Staff

Jon Martin is the Principal at Woodman School. He has held the position of Superintendent, Principal and Director in school districts in Western and Eastern Montana. He earned his Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from Montana State University in Bozeman. He has been a special and general education teacher and school administrator for over 20 years. In his free time he enjoys rockhounding and exploring the history of Montana.

Mariah Cruz is a Texas native turned Montanan who loves all things family and outdoors. She moved to Montana in 2015 with her husband and two daughters. You can typically find her in the garden or tending to her little hobby farm in Stevensville. Mariah has been the Secretary & paraprofessional for Woodman School since 2018 and found her love for small, rural schools while subbing at Sunset School in Greenough, Montana. It is her passion to help others, spend time with her family, and get outdoors as much as possible! 

Emily Sallee is Woodman's school counselor; during Fall 2023, Emily is at school on Tuesdays. Emily has been a school counselor for about fifteen years, also working with youth as a clinical counselor in Missoula. On days Emily is not at Woodman, she's at the University of Montana, training future school counselors and clinical counselors as an Assistant Professor of Counseling, as well as supporting K-12 schools across Montana through her role as Director of the Montana Safe Schools Center. 

My name is Mariah Bishop and I am the kindergarten teacher at Woodman School. I am so excited to get to know you and your children.

I was born and raised here in Montana and have spent most of my life in Missoula. I attended Montana State University for three years before transferring to the University of Montana to complete my degree in Early Childhood Education. While attending the university, I was employed at the Learning and Belonging Preschool as a preschool aide and at Woodman School as a substitute teacher. I have worked with students in preschool through third grade, but especially love working with kindergarteners and helping foster their love for learning.

I enjoy spending time in the outdoors - camping, paddle boarding, floating the river, snowboarding, snow tubing, ice skating, etc. My fiancé and I take our two mini Australian Shepherds, Rosco and Dobby, everywhere that we can. We also enjoy playing board games, traveling, and going to amusement parks. 

I was born and raised in Missoula, and grew up loving skiing, fishing, and baseball (I still do).  I also spent many summers (and a few winters) in Alaska, much of it deep in the interior, where my dad was working on archaeological/historical sites.

I went to upstate New York for my undergraduate degree, receiving a BA in English.  From there, I went to graduate school in Oregon, where I received my Masters degree in teaching (elementary).

I’ve lived and taught (20+ years) all over the country, but for most of that time, I knew I really wanted to be back in western Montana, and in 2014 I made that happen. It was the best choice I could have made.

I have been teaching since beginning my Education degree at LCSC in 1991; multiple ages and stages. I also spent many years in the fire suppression world of the USFS, educating pre-K-adults. I have a history minor and reading endorsement (K-12). I grew up in rural, north central, Idaho. I have a great love of all things outside and all seasons. My husband Mark is a fire management officer, so I am often a single parent much of the year. We have 2 sons, Jace and Trevor and a big, yellow lab named Tank. We are often found off the grid, outside in the middle of chaos and adventure. 

Heidi Schnarr has been teaching music in private and public schools since 2003.  Her primary instrument is piano, and she holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting.  At Woodman School, Miss Schnarr teaches K-8 Music and coordinates the Afterschool Program.  Miss Schnarr also teaches piano privately, directs a church choir and accompanies the choirs at Sentinel High School. 

My name is Erin Lipkind and I am the Missoula County Superintendent of Schools. I am elected by the citizens of Missoula County to oversee the rural school districts in the county. In particular, I work with school districts that do not have a superintendent or a principal, and sometimes I assist districts that have just a principal but no superintendent at the request of the school board or principal. I also assist the library and manage the library collections at Woodman and Sunset Schools.