for as long as she can remember. She received her Montessori training from the North American Montessori Center in 2012 and is proud to say that she has been a directress for 11 years at The Montessori Center. She is so grateful for all the wonderful children and families who have come through her classroom doors and become a forever part of her Montessori family!

Mrs. Dean

Lead Primary Directress

Mrs. Dean has been working with children for 17 years in a Montessori environment and even sent her three children to The Montessori Center! Seeing both the parent-side and the teacher-side of the Montessori method has given her a passion for helping children achieve success in school and in life. When she is not working with children, she enjoys walking her dog and spending time with her family. She is an avid traveler and loves to explore the world with her husband.

Miss Crocker

Primary Assistant

Payton Crocker is a Bend native and enjoys all the activities this beautiful town has to offer. Her experience with children began at an early age as her own mother’s helper in their at-home daycare, and since then she has held many different positions in the lives of Bend families! She started at The Montessori Center in 2022 and has had the pleasure of working closely with her mom, Mrs. Crocker and her sister, Campbell. Getting to know the wonderful families at the school and watching the children thrive in the classroom has been incredibly rewarding for her.

Miss Vogel

Primary Assistant

Miss Vogel is a 2024 graduate from high school with a passion for working with children. She has been babysitting since she was very young and has been around children her whole life. In her free time she enjoys art and music. She paints, sculpts, draws and sings! The Montessori Center is her first job and she is excited to further her experience and education in the field.

Miss Potter

Primary Assistant

Miss Potter grew up in Bremerton, Washington a short ferry ride from Seattle. As a child she attended Montessori and has fond memories of her experience. She has worked in a variety of child care settings since she was 18 years old, including experience working with children with disabilities. Miss Potter moved to Bend in 2021 and quickly re-discovered her love of Montessori. She received her Montessori toddler certification from North American Montessori Center in 2024 and is currently working on her primary certification. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting, drawing, stamp carving and exploring the beautiful scenery Bend has to offer. She looks forward to continuing to grow her knowledge of Montessori and working with the families at The Montessori Center!

Mrs. Macias

Primary Assistant

Mrs. Macias grew up in Southern California. She obtained her B.S in Psychology with a minor in Disability studies from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. After college she and her husband moved to Central Oregon and she worked as a behavior technician for children with learning and behavioral disabilities. She decided to become a teacher shortly after because of her passion for teaching and helping preschool age child learn and thrive based on their individual needs and personalities. This is why in spring of 2024 she completed here toddler training from the North American Montessori Center. She loves growing and learning in Montessori with the students. Outside of teaching, she enjoys spending tme with her family and dog, traveling, hiking and camping in the Pacific Northwest!