Faculty

Early Childhood

Shannon Landis - Kindergarten Teacher
Education: Early Childhood Associate Degree, Rudolf Steiner College: A.D. Nursing, Kansas City, KS Community College.

Professional Experience: Early Childhood Teacher, Children's Garden, Merriam, KS; Primrose Garden, Gardner, KS; Registered Nurse, psychiatry, oncology, midwifery.

The shining joy of young children at play in the Waldorf kindergarten is testament to their gratitude for life in this wondrous universe. My understanding of our spiritual heritage gives me strength to cultivate and practice in myself the reverence and gratitude which supports the child's belief that our world is good. I wholeheartedly share with parents the responsibility of guiding children into our school, community and world.

Anne-Marie Fryer - Kindergarten Teacher
Faculty Administrator
My goal in teaching is to nurture a healthy, respectful relationship with the world and ourselves in order to enthusiastically pursue life and the longing of our heart.

Heidi Burke - Kindergarten Teacher
Education:  B.A. in Early Childhood/Exceptional Educational Needs, Cardinal Stritch, Fox Point, WI.  Foundations in Anthroposophy, Sophia Institute, Viroqua, WI; Birth-Three Waldorf Teacher Training, Sophia's Hearth

Professional Experience:  Substitute Teacher, Kindergarten, Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School;  Co-teacher, Parent-Child Class, PRWS; Kindergarten Teacher, Southern Door Elementary School, Brussels, WI; 1st Grade Teacher, Urban Day School, Milwaukee, WI; Artist, Musician, Multi-linguist (German & Spanish).

At a time when our mainstream culture is accelerating the pace of life of our young children, I feel it is more important than ever to experience the precious qualities a Waldorf kindergarten has to offer. I realized I wanted to work in a school that builds reverence and beauty in one''s life, nurtures the soul, and instills a love of learning.


The Grades

Ximena Puig - Classes One & Two Teacher
Education:  Sculpture at El Instituto de Bellas Artes & Spanish at El Instituto de Idiomas, Sevilla, Spain; B.A. in Spanish & Hispanic Studies at Earlham College, Richmond, IN; M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, Oberlin College, OH.

Professional Experience:  Third Grade Teacher's Assistant, Chicago International Charter School, IL; Kindergarten Assistant, Rosemary Kindergarten, Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School; Student Teacher in Kindergarten and First Grade, Oberlin City Schools, OH.

I feel so honored and delighted to be returning to Pleasant Ridge as a teacher.  Through many different educational experiences I have come to see that who I am as a learner and as a teacher is deeply rooted in my formative experience as a student at Pleasant Ridge.  I am here to respect and cultivate the gifts that each child holds and to aid my students in their development as well-rounded, joyful, imaginative, thoughtful and kind individuals.


Barbara Danner - Class Three Teacher
Education:  B.A. in Theatre Arts, Marquette University; Waldorf Teaching Certificate, UWM.  Core Synchronism Training (1-3); Non-Violent Comm. Mentoring with John Cunningham; Speech Formation work w/ Pownall, Steinrueck & Garvey; 3rd Grade Intensive; 2nd Grade Intensive; Werbeck Singing w/ Ursula Koepf; Professional Actor Training, ACT, San Francisco, CA.

Professional Experience:  Substitute Teacher, Tamarack & Prairie Hill Waldorf Schools; Director, Holiday Drama Workshop in E. Troy/Pewaukee; Director, Aurora School; Class Teacher (1-3) Prairie Hill Waldorf School; Handwork Teacher, Urban Waldorf School; Asst. Kindergarten Teacher, Prairie Hill Waldorf School.  Adjunct Faculty, Great Lakes Teacher Training & Lifeways Early Childhood Training.


Carrie Treviranus - Class Four Teacher
Education:  Bachelor of Music, Northwestern University; Continuing M.A. in Education/Waldorf certification, Mount Mary College/Great Lakes Teacher Training, Milwaukee, WI.

Professional Experience:  Early Childhood and Kindergarten Asst., Tamarack Waldorf School; Singer, Actor, and children's music and theatre outreach- Milwaukee Symphony Chorus and Orchestra and Soulstice Theatre. 

What do two meandering forms on a page, the eurythmic "S", a painting of two flowing rivers, and the biographies of two lifelong friends have in common? In Waldorf education we bring beautiful images like these before the children, but we allow them to draw the connections themselves.  When this happens, as teachers and parents we witness what we know are profound discoveries about the world.  To a child, this discovery is experienced as wonder and joy.


Aaron Schmidt - Class Five Teacher
Education:  B.A. in Liberal Studies, Concentration in Elementary Education & Earth Science, Cal State Northridge, CA. Waldorf Institute of Southern California, Class Teacher Preparation.

Professional Experience:  Class Teacher, Substitute Teacher/Coordinator, Sports Coach at Highland Hall Waldorf School, Northridge, CA.  Scenic Artist: preparation of sets for music videos, film and television.









Jackie Kolenko - Class Six Teacher
Education:  B.A. Fine Arts, U.W. Oshkosh; Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy and the Arts, Sophia Institute, WI; Fundamentals in Waldorf Education, Grades 1-3, Rudolf Steiner Institute, Fair Oaks, CA; Essentail Grades Conferences with Eugene Schwartz, Grade 4-6, PA & CO; The Art of Teaching Grade 7 Conference, Tornoto Waldorf School, Canada; " How to Bring Shakespeare to Adolescents" Workshop, American Players Theatre, Srping Green, WI; TEFL training through Associazione Culturale Linguistica Educational, Sanremo, Italy.

Professional Experience: Class Teacher, Grades 1-8, Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School; Fiber Arts & Life Skills Teacher, Youth Initiative High School; musician, actress and dancer; Teacher of dance and guitar lessons; Summer camp English Tutor in Milan, Italy.

What a gift Waldorf Education provides for the child to discover who she is at a gradual pace.  A teacher must learn the art of cultivating patience, respect, creativity, wisdom, gratitude and wonder within her, as well as in the children, as she grows with them year to year.  I strive to offer guidance as the children awaken to themselves and encourage them to express their gifts creatively, freely and gracefully.  I seek to have open and honest relationships with the parents.  Learn, Love, Grow...and have fun while doing it all!



Drew Shonka - Class Seven Teacher
Education: BA in Photography, minor in Psychology, Metropolitan State University; Sozialwissenschaft at Fachoberschule Amberg,Germany; Foundation Studies and Teacher Training, Novalis Institute, Minneapolis; First-Sixth Grade Prep Courses, and various conferences.

Professional Experience: Hospitality Management, Germany, US; Mental Health Program Development and Direction, St. Paul, MN; Photography and Free Lance Writing, MN; Substitute Class/German Teacher, City of Lakes Waldorf School, Minneapolis, MN

My values-the importance of spirituality, community, service, children, family-are affirmed by Waldorf education. Being a Waldorf teacher allows me to work in a way that honors everything and everyone that is valuable to me.


Steve Lawless - Class Eight Teacher
Education: B.A. English, Marquette University, Milwaukee; Jesuit Novitiate, St. Paul; M.A. Education, Goddard College, Plainfield, VT; Writing Fellowship, Iowa State University, Ames; Michigan Teacher''s Certificate 7-12 Language Arts

Professional Experience: Creighton Prep High School, Omaha, NE; L''Arche Community for Developmentally Disabled, Storyteller in the Schools, Toronto; Montpelier High School, Vermont; Traverse Bay Community School, Many Hands Farm School, Traverse City, MI; Beaver Island Lighthouse Alternative High School, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Alternative High School, Northport Community School Learning Center, MI 

I''m here to bring a big hearted, hard working, robust yet gentle verve to the children I teach.  We set off on our learning adventure with a joy to do good and generous work in this world as well as a humility and open mind to see beauty and grace in all things.


Specialty Teachers


Betsy Farrell - Spanish Teacher
Education:  BA Psychiatric Social Work, Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA; Leadership Development Training, 1981-1986; Body Alignment Technique Practitioner Training, 2001-2003; Graduate, One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, NY,NY, 2002-2004.

Professional Experience: Music Teacher, Epiphany School & Bertschi School, Seattle, WA ,1980-87, Co-Executive Director of Renaissance Educational Associates, Loveland, CO ,1988-91; Instructor and Board Member for Educo International Multicultural Leadership Programs, ages, 9-21, 1989-1994; Project Manager, Group Facilitation, Sunrise Ranch Conference Center, Loveland, CO, 1992-1999, Early Childhood Educator, Kids' Harbor, Loveland, CO, 1999-2002; Private practice as Personal Coach and Guide, Certified Practitioner of Body Alignment Technique and Licensed Interfaith Minister, since 2001.

I love children and creating an atmosphere for them to discover new dimensions of themselves. Through my teaching I hope to share my love for the genius, musicality and passion of the Spanish language and culture(s). I hope to cultivate ease and expertise with Spanish and to foster international citizenship and understanding.

Nannette Tuttle - Handwork
Education: Attended Handwork Training at Sunbridge College, Spring Valley, NY In the Waldorf curriculum, handwork unites the thinking, feeling and willing life of the child.

As a handwork teacher, I would like to bring to children the pleasure of creating something beautiful with their own hands.







Annette Conlon - Eurythmy Teacher, Classes K-8

Education:   Studied Liberal Arts at Heidelberg and Frankfort Universities; Curative Education degree from Lebensgemeinshaft, Bingenheim, Germany; Eurythmy Training, Dormach Eurythmy School; Curative Eurythmy Training, Stuttgart, Germany.

Professional Experience:  Guest teacher, Eurythmy (Grade 8, K), Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School; Teacher: Eurythmy, Music, German (Grades 1&2) Atlanta Waldorf School; Eurythmy therapist, Lebensgemeinshaft, Bingenheim, Germany; Eurythmy therapist, Clinic Herdecke, Germany.



Lerie Alstad Van Ells - Physical Education
Education: Five-year study in Spatial Dynamics for Physical Education in Waldorf Schools with Jaimen McMillan.

I am drawn to Waldorf teaching because I believe in keeping alive the spirit that lives in childhood. My goal in teaching has been to create for every child an inner joy in movement.






Monika Sutherland - Strings Teacher
Education: BA music, Indiana University; MA music, Northwestern University; Suzuki teaching certification.

Professional Experience: Active performer and teacher in Chicago, Baltimore and Japan; member of music faculty, Goucher College; Director Strings Program, Four Winds Waldorf School.

I am grateful for the opportunity to teach an instrument that I love in a school that values music so highly and amongst a staff that is so supportive and dedicated. In my class I hope to give the students a sense of how music can be fun, joyful and a satisfying part of daily life, as both a means of expressing individuality and as a way to work together in a group and community.


Kristina Gullion - Strings Teacher

Education: BA and MA music, Indiana University

Professional Experience: violinist with the Orquest Sinfonica de Galicia, Brooklyn Philharmonic. Teacher in Chicago.








Enrollment

Maureen Karlstad - Enrollment Coordinator
Education: B.A. American Studies, Miami University, Elementary Education, University of North Dakota; Teaching Grades 1,2,3 Rudolf Steiner College; Fundamentals of Waldorf Education I,II, & III, Rudolf Steiner Institute; Teaching Grades 4, 5, &6, Sunbridge College; Working with Adolescents, Gradales Intitute;  Science in the Upper Grades, Center for Anthroposophy; Essentail Grades 1 and 3 Conferences with Eugene Schwartz; Social Incusion workshop with Kim Payne.

Professional Experience: Teaching Asst., College of Teaching and Learing, U of N. Dakota; Special Education Teacher, Emotional Disturbance Program, Richland School District, Richland Center, WI; Class Teacher, Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School, grades 1 through 8, Classes of 2001 & 2010; Potter & Founding Member of VIVA (Viroqua Independent Visual Artists), a cooperative artists' gallery.

In Waldorf teaching I find a reverence for the spirituality of everyday life that is enlivening and that grounds me deeply in my work. At Pleasant Ridge I have found a community of devoted and hardworking people who continually inspire me. I am grateful to be a part of such a wonderfully challenging community.