Kathleen Trewhella-Cash is a founding member and the Executive Director of Five Oaks Academy. She began her work with the school as an Educational Consultant during its conceptual phase and transitioned into her leadership role when the Academy opened its doors in 2003. Her dedication to Montessori education began in 1987 and grew through progressive leadership roles, including serving as Acting Director of a Montessori school by 1994.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Anthropology from the University of South Carolina and earned her Montessori Primary Certification (ages 3–6) through St. Nicholas Montessori Training Centre, based in London and Maitland, Florida.
Kathleen furthered her expertise by completing the International Montessori Council’s (IMC) Leadership Course, Building a World Class School, in Alexandria, Virginia. She has received leadership training through IMC, the American Montessori Society (AMS), and Montessori Educational Programs International (MEPI).
A passionate advocate for Montessori education in South Carolina, Kathleen is a founding and current board member of the South Carolina Montessori Alliance (SCMA), where she has served as both Chair and Vice Chair and has served on the board for over 25 years. She is also a former Treasurer of MEPI.
Kathleen is a member of several professional organizations including the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society (IMBES), MEPI, Learning and the Brain, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). She is a seasoned educational consultant and has presented at state, national, and international conferences and workshops, including those hosted by IMC, AMS, SCMA, MEPI, and the Polish Institute of Montessori (Polski Instytut Montessori).
Prior to her tenure at Five Oaks Academy, she served as Director of Montessori West in Spartanburg, SC, and taught at Parkview Montessori School in Atlanta, GA. Kathleen also studied German at the International Sprache Dienst (ISD) Institute in Stuttgart, Germany.
Her current areas of interest include integrating neuroscience with Montessori curriculum and exploring the field of Positive Psychology. She completed The Science of Happiness course through the University of California, Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. Kathleen also enjoys her active participation in the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) and regularly attends their leadership retreats, which provide valuable opportunities for collaboration and professional growth.
