Our Team
Meet the dancing moose Team!
We are proud to employ skilled and educated professionals who are also interesting and caring humans.
Our team members are joyful and innovative, always seeking opportunities to learn and collaborate.
A fundamental belief in the innate potential of every child is key as a Dancing Moose team member.
Dr. Joyce Sibbett Ph.D
President of Dancing Moose
JENNIFER DUFFIELD
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jodi Kiser
SCHOOL DIRECTOR – Garden Campus
Nichole Gaffney
School Director – River Park Campus
Jessica Filidore
School Director – Museum Campus
Tania Granados
Assistant Director – GARDEN CAMPUS
Leslie Prunty
Assistant Director – RIVER PARK CAMPUS
Micki Ridd
Enrollment Coordinator
Sarah Mannion
Enrollment Coordinator
Russel Duffield
Chief Financial Officer
Kendra Wheeler
HR Director
Look What's Happening At The Moose!
Dr. Joyce Sibbett Ph.D
Co-Founder & President of Dancing Moose
After earning her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Education, Joyce worked with aspiring teachers at Westminster for 20 years. She is officially retired from Westminster but maintains a relationship as Professor Emeritus. Joyce also earned a Montessori License for ages 2 1/2 to 6-years-old before opening Dancing Moose. She completed post-doctoral coursework in educational administration in 1999 and completed her Montessori Administrative credential in 2015 from the MACTE-accredited program, Institute of Montessori Innovation. Joyce continually strives to put best practices into action at Dancing Moose by organizing and overseeing curriculum. She teaches and coordinates ongoing in-service classes in the Dancing Moose Rings of Knowledge program. Joyce enjoys supporting teachers’ efforts to enrich every aspect of children’s physical, social-emotional, and academic development. Creating an exceptional early childhood school has been Dr. Joyce’s long-term dream. Her vision, passion, and vibrant personality contribute greatly to the heart of Dancing Moose.
Jennifer Duffield
MBA , Co-Founder & Executive Director
Jennifer, co-founder of Dancing Moose, has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry (which makes her an enthusiastic fan of STEM Education). She has also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Westminster College. She oversees the day-to-day operations of all Dancing Moose locations to ensure programmatic quality and consistency. Jennifer collaborates regularly with School Directors and Mentor Teachers at each location to evaluate how best to support the Dancing Moose team so that they are equipped to offer their very best to each student. Jennifer loves getting to know Dancing Moose children and parents and works hard to promote a school culture that is innovative, positive and sensitive to the individual needs of students and team members.
Jodi Kiser
School Director – Lake Park
Jodi taught as a Kindergarten teacher for Dancing Moose beginning in 2011 and later joined the admin team in May 2013 as the School Director of our Lake Park, West Valley location. Jodi completed Montessori coursework for Early Childhood through the Institute of Guided Studies. Jodi’s classroom experience gives her a unique ability to support Dancing Moose teachers. She oversees the day-to-day operations and communicates daily with teachers and parents. She conducts teacher and student assessments and meets with parents regularly to ensure that the needs of every child are being met. Jodi’s empathy, hard work and calming personality are a great asset to our team.
Nichole Gaffney
School Director – River Park
Nichole joined Dancing Moose summer 2021. Nichole has worked in early
childhood for over twenty serving in administration at University Kids and
Utah Community Action. She oversees the day-to-day operations of River Park
and communicates daily with teachers and parents. She oversees quality
assurance and meets with parents and team members regularly to ensure that
the needs of every child are being met.
childhood for over twenty serving in administration at University Kids and
Utah Community Action. She oversees the day-to-day operations of River Park
and communicates daily with teachers and parents. She oversees quality
assurance and meets with parents and team members regularly to ensure that
the needs of every child are being met.
KENDRA WHEELER
School Director – River Park
Kendra first joined Dancing Moose as a parent in 2007. She joined the administrative team as the Assistant Director at our River Park, South Jordan location when it opened in January 2014. She later became the Director of that location. Kendra’s background included overseeing teams in business settings prior to Dancing Moose which brings a unique passion to develop HR practices and team culture. She is currently working toward a Master’s Degree in Education with a Montessori Administrative credential from Westminster College. She oversees the day-to-day operations of River Park and communicates daily with teachers and parents. Kendra has a great drive to constantly find ways to improve. She is strong with organization and supporting her team through clear communication.
Tania Granados
Assistant Director – Lake Park
Tania joined the Dancing Moose team in February 2016 as the Billing Administrator and was promoted to Assistant Director in August 2016. She supports all of the day-to-day operations of the school, communicating daily with parents, teachers, and students. Tania is constantly participating in Rings of Knowledge courses and Montessori Professional Development to gain a greater understanding of what is happening in the classroom. Tania’s positive energy and kind nature provide a warm welcome to all who enter the school. Everyone appreciates her talent in knowing Dancing Moose families by name and she genuinely loves each and every one of her families.
DOMINIQUE FABELA
Assistant Director – River Park
Dominique first joined Dancing Moose as a substitute teacher and after-school supervisor in 2016. She was quickly promoted to the Assistant Director in August 2017 due to her jump-in, can-do attitude in all she does. Dominique is helpful and kind and enjoys connecting with the students at Dancing Moose. She supports the day-to-day operations of the school, communicating daily with parents, teachers, and students. She has a unique talent for looking at a process and bringing ideas to improve the experience for parents and team members. She is calm, collected and confident in all she does – her peacemaker qualities makes her an invaluable member of the team. Dominique’s big smile and upbeat personality makes her approachable to all.
SARAH MANNION
Enrollment Coordinator
Sarah has been with Dancing Moose in a variety of capacities since 2009. She currently works in the areas of marketing and enrollment. Her experiences as a Dancing Moose parent as well as in various classroom and administrative roles gives her a well rounded understanding of Dancing Moose. Sarah enjoys problem solving and interacting with Dancing Moose families to build positive relationships and raise awareness about what Dancing Moose has to offer. It is always a pleasure to see the warm smile that Sarah shares with all those she meets. In addition to her marketing efforts, Sarah is a certified Positive Discipline Coach, and any who have taken her class comment on the calm demeanor and skills taught by Sarah as having a huge influence on who they are as a parent.
RUSSEL DUFFIELD
Director of Business Operations
Russel Duffield is a founding member of the Dancing Moose team, and he manages the business operations of the school. Russel interacts with and guides the administrative team regularly to ensure that sound practices are being implemented. He is passionate about the Dancing Moose mission and promotes its purpose for all staff members to embrace. Russel seeks regular feedback from Dancing Moose families and coordinates efforts to continuously refine programs in meaningful ways. Russ coordinates all the data for the quarterly reports, which helps to identify each student’s progress at Dancing Moose.
Micki Ridd
Enrollment Coordinator & Movement Instructor
Micki joined the Dancing Moose team in 2013. She works as an Enrollment Coordinator, helping parents to learn more about Dancing Moose and aiding them in the enrollment process. Her helpful nature makes her very well suited to assisting with parent needs. Micki also contributes great creativity and positive energy to our student and staff wellness by acting as an instructor in our movement program. Micki has raised the bar in the movement program which put her in a supervisory role of overseeing all movement teachers at both locations. Dancing Moose is also privileged to have Micki as the first certified SASS Self Defense coach in Utah. Her classes further the Chairman Mike’s mission of equipping young women with much needed self defense skills.
SHERIANN MOLENI
Billing Administrator
Sheriann joined the Dancing Moose team in January 2018. She is responsible for all matters relating to accounts and billing. Sheriann collaborates with the administrative team on a variety of matters and assists in creating effective systems. Her great attention to detail gives team members and parents confidence that their accounts will be handled professionally and accurately. Sheriann is great at problem solving and is happy to help parents with any questions or concerns they may encounter with their accounts. Sheriann also has an incredible eye for marketing and branding. She manages all of our social media accounts and has an incredible talent for making the complexities of Montessori curriculum accessible to all. She is a key part in maintaining consistency with the Dancing Moose brand.
Leslie Prunty
Assistant Director – River Park
Leslie has been at Dancing Moose since 2014. She started as a preschool teacher and has since moved into the Assistant Director position. Leslie loves connecting with the students and families of Dancing Moose and her experience, warmth, and compassion are a great asset in her role as Assistant Director. Leslie graduated from SUU with her degree in Elementary Education and taught 1st grade in the public school system for 4 years. She went on to complete her Montessori Training through IGS in 2017 in Early Elementary as well as completing her Master’s in Montessori Education in 2018. Leslie loves to travel with her husband, 2 daughters, and 2 sons. Leslie’s idea of a great day off would be reading a good book on a sunny beach!
Jessica Filidore
School Director – Museum Campus
Jessica joined Dancing Moose Montessori School after teaching for over 25 years when the Museum Campus opened in 2022. She earned a dual certification in Early Childhood/Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Reading. She spent her career focused on the young child, teaching PreKindergarten through Second grades in both public and private schools. Jessica’s experience in the classroom allows her to support teachers, students, and parents. She loves to be involved in day-to-day activities at Dancing Moose, meeting with parents, and getting to know all of the children. Jessica believes that early childhood education lays the foundation for a child’s lifelong learning experiences.