Leadership & Faculty Home / About Us / Leadership & Faculty Dedicated Leaders & Expert Teachers At our school, everyone works together to make sure students and families feel happy and supported. Our leaders, staff, and teachers are all here to help. Our teachers love sharing what they know, whether it’s about reading, music, or outer space! They make learning fun and exciting, helping students explore new things and find what they love. Together, we create a special place where students can grow and learn every day. From the Head of School Dr. John Courson Dear Future Park Maitland Family, Something I notice when I walk the hallways here: the kids look like they want to be here. That might sound like a small thing, but I’ve been in enough schools to know it isn’t. Park Maitland South has been part of the Winter Park community since 1996. We have earned FCIS accreditation and are a 2026 A+ School on Niche — placing us among the top private schools in the area — and one of a select number of certified Positive Discipline Lab Schools in the country, meaning our staff is trained in a school-wide approach to building respect, responsibility, and community. We’re also a certified Common Sense School, reflecting our commitment to raising students who are thoughtful and responsible in an increasingly connected world. These aren’t credentials we collect. They reflect the way we run our school. A lot of what makes Park Maitland South work comes down to our structure. We have a team-teaching model, and our teachers loop, meaning a kindergarten teacher who has your child this year may also teach that same group in first-grade math. Our enrichment teachers in P.E., art, and music work with the same students from age three through fifth grade. By the time your child reaches second grade, the people teaching them have known them for years. That boosts the quality of relationships and expands what is possible academically. Our academics are genuinely accelerated. Our third-graders, for example, are currently working through a fourth-grade math curriculum. We don’t push for speed; we push because when the right foundation is in place early, children can go further than expected. Eight specialty classes, including art, music, STEM, character development, and Spanish, give students room to discover their passions. We’ve also been intentional about the physical environment. Classes cap at sixteen to seventeen students, with a teacher and assistant in every preschool classroom. The campus has a full gym, cafeteria, and outdoor spaces — including a sensory garden built for our youngest students, where the twos, threes, and fours visit weekly to grow herbs, make noise, and get their hands in the soil. The traditions here matter too — our annual carnival, grade-level pep rallies, and project-based learning result in first graders who can’t wait to become fifth graders and participate in our wax museum, be school ambassadors, and go on a historic field trip to Savannah. These aren’t add-ons. They’re the things families talk about year after year. I’d love for you to come see it for yourself. Call or email us to schedule a tour. Sincerely, Dr. John Courson Head of School, Park Maitland South Read More Browse By Role All Roles Faculty Leadership Search Sarah Ali Beginner/2's Teacher Sarah Ali Beginner/2's Teacher Jill Altomare Art Jill Altomare Art Yoselin Bass Velez Classroom Assistant Yoselin Bass Velez Classroom Assistant Fernanda Bergamaschi Beginner/2's Teacher Fernanda Bergamaschi Beginner/2's Teacher Marisa Binni Science/Social Studies Marisa Binni Science/Social Studies Stephanie Bliss Science/Social Studies Stephanie Bliss Science/Social Studies Christy Boyette Business Manager Christy Boyette Business Manager Sarah Branson Grades 1 Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies Sarah Branson Grades 1 Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies John Courson Principal John Courson Principal Mimi Crag-Chaderton Classroom Assistant Mimi Crag-Chaderton Classroom Assistant Darlene Divita Monzadeh Classroom Assistant Darlene Divita Monzadeh Classroom Assistant Mia Duff Classroom Assistant Mia Duff Classroom Assistant Tracy Evans Lower Division Computers, STEM, and Library Tracy Evans Lower Division Computers, STEM, and Library Leah Fairchild Library and Media Leah Fairchild Library and Media Amy Fowler Classroom Assistant Amy Fowler Classroom Assistant Kelly Fowler Communications Director Kelly Fowler Communications Director Page 1 of 3 Jump to Page Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Learn More About Park Maitland Winter Park Teachers How are Park Maitland teachers trained in the Positive Discipline model? Every educator at Park Maitland South is a certified Positive Discipline practitioner. Following a comprehensive campus-wide certification in 2024, our faculty engages in a continuous cycle of mastery, including monthly scholarly book discussions and virtual training for all new staff. This commitment is bolstered by a dedicated partnership with a Positive Discipline expert who visits our campus weekly. What qualifications do Park Maitland South Campus teachers hold? All teachers for our Intermediate through 5th-grade programs hold a minimum of a four-year degree. 80% of our staff have valid K-12 teaching certifications. A significant portion of our staff holds or is currently pursuing advanced degrees in education, ensuring that our instructional methods are grounded in the most current pedagogical research. How do Park Maitland teachers approach digital literacy in the classroom? We believe digital citizenship is a fundamental modern skill. Students from Pre-K through 5th grade participate in weekly Media classes led by a Common Sense Media Certified Educator. This specialized curriculum focuses on the ethics of digital citizenship and internet safety, while introducing foundational technical skills, such as typing, to students as early as Kindergarten. How long do teachers typically stay at Park Maitland? Over 80% of our faculty has been with us for five years or more, with nearly half our staff celebrating tenures of 10 to 20-plus years. This deep-rooted longevity creates a sense of continuity that allows us to build meaningful, multi-year relationships with our students and their parents. What do families appreciate most about teachers at Park Maitland? Our families consistently highlight the profound personal investment our teachers make in every student. Parents appreciate that our instructors communicate effectively and provide individualized attention. Teachers at Park Maitland are experts in their field and make learning fun!