Sundborn Children’s House is fortunate to have an incredible staff who are dedicated and very qualified. Each classroom is staffed with an AMI-trained Montessori Guide (Teacher) and two assistants.
Guides (Teachers)
Chelsea Skarphol guides the West House. A local native, she is AMI trained at both the primary (3-6) and toddler (0-3) levels. She loves her family and is Mom to 2 delightful boys who have attended Sundborn. Chelsea is a master seamstress, an avid reader and a fan of the rain.
Kat Lugo was raised all over the world as Navy Dependent. She moved to Oregon from Virginia 13 years ago and has been married for 26 years. She is the mom to a former Montessori child and a homeschooler, who are now college and high school students. Outside of her time at Sundborn, she loves adventures with her family, running, and cooking whole food plant-based meals.
Assistants
Emily Haarstad was born and raised in Lebanon, Oregon. She is completing her Associates at Lane Community College and plans to transfer to Oregon State University to finish her studies. She found her way to Sundborn in July 2021, and is very excited to learn all she can about Montessori philosophy and is very grateful for her dedicated staff members helping her along the way. Emily enjoys reading, secondhand shopping, and studying astrology in her spare time.
Stephanie Cosby is an artist and herbalist who moved with her family from Memphis, TN to Oregon while her husband completes his doctorate at OSU. Stephanie is a mom of 2 young adults and shares her wealth of experience working in Montessori primary and elementary programs and permaculture with Sundborn.
Emma Payton is originally from Texas and moved to Oregon with her family in recent years. She has a twin brother and the first thing she did when she learned to sew in 4th grade was sew him a pair of pants. When she is not crafting aromatic candles and products for the Eugene Market, she might be found hiking and adventuring with her pup and friends.
Chloe Cosby recently moved to Oregon from Memphis, TN to be with her family. She is a massage therapist and has partially completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology. She is interested in all things arts and crafts and has recently discovered a love for embroidering. She especially enjoys the beauty of our Pacific Northwest nature!
Mackenzie Lamm has lived in Albany for many years. Proud mom of 2 high school students, Mackenzie loves to spend time with her family. She worked with kindergartners and elementary students in GAPS until recently and shares her experience working with children in the area of literacy and self-regulation.
“What really makes a teacher is love for the human child; for it is this love that transforms the social duty of the educator into the higher consciousness of a mission."
—Maria Montessori
Founder
Karen Madsen-Barton was introduced to Montessori Education in 1971. She travelled to London, England for a year of Montessori teacher training. She then returned to the West Coast, where she started her teaching career. Karen is passionate about the immense contribution Dr. Montessori revealed to the world about the nature of the human child, and she is forever grateful for the gift of serving children and their families. Karen enjoys sharing life with her animals, taking care of plants, and spending time with her family. Now retired, she is an integral part of her grandchildren’s daily lives. She continues to serve Sundborn as a board member and consultant.
Director
Emily Westberg became Sundborn’s Director in June 2023. Work that supports children’s healthy development and love of learning and has been at the center of her life for many years. She has worked in Montessori education since 2002 and was a primary guide for 20 years. Currently the Secretary for the Oregon Montessori Association, she has served on the organization’s board since 2019. Emily is incredibly grateful to Karen and Keith for all their work in creating such an amazing school community. She is excited to pick up where Karen left off and continue to work toward sustaining the Sundborn mission. Emily enjoys spending time with her pup, gardening, visiting with friends and family and has been a musician, herbalist and athlete in other chapters of her life.
Aggie (a.k.a. Ag Lonru Cionnach “brilliant fox” in Irish) has been with Sundborn since July 2024. Aggie serves as a canine ambassador, helping children to learn and practice grace and courtesy with dogs, such as how to properly greet them and to read and understand their body language. She is also an informal therapy animal, working to help children regulate themselves when they are overwhelmed, to assist in the clean up of spilled snack and lunch foods and to generally entertain us all. She enjoys scratches and pets, smelling your breath to assess what you have recently eaten as well as walks and chasing birds and butterflies in the garden.
Keith Barton
Keith Barton is a Northwesterner who grew up near Seattle and on the Salish Sea. Although he graduated in Chemistry, Keith has always been interested in creating better educational environments. After instructing for Northwest Outward Bound and teaching at an alternative school, in 1980 he met Karen Madsen—a sister in the search of best practices in education. A supporting partner to Karen in the development of Sundborn, he now oversees facility maintenance and also serves on the school’s nonprofit Board of Directors. Keith feels honored to contribute to the school’s growth, and is grateful for the opportunity to observe students, families, and staff flourishing in the Sundborn Montessori environment. He values his time with family, hiking above the tree line, and sailing the northern waters.
Animals
Klara found Sundborn in the summer 2016. She wandered into our backyard, seemingly out of nowhere. While we were asking around the neighborhood and waiting to see if anyone claimed her, Klara made herself right at home. It wasn’t long at all before we were all smitten. Klara is exceedingly patient with the children, very affectionate, and rather dog-like. In her spare time, she enjoys strolling along the top of the fence, getting belly rubs, and chasing the birds.
The Cottage by Carl Larsson 1899