Ruthie, known as Senora Smith, was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela until the age of 15. She came to the United States where she completed her studies and her B.A. Following her education, she moved to Bali, Indonesia where she lived for 9 years. There she began her volunteer position teaching English at a local school. When she returned to the States she continued teaching Spanish as a volunteer at a public school in California. Ruthie became drawn to the Waldorf approach because of its creativity and expression via language, art and music, which is an integral part of her life. Last year she attended the Spanish Foreign Language Teacher Training Program at Steiner College and began teaching last fall. Ruthie has lived in Ashland since 2001 with her two daughters Djamika and Djaruna, and values the quality of life continually being created in this community.
MANDARIN: Jennifer Carroll
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Jennifer (ZhangWei) was born and raised in northern China, close to Siberia. She received her B.A. in English at Shanghai Foreign Language University in 1992, and continued to reside in Shanghai working as a translator until 1999. She then moved from China to Ashland, struck by its natural beauty and lifestyle. She lives with her husband, (whom she met when he was studying in China), and their four children. She is committed to the education of the whole child through which Waldorf methodology and the Chinese language offer a panorama of possibilities for self-discovery. Jennifer enjoys camping, cooking, films, and quiet moments in her garden.
MUSIC: Melissa Archer
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Melissa was born and raised in a small town in Oklahoma, singing in choirs and playing piano. She and her family moved to Ashland in 1974 when she attended SOU in music studies. Already an established piano teacher, she began teaching at the Haleakala Waldorf School on Maui in 1991. Melissa is returning to our school as music program carrier after 11/2 years hiatus. Studies with Michael Deason- Barrow , Cynthia Frongello and others have deepened her understanding of the importance of being musical in today’s world. Through her curriculum she strives to bring Steiner’s ideas to our students, always seeking musical integrity. Melissa is married and has two grown children: Allegra, a graduate of Waldorf, and Anthony, living in England. She is also thrilled to be teaching her two young nephews at our school. She enjoys fine cooking and tending to her bonsai.
HANDWORK: Cynthia Bower
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Cynthia is passionate about handwork and has been known to knit at stoplights, gas stations, and at meetings. Since 2000, Cynthia has been using her skills as a Handwork teacher, as well as four years experience as a teacher’s assistant in Waldorf, from kindergarten through fourth grade. Cynthia has a BS in Forest Management Science, from Colorado State University.
Cynthia’s passions include Capeoira (a Brazilian Martial Art), knitting (need we say more?), gardening, and walking. Cynthia is married to her husband, Tim, and has two children, Terran, and Rayna.
WOODWORKING: Michael McGlone
Michael McGlone completed his Waldorf teacher certification in Eugene, Oregon. He was born and raised in the 'City of Brotherly Love'. In 1996, he graduated magna cum laude from Temple University, with a B.A. in Geography and Urban Planning. For the next few years, Michael traveled around the world doing odd jobs. While working on a biodynamic farm in Pleasant Hill, Oregon, Michael met a teacher affiliated with the local Waldorf school. Since then he has immersed himself in Waldorf education and philosophy and worked at the schools in Eugene, Olympia, and Seattle. Michael's interests include hiking, gardening, baking, fishing, and reading. After two years of class teaching Michael is shifting over to serve as our woodworking teacher & school coach..
GAMES: Matt Dusek
Games Class is a favorite with all our children, and Mr. Dusek meets their enthusiasm and energies with a well-structured and developmentally-attuned program. Matt discovered Waldorf education four years ago soon after graduating from Arizona's Prescott College with a degree in Sustainable Agriculture. He began his Waldorf teacher training soon after. This year he will take up the spatial dynamics training with Jaimen McMillan. Matt loves preparing our 5th graders for their yearly Olympiad. This year he plans to organize a Medieval Games Festival for southern Oregon Waldorf schools.
Matt has lots of hobbies, passions, and skills. An artist and craftsman, Matt is a gifted woodworker, pottery-maker, and musician. An avid outdoorsman, Matt seizes every chance he gets to go hiking, kayaking, sailing, golfing, and, most recently, flying!
MATHEMATICS: Mechtild Howard
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Mechtild has been a Waldorf teacher since 1989 and has taken a class from the first grade through the eighth grade at the Waldorf school in Orange County, California. She is a graduate of the Waldorf training program at Emerson College in England, and got her MA in biology and PE from the University of Feiburg in Germany. Currently, Mechtild works part time as a mentor in the Waldorf school of Orange County, teaches math in the upper grades of the Siskiyou School, and teaches biology at the East Bay Waldorf high school. What attracted her most to Waldorf education was the possibility of guiding students, year-by-year, with a curriculum that matches their developmental stages in life. She loves to awaken and bring out the potential and artistic ability in each child. Mechtild enjoys hiking, backpacking, and skiing, as well as biodynamic gardening and playing music.
FORM DRAWING, GEOMETRY, PARENT EDUCATION: Janet Allison Horn
Janet Horn has been a Waldorf teacher since 1994. She has a B.S. cum laude in Elementary Education from the University of Maine. She was a class teacher for seven years and continues to be a subject teacher, specializing in Form Drawing and Geometry. She also teaches small tutoring groups in math and language arts. Janet is a master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistics and combines these communication skills with her Waldorf background to present dynamic parent education classes and talks. She hosts a monthly 'hearthside chat', our Parent Circles, where parents come together in conversation. Janet is the mom of two grown daughters, both Waldorf graduates of The Siskiyou School.
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