Early Childhood Education

Erica Maclennan, Childcare Manager

erica.maclennan@nelsonwaldorf.org

• Wynstones Steiner Kindergarten Teacher Training, Wynstones, Gloucester, England
• ECE Certificate, Fraser Valley College, Abbotsford, BC

Erica was born in Montreal, Quebec, the eldest of three girls. During her childhood, she lived in Quebec, California, and the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.  When she was thirteen, she gained three step-siblings and a baby sister – and her love for young children was born! She began studying Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy (Anthroposophy) at the age of eighteen and shortly thereafter she began her Kindergarten Teacher Training at the Wynstones Kindergarten in England. She went on to work with Waldorf-inspired childcare in the Fraser Valley and eventually came to the Nelson Waldorf School, where she was hired as a co-teacher for kindergarten. Since that time, Erica she has filled several roles in the school. She has also raised two sons and made journeys to faraway places.  In addition to being the Childcare Manager, lead educator, and mentor of the Childcare Centre at the Nelson Waldorf School, Erica is also a mentor/instructor for the West Coast Institute for Waldorf Teacher training in Duncan.

Maria Seeger Kindergarten Teacher, Bluebell

• B.A. (German), London University, London, England
• Waldorf Teacher Training, Stuttgart, Germany
• Classroom and Community Support Worker Diploma, Selkirk College, Castlegar, BC
• R.I.E. Level One, Los Angeles, California

Maria was born in Coventry, England, the youngest of three children. When she finished high school, she spent a year in Germany working in a Camphill village for adults with disabilities. Camphill villages were developed in accordance with Rudolf Steiner’s recommendations for handicapped people and they are often located near Waldorf Schools, which were also directed by Steiner’s work. Maria first discovered Steiner education, or Waldorf as we call it in North America, in England. After graduating from university, Maria spent three years in Camphill Village Botton in North Yorkshire, where she ran the coffee bar and worked in the weavery. Her interest in Waldorf education deepened, and she moved to Stuttgart, Germany to do her Waldorf teacher training. She emigrated to Canada with her husband and young son, and worked in a Camphill village in Ontario. The family then moved to Nelson so that their children, now numbering three, could attend the Nelson Waldorf School. Maria pursued further studies to enable her to be a support worker for adults with special needs. In 2000, she first joined the Kindergarten faculty at the Nelson Waldorf School. Her work allows her to nurture an on-going interest in the healthy development of the young child.

Gilia MacKay, Kindergarten Assistant, Bluebell

Gilia was born and raised in Nelson B.C. She grew up attending the Nelson Waldorf School from kindergarten to grade 8. It was while finishing high school she decided that she wanted to study Anthroposophy though unsure of which route to  take. Whether to go into Eurythmy, Biodynamics or Handwork were questions she asked herself while she went off fruit picking in the few summers after graduating from L.V.R. While still pondering which direction she wanted to go, she headed up north working for a catering company for a few years. After becoming homesick for her mountains she moved back to Nelson, began work in the kitchen of the Dam Restaurant and applied to to Rudolf Steiner College. Which lead her back to the lovely Nelson Waldorf School where she is thoroughly enjoying herself.

Yuka Fukada, Kindergarten Teacher, Sunflower

• B.A (Spanish), Mars Hill University, Mars Hill, NC
• M.A. (International Affairs), Ohio University, Athens, OH
• Waldorf Teacher Training, Eugene, Eugene, OR

Yuka was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. She grew up loving young children and flowers! A visit to the Honolulu Waldorf School when her first child was an infant touched her heart, and this began her journey into Waldorf Education. After taking her Waldorf teacher training in Eugene, she moved to Nelson with her family so that her children could attend NWS. Yuka worked in the grade 1 class as a co-teacher and as the teaching assistant. Yuka has taught music and recorder in the middle and upper grades and now joins the Early Years faculty. She appreciates the parent and collegial support in her daily work and feels deeply nourished by the privilege of working with young children, a pure and sacred experience. Yuka is the teacher of the Sunflower Kindergarten.

Tiffany Underwood, Kindergarten Assistant,  Sunflower

• ECE Assistant Diploma, Selkirk College, Castlegar, BC

Tiffany was born in Birmingham England, the youngest in her family, with two brothers. Her family immigrated to Ontario, Canada when she was five years old. She spent much of her childhood in Eastern Canada, with a year of travelling back to England to explore its beauty and visit family. On becoming a parent, she was captivated by the wonder and greatness of the young child, and spent much of her time in self-study raising her family. This was the birthing of not only her remarkable five children, but of her anthroposophic study and interest in Waldorf education. Being at home enabled her to homeschool her older boys before they moved into the nourishing environment of the Nelson Waldorf School community. She recalls the first time she came across the Nelson Waldorf School: she had been hiking and, after wandering the grounds, found herself at the Kinderhouse and declared, “This is where I need to work.” Not long afterwards, she had her practicum placement in the Marigold classroom and then found her perfect home in the Sunflower Kindergarten.

Elizabeth Cunningham, “Sweet Peas”

Elizabeth Cunningham and her husband, composer Doug Jamieson, followed their daughter’s family to the Kootenays four years ago to become actively involved grandparents of young Avalea and Sequoia.

When she is not with her lovely, lively granddaughters, Elizabeth is writing poetry , teaching art classes, singing in choirs, organizing concerts, exploring in the mountains, or taking photographs of Nature,  Nelsonites and community events.

She is very happy to be the new teacher for the “Sweet Peas,” Parent/Child programme, a role she thoroughly enjoyed at the Trillium and Halton Waldorf Schools in Ontario for many years where she also taught Kindergarten, grades one-four, and art and music classes.

Elizabeth holds a Master’s degree in Expressive Arts Therapy and Psychology. Her thesis and specialty is  in helping families with young children engage creatively and positively with a wide range of challenges.

Class 1 through 8

It is with great pleasure that we announce the hiring of our Class 1 teacher for September 2016.  Ms. Kathryn Loveday visited our school during the 2014- 2015 school year, shared her biography with teachers and did demonstration teaching in a number of classrooms.  There was a mutual feeling of affinity between Kathryn and the NWS faculty.  After a year of preparation she is now making the move from Ontario with her husband Rob and their two children.   Kathryn is an experienced and trained Waldorf teacher.  After completing her training at the Mi-chael  Institute in Portland she has been a class teacher in three countries and has worked with workshops and conferences in Canada, the United States, Mexico and India.  Kathryn completed her Master’s degree in Waldorf Education at Antioch University.  Kathryn is excited to be joining the faculty and community at the Nelson Waldorf School.  She takes up her Class 1 with the full intention of taking them to graduation in 8th grade!

Leah Vivian, Class 2 Teacher

• • B.A. (Sociology), Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario
  • Diploma of Education, Newcastle, Australia
  • Waldorf Teacher Training, West Coast Institute, Vancouver, BC (in progress)

Leah was born and raised in Bowmanville, Ontario where her elementary school years nourished her passion for art, outdoor recreation, and music. She always enjoyed school and knew that her path would take her into education. Her curiosity for the world and the people around her led Leah to pursue a degree in Sociology. Through her work as a literacy coach and math tutor, Leah realized that teaching was the path she was meant to follow and she subsequently earned her teaching diploma. She then became an outdoor Ranger in Whistler, B.C., supporting children through outdoor recreation activities. Leah moved to Nelson in 2013 and loved the strong sense of community she found here. She enjoys living in the mountains and gardening here. When Leah was first introduced to Waldorf Education and the Nelson Waldorf School, she knew immediately that this was the school for which she was searching.

Deborah Wilkins, Class 3 Teacher

• B.A. (Greco-Roman studies), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
• LLB, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
• Waldorf Teacher Training, Rudolf Steiner Centre, Toronto, Ontario
• Healing Education and Remedial Training, Toronto
• Spatial Dynamics Training, New York (in progress)

Deborah was born and raised in the greater Toronto area, the eldest of two children.  She loved school from day one and by sixth grade she knew her destiny was to be a teacher.  In those early years, a special great aunt taught her to knit and as she grew up, handcrafts became a solace amidst the on-going demands of life.  She practiced law for twelve years in Toronto before devoting her energy full-time to fibre arts.  She looked for a way to teach handcrafts to children and this introduced her to Waldorf Education.  Deborah brings into the classroom her love of fibre arts and her creative passion for teaching children.  Deborah comes to the Nelson Waldorf School with ten years of class teaching experience at the Waldorf Academy in Toronto and the Ottawa Waldorf School. 

Maggie Hodgson, Class 4 Teacher

Details to come.

 

 

 

 

Linda Mae Findlay, Class 5 Teacher

• B.A. (Drama and Philosophy) & B.Ed., University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Alberta
• Master of Education (Curriculum Studies), Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia
• Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Distance Education Technology, Athabasca University, Alberta
• Professional Development for Waldorf Teachers, Rudolf Steiner Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Linda Mae comes from a farming family in Saskatchewan.  She was born in Moose Jaw and eventually moved to Swift Current. From the time she was a small child, Linda Mae participated with her family in choirs and church groups.  She attended Simon Fraser University, and that is when she fell in love with British Columbia oceans and mountains.  She first taught in Merritt, B.C. and then, encouraged by her friends, she relocated in Nova Scotia and pursued her teaching career.  It was in Nova Scotia that she first encountered Biodynamic Gardening and Waldorf Education (Biodynamic Gardening, like Waldorf Education, is based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner).  Linda Mae moved to Nelson to be near her daughter and joined the faculty of the Nelson Waldorf School, fulfilling her dream of becoming a Waldorf teacher.  She is a member of the United Church choir and recorder ensemble, and instructs Taoist Tai Chi, a discipline she has pursued for over thirty years.  Linda Mae teaches the Class of 2020.

Celeste Guthrie, Class 6 Teacher

• B.A. (Philosophy), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario
• Waldorf Teacher Training, Rudolf Steiner Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Celeste was born and raised in Southern Ontario, where she was active in sports and theatre.  Her natural curiosity and love of ideas led her to study philosophy.  After graduation, Celeste moved to Guatemala where she worked in a centre for physically and mentally challenged youth.  It was in her next chapter of life, while living in Nelson, that Celeste learned about Waldorf education.  She was immediately drawn to the holistic curriculum, and the manner in which Waldorf pedagogy fosters a rich and intimate relationship between student, teacher and parents.  She completed the Waldorf Teacher Training in Toronto in 2005 and moved to |San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for her first Waldorf teaching position.  Celeste taught children from all over the world while in Mexico – first at a Waldorf school and later at a bi-lingual Junior and Senior high school.  Celeste returned to Canada with her daughter and soon after she joined the community of the Nelson Waldorf School as the Class Two teacher. Celeste teaches the Class of 2019. 

Marcelo Porto Goncalves, Class 8 Teacher

• B.Sc. (Applied Physics), York University, Toronto, Ontario
• Waldorf Teacher Training, Rudolf Steiner Centre, Toronto

Marcelo was born in Brazil and raised in a farming community near Brazil’s capital, Brasilia. There he learned to appreciate and care for nature in all of its beauty.   In 1992, his family made a life-changing decision to move to Toronto, Canada.  Marcelo obtained his university degree at York University, and then travelled to Europe and South America in search of adventure.  On his return to Toronto, he worked in jobs ranging from art teacher and academic tutor to sprinkler and cable technician.  Marcelo then discovered Waldorf education, a “medium” in which he could explore and share his passions for child education, art, music, science, and a love for the outdoors.   He completed his training and that same year, he took on the first grade teacher position at the Nelson Waldorf School.  He lives in Nelson with his wife and three young sons and is thrilled to be a part of this vibrant community.   Marcelo teaches the Class of 2017.

Specialty Teachers

Vanessa Kuran, Movement Education Teacher

• B.A. Leisure & Recreation (Outdoor Education) – University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
• Waldorf High School Teacher Training Certificate – Antioch University, New Hampshire, USA

Vanessa grew up in beautiful British Columbia near an awe-inspiring granite monolith called “The Chief” in Squamish.   She is the daughter of a Dutch mother and a Croatian father, and the youngest of five siblings.  Vanessa always wanted to be a teacher and began that journey teaching PE, Outdoor Education, and Environmental Education programs in her twenties.  Her discovery of Waldorf Education occurred while she was on a week-long hiking trip in the Cathedral Mountains near Keremeos, BC, where she met the Grade Nines from the North Vancouver Waldorf School.   While brushing their teeth together by the lake, engaged in rich conversation, Vanessa felt a true alignment with the students and eventually with their teacher.  From there she began her journey on the path of Waldorf education.  In her spare time Vanessa takes a strong interest in sports and outdoor activity alongside her partner, daughter and their two active dogs.  Vanessa is our Movement Education Teacher and teaches PE and Outdoor Education to the upper grades.

Karin Weidemann, Eurythmy Teacher

• M.A Sports, Movement Education, and Social Science), University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany
• Waldorf Teacher Training, Emerson College, England
• Bothmer Gymnastics training, England
• Eurythmy Teacher Training, School for the Art of Eurythmy, Hanover, Germany

Karin was raised on a farm near Hannover, Germany.  After high school, she studied Movement Education and Social Science in Augsburg, Germany. While visiting Canada, she taught Movement Education to students in Grades 5 to 12 in a Waldorf School: this was when she first encountered Waldorf pedagogy and its philosophy. A few weeks later she enrolled in the Waldorf Teacher training course at Emerson College, England. There she discovered her love for Eurythmy, a very specialized movement education involving music. After completing her Waldorf teacher training, she hoped to take the Eurythmy specialized training but destiny chose otherwise. For the next six years, she taught Kindergarten and Movement Education at the Michael Hall, Forest Row and Brighton Steiner schools in England.  During this time, she also pursued a 5-year in-service training in Bothmer Gymnastics, and gave birth to her first child. She then moved back to Germany, where she taught Grade One and Movement Education at the Freie Waldorf School in Hannover. Following the birth of her twin daughters, the family moved to the United States for two years.   Karin then returned to the family farm in Germany, where she worked as a therapist with children and horses. In 2001, Karin was finally able to do the Eurythmy training at the School for the Art of Eurythmy in Hannover, after which she taught Eurythmy at the Freie Waldorf School in Sorsum, and was part of the Eurythmy stage group in Hannover until she joined the Nelson Waldorf School in 2007. “My family and I are grateful to be here and to have found a place to belong.” Karin teaches Eurythmy.

Kathleen Neudorf, Music Teacher

• Masters of Art (Music), University of Alberta, Calgary, Alberta

Kathleen Neudorf is active in the Nelson community as a conductor, singer, teacher and vocal director.   After completing her degree in Music at the University of Alberta, she furthered her studies in England and Ireland.  Before moving to BC she sang professionally with Pro Coro Canada both as a soloist and as an ensemble member.  She now resides in Nelson, BC where she teaches privately as well as directs the children’s choir, Song Core, the Nelson Choral Society and the Cottonwood chamber choir. Kathleen also works with local elementary schools enhancing music programs. She vocally directed and sang in a number of Nelson productions including Sweeney Todd, Orpheus, and Marriage of Figaro and premiered in the role of Adrianna in Don MacDonald’s opera Khaos.  She has performed in concert as a soloist and with duet partner, Noemi Kiss.  Recently she joined forces with Noemi Kiss and Allison Girvan and together they sing in Ananta.   Kathleen teaches music in Classes 4-8.

Natasha Kraus, Handwork Teacher

• B.A. (Psychology and German), Guelph University, Guelph, Ontario
• Waldorf Teacher Training, Rudolf Steiner Center, Thornhill, Ontario

Natasha Kraus was born in Parry Sound, Ontario.  She completed her degree and then worked as a Child Care Worker in Germany and in Toronto.   Natasha was first introduced to Waldorf Education by one of her professors.   Natasha had always wanted to be a teacher and when she visited the Toronto Waldorf School it was “love at first sight.”   Within the year she had enrolled in the first Waldorf Teacher Training Course offered at the Rudolf Steiner Center in Thornhill, Ontario.   Natasha then taught in Toronto, Halton and Nelson, graduating several classes before becoming the Handwork Teacher.  Natasha’s love of handwork began at an early age when her grandmother taught her to knit. Natasha now shares her passion for all aspects of the handwork curriculum with her students.  Natasha lives in Nelson with her partner and two daughters who are both graduates of the Nelson Waldorf School.   Natasha teaches Handwork in Classes 1-8.

Vincent Deslauriers, French teacher

• B.A.(Multidisciplinary studies), Laval Université, Québec City, PQ

Vincent was born in Quebec City. At an early age he engaged in music, theatre, sports and outside activities.  At three years of age, he began travel throughout Canada, the United States and Europe. As an adult, travelling became a passion for him as he visited more than twenty countries spending many months in France, Morocco and India. These adventures gave him the love of poetry and fiction writing that he still nourishes today. He was a journalism high school teacher in Québec and a French teacher in the “Explore” program for four years. For two years he toured  Québec with a nomad exhibit, Démocratie en route, met over 25,000 students in over forty schools, gaining much experience in the classrooms. He worked with a youth empowerment organization, was an adviser on social innovation on a ministry council and gave conferences on citizen engagement to raise awareness about the importance of getting involved in the community.  He moved to Nelson with his family so his wife could study at the Kutenai Art Therapy Institute. These studies are very important for him, as he considers art a powerful tool for healing and peace making. Vincent teaches French in Classes 1-8.

Administration

Fernando Murray Loureiro, Community Development Director

fernando.loureiro@nelsonwaldorf.org

Fernando was born in Brazil and studied at the School of Fine Arts at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (EBA – UFRJ) from 1994 to 1998. As a graphic designer, he worked 10 years in marketing agencies and graphic design studios. Around 2000 he started a new career in human and organizational development, working with pioneering outdoor education companies based in Brazil. With a long time enthusiasm for rock climbing and mountaineering, between 2001 and 2006 Fernando worked at Outward Bound Brazil as Instructor and Facilitator in Professional Development Programs. Connected with Waldorf Education since 2007, Fernando brings his experience as Waldorf Parent, Board Member and Organizational Consultant. Living with his family in Nelson since 2013, Fernando graduated in 2016 with a Interdisciplinary Diploma of Peace Studies & Business Administration at Selkirk College.

 

John Leishman, Interim Business Director

 john.leishman@nelsonwaldorf.org