Teachers

From left to right: Eileen Safford, Elaine Salot, Beth Balas, Renee Kok, Hollind Kevo, Shawn Kreider

The teachers are the heart and soul of our school. They connect the students to the curriculum and the materials, giving large group, small group, and individual lessons. The teacher prepares the environment for the students and serves as a catalyst and a facilitator, providing the opportunity for each student to pursue and cultivate his or her own unique talents and characteristics.

Renee Kok, Head of School

Renee is a native of Washington State, raised and educated in Seattle. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Seattle University. Bringing over 20 years experience in business management, she joined the Voyager staff in 1998. She can hardly believe she gets paid to bring her leadership abilities to an academic environment where so many interesting people appreciate what she does. An eldest child, Renee learned organization and leadership skills early in life in a family of eight children.

She and her husband Randy are the proud parents of Voyager alumni Andrew and Ryan. Renee thrives on taking long walks with her friends who share her relentless fascination with the desire to sort out the world. She is a voracious reader, especially of historical fiction and memoirs. An explorer by nature, Renee loves the arts, discovers the history wherever she travels and plans to circumnavigate Bainbridge on a sailboat.

Eileen Safford, Senior Elementary Teacher

Born and raised in Seattle, Eileen has made her home on Bainbridge Island with her husband Duane for over 25 years. She holds a BS in Biology and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction from Seattle University. Eileen commuted to North Seattle to teach mainly middle school science for 13 years before deciding to become a mom. Until her daughter, Emily, graduated from Voyager, Eileen volunteered weekly in the classroom, where she fell in love with teaching again.

Since then, Eileen has worked as an associate teacher in the Senior class and is now trained and certified as the Senior Elementary Teacher. In her spare time, Eileen enjoys the outdoors through backpacking, skiing and kayaking. Woodworking, computing, neighborhood activism and gnomes keep her busy indoors.

Shawn Kreider, Junior Elementary Teacher

Shawn has always had passion for helping children and families learn and grow. He received a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Michigan State University and worked as a counselor at a children’s psychiatric hospital, and Social worker, before returning to school for his teacher certification. His student teaching was in a 2nd/3rd multiage classroom, after which he taught in a traditional first grade classroom for 6 years, before finding his passion for Montessori education and his path back to a multiage classroom. He returned to school for his Montessori training from Michigan Montessori Teacher Education Center and finished his Master’s degree in Curriculum and Teaching from MSU.

Shawn spent 6 years teaching in a Junior/Senior Montessori classroom before venturing to the Pacific Northwest to Voyager Montessori. Having begun his college education as a music major, he continues this passion in his classroom by singing and writing songs for students to perform. Shawn has written and performed a children’s opera and recorded two CD’s of children’s songs. He feels that music is an amazing educational tool to connect children to learning. Shawn takes in the beauty of the area through biking, hiking, skiing and sailing, all of which he enjoys with his three sons. On those rainy days you’ll find him cooking, reading, and playing guitar, hopefully, with a fire in the fireplace.

Beth Balas, Senior Class Assistant Teacher

Originally from the Midwest, Beth moved to the island sight unseen from Philadelphia, PA, with her architect husband in 1987 because of a childhood attraction to the Olympic Peninsula as seen in the World Book Encyclopedia. David and Beth designed, built, and landscaped the home they still live in now with their two crazy border collies and high school age son, Quinn. Both Quinn and college student, Rachel, attended Montessori Country School as youngsters. An active parent volunteer, Beth has spent many years volunteering in her children’s multiage classrooms.

With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing, Beth has taught children, teens, and adults through the park district and private schools. Beth treasures the landscape and heritage of the island, so she has taken her art skills outdoors to become a landscape designer/coach for many years, and as a longtime member of Friends of the Farms, she helped start the local farm to school partnership. When she’s not walking the dogs or fighting back blackberries, Beth enjoys caring for the farm animals she shares with a friend, as well as hiking, reading, and keeping in touch with friends and her far-flung extended family.

Hollind Kevo, Junior Class Assistant Teacher

A Seattle native, Hollind graduated from Gonzaga University with a BA in Elementary Education and an endorsement in Special Education. She has focused her 20 year career on teaching and educational support. For the last 5 years, she has tutored students locally in reading, writing, math, and study and organizational skills. Hollind has been interested in learning more about Montessori education and is grateful for this opportunity at Voyager. Hollind lives on Bainbridge Island with her husband and daughter, where she enjoys walking, “thrifting”, cooking with friends and traveling with her family.

Elaine Salot, Office Manager

Elaine and her husband, Doug, moved to Bainbridge Island in 2000. She holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of California, Irvine. Elaine worked as a Technical Writer in several high tech companies until her daughter, Sarah, was born. Sarah became a first grader at Voyager in 2009. Elaine has been an active parent volunteer in the classroom and school office. She discovered how much she enjoys being at Voyager and watching her daughter and other students blossom into confident, compassionate, and curious people who love to learn. Elaine joined the Voyager staff in 2011 and is excited that she has the opportunity to gain new experiences and to use her organizational, prioritization, and communication skills to support the Voyager community. Elaine loves to spend time with her family and friends, sew, read, and bake. She is also a dedicated Suzuki piano parent.