Welcome to South Walton Montessori Academy

Thank you for your interest in South Walton Montessori Academy.

We are located at 101 Eden Gardens Road in Point Washington, FL. We currently have enrolled approximately 80 children between the ages of 18 months through the 6th grade.

Toddler Class:

18 months up to 3 years old. Max of 12 students with 2 teachers.

Primary Class:

3 to 6 year olds. Max of 30 students for 3 teachers.

Lower Elementary:

First, Second and Third Grade. Max of 20 students for 2 teachers.

Upper Elementary:

Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Grade. Max of 20 students for 2 teachers.

**The ages listed above for each class are APPROXIMATIONS and often vary**

We follow a similar calendar as Walton County Public Schools.
Drop off is between 8 and 8:20.

Pick up times are as follows:

Toddler: 2:30PM

Primary: 2:45 PM

Elementary & Middle: 3:00PM

All students wear uniforms. Khaki bottoms with Navy or Grey T-shirts or Polos.

Students bring their own lunch in accordance with our healthy food policy.

Parents are required to attend a minimum of 3 Parent Education nights throughout the year. Parent Education nights are offered monthly in the evenings and childcare is provided for a nominal fee. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend every meeting. This is one of the most important things you can do to understand your investment in your child’s education.

What is Montessori?

The Montessori Method of education, developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood. Dr. Montessori’s Method has been time tested, with over 100 years of success in diverse cultures throughout the world.

It is a view of the child as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment. It is an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the whole child—physical, social, emotional, cognitive.

South Walton Montessori Academy Staff

Beth Brock

Head of School

Beth Brock grew up in Atlanta, GA and has enjoyed vacationing along the Emerald Coast her entire life. She attended Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, where she graduated on the Dean’s List with a BS in Early Childhood Education. She obtained her Montessori Director/Administrator Credential through AMS at Houston Montessori Center in December of 2012.

Always one for adventure, she was a White Water River Guide in college and has enjoyed extensive worldwide travel. After graduation, she was the Assistant Teacher in the Infant and Primary classrooms at a Montessori School in Breckenridge, Colorado. Beth enjoys fishing, live music, and spending time on the beautiful emerald coast beaches. Beth holds the title of Head of School/Principal, and is the main point of contact for the school. Beth joined SWMA in 2008.

Scarlett Dunn

Toddler Lead Teacher

Scarlett Dunn grew up in the Allegheny mountains of West Virginia, where she attended Concord University and earned her BS in Education. Upon moving to the Emerald Coast in 2007, she subsequently earned a Master’s in Clinical Counseling from Florida State University and has worked with elementary-aged children in the fields of conservation, recreation, and counseling. She created Junior Ranger programming for the Florida State Park system and day-camp programming for St. Joe Club & Resorts, as well as work with local non-profits offering counseling & grief support for children. Scarlett’s Montessori journey began here at SWMA from 2015 to 2017 as an Assistant Teacher in the Primary Classroom, as well as the Upper Elementary classroom. This exposure to Montessori philosophy & methodology has had a lasting impact on Scarlett’s views towards nurturing our youth; creating a life-long passion encompassing a holistic, experiential, child-directed system of education as first developed by Dr. Maria Montessori.

If she’s not at school, you’ll find Scarlett supporting her husband, Casey, and his wine business here locally in the Panhandle or lavishing love on their two Labrador Retrievers, Sampson & Deacon. The Dunn’s spend a majority of their time recreating on Laguna Beach in PCB, renovating their old beach bungalow and traveling abroad as much as possible! We welcome Scarlett back to SWMA as the Lead Teacher in the Toddler Classroom. She completed her AMS Toddler Certification in the summer of 2026 with the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies.

Kimberly Clauson

Upper Elementary Lead Teacher

Kimberly Clauson grew up in Walton County and attended South Walton High School. She has a BS in Art Education from Florida State University and a permanent State of Florida teaching certificate in kindergarten through third grade with an ESOL endorsement. She began her Montessori journey here at SWMA as an Assistant in the Primary classroom from 2010 through 2012. She went on to complete her Early Childhood Montessori training at Seton Montessori Training Center in Chicago, Illinois. After spending a year as the Assistant in the Lower Elementary class at SWMA, she completed her Upper Elementary Certification in the summer of 2025.

When not at school, Ms. Clauson enjoys studying permaculture, watching garden YouTubes, planting seeds, and growing a food forest. She spends most of her free time playing with her dog, eating at the local restaurants, or hanging out at the local farmer’s market.

Hollie Billcliffe

Primary Assistant Teacher

Ms. Hollie Billcliffe grew up on a farm in Andalusia, Alabama and always enjoyed visiting the beautiful beaches of the emerald coast while on her school breaks. After high school, she won an art scholarship to the local junior college, which she attended before moving to Niceville to pursue her AA in fashion design. An opportunity presented itself to move overseas and she jumped at the chance. In 2002, she moved to London and spent the next 13 years exploring the different cultures and countries in Europe. She attended Central St. Martins school for design and organized fashion shows in Italy and in London for Aveda and T.R.A.I.D. (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development) Her Montessori journey began in 2008 while working at a Montessori preschool in London. She quickly fell in love with the curriculum and philosophy, and realized she wanted to get trained. Hollie received her Montessori Early Childhood (Primary) certification at MCI London in 2014. Hollie is very passionate about the teachings of Montessori and putting her methods into practice. She said, “It gives me great joy to watch the children explore and learn with the Montessori materials and catching that moment when something ‘clicks’ within the child.”

Hollie discovered SWMA while living in London by visiting the website frequently and longing to work there. She moved back to the states in November 2015 and worked in the Primary class at SWMA from 2016 to 2019, and returned again in 2023.

Hollie’s hobbies include sailing, paddle boarding, yoga, sewing, reading, arts and crafts, and visiting our beautiful beaches on the emerald coast.

Emily Turner

Lower Elementary Lead Teacher

Emily is a Florida native who was born and raised in Panama City. She began her journey in childcare working in traditional preschools, but felt drawn to look for other methods of education. She was introduced to Montessori in 2018 and instantly fell in love with the philosophy.

Emily Started off as a substitute teacher at SWMA, spending a majority of that time in the Toddler, Primary, and Lower Elementary classrooms before accepting a full-time position in Lower El. She spent the next four years assisting and being mentored by Catherine Beall and began her Elementary 1 Montessori training with CGMS in 2022, completing her residency that summer. Emily is now the Certified Lead Teacher in the Lower Elementary classroom.

Emily also completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2020 and is certified in Trauma Informed Yoga.

Ms. Emily is also the proud Mom of 2 beautiful young girls.

Audrey Moody

Assistant Teacher, Toddler

Audrey, a Georgia native, spent much of her childhood vacationing along 30A—a place that has since become a second home. Her passion for working with children emerged early and led her to begin her career as a full-time nanny in 2018.

In 2022, Audrey transitioned into a formal early childhood setting, serving as an Assistant Infant/Toddler Teacher in a daycare and preschool environment. It was during this time that she was introduced to the Montessori philosophy through a colleague, an experience that profoundly influenced her approach to teaching.

Motivated by what she learned, Audrey began thoughtfully incorporating Montessori principles into her classroom—nurturing independence, encouraging self-confidence, and cultivating respectful communication among her students. As her understanding deepened, so did her desire to work within an authentic Montessori environment.

Audrey joined the SWMA team in 2025 and looks forward to continuing her journey as a Montessori educator.

Outside the classroom, she enjoys exploring thrift shops with her husband and spending time on hiking trails with her family.

Maria DePasquale

Spanish Teacher

Maria’s passion is to teach kids to acquire the Spanish language in a fun and interactive way. She started teaching in 2014 in Porta Languages in California where she taught Spanish to kindergartens, middle schoolers, and high schoolers. In 2023, Maria taught Spanish to high schoolers at Hilton Head Christian Academy where she also took on private tutoring lessons with the students. Maria is a native speaker, born and raised in the city of Mexico City. Her love for the language and the culture is an extension of her love for teaching it to her students. Maria uses a natural approach to teach Spanish through the use of music, games, and everyday activities. In addition to teaching Spanish, Ms. Maria is also the PE teacher, and assists in the Upper Elementary classroom. Maria joined the SWMA team in 2024.

Catherine Beall

Director of Finance

Catherine founded the school in 2004 and held the title Head of School as well as Lower Elementary Teacher from 2004 until the Spring of 2023. She retired from teaching but remains on staff as the Director of Finance for the school.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology.

Catherine completed the academic phase of the AMS Lower Elementary credential at the Houston Montessori Center summer of 2004 and received her credential upon successful completion in the summer of 2005. Catherine received her Masters of Education in Montessori Integrative Learning through the Houston Montessori Center and Endicott University in Boston in May 2006, with a thesis titled, “Montessori Elementary Education: Nurturing a Universe of Responsible Humans.”