Melanie Robbins Pennock

Melanie Pennock serves as Head of School and Co-Director of Education at Laniakea Montessori School. She holds a B.S. in Psychology and an M.Ed. in Montessori Education with certifications in Early Childhood (ages 3–6.) She is certified by the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Education, and holds the Florida Director Credentials.

An active member of the International Montessori Council (IMC) and the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), Melanie also holds a leadership certificate from Cornell University in Women in Leadership.

Melanie is a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin where she studies executive function and ADHD across childhood and adolescence. Her research examines how multimodal approaches for treatment and environmental design contribute to the development of executive function and self-regulation. Following the work of Dr. Maria Montessori’s scientific pedagogy, Melanie’s research seeks to bridge educational neuroscience, executive function, and Montessori practice to better support learners with attentional and self-regulatory challenges.

Melanie enjoys birding, plant-care, scavenging for vintage treasures and has a passion for mid-century modern architecture and. She has 4 wonderful children.