Our Owners

Julia Brown

Ms. Brown received her degree from Appalachian State Teachers College in 1956 and taught in the North Carolina public school system for two years. She felt very dissatisfied with the teaching process and felt there must be a better educational system. It was then that Ms. Brown first began to study the Montessori method. She has the distinction of being one of the first Montessorians in the State of Maryland, receiving her Montessori degree from the London St. Nicholas Montessori Training Centre in 1966. Ms. Brown's teachers at her training center were two women who were trained by Maria Montessori herself and felt strongly about the purity of the Montessori Method.

Ms. Brown opened her first Montessori school in Laurel in 1967. Her Columbia location was built in 1972, the Silver Spring location was built in 1986 and the Olney location was built in 1997. She taught a morning and afternoon class every year at one of these locations for over twenty-five years.

Ms. Brown's role is to maintain the integrity of her curriculum. She reviews the curriculums for all programs every year that are submitted to the State Department of Education. All Directresses are supervised by and report to Ms. Brown. She audits each and every class at all 4 locations every 4-weeks and then has a consultation with each Directress afterwards. Ms. Brown meets regularly with the Directresses as a group for their continued training. She also reviews progress reports.

Ms. Brown was an innovator in the before-and-after care area. She wrote the curriculum for a "Montessori" daycare program used at JBMS in the early 1970's, prior to the daycare explosion. Together with Mrs. Leonhart, Ms. Brown holds yearly, intensive training weeks for the JBMS Assistants.

Ms. Brown is very well-respected in the Montessori community and has traveled the world presenting her thoughts on the Method she truly believes in.

Theresa Brown Leonhart

Mrs. Leonhart graduated from The University of Maryland in 1982 and received her Montessori degree in 1984. Mrs. Leonhart is uniquely qualified in that she holds Montessori certificates for the pre-primary (3 to 6 year olds), the junior (6 to 9 year olds) and the elementary (9 to 12 year olds).

She has taught full-time at all JBMS locations.

As Assistant Director, she assists Mrs. Brown in the education and full-day related activities as well as directs all Extended Day and Junior programs.

Ellen Brown Komesarook

Mrs. Komesarook graduated from The University of Maryland in 1986 with a Finance degree and worked for an Australian bank in Melbourne, Australia and San Francisco, California. She returned to the Washington area in 1991 and has been the JBMS General Manager since then. Mrs. Komesarook holds a Montessori certificate for the pre-primary (3 to 6 year olds).

Mrs. Komesarook is responsible for all business and operational aspects of the four schools. All Administrators report to her.