Early-Childhood Teachers & Assistants
Grades Teachers & Assistants
Specialty Subject Teachers
Parent-Child Teacher & Marigold Nursery Teacher
Lori Hannigan
Ms. Lori is an experienced Waldorf early-childhood teacher who joined
the Sanderling Waldorf faculty from Hawaii, where she previously worked
at the Haleakala Waldorf School and ran her own Waldorf preschool,
Plumeria Playgarden. She studied at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair
Oaks, CA, and holds a master's degree in Art Therapy from the
University of Illinois.
Nursery Assistant
Hanna Pellegrino
Hanna, assistant in the Marigold Nursery, was born and
raised in Germany. She came to the United States in 1997. Hanna's
educational background includes a B.S. in Global Business Management
and Certificates in Homeopathy and the Bach Flower Essences. She is
currently participating in the Waldorf teacher-training program at the
Waldorf Institute of Southern California (WISC). Hanna lives in
Encinitas with her husband and two children. She enjoys spending time
with her family and friends, skiing, working in the garden, reading,
crafting and being at the beach.
Nursery/Kindergarten Teacher
Maxine Garcia
Maxine, who became the Rose
Nursery/Kindergarten class teacher in 2008, was born in Santa Fe, New
Mexico. She holds a B.A. in Visual Arts from the University of
California, San Diego, and brings her detailed, precise artistic eye to
each of the many projects she works on with the children throughout the
school year. After many years of volunteering in her own two children's
Waldorf schools, Maxine became a classroom specialty teacher in 2002,
teaching origami in Grades 1-3 at both the Journey School (a public
Waldorf charter) and at Sanderling Waldorf. She served as a Grades
Assistant at SWS from 2006-2008, and began her Waldorf-teacher training
in 2007.
Nursery/Kindergarten Teacher
Megumi Caverly
Megumi, Sanderling Waldorf School's Sweet Pea Nursery/Kindergarten teacher, was
born and grew up in Fukushima, Japan. She came to the United States in
1995 to study Anthroposophy and Waldorf education, graduating from
Rudolf Steiner College in 1999. Since then, she has taught in both
Japan and the U.S. Megumi is the mother of a first-grade boy, and loves
young children, singing and making things. She also describes herself
as a bookworm - in both English and Japanese.
Nursery/Kindergarten Assistant
Kacey Moe-Vu
Kacey, assistant in the Rose Nursery/Kindergarten, was born and raised in Southern California, and then
spent 18 years in Texas. In 2008,
Kacey and her family moved back to California to be closer to family, the ocean
and the beautiful weather. After
taking some time to settle into living in San Diego, Kacey decided to enroll in
the Waldorf Institute of Southern California (WISC). She’ll complete the WISC program in December 2012. In the meantime, Kacey enjoys spending
her free time with her husband and two children. She also likes to play soccer, swim, run, garden, sew, and read.
Nursery/Kindergarten Assistant & Aftercare Teacher
Charlotte Erickson
Charlotte
is the assistant in the Sweet Pea Nursery/Kindergarten, as well as the Aftercare teacher. She grew up in Encinitas,
where she spent her childhood days playing in the mud and at the
Swami's tidepools. Charlotte first learned of Waldorf education when
she worked as a babysitter for several families who sent their children
to Waldorf schools. This experience sparked a great passion for
education, which brought her to Emerson College, where she completed a
yearlong Orientation Program in anthroposophic studies. She later went
on to earn her B.A. in Education from Naropa University. Charlotte
worked at a Waldorf-inspired preschool in Boulder, CO before coming to
Sanderling Waldorf. She loves to create, which she expresses through
improvisational dance; singing; storytelling; felting; cooking and
painting. Charlotte is an avid gardener, ocean swimmer, and shakuhachi
flute player.
Grade 1 Teacher
Jason Gebeau
Mr. Gebeau joins Sanderling Waldorf School as the teacher
for the new 2010-11 First Grade class. He moved to Encinitas from
Northern California, where he lived while finishing his Waldorf
Teacher Training at Rudolf Steiner College. Mr. Gebeau loves music, and
has taught singing and performance for the past six years in various
Waldorf charter schools in Sebastopol, Sonoma and Flagstaff, AZ. He
studied voice and music education at Northern Arizona University and
pursued a career as an actor in New York City after graduating. Mr.
Gebeau is one of five children, all boys (sorry, Mom!); and grew up in
Bridgeport, CT, where he experienced a great childhood full of love and
support. He looks forward to the upcoming year, and to growing with the
children and the Sanderling Waldorf community.
Grade 2-3 Teacher
Melanie El-Ghoroury
Melanie was born
and raised in Freiburg, Germany. She is the mother of three boys, twins
Dylan & Dennis (10) and Tristan (13). She met her husband, Chuck, during a
year abroad in Julian, California. Melanie went to a teacher's college
for four years in Germany, and completed her Waldorf teacher training
in San Diego in 2005. Her educational background also includes Polarity
Therapy training; studies in astrology; and wilderness survival
training with Tom Brown, Jr. As a teenager, she was a competitive
track-and-field athlete specializing in heptathlons, and sports was one
of her university majors in Germany. Melanie loves sports and the
outdoors. She previously worked as a substitute teacher at Sanderling Waldorf
before joining the full-time faculty. She is fluent in German, French
and English.
Grade 4-5 Teacher
Lori Duckstad
Lori grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, where she learned to knit,
crochet and sew, and developed a love of working with her hands. She
has a Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy and a Master's Degree
in Counseling and Human Development. She worked in a variety of
social-service, school and hospital settings for 11 years, and
discovered Waldorf education when looking for a preschool for her
eldest daughter. Lori has her Waldorf Teacher Certificate and more than 10 years of experience as a Waldorf
teacher, working as a Class Teacher, Handwork teacher, Music teacher
and Classroom Assistant. She is the mother of Kelsey,
a college student, and Sarah, a junior-high student. Lori loves to read, travel
and do handwork in her spare time.
Eurythmy Teacher
Amy Schick
Amy completed her training in Eurythmy and Pedagogical Eurythmy at the
Eurythmy School in Spring Valley, New York and Emerson College in East
Sussex, England. She has been teaching Eurythmy since 1992 to students
in Nursery/Kindergarten through Grade 8. Amy has taught in the Waldorf
School of Santa Barbara, the San Diego Waldorf School and the Journey
School, and has been teaching at Sanderling Waldorf School since 1998.
German Teacher
Frau Stephanie McClure
Frau Stephanie has more than six years of Waldorf teaching experience
and blends the rigor of the German language with the Waldorf joy of
learning. She earned her M.A. in German Literature from the University
of Nevada, Reno. Frau Stephanie has lived in New York City, Delaware,
Switzerland, Utah, Germany, Canada, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Mexico,
Washington and California. She and her husband, Andy, live by the beach
in Carlsbad with their two daughters, 14-year-old Lauren and 7-year-old
Erin, who has Rett Syndrome. Stephanie enjoys yoga, cooking and walking
her dogs.
Spanish Teacher
Señora Vanessa Anderson
Señora Vanessa has worked in various
capacities at Sanderling Waldorf School for more than four years.
Spanish has been a part of her whole life, given her Latin American
heritage. She received a B.A. in Spanish and Communication from
Arizona State University, and is continuing her studies in Waldorf
education and pedagogy. She has a working background in elementary
education. Señora Vanessa and her husband moved to San Diego in
2005 from Willcox, AZ, where they both were raised.
Handwork Teacher
Thea Mason
Thea
Mason was born in an Indiana suburb of Chicago to two educators. Along
with her three sisters, she attended the only K-6 Montessori school in
the region. While she admired the philosophy of Maria Montessori, she
became interested in the history of and philosophies of
Rudolf Steiner, incorporating them into her parenting style and eventually enrolling her son at
Sanderling. Growing
up, Thea was happiest while exercising her body - through every
discipline from dance and sports, to needlework and macrame. Now as an
adult, she is grateful to have found two career paths perfectly suited
to her life's pursuits. She has been teaching
yoga,
both in private and public settings, for almost 10 years, and she is
thrilled to be into her first year as Sanderling Waldorf's Handwork
Teacher, having worked as the Handwork teacher's Assistant last year. Thea
and her partner Brian have three sons: 10-year-old Drake, 4-year-old
Ocean and 18-month-old Roanen.
Gardening & Games Teacher
Chuck El-Ghoroury
Chuck first began working with children in 1986 as a camp counselor at
Camp Stevens in Julian, CA. He spent the following summers on staff for
the summer camp programs, and in 1993 he made a three-year commitment
as an intern camp director. Chuck met his wife, Melanie, at Camp
Stevens. After completing his internship, Chuck moved with
Melanie to her homeland of Germany, where they lived for three
years. During that time, he worked on a biodynamic farm and learned all
about Waldorf education, anthroposophy and biodynamic
agriculture. Chuck, Melanie and their three sons later returned
to Julian to pioneer Volcan View Farm. In the summer of 2009, Chuck
participated in Waldorf Games/Movement training, and eagerly joins the
faculty as both the Gardening and Games teacher.