About Our School

The Girasol School is an equitable bilingual Montessori school serving ages 3-9 in Primary and Lower Elementary mixed age classrooms inclusive of both indoor and outdoor learning environments.

In Montessori classrooms, mixed-age groups offer several benefits including mirroring the real-world setting, promoting a sense of community and social responsibility, allowing children to progress at their own pace, fostering a personalized learning experience and promoting a deeper understanding of concepts as they revisit them in subsequent years. This approach aligns with Montessori principles of individualized, holistic development, preparing children for a more diverse and cooperative society.

Our Team

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

Director
& Co-Founder

Sammie McGue

Sammie was born in South Korea and grew up in Minnesota. She was a Montessori student Lake Country School and Land School where her passion for Montessori pedagogy and nature based learning began. She then lived in Denmark for part of high school attending an International Baccalaureate Programme. After completing her undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University 2010 she went on to pursue her Montessori AMS Early Childhood Credential in Colorado. She then graduated from St. Catherine University in 2019 with a Master in Education, emphasis on Montessori Integrative Learning. Her first publication was on the behavioral effects of outdoor learning on Primary students. She and her husband, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico, have lived on the island for five years with their two sons Mateo (5) and Kai (3).

Lead Primary Guide
& Co-Founder

Patricia Raevis

Patricia was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Though she originally intended to pursue a degree in Biology, a part-time job as a Lego teacher changed her path towards education. She discovered the Montessori method perfectly merged her desire to be an educator and her scientific mind. Patricia graduated from Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in 2015 with a Bachelor of Education in Montessori Early Childhood. That year she also received her AMS Early Childhood Credential and her Montessori Early Childhood Teacher's Certificate from the Department of Education in Puerto Rico. She has over ten years of experience working in education as both an assistant and a lead guide and in both public and private schools.

Primary Assistant

& Physical Education Guide

Ricky Feliciano

Ricky graduated from University of PR (Mayagüez) with a Bachelors of Science in Chemistry and went on to Universidad Complutense de Madrid to achieve an Advanced Masters in Innovation and Education Transformation. With over seven years of experience as a professional sports Coach in both Puerto Rico and Spain, Ricky has mastered the ability to cater to all age groups to assess and propel their physical education. Ricky has a love and passion for science and experiential learning. His extensive research opportunities have included projects at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Faculty of Education), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of Berkeley (California), University of Vermont, Adaptation to Climate Change (RACC in PR), and University of Puerto Rico (Mayagüez).

Lower Elementary Guide

Marian Schwarz

Marian was born and raised in Puerto Rico and attended the American Military Academy. She pursued a career in Marketing after graduating from University of Puerto Rico (Rio Piedras) with a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. After gaining seven years of experience in professional marketing and social media, Marian transitioned to a career in education completing a Certificate in Neuroeducation and executing an online summer camp as Director for three years. She went on to pursue a Master in Educational Leadership and has operated as an Elementary Guide for the past two years. Her experience has led her to pursue specialization in Montessori pedagogy to continue supporting learners explore and take ownership of their learning.