ROLAND BARIL, Dean of Education and Eighth Grade Teacher

Roland was a class teacher for 15 years at the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs in NY. He took one class from grade 1-8, and another from grade 1-7. During this time he served as Faculty Chair, College Chair, and as a member of the Board of Trustees. Roland served three years on the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America's Leadership Council as Representative of the Mid-Atlantic Region of Waldorf Schools. In 2007, Roland returned to his native Sonoma County to serve as the Lower School Coordinator at Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm in Santa Rosa, where he facilitated a very popular bi-weekly Father's Study Group for three years, and frequently lectured on Waldorf education in the community. Roland earned his bachelor's degree in American History, magna cum laude, from Sonoma State University, went on to complete a two-year master's program in Waldorf Education at Sunbridge College in NY, and is a graduate of a five-year training in Spacial Dynamics. Roland is the parent of two sons who completed preschool through 12th grade in Waldorf education. His interests include cooking, hiking, various sports, guitar and singing.


MARCY SUMMERS, Preschool Director

Marcy Summers was born in Oakland, California and grew up in La Jolla, California. She received her BA in Comparative Literature from United States International University and spent part of her college years in England. Five years later she returned to England where she studied Waldorf education at Emerson College. Returning to California, she completed her training at Rudolf Steiner College.  Marcy joined the newly founded San Francisco Waldorf School as a kindergarten teacher where she taught five years. She received her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Pacific Oaks College and went on to teach kindergarten at the Marin Waldorf School for nine years. For the past seven years Marcy taught in the kindergarten program at Greenwood. In September 2010, she opened Greenwood ’s new Preschool Program, now in it's second year.

JEMMA TURNER, Preschool Teacher

Jemma was born in Provo, Utah and grew up in Northern and Southern California. She received her BA from San Francisco State University in international relations. Some of her college years were spent at the University of Hawaii and the International School of UNAM in Mexico City. Jemma had a career in the business world working in marketing and advertising in San Francisco. She transitioned from business into the political arena for a few years as a fundraiser. During this period she spent a great deal of time in Greece. In 1995 she enrolled in the Waldorf teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College. That same year she began working at the Marin Waldorf School (MWS), where she spent 12 years in various capacities. Most of her teaching was in kindergarten, working with Marcy Summers and Peggy Rock, and during her last three years she established the preschool program for MWS. Jemma's first two years at Greenwood School were in the position of Robin's kindergarten assistant teacher. In the 2010-2011 school year, Jemma joined Marcy assisting at the preschool.

Karla Wood was raised in beautiful Juneau, Alaska with seasons of outdoor experience on land and water. She attended Humboldt State University studying Marine Science, Art, Theatre, Literature, and Native American Studies. She graduated with a B.A. in English Literature and many unofficial minors. During this first phase of her life, she was greatly influenced by her travels to Europe and Asia, and her experience in nature. While researching children’s education in various countries through which she traveled, Karla encountered Waldorf education through friends. When she settled in San Francisco in 1994, she was delighted to find the Waldorf Teachers Training at the San Francisco Waldrof School and graduated with a teacher’s certificate.
Karla is delighted to join her Preschool colleagues, guiding the children in the KinderCare Program. She brings with her 12 years of Waldorf Kindercare teaching, and a love for the development of the young child.

Peggy Rock hails from suburban Chicago and a “Prairie Home Companion” like background. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in secondary education, then studied mime and various other performing arts, eventually settling in the Bay Area with her husband. While living here, she has performed in assorted dramas, musicals, and singing ensembles. It was her son, now 29, who brought her to Waldorf education. Her 22-year-old daughter was a Waldorf student from kindergarten through junior year. Peggy has worked with young children for over 20 years, providing in-home daycare, parent co-op participation, and teaching in several Bay Area Waldorf schools. She has trained kindergarten teachers at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training, and served on the boards of the Marin Waldorf School and the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. She now serves on the Greenwood School board. As she heads into her senenth year of teaching at Greenwood, Peggy feels blessed to be working with a talented and mature faculty and staff and an enthusiastic and informed parent body.

CLAUDIA NORTH, Kindergarten Assistant and Sparrows Nest Teacher

Claudia was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada. She studied psychology and theater and received her BA in theater arts from Sonoma State University. Soon after graduation, Claudia became a member/owner of Rainbow Grocery Collective in San Francisco for six and a half years. It was during this time that she began studying Waldorf education, completing her Waldorf Teacher training at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2003. During the last two years of training she assisted in the kindergarten after= school program at San Francisco Waldorf School. After graduating from the training she was an assistant teacher for one year at the Mountain School, a Waldorf-inspired preschool, before coming to Greenwood in 2004. For Claudia, it has been a great honor and privilege working as the assistant teacher in the Meadow Lark kindergarten with Peggy Rock for their sixth year together.

KARINA HAEDO, 1st Grade

A teacher for 12 years, Karina's love for education began when she assisted in a school for children with behavioral and learning challenges. After being a class teacher at Green Meadow Waldorf School, Karina took a hiatus from teaching to have her son and spend a year in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Upon returning to New York, she resumed class teaching. Karina has a B.A., Magna Cum Laude, Liberal Studies from Oberlin College and Purchase College, Waldorf Teacher Training, Sunbridge College; and a Master's Education, Waldorf Remedial Education from Sunbridge College. Karina is a member of the Association for Healing Education, a certified mediator and a N.Y. state outdoor educator. She is an avid traveler, reader and SCUBA diver. Karina is proud to be a Waldorf alumni, teacher and parent of three children.



SEASON PETERING,  2nd Grade

Season Petering was educated in Waldorf schools, kindergarten through 12th grade and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Iowa. She completed Waldorf teacher training and a Master’s degree in Waldorf Remedial Education at Sunbridge College in New York. As a teacher, Season has six years of Waldorf class teaching experience. She taught for two years in 2nd and 3rd grade at the Princeton Waldorf School in New Jersey. Most recently, she has worked as the 1st-4th grade class teacher at the Live Oak Waldorf Charter School in Petaluma California. As a former Waldorf student herself, Season has a deep understanding of the methods and goals of the curriculum, in theory and practice. She brings vitality and a sense of joy into the classroom, skillfulness with the curriculum, a love of storytelling, singing, and the classroom arts, and good classroom management.

MELISSA SACKETT, 3rd Grade

Melissa is an experienced Waldorf teacher, is completing her Master's degree in Waldorf education, and most recently has taught first and second grades in a Waldorf school in Minnesota. She has a Master's in Education and classroom experience in public and private schools, both here and overseas where she spent six months student teaching in a fourth grade in New Delhi, India. An accomplished musician, Melissa began playing classical piano as a young child, and later studied voice, singing and touring with the St. Olaf Choir. At the age of 12 Melissa took what she calls a life-changing trip to Nicaragua with her father. She traveled extensively throughout her life that inspires her to bring a global understanding to her teaching. Melissa knows that engaged relationships with the class helps her teach to individual learning levels and styles, and understands that true learning happens when it is internally motivated. 


BRETON NICHOLSON, 4th Grade

Breton is a trained, certified Waldorf teacher and completing his Master's degree in Waldorf Education. Mr. Nicholson has been working at Rudolf Steiner College on the Accreditation committee and managing the Housing department, as well as being a Co-teacher in the High School Drama Summer Program and tutoring international students. Prior to entering the teacher training, Breton has worked as a marketing specialist for legal consulting firms, and marketing director and camp co-director of uCamps, a weeklong camping experience that combines nature, arts and drama. Mr. Nicholson taught drama to hundreds of children and performed classroom outreach at more than 50 Bay Area schools. Breton understands that educational rigor not only gives children a sense of accomplishment and a growing relationship to the world, it also develops their capacity to overcome perceived limitations in all areas of life.


DOUGLAS STRUBLE, 5th Grade

Douglas Struble is an energetic and creative teacher who brings warmth and a sense of adventure into the classroom. He has a love for storytelling, poetry, drawing, painting, and the visual arts. Douglas earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of California at Davis in 2002. From 2005-2007 he worked as the Enrollment Director of the Waldorf School of the Peninsula. He completed Waldorf teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College in 2006. Since 2007 he has worked as the Woodwork Teacher and Main Lesson Substitute Teacher in grades 3-8 at the Live Oak Waldorf School in Meadow Vista, California. During these years Douglas also worked as the assistant manager of his family’s farm in Loomis, California. Douglas’s experience growing up on a working farm gives him a special affinity with Greenwood’s Nature and Environmental Studies Program, which seeks to awaken a deeper relationship to the natural world.

DORY RINDGE, 6th Grade

 As an enthusiastic Waldorf educator, painter and biodynamic advocate, Dory is eager to meet new challenges. Dory was born in the Great Lakes region and made her way to California as a teen to pursue her life-long education in visual art. She received her B.A. from California State University, Northridge in Los Angeles and her Waldorf teaching credential from the Waldorf Institute of Southern California. She has taught in Waldorf schools for over 14 years and brings her love of the art of teaching and the growing child to Greenwood School.

 JOLENE JACKSON, 7th Grade

Jolene joined the Greenwood School faculty with 13 years of experience as a Waldorf class teacher at the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School, a K-12th grade school in New York. Jolene earned her masters in Waldorf education from Antioch College and her BS in music education from New York University. She is also a certified music and elementary school teacher. Over her years as a teacher, she has not only provided a solid academic curriculum in the areas of math, language arts, history, and the sciences, but has also developed a flair for drawing, choral and instrumental music, speech, and drama. Her involvement in the life of the school has included educational support for diverse learners, mentoring young teachers, developing curriculum standards, and participation on the school’s finance committee and board of trustees. Jolene is a resourceful and innovative educator who has a deep understanding and enthusiasm for the philosophy and methods of Waldorf education.


GREENWOOD SCHOOL'S SPECIALTY TEACHERS

Lisa’s roots as a naturalist began as a child exploring forests near her home in Massachusetts and observing marine life in the Aegean Sea in northern Greece. After graduating from Connecticut College in 1988 with a BA in human ecology, she moved to the Bay Area and for the past 21 years has worked as a teacher-naturalist and program director for several environmental education programs. Her experience includes seven years at Ocean Song Farm and Wilderness Center, where she has developed and taught organic gardening and farm animal programs, facilitated ropes courses, directed Ocean Song’s summer education programs, and received grants from the California Coastal Conservancy to create a watershed education program. As a watershed science instructor for Circuit Rider Productions' education program, she led high school students in watershed education and restoration projects throughout Sonoma County. From August 2004 to December 2005, she taught 4th and 5th grade at American Pacific International School in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where she integrated nature and science studies into her classroom teaching. Through exploring, observing, studying, playing, storytelling, singing, and creative arts, Lisa loves creating opportunities for people of all ages to deepen their relationships with nature and each other.

Jing graduated from the University of Beijing with a degree in Chinese literature and started her working career as a journalist/writer. She also earned a second language teaching certificate. After coming to America, Jing began teaching Mandarin. She joined the Greenwood School faculty in the fall of 2008, and will continue teaching Mandarin. Jing loves teaching, and her lessons are energetic, filled with games and songs, as she believes learning should be fun and joyful for children.

Danielle Delario first began her language-teaching career as an English teacher in Quito, Ecuador, where she taught both children and adults.  After having graduated from college with a BA in Spanish and a minor in Art History, she traveled to Quito to do an internship at an art museum.  When her internship ended, along with teaching, she volunteered with underprivileged Ecuadorian children as a tutor at a local non-profit.  Even after her years and years of being a Spanish student, Danielle (or in Spanish “Daniela”), felt she didn’t truly achieve fluency until that valuable year of living and working fully immersed in the Spanish language and Latino culture.  She learned to speak Spanish without an accent and has been able to pass as Latina even though Spanish is one language none of her ancestors spoke!  Danielle came to Waldorf education seven years ago through a Roots and Shoots class she attended with her oldest son.  She has loved the Waldorf teacher training classes she has attended at the Center for Educational Renewal in Santa Rosa.  Danielle also teaches Spanish at Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm in Santa Rosa where her two boys, ages 5 and 9 years old, both attend school.  She comes to Greenwood ready to share with her students the many ways she feels a second language is most easily acquired: through stories, songs, poems, role plays and games, lots of repetition and fun!  

Jane is a Waldorf-trained teacher who worked at the Santa Cruz, Highland Hall, and Santa Monica Waldorf Schools for 15 years. During her years as a Waldorf teacher, she developed a deep interest in educational therapy and began training in special education. She worked as a resource specialist at the Twin Ridges School District, at schools in Napa, Sonoma, and Sacramento, where she underwent additional trainings in special education. For seven years she provided educational therapy for special education students in the Sonoma County School District, and was a consultant to schools and school districts in Northern California, providing assessments, screenings, IEP consultations, and training workshops. In addition, during these years, Jane has been active in a private therapeutic practice for children with multiple academic, social, behavioral, and sensory integration challenges. She has a number of specialized trainings including: Lindamood-Bell Phonemic Awareness Program; multisensory math support programs; numerous reading programs; Handwriting without Tears Sensory Integration Program; autistic spectrum disorder and ADHD interventions; social skills training; advanced writing programs; and Waldorf movement and artistic modalities. Jane has taught social integration and conflict resolution workshops at a number of schools in Northern California. Jane’s training and experience in Waldorf education and special education make her uniquely qualified to develop the Learning Support Program at Greenwood.

EDITH SZENDREY, Orchestra Teacher

Edith grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia and graduated with a B. Mus. from the University of British Columbia in both violin and viola, with a minor in fine arts. She has been a member of many local orchestras and has concertized around the United States. Edith also led the East Bay Waldorf School music program and taught choral and instrumental music for the past eleven years. She worked with students in 4th-12th grades in string classes, recorder ensembles, and choral and orchestra groups. She recently completed her second year of Waldorf teacher training at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training.

TESS McGINLEY, Games and Movement Teacher

Tess McGinley grew up in Huntington Beach as part of a large extended family. Family time was spent camping and in the outdoors. She graduated from California State University at Long Beach with a BA in Liberal Arts/Comparative Literature. When she moved to the Bay Area with her 2 daughters she completed the Waldorf teacher training. At San Francisco Waldorf School, she was a class teacher (4th-8th) then a movement teacher for 8 years. It was her love of movement, sports and outdoor education that led her to the five year Spacial Dynamics training from which she graduated. Tess joined Greenwood's faculty in 2009 and now teaches 1-8th grade movement.

JULIE HANFT, Nature and Environmental Studies Teacher

Julie enjoyed a childhood spent outdoors and loves to guide today's children in their explorations in nature with her diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Barnard College with a BA in art history and the University of Miami Law School, she worked as a federal law clerk and commercial litigator until the birth of her son Eli in 2002. Coursework in College of Marin's Natural History Program, Dominican University's Sustainable Practices Program and with the Environmental Forum of Marin inspired her to renew her connection to the land through social entrepreneurship. She has since devoted her energies to creating alternatives for people that are regenerative to the Earth. Julie is a founder of the Marin Open Garden Project, which sponsors weekly exchanges of backyard produce, harvesting of fruit trees for organizations serving people in need and installation of raised bed gardens. Julie guides Marin children in afterschool and summer camp explorations of nature with a focus on restoration projects with GreenPlay, which she also founded. She is also a volunteer docent at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center in Tiburon and works with the Hungry Owl Project to increase nesting sites for beneficial predators (owls, insect-eating songbirds, and bats) and decrease reliance on chemical control.