Directory

First Points of Contact

Director of Admissions

Robyn Coe

Hello and welcome to BWS! As chief welcome officer, my role is to help families find, fall in love with and oftentimes relocate to this lovely, established Waldorf school for toddlers through teenagers in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, the unceded homeland of the Mohican Nation. I received my MA in writing from New York University, where I was a fellow under poet Galway Kinnell, and my BA in writing from Agnes Scott College in Atlanta. You'll find me supporting the school's mission through communications, advertising, web copy, social media, events and outreach that hopefully anticipate and answer caregivers' questions. Originally from Oklahoma, I co-founded the BWS DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Committee with parent Anna White in 2016. As an enrolled member and international ambassador of the Chickasaw Nation, I am passionate about building bridges of understanding and empathy to create welcome and belonging for all families.

Community Lead and Director of Enrollment

Renée Far

enrollment@berkshirewaldorfschool.org

Ms. Far has demonstrated her leadership during the past year as the Director of Enrollment, developing more robust systems for securing our enrollment targets early, and partnering with families to sustain their commitment to the school. Ms. Far has demonstrated her capacity for partnership on the Admissions and Enrollment team, in addition to serving as the administrative coordinator for Early Childhood. Ms. Far is a trained Waldorf teacher, and has several years’ experience working in our business office, which uniquely qualifies her to help guide the creation of this leadership model with an understanding of the points of intersection between our threefold system. Ms. Far is a member of the DEI Committee and thinks critically about the role of the school in responding to our collective social mission.

Learn more about our Leadership Team

Registrar

Philip Ormanovich

registrar@berkshirewaldorfschool.org

Front Desk/Receptionist

Ruth Callahan

Leadership Team

Operations Lead

Kendra Smallwood

Ms. Smallwood joins our school after holding a key leadership position in administration and operations at Stanton House, a residency program for diverse adults inspired by Camphill Communities. At Stanton Home, Ms. Smallwood has been an influential collaborative partner for the Executive Director and the Board of Trustees during years of robust organizational growth. Ms. Smallwood is a primary author of the Stanton House strategic plan, and has introduced new practices for vision-aligned financial planning. Ms. Smallwood has extensive experience in non-profit development and fundraising for Stanton House. She is a self-starting leader, who is accustomed to performing in continuously developing roles.

Learn more about our Leadership Team

Pedagogical Lead

Christianna Riley

Ms. Riley has a deep commitment to Waldorf pedagogy, most recently demonstrating her leadership as the Co-Chair in Early Childhood and as a member of both the BWS Board of Trustees and Council of Teachers. Ms. Riley has a pioneering spirit, not only chartering the Pumpkin Patch outdoor kindergarten at BWS, but also serving as a founding teacher, EC Director, and Board member at the Primrose Hill School, a Waldorf School in Rhinebeck, NY. Ms. Riley is a Waldorf graduate herself, and has been an early childhood teacher for thirteen years. Ms. Riley was a member of the Leadership Transition Team that proposed the form of leadership BWS is embarking on. It was during this process of discernment that she felt called to step forward to serve as a member of the leadership team. Ms. Riley is an active member of the DEI committee, and has engaged in curriculum development and implementation of a Peace Education Program with the United Nations NGO World Peace Prayer Society.

Learn more about our Leadership Team

Community Lead and Director of Enrollment

Renée Far

enrollment@berkshirewaldorfschool.org

Learn more about our Leadership Team

Class Teachers

First Grade Class Teacher

Andrew Gilligan

Second Grade Class Teacher

WindRose Morris-Keating

Third Grade Class Teacher

Safina Alessandra

Safina Alessandra grew up in Switzerland where she had the privilege of being part of the vibrant Waldorf Community in Zurich. Her deep wish to understand the developing child led her to work, study and teach at Camphill Schools, a residential Waldorf school for children with disabilities in Chester County PA, for 14 years. There, her two sons attended and graduated from the Kimberton Waldorf School. Ms. Alessandra has spent the last 10 years widening her understanding of and experience in education first through working as a Kindergarten assistant, then through taking various roles within the Visiting Students Program at Hawthorne Valley Farm, and lastly through completing her BS in Early Childhood and Childhood Education at SUNY New Paltz. After receiving her NYS teacher certification, and prior to taking her current position at Berkshire Waldorf School, Ms. Alessandra taught math and language arts to elementary and middle school students as a private tutor and was part of a team of teachers supporting a student with autism.

Fourth Grade Class Teacher

Anna Taiga

Anna Taiga grew up near Moscow, Russia, and went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Human Resources from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For over a decade, she worked for a large global company, traveling internationally to facilitate leadership seminars and organizing managerial mentoring and coaching programs. She also spearheaded innovative workplace diversity initiatives. In searching for a spiritually rooted education for her children many years ago Ms. Taiga encountered anthroposophy and Waldorf education. She earned her Waldorf grades teacher certification from the Alkion Center at Hawthorne Valley. She taught high school English there before joining the Berkshire Waldorf School in 2017. Prior to her role as a class teacher Ms. Taiga served as a kindergarten assistant teacher, as a first grade assistant teacher and as a lead teacher for the Summer@BWS program. She enjoys bringing her love of cross-cultural music and singing into the classroom.

Fifth Grade Class Teacher

Victoria Cartier

Victoria Cartier grew up in the Berkshires and attended the Steiner School from kindergarten through eighth grade. An experienced Waldorf teacher, she had already successfully completed an eight-year cycle at the Emerson Waldorf School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina when she joined the Steiner School faculty to lead the Class of 2018 from third through sixth grade. While teaching at Emerson Waldorf School, Mrs. Cartier was not only a class teacher, but served as an art teacher in the 12th grade, taught recorder class to 6th, 7th and 8th grades and coached cross country running and tennis. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master of Arts in Waldorf Education from Antioch New England.

Sixth Grade Class Teacher

Tracy Fernbacher

Tracy Fernbacher, class of 2025 teacher, earned her Master of Education in Waldorf Elementary Education from Antioch University (Keene, NH). She also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in International Management from Pace University (New York, NY) and a vocational teacher’s license from the New York State Department of Education. Ms. Fernbacher brings broad Waldorf teaching experience to her new position, including teaching at every grade level. She completed the residency portion of her Master’s program at the Steiner School in 2011-12, and has since taught under the mentorship of a core group of master teachers. While at the school, she developed and taught Chinese language courses for students in kindergarten through second grade. Similarly, Mrs. Fernbacher taught English and substituted for multiple grades at the first Waldorf elementary school in China, the Chengdu Waldorf School in Sichuan province, while attending the Chengdu Waldorf Teacher Training Institute in 2009-10. Prior to her teacher training, Mrs. Fernbacher was one of the founding parents of the Brooklyn Waldorf School, where she organized the institutional structure, articulated the vision through mission and value statements, and was instrumental in implementing the school’s groundbreaking three-tier tuition model, helping to create a school population that reflects the diversity of its community.

Seventh Grade Class Teacher

Mabel Albert

Ms. Albert joined BWS as our 5th grade class teacher. Ms. Albert received both her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Masters of Arts in Teaching degrees from Tufts University, Boston, MA. After graduation, she accepted a teaching position at the Coolidge Corner School in Brookline, MA, where she taught art for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. During that time, she also worked at the Brookline Arts Center, teaching children of all ages. Most recently, Ms. Albert has worked as a substitute teacher in New Hampshire private and public elementary schools. Ms. Albert attended White Mountain Waldorf School from kindergarten through eighth grade.

Eighth Grade Class Teacher and Student Support Coordinator

Jennifer Green

Jennifer Green earned her Master of Education degree from Bank Street School of Education (New York, NY). She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the State University of New York (Plattsburgh, NY). Ms. Green brings twenty-two years of teaching experience to her new position, including teaching at every grade level.

Ms. Green has led two Berkshire Waldorf School classes through their Middle School years (Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grades) at BWS, starting with the Class of 2020; she will graduate the Class of 2023 this June, and then take the Class of 2026 in the Fall. At Berkshire Waldorf School, as in most Waldorf schools worldwide, class constellations remain consistent through the Grades–including classmates and a dynamic constellation of subject teachers–to build strong, long-term relationships.

Formerly, Ms. Green collaborated with a team of educators, Board members and parents to plan and implement the opening of the Gateway Middle School in New York, where she taught core academic subjects including math, English, writing and history to children ages 7-15 with learning differences. She brings a broad cultural emphasis to her teaching, having developed a cross-curricular Spanish language and culture program, and created the Middle School ceramics program, with a focus on sculpture and hand-building, glazing and kiln firing, also at Gateway. While at the school, Ms. Green served as teacher support for new staff at the Gateway School in Mumbai, India, for which she organized and led professional development workshops for new teachers.

In addition to class teaching, Ms. Green currently serves as the Student Support Coordinator at BWS, and has worked individually with students to meet their educational needs and goals in English, math, writing, history, science and Spanish, and helped students prepare for High School entrance exams, create organizational systems and transition into High School.

Early Childhood Teachers

Rose Room Nursery Lead Teacher and Early Childhood Chairperson

Beth Oakley

Beth Oakley earned her degree from Bennington College in Literature and Early Childhood Education. She discovered Waldorf education while student teaching public school in southern Vermont—and soon after began her teacher training at Alkion Center at Hawthorne Valley, where she earned her certification in Early Childhood Ed. She assisted for two years at the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs in both the nursery program and the forest kindergarten before beginning her career as a lead teacher a GBRSS in 2012. During that time she started a successful summer program at the school for nursery-aged children and helped to bring the first chickens to the kindergarten playground! Beth moved away to Los Angeles with her husband in 2015 and now happily returns to Great Barrington and the Berkshire Waldorf School with the new addition of her son, Gabriel. In her spare time, she enjoys knitting, crosswords, running, reading, and rock climbing. She is also a former ballerina and loves dance of all kinds.

Star Room Nursery Lead Teacher

Rebecca Ruof

Star Room Nursery lead teacher Rebecca Ruof grew up in Germany, where she attended a Waldorf school from kindergarten through high school. She completed her Waldorf early childhood teacher training at Sophia’s Hearth and Sunbridge Institute. Before becoming an early childhood teacher, Ms. Rebecca taught various subjects at Waldorf schools in Chestnut Ridge, Budapest, and Baltimore. She taught in the Nursery at Green Meadow Waldorf School since 2006, and as an adjunct faculty member at Sunbridge Institute for Waldorf early childhood teacher education. Her elder son is a student at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, and her younger son attends Berkshire Waldorf High School.

Robin's Nest Nursery Lead Teacher

Prim Ormanovich

Pumpkin Patch Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Sonja Barclay

Sun Room Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Kirsten Hascup

Kirsten Hascup, an early childhood teacher for twenty years, comes to the Berkshires from Ithaca, New York, where she has been lead teacher in a mixed age kindergarten and faculty chair at the Ithaca Waldorf School. Ms. Hascupholds a B.A. in Fine Arts from Cornell University and a Masters of Education from Antioch New England in Keene, New Hampshire, where she completed an additional two year certification in healing arts for classroom teachers with a concentration in painting and storytelling. She has led early childhood workshops at the annual Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN). Ms. Hascupis the winner of the Ernest L. Boyer Teacher Scholarship from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, “for the promise of exemplary contributions to the teaching profession.” Her appointment at the Steiner School is also a homecoming, as she spent a year working with longtime kindergarten teacher Michelle Kuziaat the Steiner School, to complete her Waldorf early childhood teacher training in 1999. Her daughter Isa will be in Second Grade this year.

Rainbow Room Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Charlotte Hoppe

Charlotte Hoppe is a Hudson Valley native and a graduate of Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School and SUNY Potsdam, where she studied Community Health and Nutrition. During the past year she worked as a kindergarten teacher and founding member of Cambodia’s first Waldorf-inspired early childhood program, and prior to that at Footprints International School as a 2nd grade teacher. Ms. Charlotte loves gardening, storytelling and handcrafts, and is so happy to join the beautiful Berkshire Waldorf School and welcoming faculty.

Rose Room Nursery Assistant

Cassie Siegenthaler

Star Room Nursery Assistant

Ivi Venho

Robin's Nest Nursery Assistant

Holly Tierney

Pumpkin Patch Kindergarten Assistant

Jennifer Plotkin

Sun Room Kindergarten Assistant

Rachel Dworkin

Rainbow Room Assistant

Eleana Peterson

Eleana Peterson earned her Bachelors degree in Liberal Arts and Forestry at the University of New Hampshire. After eight years of being a photojournalist for the oldest newspaper in NH, the Portsmouth Herald, she then completed her Masters in Waldorf Teacher Training at Sunbridge College. Having taught in the grades at two other Waldorf schools, Eleana has assisted here at the Steiner School for both Nursery and Kindergarten over the past 13 years. She has also been a member of the Jemms (the Steiner based Morris/Garland team) since 2007 which performs each year for our May Day celebration.

Ms. Peterson holds a Master certificate in Reiki healing arts and offers sessions for the whole family – including pets. An avid traveler, Eleana has been to faraway places like Egypt and China. This summer she camped out amongst the largest trees in the world at Sequoia National Park.

Early Childhood Extended Care and Substitute Teacher

Penni Greene

Subject Teachers

Lower Grades German Teacher

Joanne Bockemuehl

Athletic Director and Grades Games Teacher

Kevin Crowley

Games and 8th grade English teacher Kevin Crowley comes to us most recently from the Bambujaya Bilingual School, a Waldorf-inspired school in Cambodia, where he was a speciality and ESL teacher in the grade school. Before that, Mr. Crowley spent two years as a lead teacher for Grade 3 at the Footprints International School. He is a graduate of the Academe of the Oaks (Waldorf School of Atlanta) and Oglethorpe University, where he majored in International Studies.

Music Director

Eileen Markland

Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Teacher

Hadley Milliken

Hadley Milliken holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA). She received her agricultural training from the Hanover County Master Gardening Program (Hanover, VA), and is certified in Biodynamic Farming by the Pfeiffer Center (Chestnut Ridge, NY). Ms. Milliken has over eight years of experience working at various small farms and habitat preservation organizations. She is the owner and head landscaper at Small Farms Rising, an edible landscaping company that utilizes biodynamics to design and maintain landscapes of heirloom vegetables, flowers, medicinal herbs, and children’s learning gardens. She has been known as “Farmer Hadley” to Steiner students since 2014, and with their help has built a kitchen garden, pollinator garden, herb and tea garden, dye garden and stands of raspberries, garlic and the “three sisters” – corn, beans and squash – in the holistic outdoor classroom that provides what she calls “a complete seed to fork experience.”

Piano Accompanist

Bonnie Nordoff

Middle School Spanish Teacher

Julia Nuñez

Chairperson, Council of Teachers and Grades Handwork Teacher

Krista Palmer

Librarian

Andrea Patel

Grades Woodworking and Clay Modeling Teacher

David Rée

David Rée joins Berkshire Waldorf School as our woodworking teacher. He received his Waldorf teacher training from Alkion Center (Ghent, NY), prior to which he earned a bachelor’s degree in music and environmental studies from Clark University in Worcester, MA. Mr. Rée joins BWS after six years in Camphill Village (Copake, NY), where, among many other jobs, he ran the woodshop. Mr. Rée is thrilled to be merging his joy in woodworking with his deep interest in children and education. He has two children in the school, in fourth and first grade.

Grades Eurythmy, Chorus and Recorder Teacher

Patti Regan

Patti Regan teaches eurythmy in grades Kindergarten through Eight. She also conducts the middle school chorus.

Before joining GBRSS in 2014, Patti taught music at Green Meadow Waldorf School. She is also on the summer faculty of Sunbridge Institute has been teaching adult education classes there for over 15 years.

In addition to her educational background, Patti also brings over a decade of corporate experience from her work as a copy writer and technical writer at J. Walter Thompson Company and Ernst & Young LLP.

In her free time she enjoys singing in the Cantilena Chamber Choir in Lenox MA and pursuing a new hobby of mathematics. She also teaches workshops for adult educators at Sunbridge Institute.

Patti holds a Bachelor’s in music performance from Lawrence Conservatory, a M.Ed. in Instructional Design from Loyola University Chicago, a Waldorf Music Educator Certificate from Sunbridge Institute and Performance and Pedagogical Diplomas from The School of Eurythmy Spring Valley.

Science & Math Teacher

Lynn Arches

Lynn Arches, a Waldorf educator for 18 years, teaches, mentors and evaluates Middle School students, grades six – eight, in chemistry, physics, earth science, biology and math. A seven-time honoree in Who’s Who Among American Teachers, Lynn’s research on the metabolic process of the female Denning polar bear and desalinization led to her collaboration with leading polar bear researchers. She attended Cal State Northridge, Cleveland Chiropractic School and the Center for Anthroposophy, and is the creator of math and science curricula currently in use by the University of California as standards for other schools to follow. Lynn volunteers for her own nonprofit, Women for H20, as well as the water and education project Sisters for Peace. Her three children are graduates of Highland Hall Waldorf School in Los Angeles.

Middle School Math Teacher

John Helmke

Former Interim Director for BWS, John Helmke returns this year as our Middle School math teacher. Mr. Helmke is a graduate of the Waldorf School of Garden City. He earned his B.A. in History from Gettysburg College, and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in History from Westfield State University. Mr. Helmke is also a BWS alumni parent, whose daughter is a member of the Class of 2014.