My name is Mark Traxler and I have been a part of the CMA community for over 23 years. My daughter is a graduate of CMA, Clark Montessori High School, and Middlebury College in Vermont. When my daughter graduated from CMA, I realized I couldn’t leave, so I became the Gym, Computer, Science and anything-else-needed teacher. Within a few years I became one of the Upper Elementary teachers and have loved every day since.

I have a Lindner College of Business Bachelor of Administration degree from The University of Cincinnati with additional studies in Physics & Education. I obtained a Masters Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. I have traveled to Belize, India and Thailand for the past three years with Miami University, studying the sustainable cultures and mindfulness of these regions.

I am also an adjunct professor in the College of Education at Mount St. Joseph University preparing the next generation of teachers for the fourth through ninth grade math curriculum.

To further develop my knowledge base in sciences, I completed the iDiscovery Physics Program from Miami University and the Cincinnati Natural History Museum with coursework in, “Integrating Research and Education: Geological and Paleontological Principles”, “Deep Earth Academy”, the “Galileo & Galileoscope” workshop, as well as constantly continuing to learn and educate myself in as many ways as possible. I love incorporating my education with nature into the learning environment and we are lucky to have a variety of natural environments to explore and study on our school campus.

I truly love working with the students and I strive to carry on the traditions of Central Montessori Academy. The education of the child does not manifest itself in only the academics but within the development of the whole child socially and emotionally. This work is so important in creating our future leaders and community members, because they will shine and be positive examples to others. It is a privilege and an honor to come to work and interact with the students fostering love, compassion, humor, kindness and a curiosity about the world around them.

My name is Audrey Rieger. I graduated from Miami University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Family Science with a Child Life Concentration and a minor in Art Therapy. I come into this first year of teaching with exposure to Montessori education and a handful of student teaching experiences in various classroom settings. I am thrilled to work at CMA as I felt there was a welcoming, enthusiastic, and down-to-earth atmosphere the moment I first stepped foot inside the school. I am very passionate when working with children and believe that hands-on learning and life skills are essential to the progression of development in every child. I will be working alongside Mark as teacher but I see this also as an opportunity to be mentored and guided by him throughout the year and am grateful for that. In my free time, I enjoy reading, listening to music, painting, relaxing with my cat, dancing, and spending time with friends and family.

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