Amy grew up outside of Boston. While her school days immersed her in city life, it was her time spent at her family's rustic island cottage with no electricity or running water that shaped her love of nature and longing for a more rural life. After more than a decade of teaching both outdoor education and in the classroom, Amy, her husband, and two children moved to Maine so that their children could attend MCWS. Much of her spare time is spent growing, preserving and cooking the food from their small farm. Amy also enjoys spending time with her family, walking her dog on the trails behind her house, camping, and baking healthy-ish treats.

Ananda grew up on an organic farm in southern New Hampshire, where she attended both the Pine Hill and High Mowing Waldorf Schools. From a young age, Ananda felt a sense of responsibility to the world around her; to be of service to all beings. A brief devotion to the study of fine arts gave way to many years of travel, study and work in Latin America and New York City, where her focus was social justice and human rights. Ananda found her inclination for healing work when she moved to Northern California, becoming first a massage therapist and later a somatic psychotherapist. She moved to Maine in 2007, where she has been guiding individuals and groups in mindfulness and meditation practices. Woven throughout all of her life experiences has been the thread of creating beauty, crafting, and working with her hands.

Brian, his wife Amy, and their two children, Grace and Noah, moved to Maine in 2011. What brought them here was their commitment to giving their children a Waldorf education all the way through high school. Before joining MCWS, Brian spent 16 years as an electrician in New Hampshire. His most interesting job, however, was raising baby cranes while wearing a crane costume. Brian's hobby, or if you ask his family, life consuming passion, is beekeeping. He started with two hives but was soon “hooked” and now has over 30. He also enjoys gardening, camping and spending time outdoors with his family (and bees).

After bouncing around the world for a bit, Caitlin spent the latter half of her childhood in the beautiful Berkshires in Western Massachusetts. She attended UMass Amherst for her undergraduate degrees, studying Anthropology and Spanish, with a focus on community organizing, social justice and critical race theory. Upon returning after time spent living in South America, she was lucky enough to discover The Hartsbrook School in Hadley, MA, and was introduced to Waldorf education through assisting in the lower grades. After becoming intrigued by Waldorf pedagogy at work, Caitlin made her way up to New Hampshire to receive her M.Ed in Education and complete her Waldorf Teacher Training. When not with her students, Caitlin is an avid cook, soccer player and runner, and is enjoying exploring the cross country trails up and down the coast.

Cerridwen was raised on a homestead in coastal Blue Hill, Maine where she attended a Waldorf school from Early Childhood through Grade 8. When Cerridwen was in third grade she remembers her class teacher asking the students what they might want to be when they grew up. Her answer was a teacher.

Cerridwen spent many years traveling and working in education before returning to Maine to create a home and community. She finds peace by the ocean in any season, and enjoys hiking with her dog in the summer and knitting by the fire in the winter.

Cerridwen is currently completing her Masters of Education with a thesis focusing on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Waldorf schools.

Chloe is a recent transplant to Freeport from the rural coast of Maine, where she spent a decade raising two children, farming, gardening, organizing mothers' support groups, coaching youth sports, volunteering at local schools and non-profits, and teaching Spanish and English to individuals of all ages. She is delighted to be joining a community working together to nourish and nurture children. Chloe enjoys practicing yoga, walking the neighborhood dogs, cycling, running, gardening, playing with her family, and travel, especially to Spanish-speaking countries.

Growing up, Chris attended a small progressive school in Melbourne, Australia. Similar to Waldorf in its philosophical approach to childhood development, Preshil provided the foundation for Chris’ student-centered, experiential education philosophy. Chris went on to spend 16 years teaching in outdoor education. There he facilitated experiences that provided opportunities for reflection, critical analysis, and synthesis. It became clear to Chris that students needed more than a short immersion program; they needed these principles to be woven into their daily lives. In the classroom, Chris brings his passion for teaching to bear over the course of a year and in the context of a greater community and progression of experiences. Chris’ objective is to assist students to become engaged, informed, and conscientious members of society.

Coco grew up in Vermont on the shores of Lake Champlain where she developed a deep affinity for the waters that shape New England. Music was her favorite moment in the school day, and a desire to share this joy with children first led her to the classroom. A passion for therapeutic support and education for special needs has kept her there, because adversity embraced as opportunity, and supported with love, can become the source of our individual genius.

Coco joins Maine Coast Waldorf after many rich years of tending the home sphere as a mother of three children, and educating fellow parents through workshops, study and individual consultation.

Cyrus has spent some time as an entomologist and a lot of time teaching German to college students in Maine, Massachusetts, and Indiana. In classes on Lady Gaga, poetry, or Spargelfest (asparagus fest), he works with students to develop an understanding of our society and of our places in it; his teaching provides students not only with a critical purchase on social life, but with the tools they can use to envision transforming it. Cyrus has spent a lot of time writing on punk rock and philosophy, so that means he tries to go to as many concerts as possible and then philosophize about the music. But with a family, a garden, and a wood stove, that tends to happen less often.

David discovered the teachings of Rudolf Steiner and Anthroposophy through work as a Biodynamic farmer in California. His desire was to change the world and he felt that first Biodynamic agriculture and later life in Camphill Village and in Waldorf Education was the way to marry his professional, political and spiritual life. David loves to sing and play music as well as being outdoors, reading fantastic books and spending as much time as possible with his family. He still believes in the power of Waldorf education to change the world!

From sharing the archetypal power of Fairy Tales to helping students develop a deep connection with their physical and natural world, David has committed himself to fostering authentic, holistic human development. Years of political and social activism have convinced him of the world's deep need for empathy and imagination, and that positive social change becomes possible through an education based on the human being's full development. He lives in a straw-bale, solar-powered house that he built with help from many friends. David is passionate about many things, but math, making music with others, and getting as close to the natural world as possible are some of his current priorities.

David and his wife, Monika, moved their family from Kansas to Maine in 2016 so their daughters could attend Maine Coast Waldorf School. Co-founding a Waldorf school in Kansas in 2001 was David’s introduction into Waldorf education. He was an active member of the Board of Trustees and faculty during his time involved with that school, Prairie Moon Waldorf School. David has worked as a Behavior Analyst for the last 30 years, the last 20 of which he provided technical assistance to public and private schools across Kansas at the levels of the individual student, classroom, building , district, and state. David has been an amateur magician for many decades and, when he is not at school, is likely exploring the beauty of Maine.

David taught at Green Meadow Waldorf School (NY) for 25 years before joining MCWS in 2006 as a founding high school teacher. He also helped to launch the Shining Mt. Waldorf High School in Boulder, Colorado. He has authored three books: Stages of Imagination—Working Dramatically with Adolescents, Life Lessons—Reaching Teenagers through Literature, and a poetry collection entitled, The Irresistible In-Between, as well as several articles for Renewal magazine. David is a faculty member of the Center for Anthroposophy, teaching humanities in the Waldorf high school teacher training summer program. He is also enjoying life's latest delight: grandfatherhood!

When Deeda learned about Waldorf education from her childhood friend in 1972, she felt the first inklings of her life's path. After working as a Waldorf class teacher in Texas, she moved to Maine with her husband, Jack, in 1986 and joined the Board of Directors of Merriconeag Waldorf School. Since that time Deeda has worked as a kindergarten assistant, in both the development and admissions offices, and most recently as Public Relations Coordinator. Deeda has served the school as faculty chair, college chair, and is a member of the Teacher Development Committee. She was a parent in the school for 21 consecutive years!

Delaney was born and raised in Westbrook, Maine surrounded by a family that loved music. As both a French Horn and Trumpet player, she has played in several jazz ensembles, marching bands, concert bands, and musical theater productions. Delaney had the opportunity to teach in many richly diverse schools throughout the Metropolitan Nashville area, serving students of various cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and yoga. She also enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, Jared, and their son, Acadia.

Ellen has been an active explorer of the living world since childhood. Working with others to understand the intrinsic connection between human beings and their environment inspires her work as both an experiential educator and ecologist. Her favorite fieldwork has included mountain meteorology, coastal wetland ecology, and most recently her thesis research on the population genetics of alewife in Maine rivers. Ellen is an avid naturalist, citizen scientist and homesteader. You can find her outdoors in all seasons with her husband and sons.

Emily attended Pine Hill Waldorf school as a kindergartner, this experience left strong memories and a lasting impression. When her twins were born she knew that Maine Coast Waldorf School was the right place for them. Her joy in life comes from traditional homemaking, raising her family, preparing meals, keeping the fire warm and the garden growing. She has pursued these pleasures by attending Rittners School of Floral Design in Boston and The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.

Ezra grew up at the Himalayan Institute, a yoga ashram in Northeastern Pennsylvania in the company of people dedicated to spiritual striving. This inspired him to focus his life on learning and improvement. He relishes designing authentic learning experiences for his students. Ezra is from a Quaker background and welcomes challenging questions. He loves most things, specifically math, science, woodworking, and wildcrafting.

Hanna came to Waldorf education in kindergarten and happily lived the life of a "Waldorphan" from that point on. She has always enjoyed children but it was her Gap year in Scotland living in a Camp Hill community where she realized she loved helping and caring for all ages. Before her own children came along, Hanna worked as an assistant in the kindergarten at Maine Coast and is delighted to be back working alongside such talented teachers. Hanna loves spending time with her family, working a garden or five, her husband's good food and being outside.

Since 2000, Heather has relished serving at both public and independent schools, teaching students from kindergarten through college, specializing in writing and literature. During these varied experiences, Heather developed insightful skills in resource and twice-gifted learning. Through her private tutoring company and her work at STARS, Heather offers students compassionate one-on-one guidance toward reaching their highest potential. Heather participates in the wider community through her literary endeavors; she interned on _The Kenyon Review_ and founded _Persimmons_ literary journal, and currently serves as editor at Kelsey Street Press. A lifelong poet, Heather was ecstatic when her first poetry book, _Light Bearing_, was published; a new book is forthcoming soon. Embracing holistic education with lyrical spirit, Heather is utterly delighted to join the MCWS community!

While growing up in New Hampshire in a house her father built, Ida was home-schooled by a Waldorf Teacher, her mother. This afforded a great deal of time for delving deeply into the fine arts, handcrafts, music, and dance. After completing her high school education at a private, college-prep school in New Hampshire, Ida went on to a self-designed undergraduate major in Nutritional Anthropology. After receiving her MEd and completing her final internship in the south, she happily returned to her New England roots and moved to Maine. Ida has extensive experience in classical and world music, and has an abiding interest in the natural world and cooking.

After graduating from college, Jane earned a teaching certification for grades K-8 and enjoyed 10 years of classroom teaching in both private and public schools. She became a stay-at-home mom after the arrival of twin sons. During that time, Jane authored a phonics and spelling workbook and started a private tutoring business. Because many of her students struggled with reading, she pursued specialized training which allowed her to target specific reading skill deficits. Over the past 17 years, Jane has worked with nearly 100 students assessing reading difficulties and providing individualized instruction. She also has experience working as a Literacy Strategist, designing and providing instruction for students and teachers while employed by the South Portland School Department. Jane and her family live in Brunswick.

Jeff has spent most of his career in the field of Civil Engineering. During this time he served as a technology instructor. His natural teaching ability led him into education as a full time substitute teacher at MSAD51. His curiosity, dependability, friendliness and passion earned him being a most requested substitute. His approach is to be organic, kind and non-reactive. He provides direction and re-direction as needed with respect and empathy being of utmost importance. Jeff builds relationships with students and helps them to enjoy learning and be mindful of how their thoughts affect their world. He and his wife play musical instruments and sing in their home studio, capture photography, paint, and nature watch on their deck. Jeff is the chef in his household cooking local, organic and sustainable ingredients.

Jeff grew up six miles south of Freeport in Yarmouth. Jeff has been teaching high school math and science since 1987. He is a founding faculty member of MCWS's high school and has been teaching math and phenomenological science since its inception. Prior to that he taught at North Yarmouth Academy, The Academy at Charlemont, Northfield Mount Hermon School, and The White Mountain School. He also plays bass and sings in an adult "garage band". At one time he was a fly fishing guide in Montana.

Jennifer served as an assistant in the nursery for four years.  She first came to MCWS after working with mixed ages at the Peaks Island Children's Workshop, both as a teacher and as a lifeguard. Jennifer has a background in educational entertainment, working with local organizations such as PORTopera and Portland Symphony Orchestra with their educational outreach.

At university Jennifer studied Theatre and Sociology - the art and the science of humans interacting with one another. Upon graduation, a passion for sustainable agriculture led her to farms from Washington to Delaware. Fueled by an interest in how humans relate to the earth and their food, Jennifer has spent the past few years on organic farms, managing farmers markets around NYC, and most recently working with children at Brooklyn Forest school and Hawthorne Valley Farm. These latter experiences introduced her to the beauty of Waldorf early-childhood education, and the vital importance of nourishing the whole child through strong relationships and nature-based play. In addition to communing with nature, Jennifer enjoys connecting with her community through contra dancing.

Jenny grew up in Upstate NY and Southern VT. After college, she headed to Los Angeles, CA where she began cultivating some life passions including Waldorf Education. After spending six years in international live-event TV and another six as a birth/postpartum doula and massage therapist, she started her own family and began working in the early childhood at Westside Waldorf in Santa Monica. Her family moved to Maine in 2006 and now both her daughters are MCWS alumni. As nurturing children and feeding people have been life-long themes for Jenny, she feels well-suited for her position at the school.

Jessica Gould grew up in Freeport but stayed in Vermont for several years after graduating from college. Through volunteer work she realized her true passion was working with children and moved back to Maine in 2010 to pursue her education degree. She comes to Maine Coast Waldorf after several years working as an elementary school librarian. When she is not in the classroom you can find her spending time with her family and working in her garden.

Since 2007, Jess has been teaching both Early Childhood and Handwork in Waldorf Classrooms. Originally at Seacoast Waldorf School, (formerly Tidewater Waldorf School, Eliot, ME), in 2010 Jess, her husband and daughter moved up to Freeport to join Maine Coast Waldorf School, where Jess has taught in Early Childhood and First Grade. She possesses a rich artistic background with an affinity for the fiber arts.

Jessica grew up in Maine. She moved to Australia to study her masters and has lived there for the past 13 years. While in Australia she has mainly worked in the Marine Research arena but after the birth of her son in 2012 has focused mainly on teaching. During her time as a marine researcher her professional interests included; Elasmobranch ecology and fisheries management, reef fish ecology, genetics, population modelling, and marine conservation. She has returned to Maine just this summer and is excited to be teaching high school students as she enjoys teaching young adults as they begin to transition into adulthood.

Jill grew up in a family that loved traveling and hiking. A year spent in Switzerland, just before college, brought fluency in French and her first experiences working on organic farms. Her work as a naturalist exploring the redwood forests with children led her to Waldorf education. Long stretches in the wilderness—canoe trips in Labrador and the Boundary Waters, backpacking trips in the Wind Rivers and Cascades—as well as travel in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Central America continue to give her perspective and inspire her love of teaching. When she is home, she spends as much time as she can outdoors.

Johanna grew up on the island of Bermuda and had an active and creative childhood. She moved to Maine in 2001, along with her husband, to restore a 225 year old house, a place to live out their artistic ambitions. She has shared her joy of painting with children and adults for over a decade, teaching in many different private schools and institutions, both in Maine and Bermuda. She loves working with the high school students at Maine Coast Waldorf School, inspiring them to look deeper into the beauty of the natural world. She feels passionately that art-making is a vital skill of communication and self-expression for young people. She has two young children of her own and spends her time with her family cooking, playing, painting and in nature as much as possible.

A Denver native, John joins Maine Coast after eleven years teaching at the Denver Waldorf High School, where he was also a student for 14 years. Through teaching, John rediscovered the joys of writing poetry. In poetic circles, John describes his teaching work as arson after Yeats’s sentiment that ‘education is not the filling of pail, but the lighting of a fire.’ This collaborative act of breaking down walls and building anew from the flames is what gets John fired up in the classroom. When not at school, John immerses himself in stories, music, tinkering, and exploring the outdoors with his family.

John toured in Tony Montanaro's Celebration Theater Ensemble. He is a resident guest artist with the Portland Ballet Company and has performed for over 20 years as Drosselmeyer in the Nutcracker. He is a past host of the Portland Symphony Kinderkoncerts. He taught for many years at the Rudolf Steiner Institute, and presently is an instructor at the Spacial Dynamics® Institute. He is a founding boardmember of Seeds of Independence, where he continues to facilitate in their Jumpstart program for first-time youth offenders. He performs a duet show with his wife.

Johnna was born and raised on the coast of Maine. Growing up, she spent every summer at 4H camp where she learned a great appreciation for the outdoors and fostering a connection between humans and the natural world. Two of her greatest loves in life are caring for children and spending time in nature. She has spent the last 12 years working with children, and is thrilled to be at Maine Coast Waldorf where she can continue to support children in fostering a great love for the earth. When Johnna isn’t exploring nature with her smallest friends, she enjoys riding her bicycle, baking, traveling throughout New England and beyond, and spending time with her dog.

Joshua was born and raised in Saratoga Springs, NY at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains. After college he spent three years teaching English in Japan, and has taught high school humanities in Waldorf high schools for 18 years (Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs, and most recently Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder, Colorado). In his free time he loves being with his family (wife, Kim and daughter, Forest) in the outdoors, reading, writing, and carpentry. He comes to Maine Coast Waldorf School with a passion for seeking out truth and meaning in life and the world with his students.

Throughout her life Julie has always been a maker. She is motivated most when using her hands to create, She has worked in many media including wood, clay, glass, metal, stone, painting, drawing Teaching has always allowed her to learn and share her enthusiasms. Julie will always seeks out the opportunity to make something over buying it. She finds her greatest inspiration spending time with her family in the outdoors actively engaging in every season. She also loves to cook and share meals with friends, xc ski, and pick blueberries. Julie considers Maine her home where she lives a busy life with her husband and their daughter in a house they built on a little farm they created.

A native of Michigan, Kali spent most of her adult life bouncing across the country, and the Atlantic, in pursuit of adventure and unpasteurized cheese. An undergraduate fascination with French cinema quickly evolved into a life-long obsession with all things French. From teaching in the South of France, to gathering chestnuts in the Cevennes, to running the streets of Paris with a local running club, Kali has worked, traveled, and jogged extensively throughout France. Her love of the language is matched only by her passion for teaching, and she is thrilled to share this enthusiasm with her students.

Before moving to Maine, Kali was a French teacher at a boarding school in New Hampshire. She currently lives in Bath with her husband, son, and terrier.

Katy has been accompanying choirs in the greater Portland area for more than 20 years. She regularly works with several schools in the area, as well as many private choirs, ranging in age from elementary school through high school and beyond. Katy also teaches piano to students of all ages.

Kelly was born in Pennsylvania, where she spent as much time as possible outdoors and prided herself on sleeping outside more than inside on summer vacation. She still enjoys outdoor adventuring with her family, especially amidst the mountains and lakes of Northern Idaho, where they have spent the past eight years.

Kelly's quaker upbringing and education combined with her love of are and music led her to Waldorf Education as a young adult and she has been working as a class teacher on and off for the past 13 years. In the Spring the 2019, she graduated her Eighth Grade Class from the Sandpoint Waldorf School. Previous to that, she had lived and worked at both a Camphill-inspired community and an outdoor school. Her first years of class teaching were at the Kimberton Waldorf School in Pennsylvania, where she met her husband Oliver and they started their family, which now includes Maryah (4th Grade) and Arthur (Kindergarten).

Kelly also loves cooking, dancing, beading and animals. She and her family feel blessed to be a part of the MCWS community this year.

Born in North Carolina, Kelly inherited a love of fibers, children, and nature from her Scots-Irish grandparents who had their roots in the Appalachian mountains. Growing up during the turbulent times of the 1960s and 70s gave her flexibility of thinking, courage,  creativity, and inspiration to constantly seek ways to make the world a better place for everyone. She has worked with young people in a variety of settings, from intense work on race relations and shelters for homeless youth, to kindergarten classrooms. She has finally found her favorite classroom to be the outdoors with our nursery children! She continues to weave in her "spare" time, and is currently studying homeopathic medicine as well.

Kelly comes to Maine Coast Waldorf School from 16 years teaching physics, chemistry, and agricultural science as a public educator. Passionate about making upper level content accessible and differentiated, Kelly's enthusiasm for STEM education naturally leads her to look for opportunities for her students beyond the walls of the classroom. Outside of school Kelly can be found tending her flock of heritage Jacob Sheep, hiking with her dogs, cross country skiing and crafting with her daughter.

Laura was raised in a small steel town in Western Pennsylvania. Laura began her career in Colorado as a high school English teacher. During these early years of her career, Laura developed a strong sense of the potential, budding individuality, and creativity children experience during their adolescent years. Laura’s decision to pursue a career in the mental health field following two years of teaching and one year as an education director was spurred by her desire to go beyond academics and to address the holistic needs of the students and families she encountered. Laura came to Maine in 2015 and has worked as a home-based and residential-based clinician. Laura currently works with adults in private practice with a focus on parenting skills and guidance.

Lisa grew up in New Hampshire surrounded by woods, apple trees and back country ski trails.  She was a plant lover and an avid athlete, especially enjoying little league baseball, field hockey and spring track. An early fascination with travel and job earnings from work at a local florist took her to Indonesia, Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Though studies in English Lit were deeply enriching, she wished she had paired that with a horticulture minor.  A teaching degree—earned a year before the birth of her first son—has proven useful as a mother and to meet daily visitors to MCWS's grade school office, where she has spent the past 8 years. Lisa enjoys growing all sorts of things—especially raspberries—Nordic skiing, reading, traveling, knitting, quilting, baking, running and dark chocolate in a variety of forms!

Lyn’s childhood was full of family moves (12 different schools in 12 years) and many adventures in the US and abroad. A child of the 60s, she was active in economic and social justice causes and became the first director of the National Center for Service-Learning in Washington, DC. Her interest in experiential and socially conscious education led her to Waldorf, and she was quite invested in helping MCWS launch its grade school in 1992 (her first-born was in the first first grade). She served as Development Director when the School was establishing its permanent campus, and now, as Admissions Director, loves her role in expanding the Waldorf school community.

When plucked suddenly from her complacent New England habitat in early adolescence and immersed in the warp and weft of life in South Africa, Lynn's eyes and interests were opened to a very different world perspective. Though primed for the adventure by her father's stories from annual sojourns to the Far East, experience proved the more immediate educator. After graduating from high school in Hong Kong, she once again became a mostly settled, slightly restless New Englander. It was on meeting Waldorf Education that she found a reflection of her early experiences in the exploration of the world's cultures as they unfold in the elementary curriculum. Besides her continuing fascination with indigenous peoples everywhere, she brings her love of the arts, a pleasure in the world of nature, and an enthusiasm for creating with her hands into her classroom.

Lynn has worked in both Waldorf and non-Waldorf schools for the past 20 years where she taught Parent-Child Classes, Young Nursery, Nursery, Kindergarten and Handwork. She has also worked as a parent educator for families with young children. Her enthusiastic love of gardening and the outdoors permeates her work with children. She and her husband built and restored houses, raised sheep and chickens, and enjoyed outdoor activities while raising their two children in southwestern New Hampshire. They are happy to now be living near the ocean and are restoring yet another home. In her spare time, Lynn enjoys weaving, knitting, cooking, hiking, and kayaking.

Lynne loves working with volunteers and donors to make the school’s dreams become realities through their shared generosity and fundraising efforts. Lynne uses her data-driven approach, her sense of humor, and plenty of home-baked goods to facilitate the school's development work and sustain the community’s enthusiasm. In her spare time she enjoys baking, gardening, learning to play mandolin, hiking, and spending time with her husband and three adult children.

Margaret found her way to Maine by way of Cincinnati, Ohio, to attend Bowdoin College. While there, she studied Latin and Greek, and met a great guy, upon graduation married him, and has been in New England ever since. She is still not so sure about the cold, cold winters, but she does love the Maine summers, and the gorgeous landscape of the Maine coastline. When she and her family spent a year abroad in Australia, she found her way to Waldorf education there as well, and it was in Melbourne, Australia that she began her studies to become a Waldorf teacher. She finished her M.Ed with a specialty in Waldorf Teaching when she returned to the United States. Margaret began with her current class in first grade in the Fall of 2013.

Mark has been a parent for four years at MCWS and recently finished a three-year term as a board member at the school. Previously, Mark worked as a program director at the University of New England, a strategic planning consultant in Philadelphia, and a division vice president at Easter Seals Eastern Pennsylvania, where he directed programs serving children with disabilities. Earlier in his career, Mark worked in construction management and also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala. Mark currently lives in Portland with his wife, Smita, and his two children, Nikhil (Gr. 3) and Amir (Gr.1). In his spare time, Mark enjoys downhill and cross-country mountain biking.

Marta grew up on Cape Cod where her family ran a fish market; she shared the work of filleting and preparing seafoods from an early age. It was on a hilltop in Avignon (following a semester in Stockholm) that she learned of Waldorf education from her travel-mate. She began teaching in Washington, D.C., where she met her husband and enjoyed 10 years of city life. They ventured up to Maine where Marta taught in the Bath Public Schools. Marta and Tom grew their family by adoption; experiencing their children's birth cultures of Kazakhstan and Ethiopia and raising these two wonderful children has broadened their world infinitely. Marta continues to love the ocean, her family, and her two sweet cats.

I spent my childhood in a small town in the Southern Tier area of Upstate New York. After completing my Associates Degree in Business at S.U.N.Y. at Alfred I lived and worked in Syracuse, NY for the next 15 years. For the majority of those years I worked for Guardian Life Insurance Company and also completed my Bachelor's Degree by taking evening courses. I eventually obtained the revered position of Service and Sales which included selling employee benefits and servicing existing accounts throughout Upstate New York.

With the good fortune of meeting my potential husband who lived in Freeport, through mutual relatives in Syracuse, I moved to Maine when we married and have not looked back. Once my daughters where entrenched at MCWS I took over the position of managing the school store on a volunteer basis which increased my desire to understand Waldorf education. This led me to the Waldorf Foundations Study Course, After completing this course and with a fabulous opportunity to achieve a Waldorf Teachers Certificate at Antioch, by taking weekend classes,I obtained the Waldorf Teacher's Certificate after 2 years of study and internships. I jumped right into teaching main lesson classes and substituting at MCWS and began as the Events coordinator in 2013. This position draws on the many skills I've developed through chairing various non-profit initiatives as well as my understanding of the MCWS community.

Other than being extremely involved with my daughter's class activities, volunteering in the community and at school events,and working as an insurance consultant at my husband's company, I was a competitive runner. I have since taken up cross country skiing and enjoy the outdoors.

TBA

Melissa and her family moved to Maine in 2019 so that their son could continue his Waldorf education through high school. The couple discovered Waldorf education at Prairie Moon Waldorf School in Lawrence, Kansas, where their son attended from Parent/Child Class through 8th grade. Melissa joined the board and then served as Administrative Director for 10 years.

Serving in leadership alongside faculty and parents, Melissa found her calling in supporting the adult community—in turn supporting the student and world communities. Organizational dynamics is a topic she never tires of.

Outside of her work at the school, Melissa enjoys any form of puzzle or brain teaser as well as knitting and weaving. Escape rooms and yarn stores are her happy places.

A love of travel and adventures abroad, beginning with a high school exchange to Brazil led Michael to study and then teach both French and Spanish. He has enjoyed living and teaching in France and leading student trips to Central America and Quebec; experiences which have inspired a strong passion for world cultures that he brings to his students in stories, songs, and games. His favorite pastimes include spending time with family and friends, working outdoors building and landscaping, playing guitar, and singing songs late into the night.

Michele spent her childhood in the woods of Washington State where she enjoyed all four seasons to their fullest. When she started her family she home-schooled her children and farmed to market, enjoying the land she owned near Lake Roosevelt. Her passion for education, and an interest to discover what else the world could offer her children, led her to Waldorf Education where a bright spark was lit. She helped form a Waldorf School in Spokane, then moved to the Bellingham Waldorf School so her older children could finally attend school! After having a class in Colorado for three years, she fulfilled a lifelong dream and moved to Maine. She loves poetry, knitting, swimming and the morning mist.

A coin toss landed Nancy in Portland after graduate school, and she has called Maine home ever since.  After teaching at the college level for five years, Nancy decided she wanted to teach adolescents and started teaching in public high schools.  Nancy and her husband discovered Maine Coast Waldorf School when they were searching for a nursery program for their daughters seventeen years ago. Foundation Studies deepened Nancy’s understanding of Waldorf education and prepared her for Waldorf high school teacher training. Nancy enjoys helping bring plays to life, inspiring students to appreciate literature and transforming their thoughts to the written word. She loves spending time with her family, reading novels, writing poetry, and immersing herself in nature.

Nancy is a violinist and teaches strings, classroom music and chorus.  She has served as principle violinist for the Maine State Ballet Orchestra and has performed with the Portland Symphony, the Bangor Symphony, the Maine Chamber Ensemble, the Portland Opera Repertory Theater Orchestra and the trio Musica Sorrella. Nancy has served as a conductor with the Brunswick Regional Youth Orchestra, the Southern Maine String Academy and at several District Festivals across the state. Nancy is the founder of the Coastal Youth Orchestra and conductor of CYO's Fiddleheads and Coastal String Ensembles. Nancy is well known for her enthusiasm and sensitivity in working with young string players and for her dedication to music education. In her free time she enjoys running and spending time skiing at Sugarloaf with her husband and two children, Alexandra and Christopher.

Nowell returns to Maine Coast Waldorf school as both a teacher and an alumnus. He grew up in Brunswick attending the school from kindergarten, graduating with the high school’s fourth senior class in 2013. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in physics, Nowell spent several years in Washington D.C. teaching STEM focused after school classes and summer camps. He is excited to return to the community as a faculty member and share his enthusiasm for math and science with the newest generation of high school students.

Outside of school Nowell is an avid reader and enjoys spending time in nature, as well as the occasional Ultimate Frisbee game.

Oliver is a native of Germany who came to Maine in 2001. Since 1990, Oliver has been working with children and teenagers in various settings in Europe and the US. Through his many years of experience in arts, language, nature studies, athletics, social work, culinary arts, crafts, and music—as well as being a father—Oliver feels at home in creating exciting, inspiring, and versatile activities for children of all ages. Oliver has been the German teacher for Kindergarten through 8th grade at Maine Coast since 2005. His many tasks at the school have included teaching high school German, woodworking, cooking and coaching middle school cross-country.

During high school in Weston, Connecticut, Rebecca found a home for herself in art and thrived in English. Service trips to Ecuador opened her eyes to another way of life and inspired her to major in Globalization Studies at Gettysburg College. She continued to cultivate her love for the arts by declaring Studio Arts along with Globalization Studies for a double major. While pursuing her academic studies at Gettysburg, Rebecca led rock climbing, kayaking and backpacking trips for students. Time in nature continues to play an integral part in her teaching.

After college, while Rebecca was waiting to join the Peace Corps, she worked at an outdoor center in Vermont and it was there that she met her first Waldorf students. She was so impressed with the relationships between those students and their teachers that she began to research Waldorf education. After serving in the Peace Corps in Ecuador where she taught children, Rebecca attended Antioch University and received her MEd in Waldorf education. Fond memories of summers spent in Maine led her to Portland and Maine Coast Waldorf School.

Rebecca comes to MCWS after 8 years as Telecom Billing Administrator for IDEXX Laboratories, where she managed the billing and usage reporting for over 3,200 voice & data circuits around the word, and over $5M in annual telecom expenses. Prior to that, she was chief cook and bottle washer for a small but integral wharf-side lobster shack on a tiny island community off the coast of Acadia where, among other things, she learned how to make a killer blueberry pie (just sayin’). In her twenties, Rebecca enjoyed several seasons as a licensed whitewater raft guide on the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers in Western Maine, where she also obtained Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification (advanced wilderness first aid, one step below EMT). In those off-seasons, she was a ski coach (and waitress) at Sugarloaf, USA in the Carrabassett Valley of Western Maine. Rebecca is thrilled to be a part of the important work being done here to nurture the child as a whole being, to instill empathy, character and determination necessary to share their gifts with the world.

As a former Maine Coast Waldorf School graduate, Rebecca is excited to give back to the community. Throughout the last 3 years, Rebecca has worked alongside children in public school special education classes. The children helped her realize her skills and passion for alternative education, and working with young people. When not in school, Rebecca enjoys kayaking, hiking, sledding, and playing with dogs. Rebecca is exuberant and eager to learn with students in the rising first grade class.

Régine, born and educated in Nantes, France, came to Maine as a teaching intern in the 1970s where she met her husband who became a diplomat. They embarked on an international life that took them to Iceland, Morocco, Switzerland, France and Bangladesh in addition to Washington, DC. While teaching for 35 years in International Schools and raising four bilingual, bicultural children, Régine did volunteer work in the slums of Morocco and Bangladesh, where she ran the UN Women's Association Welfare Program. She still helps Buddhist schools in Nepal and India, such as the Siddhartha School in Ladakh, India, where she started MWHS sponsoring of one of their students. It is no surprise that she established our International Exchange Program!

Susan has happily spent most of her life in the northeast, gradually making her way eastward from upstate New York to Maine. Following a corporate career in computer tech support, she began working her way into MCWS, managing the school store, volunteering in the classroom, serving as class parent, and assisting in the lower grades. These days you can find Susan at the high school, where she does a little bit of everything: office manager, registrar, athletics, transportation, and tech support. When she's away from school, Susan enjoys hiking, skiing, playing with her dog, and giving advice to her (grown) children.

Suzie is a native New Englander who knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a teacher.  During her first career, Suzie had a wide range of experience in the hospitality industry. She discovered a way to nurture her love of the outdoors by shifting from the sales department of the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston, to a management position supporting the back country huts for the Appalachian Mountain Club in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Marriage and motherhood brought Suzie to Maine, where her family grew to four children and many pets. Suzie readily admits her current career direction was inspired by the experiences of her four children, all educated at Maine Coast Waldorf School, from the early childhood program onward. Her own Waldorf faculty experience includes time as a volunteer, full time handwork instructor and classroom teacher.  Suzie loves to knit, swim and spend time with her family.

Tabitha grew up in Western Massachusetts in a mixture of both farmland and a tri-college area instilling in her the value of both being in touch with the land and a love of education. This background greatly influences her work with children. She has spent most of her career working with the Reggio Emilia philosophy, where the 100 languages of children are explored. Her love of the ocean drew her to Maine. In her spare time, she loves to do photography, paint and explore the coast with her family.

Beginning with her experience as a college senior interviewing prospective first year students, Whitney has spent more than two decades working with students as they make the transition from high school to college. She has worked as a college admissions officer, a high school counselor, and an independent counselor. She visits several dozen colleges each year and is always amazed by the diversity of higher education opportunities available in the United States and abroad. Whitney currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Higher Education Consultants Association.