The relationship between the teacher and the child is a critical component to Waldorf Education.

A distinction of Waldorf teachers is their passion for individuality and commitment to nurturing individual student’s mind. With a heavy focus on the importance of hands-on experience for their students, rather than standardized testing, Waldorf teachers help their students to explore curricula through diverse activities, with plenty of room to customize lesson plans. The fluidity of this approach provides extensive engagement that leads to lifelong connections with the material taught, the teachers involved and the bigger questions at the heart of each subject.

Kimi Keating, Lead Teacher, Hollyhock Kindergarten
Kimi Keating began her career in education as an assistant teacher in first, third, and sixth grade classrooms in Mill Valley public schools. Her lifelong love of the arts and humanities brought her to Waldorf education, and she completed her three-year teacher training program through Rudolf Steiner College. After graduating from RSC in 1999, she apprenticed for two years at the San Francisco Waldorf School before taking a lead teaching position at Songbird's Nest in Forest Knolls. From the next 19 years, she was a lead teacher for a mixed-age preschool-kindergarten class at Marin Mountain School in Corte Madera. She taught with Earthwise Education’s Forest Friends outdoor program at the Lake Lagunitas Watershed, then joined Marin Waldorf School’s staff in 2022 as a lead teacher in the Hollyhock classroom. Kimi holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from San Francisco State University.

Marieke Duijneveld, Lead Teacher, Morning Glory Kindergarten
A native of the Netherlands, Marieke Duijneveld attended Waldorf schools from preschool through 12th grade before pursuing a bachelor's degree in social work at Hogeschool Rotterdam en Omstreken. She completed her Waldorf teacher training at Freie Hochschule in Stuttgart, Germany, and later a birth-to-three training at Sophias Hearth, in Keene, New Hampshire. She previously taught at a Waldorf school Reutlingen, Germany, and at Green Meadow Waldorf School in New York State. Marieke is a certified Simplicity Parenting coach, and she is currently enrolled in "Nurturing the Roots,” an advanced therapeutic course for early childhood educators. She sings in the Marin Symphony Choir and loves hiking and backpacking with her family. 

Peggy Rock, Early Childhood Mentor
Master teacher Peggy Rock oversees our preschool and kindergarten programs as the Early Childhood mentor teacher, bringing close to 30 years of Waldorf experience to the role. Peggy worked at Marin Waldorf School from 1992 to 2003, then moved to the Greenwood school in 2003 where she was a foundational contributor to their kindergarten program. She returned to Marin Waldorf School in 2019, taking the lead in the Morning Glory class. Peggy Rock holds a BS in secondary education with a major in speech and music from the University of Illinois. She completed the Waldorf teacher training under Dorit Winter in 1995. Additionally, Peggy has trained kindergarten teachers as a member of the faculty at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. She is trained in puppetry and is an avid vocalist, singing throughout the Bay Area with an elite choral ensemble.

Heidi Krummheurer, Assistant Teacher, Buttercup Preschool
Heidi Krummheurer joined the Marin Waldorf School community as a parent in 2014, the same year she began her Lifeways training on the Marin Waldorf School campus. Before joining our faculty in 2022, she worked as a classroom assistant in two Waldorf-inspired early childhood programs in Marin County for more than ten years. She holds a bachelors’s degree in social work from University of Applied Sciences and Art in Hannover, Germany, and completed her early childhood units at Saddleback College. She enjoys cooking, baking, singing, and being creative with children.

Heather Burns, Assistant Teacher, Sunflower Preschool
Heather Burns has held diverse professional roles in health and education, including as a preschool teacher, K-12 art teacher, grades school substitute teacher, massage therapist, acupuncturist, and yoga teacher for children and adults. She has a BA in studio art with a minor in art history from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a teaching credential in art education (preK-12) from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She is currently enrolled in the teacher training program at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. Heather has two children with her husband, Max, and the family splits their time between Fairfax and Pacifica. Among her many hobbies and interests, Heather loves camping with her family, hiking with her dogs, gardening, cooking and baking, arts and crafts, singing and dancing, visiting art museums and galleries, and advocating for students with special needs and their families.

Rod DeRienzo, Assistant Teacher, Hollyhock Kindergarten
Since joining our faculty in 2013, Rod DeRienzo has held multiple roles, including grades aftercare lead teacher, early childhood and grades substitute teacher, and kindergarten assistant teacher. He holds a bachelor of arts in medieval history from the University of Chicago, and he graduated from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training program in 2016. Before joining the faculty at MWS, Rod worked as corporate moving and logistics manager, at the Department of State, and as a grades teacher at Heartwood Charter School in Fairfax. He is an eagle scout, a Dungeons and Dragons aficionado, and a beach lover. 

Lesa Bowne, Assistant Teacher, Morning Glory Kindergarten
Originally from Humboldt County, Lesa Bowne has been involved in Waldorf education for over 25 years, as a teacher and a parent. Before joining the Morning Glory classroom at Marin Waldorf School, she was a nursery-preschool aftercare assistant at San Francisco Waldorf School and at The Mountain School in Corte Madera. She graduated from the teacher training program at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2023. She enjoys cooking, photography, sculpting, learning languages, and traveling.

Stephanie Lisa Tara, Early Childhood Aftercare Teacher & Coordinator
Stephanie wears two hats as an early childhood educator and a children's book author. She joined the Marin Waldorf School aftercare team in 2024 from Bright Horizons, where she worked as a lead preK teacher. Through her publishing company, she has authored a line of books that inspire children to love the Earth and make the world a better place. She holds a BA in English from the University of Connecticut, and an early childhood teaching certificate from UCLA. Stephanie enjoys hiking, yoga, travel, and spending time with her family. She is happiest among children and stories, and believes in the magic of storytelling as a foundation for inspired early childhood learning. She is also a sea turtle activist, donating proceeds from her book sales to this important cause.

Rita Dale, Early Childhood Aftercare Teacher
Rita Dale holds a BA in education from St. Petersburg State Pedagogical University in Russia, where her major was teaching foreign languages. For the past 20 years, she has worked with young children in various settings, including at the Osher Marin JCC ECE Preschool and Little Learners Academy in San Rafael. She completed a professional development certification in methodology and education at Stanford University, and she is a Certified Rapid Transformational Therapy Practitioner and Clinical Hypnotherapist. Originally from St. Petersburg, Russia, Rita and her husband have lived for more than 30 years in Marin County, where they raised their three children, now adults. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, singing, neurographic art, reading, traveling, cooking and gardening. She speaks Russian and English, as well as conversational German and Swedish.

Joanna Filgueiras, Early Childhood Aftercare Assistant Teacher
Joanna Filgueiras is currently a student in the teacher training program at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. She holds an undergraduate degree in social science from the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil, and a masters in translation studies from the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil. Joanna loves to move and spend time outside, hiking, dancing tango, surfing, doing yoga, and practicing martial arts like capoeira, aikido, iaido.

Katie Heneghan, 1st Grade Teacher
Katie Heneghan joined Marin Waldorf School’s faculty as first grade assistant teacher in the fall of 2022, and she took the role of 1st grade class teacher the following year. Before joining our faculty, she worked as a nature connection mentor, facilitated health programming in middle and high schools, taught at a performing arts school, and served as a counselor at a wilderness therapy program. Ms. Heneghan holds a bachelor of arts in theater from Whitman College and a master’s in public health specializing in community health education from the University of Minnesota. She completed a 10-month nature connection and social justice immersion with Weaving Earth Center for Relational Education in Sonoma County. She graduated from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2023. When Ms. Heneghan is not busy teaching, she enjoys spending time outside birding and tracking wildlife, swimming, handcrafting, doing jigsaw puzzles, playing music, traveling near and far, and coming home to her cat, Green Bean.

Mia Terziev, 2nd Grade Teacher
Mia Terziev joined the Marin Waldorf School faculty in 2013, and she led the class of 2022 from 2nd grade to 8th grade. After their graduation, she took the role of lead teacher for the Class of 2030. Before joining our faculty, Ms. Terzeiv held diverse roles as a portrait photographer, a fulltime mom, a birth doula, the owner of a small business making organic cotton baby clothes, and matchmaker. She holds a bachelor's degree in French and photography from San Francisco State University and completed the Waldorf teacher training program at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. She has two children with her husband, Jasper, and she loves singing, gardening, hiking, and anything to do with interior decorating. 

Julia Emahiser, 3rd Grade Teacher
Julia Emahiser joined Marin Waldorf School as a class teacher in the fall of 2023. A native of New York City, she attended Rudolf Steiner School and Uhlandshöhe in Stuttgart, Germany, as a child. Raised in a family of musicians, she was a professional cellist for more than 20 years. Before joining Marin Waldorf School, she was a class teacher at Linden Waldorf School in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Waldorf School of Orange County, California. Ms. Emahiser received a bachelor of music in cello performance from Indiana University and a master of music in cello performance from Ohio University. She completed her Waldorf teacher training at Antioch University. She speaks fluent German and conversational French. 

Roland Baril, 4th Grade Teacher
Roland Baril has more than 30 years of experience in teaching and leadership roles at Waldorf schools in New York and Northern California, including as a class teacher at Greenwood School in Mill Valley, where he also served as the dean of education. Additionally, Mr. Baril was the Leadership Council Representative for the Mid-Atlantic Region Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) from 2002 to 2007. He graduated magna cum laude from Sonoma State University with a degree in history and received a masters in Waldorf education from Sunbridge College in New York. In 2005, he completed a 5-year training in spatial dynamics and movement education. Mr. Baril lives with his wife, Michele, in Sonoma County. In addition to teaching, he is the front man for a local outlaw country band, and he enjoys motorcycle tours, sports, traveling, cooking, horses, and spending time with his two sons, who both attended Waldorf schools from preschool to 12th grade.

Gail Weger, 5th Grade Teacher
Gail Weger joined Marin Waldorf School in 2014, leading the class of 2019 from 5th through 8th grade. After the class graduated, Ms. Weger returned to the 1st grade classroom as teacher for the class of 2029. Ms. Weger’s career in Waldorf education began when she opened a home preschool program in her community. Later, she led a class at the Live Oak Waldorf School from 1st through 5th grade, and a second class from 1st through 8th grade. She has been a mentor and teacher of teachers since 2001, both in the Midwest and through Rudolf Steiner College and the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. She holds a BFA in printmaking and art history from Northern Illinois University and she completed her teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College. Gail is a practicing artist, foodie, and swimmer. When she is not off exploring the natural wonders of California, she likes to garden. She has three adult Waldorf-educated daughters and lives with her wonderful husband, Mathias.

Sara Pironti, 6th Grade Teacher 
Before joining our faculty in 2022, Sara Pironti worked as a class teacher at Boulder Valley Waldorf School and as a math and language arts specialist for 1st-8th graders at the Westside Waldorf School in Pacific Palisades. She has taught 1st through 5th grades in both public and private schools in Los Angeles, including at a math-science-aerospace magnet school, in addition to teaching overseas in Argentina, China, Brazil, and her native Italy. Sara holds a BA in art history from New York University, a masters in museum studies from the University of Turin, Italy, and a masters in elementary education, as well as an elementary education teaching credential, from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She completed her Waldorf teacher training at Gradalis in Colorado. Sara has three sons, who all attend Marin Waldorf School. Her family shares a passion for nature and the arts. She is fluent in French and Italian.

Julia McIlroy, 7th Grade Teacher/Middle School Math Teacher
Julia McIlroy joined the MWS faculty after 14 years as a public defender and appellate attorney in Sonoma County. Prior to law school, she taught math to struggling upper grades and high school student at Summerfield Waldorf School. After becoming an attorney, she stayed connected to teaching as an adjunct professor for advanced legal writing at Empire College and as head coach for Mock Trial at San Rafael High School. She holds a BA with honors from Mills College in Oakland and graduated magna cum laude with a juris doctor from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, with a certificate in law and social justice. Ms. McIlroy is a graduate of Summerfield Waldorf School, which she attended from kindergarten to 12th grade, and her two children currently attend MWS. She loves cooking, hiking, swimming, and travel.

Rising Percey, 8th Grade Teacher
Rising Percey led the Marin Waldorf School class of 2020 from 5th grade to graduation, then returned to the 5th grade classroom in the fall of 2020 to lead the class of 2024. Before becoming a Waldorf teacher, Ms. Percey was the director of an adult literacy center in Honolulu, later returning to the Bay Area to teach literature and writing to middle and high school students at SAT prep centers throughout the Bay Area. She holds a BA in English literature and creative writing from UC Berkeley and she completed her Waldorf training at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. Ms. Percey comes from a family of educators: Her grandmother was the director of Chidren’s Fairyland in Oakland, her mother ran an in-home daycare for 38 years, and her sister is a teacher to the visually impaired. Ms. Percey was drawn to Waldorf Education because it reflects her core values: a strong sense of community, personal responsibility, and spirituality. She enjoys spending time outdoors, and being with her family and friends.

Diana Liu, Mandarin Teacher, Grades 2-7
Born and raised in Taiwan, Diana Liu taught in a Waldorf kindergarten and later in grades 1 to 5 in Taiwan before moving to the United States with her family. Her daughter enrolled in Marin Waldorf School in 2022 and Diana joined our faculty the following year as a Mandarin teacher. She holds an undergraduate degree in social work and child welfare at Providence University and received her Waldorf teacher certification at Taichung Anthroposophie Association. She loves knitting and hiking.

Sally Li, Mandarin Teacher (Grade 8)
Sally Li was born and raised in mainland China. She graduated with honors from Staffordshire University’s computing program and then worked in various industries including tech, international trading, and corporate training. She moved to New York City to pursue her dream of becoming a filmmaker, but when her son was born, an even more fascinating world opened up for her — the world of Waldorf education. She completed the teacher training program at the Bay Area Waldorf Teacher Training and joined the staff at Marin Waldorf School in 2020.

Loreto Orellana-Jabre, Grades 1-8 Spanish Teacher
Loreto Orellana-Jabre received an undergraduate degree in early childhood education and a masters degree in education at the Universidad de las Americas in Santiago, Chile, and completed her Waldorf teacher training at the Centro Antroposófico in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She was previously a kindergarten teacher at Lincoln International Academy, in Chicureo, Chile, a Spanish and early childhood teacher at San Francisco Waldorf School, and a preschool teacher North bay Home School Collective. She loves crafting, making handmade jewelry, playing instruments, road trips and walks.

Michael Fecskes, Orchestra Teacher
A professional cellist, composer, and music educator, Michael Fecskes performs widely in the Bay Area and beyond. In addition to leading the MWS strings program, he is a music instructor and the Artistic Director at ViVO Youth Orchestras in Sonoma County, a youth development organization that provides free instruments and music instruction to over 80 Sonoma students each school year. He formerly taught strings and served as music program director at Live Oak Charter School in Petaluma. His compositions are influenced by his Hungarian/Caribbean heritage, written with the intent to inspire the contemporary mind, body and soul.

Isabel Dow, Lower Grades Handwork Teacher
Isabel Dow joined Marin Waldorf School in the fall of 2023 as the lower grades handwork teacher. Previously, she worked for six years as an aftercare teacher and later a handwork assistant in the grades program at San Francisco Waldorf School. Before completing her teacher training at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training, Isabel completed a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, with a focus in social justice, at San Francisco State University, where she was also the director of the student-run art gallery on campus. 

Heather Malcolm, 6th Grade Assistant Teacher & Upper Grades Handwork Teacher
Heather Malcolm is an honors graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design University, in Toronto, Canada, where she returned to teach photography after working several years as an interior designer on the University of Toronto Robarts Library and at The Thom Partnership. Subsequently, as a photographer and camerawoman, she conducted marine ecology research as co-director of Project Jonah in Quebec, Canada. Initially a Waldorf parent, she later joined the faculty at San Francisco Waldorf High School, where taught a sewing and design course to junior and senior students for 7 years. Heather is completing her training at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. She enjoys hiking, swimming, and growing orchids on her houseboat.

Rebecca Vollmer, Educational Support Teacher
Rebecca Vollmer joined Marin Waldorf School in 2016 and has been the Learning Support Teacher since 2019. Rebecca holds a BA degree in art history from UC Santa Cruz, an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from Cabrillo College, and a Waldorf Teaching Certificate from The Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training (BACWTT). She completed the Waldorf Learning Support Program through Arcturus and has completed the Orton Gillingham Comprehensive Literacy training, as well as two years of Curative Education training. Ms. Vollmer was raised in a German-speaking household and had lived on three continents by the time she moved to Marin at age 9. She attended St. Mark's School (Mark Day School) from grades 3-8 and then attended San Rafael High School. Rebecca enjoys exploring Marin by foot or canoe and gardening with her son, Alexis, and dog, Clancy.

Rob Harrington, Grades Aftercare Program Coordinator
Rob brings over 20 years of experience as a Waldorf class teacher and naturalist to our aftercare program. His goal is to inspire in every child an excitement for learning, a sense of wonder and respect for each other and our environment. Rob completed his Waldorf teacher training at Sunbridge College and worked as a class teacher before opening The Garden School, a Waldorf-inspired preschool program, with his wife. He is the director of beloved outdoor adventure camp Orca Camp and coaches high school tennis. Rob is a father of two wonderful daughters, and he loves woodworking, gardening, singing and all kinds of music.

Chantal Valentine, Admissions Director
Chantal Valentine was born and raised in San Rafael, California, and joined the staff at Marin Waldorf School in late 2011, managing our school’s busy front office for many years before taking the role of admissions director in 2018. Before joining the team at MWS, Chantal held a variety of roles at nonprofit and educational organizations, including five years as the enrollment director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami, and two years with AmeriCorps in San Jose, California, and Columbia, South Carolina. She received her undergraduate degree in sociology from Whitman College, with a minor in American ethnic studies. Chantal has three children with her husband, Shane, and she loves reading, hiking, traveling, and going to the beach.

Sarah Whitmore, Grades 1-8 Director
Sarah Whitmore has held a wide variety of leadership and teaching roles at schools in Mexico and the United States, including 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Spanish teacher, early childhood and early grades class teacher, and adult education teacher. For over a decade, Sarah trained Waldorf teachers as an instructor at the Center for Educational Renewal. During 11 years at Summerfield Waldorf School in Santa Rosa, she served as a Governance Council member, Board member, College Chair, and EC Coordinator. She was a lead teacher at Marin Waldorf School from 2017 to 2022, during which time she served as college chair, sat on our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging Committee, and helped to form a unique mixed-age, bilingual early childhood classroom during the pandemic. After two years at the Portland Waldorf School, Sarah returned to Marin Waldorf School to take a leadership role within our faculty. She completed the 4-year teacher training program at Rudolf Steiner College, attending both the grades and the early childhood curriculum tracks. Sarah’s interests include a variety of artistic practices, hiking in beautiful Northern California, and spending time with her family.

Daniella Baker, Early Childhood Director
Daniella Baker fell in love with Waldorf education in 1994 while working for Greenwood School in Mill Valley. Since then, she has served in multiple leadership and teaching roles locally and abroad, including as a founding parent at Heartwood Charter School, where she also served as interim director and a member of the Board of Trustees. She holds a B.A. in educational studies with a minor in political science from the University of Delaware in Newark, a master’s of public administration at the University of Colorado in Denver, and teacher training certificate from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. She loves baking, knitting, reading, painting with watercolors, and jogging with her goldendoodle Max.

Cammi Bell, Health Coordinator and School Nurse
Cammi Bell, RN, MS, joined Marin Waldorf School in the fall of 2020 to help oversee our school’s reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before coming to MWS, Cammi worked for the Kentfield School District, where she managed the health care needs of over 1,300 students across several campuses and served as a health resource for faculty and staff. Previous to that, she was a nurse manager and clinical nurse specialist in the NICU at California Pacific Medical Center. She holds a bachelor of science in nursing from  the University of Texas and a master of science in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco. She loves baking, hiking, exploring the Bay Area with day trips, and football. 

Wing Choi, Front Office Manager
Wing Choi joined the MWS office team in 2023 with more than a decade of executive-level experience in the Hong Kong financial services industry, including Funding Reach Limited and Banco Santander S.A. She holds a BBA in accounting from Hong Kong Baptist University.

Ashley Dawson, Admissions Associate
Ashley Dawson was born and raised in Marin County, and attended Marin Waldorf School from kindergarten to 8th grade. After graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Film and Media, Ashley began her career working in the tech industry, where she focused on marketing and account management for early and mid-stage startup companies in the Bay Area. Ashley currently lives in Tiburon with her husband, Chris. In her free time, she loves exploring hiking trails throughout Marin and experimenting with new recipes in her kitchen.

Suzanne Hudson, Special Projects Manager
Suzanne Hudson joined the staff at Marin Waldorf School in 2019 as a project manager, but her history with the school began when her children were students in the class of 2012 and the class of 2015. Before joining the team at MWS, Suzanne held diverse professional roles, from advertising account executive to high school swim coach. She received an undergraduate degree in English literature at the University of Colorado. In her free time, Suzanne loves skiing, hiking, reading, and—most of all—spending time with her family.