Hello! I'm Courtney, the founder and director of Little Grove Preschool. My background in early childhood education spans over 20 years, and includes the philosophies of RIE, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia. I am a former children’s dance and yoga teacher, and still enjoy sharing creative movement and mindfulness play with children. 

I opened my first preschool and toddler program, Buddha Babies, in New Orleans, a city I called home for 10 years. When my family relocated to Asheville, I brought that program with me, and it was no surprise that a play-based, yoga-inspired preschool quickly became popular here. In early 2020, plans to expand were halted as we closed our doors due to the pandemic. During that time, I returned to school to further my education in Early Childhood administration, and began my work as an advocate of public Montessori in Asheville.

I was one of the founding developers and charter writers for Mountain City Public Montessori, and am thrilled to form this partnership of schools which allows me to continue supporting their mission while returning to my passion for early childhood education.

As the Director of Little Grove Preschool, I look forward to serving families and children with evidence-based, developmentally appropriate educational experiences, while supporting educators with high-quality development opportunities and support through our partnership with Mountain City Public Montessori.

Outside of school, I can usually be found working in my garden or baking yummy treats. I live in West Asheville with my husband and child, 2 cats, and lots of houseplants.