The Pre-Primary Classroom Team

Ms. Jordan Maclay

My name is Jordan Maclay and I am a Co-Guide in the Pre-Primary classroom. I have a deep passion for progressive education that started when I attended School of the Woods Montessori from age 3 through 6th grade. It seemed natural to pursue a career in Montessori; I received my 0-3 year (infant/toddler) Montessori certification in 2007 after teaching Montessori for 8 years.

I started working at The Olive Tree in 2009. I was drawn to the Reggio Emilia philosophy for many reasons. I love the idea of children learning through open-ended experimentation. I also love the project-based side of Reggio Emilia because I feel that it truly epitomizes my belief that all children are gifted and, when given a chance to put their strengths together, magic happens.

I am a single parent of Mollie, my little pixie, who is 5 and completing her last year at OTLC, and Natalie(Tika), my wise- beyond- my- years 7 year old who is in 2nd grade at Zilker Elementary. I like to consider myself a lifelong learner and, as such, I am a full time student completing my BA in Early Childhood Education, as well as, my MBA. I also own a small jewelry/hair extension business called Funky Feathers. I look forward to many more years at OTLC and I am so excited to continue on this journey of exploration with this community.

Ms. Marie Granado

My name is Marie Granado or Miss-Erie, as most of my students say. I am a happy Co-Guide in the Pre-Primary classroom. I started working at The Olive Tree in 2009 and I will begin my third year of teaching.

I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with my Bachelors of Arts in Psychology. After college, I decided to save as much as possible and take a trip to the Philippines, for six months, to learn everything I could about my parents’ culture, my relatives, and the people (the rich, the poor, and everyone in between). I was very fortunate to stay with my aunt, who works very closely with poor communities all over Manila. With her small but growing community of social workers, I was able to gain a true sense of appreciation for wealth, comfort, and even food and shelter. It was there that I was able to work with many of the communities’ youth groups. I found my passion for social work and working (mostly playing) with children. I saw that when you give even just the smallest amount of your time and attention to children, they soak it up and want more. Being at The Olive Tree allows me to keep that passion to help children grow through positive and loving boundaries and possibilities for exploration. What I truly appreciate about the Reggio-Emilia way is seeing true creativity spring from a child when you give him or her just enough guidance and encouragement to discover for themselves.

In my own time, I am an artist of my forms. I love to oil paint, portraits mostly. I also love to sew, currently costumes, for my many nephews. I also love to sing and play the guitar. Performing on a stage is always fun and thrilling for me, whether it’s at a café or karaoke bar. I’ve recently found out that I can cook and bake pretty decently, thus, have created a new dream to own my own bakery someday. We’ll see.

Thanks for reading!
Marie Granado