ROOTS ACADEMY
Faculty & Staff
Jaclyn Gallo
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Director of Elementary Education
Roots Micro School was born out of a desire to create a safe, nurturing, and individualized environment for young students that values social emotional development, free play and exploration, and academic rigor in equal measure.
Drawing from her formal education in Science and Economics, training as both a Montessori Early Childhood and Lower Elementary educator, and many years teaching students of all ages in a variety of settings, Jackie believes in finding a balance between honoring the innate ability of children to learn and grow through play and employing progressive technology and evidence based practices to support an individualized approach to each child’s education.
Jackie’s continued vision for our Elementary and Studio Programs is ambitious:
“In our classroom you will find children building with their hands, creating art with a variety of mediums, practicing their writing through the telling of their own ancestral stories, and employing what they have learned to solve complex problems. And, perhaps most importantly, at the core of it all, children will be supported in their journey to understand who they are, where they fit into their school and global community, and how they can use their individual talents to leave the world a better place.”
Jackie looks forward to welcoming your family into our community, and growing together for years to come.
When she’s not in the classroom or studio, you will find Jackie blending an herbal tea, cooking for friends, or outdoors - in the forest or by the ocean, with her husband and two children.
Recent Continuing Education:
Educator Observer Day, Juniper Hill School
Summer Institute For Early Childhood and Elementary Educators: Teaching With Nature (August 2021)
Navigating Anxiety in Children with Jennifer Harper Cohen
Curriculum Development: Creating Effective Yoga + Mindfulness Programs for Youth with Argos Gonzalez
Practices to Build Resilience in Children with Linda Graham, MFT
Diploma, Montessori Lower Elementary (ages 6 - 9 years old)
Diploma, Montessori Early Childhood (ages 3 - 6 years old)
Katie Johnson
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Lower Elementary Assistant (River Class)
Katie studied at the University of Maine at Farmington and received her degree in Elementary Education. Since graduating college, Katie has held various roles working with children in Utah, Vermont, Montana, and Maine.
Here in Maine, Katie worked at a learning center where she nurtured the development of young children with varied behavioral and emotional needs. In Montana, she was a remote 3rd grade teacher, where she relied on her creativity and engaging style of instruction to help her students thrive in a new and challenging learning format.
Katie enjoys working with children in schools, home settings, outdoors, and everywhere in between! She loves to understand a child’s passions and create projects and activities that grow and expand those interests.
Katie has enjoyed exploring different roles and environments while working with children and believes that connection and child-led learning empowers children to learn and grow in their own unique way.
In her free time, Katie enjoys cooking, reading, exploring hiking trails, being outside, and spending time with her husband, Ethan, and their dog, Zelda.
Sarah Saffer Estes
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Lower Elementary Educator
Sarah has been an elementary educator for 15 years. She believes in building a nurturing, child-centered community and creating learning experiences that are inviting and joyful. Sarah is passionate about nurturing young children, inspiring them to love learning, and providing them with individualized, engaging instruction so they can thrive.
Sarah has taught kindergarten through third grade in a variety of public schools over the years, in California and in Maine. She has worked as a classroom teacher in Castroville, California, Cape Elizabeth, Lisbon, Windham and Westbrook. She was the Co-Lead Junior/Senior Kindergarten teacher at a Montessori school for three years, and she has also worked as a Literacy Specialist and learning center director.
Sarah has an undergraduate degree in Archaeology from Stanford University and a Master’s Degree in Literacy Education from the University of Southern Maine, where she focused on skillfully guiding children’s emergence into literacy. She holds a professional Maine Elementary Teacher Certification (K-8) and a Professional Maine Literacy Specialist Certification.
When she is not surrounded by children, Sarah loves to spend time with her husband, her two daughters, and their Jack Russell Terrier. She hikes, runs trails, and spends as much time near the ocean as she can!
Hilary Masicotte
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Lower Elementary Educator (Woodlands Class)
Hilary is a seasoned educator with 25 years of experience in the field of education, having navigated through the diverse landscapes of Vermont, Alaska, and Maine. Her professional journey reflects a steadfast commitment to instilling a love for learning while embracing the wonders of the natural world.
A graduate of the University of Vermont, Hilary delved into the art of teaching and nurtured a passion for the outdoors. Transitioning from a preschool teacher in the hills of Vermont, she ventured to the wilderness of Alaska, assuming the role of Director of the Children's Program at a support center for families in crisis. This experience underscored the significance of holistic support for both children and their families during challenging times.
In the heart of rural Maine, Hilary served as a K-5 Special Education teacher, with a primary goal of unlocking the world of literacy for every student. Her teaching approach is tailored to meet each student's unique needs, laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of reading and writing. Beyond the classroom, Hilary is a dedicated Dyslexia Practitioner and an Orton Gillingham Associate Level Tutor, specializing in providing intensive support to students and their families. In the past two years, she has cultivated a thriving private practice focused on enhancing literacy skills and developing executive functioning abilities.
Hilary's teaching philosophy is diverse and draws from her rich experiences across regions and disciplines. She perceives education not merely as the transfer of knowledge, but as a holistic journey encompassing literacy, mathematics, nature exploration, community integration, and the development of essential life skills in the world around us.
Currently nearing completion of her M.S.Ed at the University of Maine-Farmington, Hilary continues to embody her passion for education and holistic student development, remaining highly committed to making meaningful learning accessible through play, movement, and active support of the whole child.
Hannah Carr
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Upper Elementary Educator (Alpine Class)
I grew up in Grafton, Massachusets, attending Montessori and outdoor education programs throughout my schooling. This sparked my dream of becoming an educator in a child-led, nature-based setting. I studied elementary education in college, with focus courses on PBL and incorporating nature into curriculum. Upon graduation, I began my teaching career in California. I have been a substitute teacher, reading tutor, and most recently, an elementary classroom teacher.
Project-based learning (PBL) lies at the heart of my teaching style and philosophy. I participated in the PBL Works “Out of the Gate” program, where I received training in the creation and implementation of PBL units. To me, the magic of PBL lies in that it is student-generated and led, driven by the interests and questions of the students. It encourages curiosity, collaboration, and creation as the primary tools for learning. It allows children to connect with their community and environment in a truly authentic way.
Creating a learning environment where children feel truly safe to explore, to try, and sometimes fail, is deeply important to me. As a teacher of intermediate elementary students, I understand the key role independence plays in building a student’s confidence in their abilities and their own unique intelligences. As a teacher, I believe mindfulness practices, having a flexible learning environment, and a strong class community are what makes this possible.
The outdoors and creative practices are near and dear to my heart. When I’m not teaching, I love to hike, run, practice yoga and paint. I’m so looking forward to meeting your children and learning more about what sparks their interest, curiosity, and love of learning.
Link Klinkenberg
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Assistant Director / Coordinator of Place Based Learning
Link comes to Roots with 15 years experience as an educator. She began her teaching career as an environmental educator at The Ecology School in Saco, Maine, and continued building her outdoor teaching skills with the Appalachian Mountain Club in NH. In 2014, Link earned a teaching certification from the Upper Valley Educators Institute in Lebanon, NH. Since then she has taught grades 4-6 in Vermont and Kindergarten at a Montessori school in NH.
Link relocated to Maine in 2019 to be closer to friends and family. After two years teaching online and caring for her daughter, Link got back into the classroom last year as the creator and lead teacher of a nature Kindergarten program at Ketcha Outdoors.
Link believes in supporting children’s growth as explorers, learners, and problem solvers, and sees the outdoors as a natural setting for student growth. In addition to learning science content and scientific thinking, students working with Link will deepen their connection to the land and community around them.
Link lives in Portland with her wife and 4 year old daughter, Ayla. When she isn't teaching, Link loves to hike, make art, sing, go for bike rides, and enjoy the company of family and friends.
Sophie Spring
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Place-Based Educator and Community Programming Coordinator
Sophie has a technical background in ecology, food systems using aquaculture, and terrestrial and marine conservation, with degrees from the University of Exeter (UK), Scotland’s University of the Highlands and Islands, University of Crete (Greece), and the University of Nantes (France).
Her years working as a scientist have connected her to various projects around the world, from dune restoration in New Zealand to seaweed farming in Belize. She is ecstatic to now be immersing herself in the wonderful communities of Maine!
With diverse experience in environmental education, community- based conservation, and classroom teaching, she is excited to bring her knowledge of ecosystems and passion for learning to the Roots Community.
Naomi Odlin
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Makerspace Guide
Naomi studied at the University of New Hampshire, earning a degree in Environmental Geography. While attending school she was involved in the on-campus sustainability office, a non-profit cafe working towards ending human trafficking, matched in the Keystone XL Pipeline protest in Washington DC as well as the People's Climate March in NYC, lead adventures with the New Hampshire Outing Club, and became a facilitator of civic engagement.
Growing up in Maine, Naomi spent countless hours fishing inland and out in Casco Bay and beyond, gardening, hiking, camping, and canoeing many of this great states rivers. Her love of the outdoors extends into how she nannies and raises her young daughter.
Naomi believes in a person's innate curiosity to learn and understand the world around them, and thinks children don't need to be taught but guided through their own passions and interests. A firm believer in child-led learning, as well as observational facilitating, she finds that when you step back and allow a person the space and time to go as deep as they want into any subject they will retain and cherish it all the more.
Christina Watka
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2024/25 Roots Artist in Residence
Christina is a working artist and parent to three young kids in the community.
Her work is grounded in nature and simple, wonder-filled ideas brought to life. As a child, she was a curious daydreamer and constant observer. Light and shadow in stacked leaves shifting by the wind drew her attention, as well as the changing shape of a river rock beneath moving water. She moved all across the US throughout her childhood and was encouraged to spend lots of open time outside without distraction; this fed her creative energy in many ways. She uses basic materials, multiplied and manipulated to create swarms and other naturally occurring patterns found in nature such as flocks, cells, constellations, and topographical maps, and explores work that feels light, joyful, and full of life. Her process is grounded in mindfulness, often repeating the same movement until it becomes meditative. Christina's son Jack was in the first PreK class at Roots two years ago. Since then, she and her husband Andrew welcomed twin daughters into their world. Sunny and Lucy will be attending Roots in as junior kindergarteners in the fall of 2024 as Christina welcomes the opportunity to teach more young minds all about art and how to love the world through it. She served as the 2023 Visiting Artist at Pond Cove for the kindergarteners and was reinvited this year after having such a positive response from students, teachers, and parents. She believes that children are natural artists. They have much to offer the world because they are able to live in a deeply creative headspace full of magic and wonder, and that is the most fertile artistic space to be. As an artist and a parent, Christina welcomes her children into her own practice while simultaneously nurturing their individual creative impulses. She is thrilled for the opportunity to work with more children in this way, through joy, kindness, curiosity, and exploration. She recently finished building her dream studio across her driveway in Cape Elizabeth, and you can find her there making artwork surrounded by the things she loves most: family, home, coastal Maine light, music, the sea, gardening, and community.
You can explore more of Christina’s work and her story here.