Meet The Specials Team

Lexi Oliver

I have been the librarian at Oak Grove School since 2014. I graduated with a bachelor degree in Political Science and Communication from Castleton State College and I graduated with a Masters Degree in School Library Science from Simmons College shortly after.

I love reading, spending time with my family, skiing, hiking, being on the river, and just being outside! I am very happy to be a part of this community and look forward to spending another year teaching students about information literacy, technology, and sharing our love of reading!

Patty Meyer

Patty Meyer is a choral conductor, pianist, flutist and music educator located in Brattleboro, VT.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a focus on piano performance from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME and her master’s degree in choral, general and instrumental music education from Boston University. 

Patty has taught music, coached musicians and performed in ensembles throughout the Brattleboro Area for the past 22 years. She lives with her husband in Guilford, VT and enjoys gardening, hiking, skiing, and their cats and dog

Greg Montgomery

Greg started at Oak Grove in the winter of 2016 and prior to that he spent the previous ten years working at various elementary schools around Windham county as a technology specialist and technology integrationist  Greg enjoy's working closely with classroom teachers to get the most out of technology in their instruction.  Having been a student at Oak Grove it is a pleasure to return as a staff member. 

Before entering the world of education Greg spent over 20 years working in the private sector for technology based firms ranging from web hosting to internet security companies.

​

Greg holds undergraduate degrees in Business Management, and a B.A, in Business information Systems from UMass, an M.A. in Computing in Education at Columbia University Teachers College, an M.Ed in Education Leadership from the University of North Texas.  

​

Kim Lane

I grew up locally attending Putney Central School and BUHS.  After high school I earned my PE degree at Springfield College, the birthplace of basketball!  After teaching for quite a few years I earned my Masters in Education online from Augustana University. This school year marks the 28th year of my teaching career.  

​

 I live in Dummerston with my family.  My 2 daughters keep me busy with their sports and activities all year long.  One of my favorite ways to relax is to spend time around and in my pool.  I also love to take my dog on her walk.  We have a very quiet dirt road right near our house so it's a great time for me to reflect and brainstorm while she happily runs and jumps around. 

​

I'm so proud to be starting my 13th year as the PE teacher at Oak Grove school!  My PE philosophy is strongly centered around fitness based activities.  Fitness is a lifetime commitment.  I'm looking forward to working with all the "Owls" at Oak Grove, seeing their progress throughout the school year and hopefully instilling in them the value of being physically active!

Erelyn Griffin

Hi, my name is Erelyn Griffin. I was born and raised in Southern Vermont and I am so excited to be returning to the Brattleboro area to teach art at Oak Grove! 

​

I received my Bachelors of Art in Visual Arts from Marlboro College in 2020, and my Masters of Education with a concentration in art education from Smith College in 2022. 

In my free time, I enjoy making art (of course!), spending time with family and friends, collecting house plants, and playing my ukulele. You can find me in the art room on Mondays and Wednesdays.

María Carreño

For more information on online Spanish resources please access my website here.

​

Oak Grove Spanish Language Program serves as an introduction to language learning and strives to instill an awareness of different cultures, an appreciation of language/culture study, and motivation for further language study.

I aim to create lifelong language learners through encouraging the development of foreign language skills early in life. To this end, Oak Grove School offers Spanish language in grades 1-6. Program goals include enhancing reading development in both English and the target language, promoting global awareness and cultural understanding as well as meeting district, stateand national foreign language standards.

My name is María L. Carreño and I am a native of Orense, Spain. I have taught Spanish in both the private and public school sector for almost 25 years. I strongly believe that learning a second language is a fundamental necessity in an ever -increasing global community. I have a B.A. and an M.A. in Spanish Language and Culture Education from Loyola University Chicago.

​

mcarreno@wsesu.org

Keira Carmichael 

My name is Ms. Carmichael and I am excited to be teaching general music at both Oak Grove and Academy schools this year! While I grew up in southern Vermont and the Brattleboro area, I completed my bachelor's in New York, master's in Colorado, taught abroad in New Zealand, and had my first full-time position in Washington State in 2017. Now it seems I have come full circle and have returned to my childhood roots. 

My goal this year is to help our students reacclimate to in person education by building a sense of accomplishment and skill in music, providing a welcoming and safe space, and encouraging students to take risks by trying new things - all while having fun together in the process! We've been working on drumming and rhythm reading this fall - often through games and teamwork - as well as taking turns playing piano for one another and practicing performance etiquette. Soon we'll be diving into songwriting and hopefully some singing! 

In my spare time I enjoy songwriting, moving rocks in the river, walking in the woods, honing my baking skills, snuggling my two kitties (Ronald and Noodle), and helping things grow - from seeds and starts all the way to our little people becoming big people. 

It's wonderful to be back in Vermont, and I look forward to meeting you.