Waldorf Saratoga: Early Childhood

Faculty and Administration

Stephen Balmer joined the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs in 2000, after completing his Waldorf teacher training. He was an English teacher from 1980 to 1983 before acquiring a J.D. in Jurisprudence from SUNY Buffalo in 1987. A practitioner of law from 1987 to 1999, Steve now teaches high school humanities.

Colin Boyd joined the Waldorf School in 2006 as a guest instructor and became part of the school as a full time faculty member in 2009. Colin teaches practical arts and a few fine arts classes in the high school and lower school. Previously, Colin has taught art at SUNY Albany, The College of St. Rose and Hamilton College. He holds a Masters of Fine Arts from the University at Albany (2008).

Holly Brashares studied Languages, Art, and Education at Indiana University, then moved to New Zealand, where she received her Waldorf Teacher Certification. She holds training certificates in Eurythmy, Pedagogical Eurythmy, and Therapeutic Eurythmy, and has been the middle and high school Eurythmy teacher since 1996.

Inger Capalbo - WSSS Registrar. She has worked in a variety of educational settings as an educator, administratively and as a counselor, both on a local and international level. Inger has been involved with the Waldorf School in different capacities since 1996, and re-joined our staff in October 2011. She holds a B.S. in Social Education from Uppsala Universitet.

Mandy Carlson was a Rotary exchange student to Helsinki, Finland before completing her undergraduate degree from West Virginia University. She holds a Masters Degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management from Clemson University as well as a Masters of Arts in Teaching from the University of South Carolina. Before joining WSSS in 2008, some of her jobs included freelance consulting with a textbook company and teaching in a rural public school in Illinois. Mandy completed her Waldorf Early Childhood Education training at Sunbridge College in June, 2010. She is the four day preschool teacher.

Karen Crandall returned to us in December 2006 as the class teacher for the class of 2016. Karen has taught previously at WSSS, having led a class from grades 1 through 8 (1992-2001). In the interim, she had served as a Lead Family Educator for the Head Start Program. Karen holds a Master of Science in Education degree from Sunbridge College and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pennsylvania State University.

Lisa Daigle graduated from The University of New England in 1984 with a B.S. in Physical Therapy. She worked in that field for the next 12 years. Lisa has worked for the school in various capacities since 1992. She is now our Lower School Office and Facilities Manager.

Michael D'Aleo was a co-founder of the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs high school, where he teaches physical sciences and mathematics. A former engineer, Michael lectures widely on the topics of science and education and co-authored the book "Sensible Physics," a teaching guide for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade educators.

Sigrid D'Aleo was born and raised in the mountains of Austria, but completed her Waldorf training in the United States, at Sunbridge College. She has been teaching in our Early Childhood Program since 1998, and as a lead teacher since 2000. She is currently co-teaching our mixed-ages Forest Kindergarten program.

Susan Dent is our Eurythmy teacher for grades 1-6. She joined us in the 2011-2012 school year. Susan earned her Bachelor's degree in Environmental studies and then went on to study Waldorf Education and Eurythmy. She has taught Eurythmy in Pennsylvania and has spent the last five years working in a Anthroposophical community.

Amy Desmond is our Early Childhood Center Aftercare coordinator. She also assists in our two-year old preschool class. (Biographical information to come)

Deborah Frahme has served as our Lower School strings instructor since 2005. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam.

Richard Fron has served as a Waldorf class teacher as well as a Waldorf music teacher. He studied music at Oberlin Conservatory and Boston University, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree. He is the Music Program director for WSSS, and also leads the middle and high school orchestra programs.

Irene Gilb has been teaching German in our high school since January 2009. She attended Sant Bani School, a small independent school with Waldorf ties in rural New Hampshire. She studied Music and German at Skidmore College. In addition to teaching German, Irene accompanies the Chorus on piano and assists the Handwork teacher.

Jessalyn Hall joined the WSSS Lower School faculty in September, 2009 as our then grade 5 teacher. She had previously spent three years teaching at a Waldorf charter school in Phoenix. Jessalyn has completed her Masters of Science in Waldorf Education from Sunbridge College.

Katie Hooper received a Bachelor of Music degree from Ohio Wesleyan University, and also studied at The Cummington School of the Arts in western Massachusetts. She has been a Suzuki piano teacher for twenty-six years and has taught choral music at WSSS since our high school began.

Patricia Hrebenach joined the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs in 2008 as our lower school french teacher. Patricia brings with her 7 years of teaching experience in the public and private school area as well 10 years of French/English and English/French translation work. Patricia holds a B.S. in Water Resources Management from the University of Maryland as well as Graduate course work in French Studies from the University at Albany.

Gina Gutierrez Karp graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1986 with a joint degree in English and Anthropology. She taught widely in public school settings (including ESL) before attaining a Masters degree in Waldorf Education from Antioch College. Gina joined the WSSS faculty in 2004 as a class teacher.

Marc Largie joined our Faculty in October 2011 to teach movement and games to grades 1-12, as well as leading our afterschool sports program. Marc has a degree in Recreology as well as Physical and Health Education. He has also received training in Spacial Dynamics.

Cindy Litts holds a B.S. in Nursing from Syracuse University and an MSN in Maternal-Child Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh; before joining WSSS, she worked as a nurse in a pre-school setting. She began the school's satellite pre-school program in Vischer Ferry in 1999 as well a one of the founding parents of the first 1st grade, and has been teaching preschool at the Early Childhood Center in Saratoga Springs since 2005.

Carly Lynn is presently teaching our mixed age Forest Kindergarten, having joined our school in 2005. She did her undergraduate work at SUNY Potsdam in K-6 education, and has her Masters degree in Waldorf Early Childhood Education from Sunbridge College.

Nellie Lovenduski joined our High School Faculty as a mathematics teacher in the fall of 2009. She taught Mathematics in public schools for 5 years and comes to us with a BA in both Mathematics and Secondary Education as well as a Masters Degree in Education from SUNY Potsdam. Nellie has completed the Wilderness Education Association Leadership training and has taught and led backcountry camping including wintercamping, canoeing, orienteering and biking trips. She is currently enrolled in a Waldorf teacher training program.

Joshua Lytle, a native of Saratoga Springs, teaches humanities courses in the high school. He has a degree in Philosophy and Creative Writing from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and spent several years teaching English in Japan before coming to WSSS. He has completed his certification in Waldorf High School Education with the Center for Anthroposophy in Wilton, NH.

Anne Maguire graduated from the University of Virginia with Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She practiced at the University of Virginia Hospital as a Pediatric Cardiology Nurse Clinician until moving to Saratoga Springs in 1989. Anne began working in the Admissions Office at the Waldorf School in September of 2007.

Mary Maschal joined our Early Childhood faculty in 2008 and comes to us from the Eugene Waldorf School (EWS) in Eugene, OR where she served as an assistant teacher in their Kindergarten. Mary completed her Waldorf Teacher Certification there in 2006. She also holds a B.A. in Women's Studies from San Diego State Univeristy. Prior to her work at EWS, Mary worked in both public education and the non-profit arena. She is our current teacher in the Rose Garden Kindergarten at the Early Childhood Center on Lake Avenue.

Sarah Mercier - Sarah joined our Administrative staff in autumn, 2009 as High School Office Manager and Development Assistant. Sarah graduated from Empire State College with a Bachelors of Science degree in Human Development and brings with her 13 years of office administration experience.

Sydney Morrell has taught French at WSSS since 2002, and formerly taught at the Waldorf School of Princeton. She received a B.A. in 1982 in French and Italian Literature from London University (Royal Holloway College), and has also directed and taught at Foreign Language Conferences for the Waldorf Teacher Education Center at Sunbridge College. She is currently teaching French in our High School.

Julie Niles joined WSSS in 2010 as our Business Manager. She holds a BA in Liberal Arts from Hamilton College and previously worked as the Managing Editor of a Dow Jones Financial newswire in Washington, D.C. After taking time off to raise her family, she worked as a bookkeeper for a local law firm and now co-owns a business with her husband, Mark in addition to her duties at WSSS.

Astrea Ravenstar has worked as a massage therapist since 2000. She has practiced and taught many forms of healing arts including Reiki, Shamanic Healing and Craniosacral Therapy with adults and children. She completed her Waldorf Teacher training in 2009 and holds a BA from Empire State College in Cultural Studies with an emphasis on creative writing. Astrea joined the Waldorf School in 2009 as a class teacher.

Abigail Reid holds a B.A. from Skidmore College, graduating in 1978 and completed her Waldorf teacher training in 2001. In the early years of WSSS, she assisted in the Early Childhood Programs. She is currently a class teacher, having ushered her first class through the Eighth grade in the spring of 2010.

Mary Roberts was trained in Art Education at the State University of New York at New Paltz, and she has done graduate work at St. Rose College, SUNY Albany, and Skidmore College, with an emphasis in fiber arts. Prior to coming to WSSS, she taught art in the public schools. She now teaches painting in various classes in the Lower School and in the High School.

Brian Ruel joined the WSSS as the class 2 teacher in September 2007. Brian completed his Waldorf teacher training at Antioch University in New Hampshire and has taught in the early grades at Waldorf Schools in Maine, Washington State, and Oregon. Most recently, he has taught grades 2-5 at the Canterbury Steiner School in Kent, England.

Elizabeth Sabatella joined WSSS in the 2011-2012 school year as our first grade teacher. She earned a Bachelor's degree in History from Wilkes University and an Education Degree from Old Dominion University. She taught in the public school setting for a number of years before returning to her hometown of Saratoga Springs. She assisted in the WSSS Early Childhood Program and then went on to receive her Waldorf Teaching Certificate from Antioch University.

Katherine Scharff has reaped the rewards of a Waldorf education, having graduated from the Green Meadow Waldorf School in 1979. She is a registered nurse. Since 2003 she has served on the WSSS Board of Directors; in 2005 she was appointed Administrative Manager. Katherine has also taught Waldorf curricula in parent-child classes and home school settings, including teaching the 2-year-old program at WSSS. She has completed the Sophia's Hearth training, receiving a certification to work with infants through age three.

Linda Stallard holds a B.S. in Health and Physical Sciences from the University of Wisconsin (1986). She has worked in a variety of educational settings, including the High Mowing Waldorf High School, where, among other things, she served as a dorm counselor. She has been working in the WSSS aftercare program since 2002, and is currently the Lower School Aftercare Coordinator.

Scott Stewart holds B.S. in Elementary Education and a B.S. in Physical Education from Cortland College. Scott completed his Masters of Science in Waldorf Education at Sunbridge College. Scott has worked with children in educational, athletic and camp settings since 1994. He has also worked on bio-dynamic Duryea Farm teaching farming and nature studies to public school children. Scott joined WSSS in the autumn of 2008 taking a new first-grade class.

Christa Therrien is our Handwork teacher for grades 1-8. She joined the faculty in the 2011-2012 school year. Christa earned her Master's Degree in Waldorf Education from Antioch University. She has over 10 years of Waldorf teaching experience as an early childhood and class teacher.

Diane Tribley has been with WSSS since its inception in 1981, when her daughter was in our very first preschool class. In the past 27 years, Diane has worn many hats at our school, working as a teacher's aide, co-teacher, business manager and office support person.

Brian Ward is our Director of Community Outreach and Development as well as the director of our after school athletic program. He joined our administration on a full-time basis in the 2011-2012 school year. (Biographical information to come.)

Cynthia Wright holds a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts, magna cum laude, from Houghton College, and a Masters in Arts Education from the University of Illinois. She taught public and private students for 18 years prior to coming to WSSS. Cynthia is one of the founding parents of the Northern Lights School in the Adirondacks. A painter, sculptor, and puppet maker, she completed her Waldorf Teacher training certification from the Center for Anthroposophy in Wilton, NH. She teaches Fine Arts and is our Guidance Coordinator.

Jan Zemba has been teaching in Waldorf High Schools for the last nine years. She holds a doctorate in ocean physics from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Jan is experienced as a physical oceanographer and is also an accomplished musician. Currently, she teaches mathematics, science and music in the WSSS middle and high schools.

2011-2012 High School Guest Teachers

Joshua Chambers is teaching the 10th and 12th grade playblocks. He holds a Masters in Fine Arts in Directing for Theater from the California Institute of the Arts and has been a director and composer for multiple Theater departments and companies.

Lisa Damian is teaching two Biological Science blocks at WSSS this year. She has over 19 years of experience teaching science in Waldorf high schools and was a founding faculty member of the Emerson Waldorf High School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She holds a B.S. in Biology and Environmental Science and is certified in Spatial Dynamics and Bothmer Gymnastics.

Christine Whelan is teaching the 10th grade Chemistry block this year. She graduated from St. Michael's College with a BS in Biology. Christine has worked in the pharmaceutical industry as both a chemist and molecular biologist. She is also a graduate of the Waldorf High School teacher training program in Wilton, NH.

Support Staff

Elizabeth Barrett - Early Childhood Assistant

Kathleen Brown - Early Childhood Assistant

Nadine Canino - Early Childhood Assistant

Donald Capalbo - Maintenance

Melinda Fuller - Aftercare

Steve Galucci - Lower School Eurythmy Accompanist

Rebecca Johnson - Early Childhood Assistant

Lucy Krieger - Eurythmy Accompanist

Hannah Redman - Handwork Assistant

Jessica Schwerd - Firefly School Store Manager

Beth Van de Water - Administrative Assistant

Ayshea Wild - Handwork Assistant

Education & Faculty

Faculty and Administration