Austin Micro

LEAD ELEMENTARY GUIDE

Hello! My name is Sherry Neuendorff. I have been teaching for over 20 years in both public and private schools. I am delighted to be part of the wonderful Austin Micro School community. I grew up in Brenham, TX, and attended college at Texas A&M University. After graduating, I worked in sales and software before I discovered my true calling - teaching! I love to be part of the lives of my students, helping them to learn and grow. My favorite sound is that “Oh!” from a child when they finally get a challenging concept.

I spend most of my free time with my family. My husband, Keith, and I have five children. Three are adults. The fourth is a freshman in college, and the fifth is in 6th grade. My grown children come to visit very often, and my college student Facetimes daily. We love to share meals together, play games, work on school assignments, attend theater performances, listen to music, and go for long walks. When I have a little time to myself, I am usually planning lessons and class activities or reading a good book.

At school, I strive to create a family in which all children are comfortable and feel confident to explore, experiment, and be themselves. It is such a joy to be helping these students grow into compassionate, courageous, and creative adults. It’s gonna be a great year!

SUPPORT GUIDE & OUTDOOR EDUCATION LEAD

My name is Rachel Silberman, and I am so honored to be part of the Austin Micro School team! After earning my degree from Louisiana State University, I returned to my hometown of Austin, where I’ve spent the past decade working in youth programming and developed a passion for outdoor education. It's a joy to pass on the creative, nature-rich traditions of this city to the next generation.

Outside the classroom, I stay busy caring for my daughter and an ever-expanding garden (whenever the Texas weather cooperates!).

SUPPORT GUIDE

Hi all! I am Ms. Fatima, and thrilled to be a new member of the AMS team! I was born in Mexico City and grew up in San Antonio, where my journey of working with children began. Over the years, I have dedicated myself to the meaningful work of guiding children in a variety of capacities and settings. While in college, I discovered a passion for holistic health and wellness and became a certified health coach. This path led me to community nutrition education and outreach, where I first encountered Montessori.

Montessori felt like a light on my path—it resonated deeply with the holistic values I was cultivating and honoring. Inspired by this connection, I pursued formal Montessori training and graduated in 2023 with my AMI diploma, certified to guide children ages 6–12. I feel grateful to support children in their growth, independence, and love of learning, and I am excited to share this journey with the community.

Outside of the classroom, I love exploring nature trails, cooking, learning how to crochet, traveling, exploring culture, and spending time with my loved ones.

MUSIC

Welcome to Mr. Sean's Music, where we believe that everyone is musical! I am dedicated to providing high-quality, engaging music lessons that inspire my students to develop their intrinsic musicality and creativity.

As a Music Together® trained teacher, I am committed to creating a fun and nurturing environment that encourages children to explore music in a playful and interactive way. I am originally from Montara, California, a small beach town just south of San Francisco.

I come from a family of musicians and music-lovers and grew up singing and playing on the instruments in my family home. I spent the early 2000’s performing in bands, composing original music, recording and releasing albums, and touring nationally. My passion for educating children started when my son was born in 2009. After a year of mentoring at his elementary school, I transitioned to a career in education, working at a Montessori School in Austin.

In addition to this amazing, educational experience, I developed and implemented extra-curricular group music classes for students at the school. I now have my dream job teaching music to students of all ages and at schools all over Austin and beyond!

SPANISH

Hello! My name is Gretchen Melo, and it is my joy and privilege to share Spanish with Austin Micro School students. As a young girl growing up in rural Minnesota I always wished I could speak a second language, and my Spanish language learning journey began in high school. I went from a tiny town to the big city of Chicago where I earned my Bachelor of Arts in both Spanish and Theatre. During that time my world opened even wider when I had the opportunity to study abroad in Mexico! Later I returned to teach ESL and soak in the beauty and richness of Mexican culture for a couple of years.

Spanish has now been a part of my personal and professional life for over 30 years. My husband, grown son, and I are a bicultural and bilingual family, and every professional opportunity I have had as an adult has involved use of my Spanish. I worked in the airline business for over a decade before returning to the world of education, where I have served in various capacities, all of which were language-focused. I am a lifelong learner, and I earned a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a Concentration in Bilingual Education with UTEP in 2022.

It is a joy to help others build their own bilingual bridges through my work with El Puente Bilingüe, LLC, which is my Spanish language curriculum and consulting business. I love to see people learn and grow in ways that fit their own style of learning as well as their strengths and passions, and it is a delight to share Spanish in an environment that upholds those same values.