FACULTY & STAFF

Our Team

We are a community of educators dedicated to the principles of Waldorf education and to creating a joyful and inspiring experience for the children in our care. We nurture our students’ well-being, teachers’ commitment and collaborative work, and an active parent body. We seek to discover creative and innovative ways to work, educate and celebrate together.

Early Childhood — ages 3-6

Early Childhood Lead Teacher
Cherry Blossom Classroom
EC Faculty Chair
A Waldorf alumna, a parent, and an early childhood teacher at Ithaca Waldorf School, Lauralee Guttridge has been close to Waldorf education throughout her lifetime. Ms. Lauralee first joined our faculty as a substitute teacher, later taking the role of early childhood assistant teacher from 2004 to 2009. She then worked for 13 years as an occupational therapist in a nursing and rehabilitation center, as well as at Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), before returning to Ithaca Waldorf School in 2024, where she has taught 1st grade, 2nd grade, and now leads our kindergarten program.

Ms. Lauralee appreciates how Waldorf education “considers the health and development of today's children,” as well as having “a career that allows educators to be supported with personal development.”

A New York State Licensed and Registered Occupational Therapist, Ms. Lauralee holds a BA in Sociology from Wells College and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Utica College. She completed the program in Anthroposophical Foundation Studies at Emerson College in England in 2002, with a certificate in Therapeutic Puppetry and Story Telling As a Healing Art. In addition to teaching, she loves working with her hands to create beauty in the world, being in nature, and continuing her own education.

Early Childhood Assistant
Kelsey White joined the staff at Ithaca Waldorf School as a substitute teacher in the spring of 2025, quickly moving into a permanent role as an assistant teacher in the Early Childhood program. “The social, spiritual, and therapeutic intentions of Waldorf education are what draw me to this work,” she says.
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Ms. Kelsey holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Loyola Marymount University. She previously worked as an archival film projectionist at Anthology Film Archives and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, in addition to creating her own short films. She loves puppetry and cinema, and enjoys knitting for her family.

Li’l Sprouts and Seedlings Teacher
Since she first joined our school community in the 1980s, Karen Lonsky has held a wide range of roles at Ithaca Waldorf School. A master teacher on our early childhood team, she has worked in the nursery, kindergarten, and Parent Child programs for babies and toddlers. She has also served as EC Faculty Chair and as a member of the Leadership Group, Teacher Development Committee, and the Board of Trustees, where she represented the school’s faculty.
Miss Karen holds a Waldorf Early Childhood Education Certificate and has completed a wide range of trainings and workshops at Sunbridge Institute on topics like early childhood development, puppetry, woodworking, biography work, storytelling, anthroposophy, eurythmy, and risky play.
Miss Karen believes that Waldorf education has never been more relevant than it is today. “Today’s child needs real experiences of nature, real connection with human beings, and real work with their hands,” she explains. “They need to see beauty in the world and experience joy through music, artistic work, laughter and play. Most importantly, they need to feel hopeful about their own ability to make a difference in the world.”
Waldorf education is Miss Karen’s life’s work, but she also finds time to sing and play saxophone in a 12-piece band, sew, make dolls and toys, and spend time with her family.

Early Childhood Co-Teacher
Peach Blossom Classroom
Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Sassa Ocampo was called to teaching through her grandfather, a naturalist and outdoor educator who always brought “a reverence and love for learning” to his work. While the extraordinary enthusiasm Miss Sassa saw in her grandfather was largely missing in her own education, she was nonetheless a dedicated student, attending public school through 10th grade before obtaining a Bright Futures Scholarship to begin college early. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, graduating two years ahead of the traditional schedule.
After college, Miss Sassa worked at farms along the East Coast through WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms), learning about biodynamic practices and Waldorf education. During that time, she trained as an herbalist and became proficient in fiber arts through study at the John C. Campbell Folk School. Before co-leading her current classroom at Ithaca Waldorf School, Miss Sassa was an assistant EC teacher. She taught at Waldorf-inspired homeschool programs for 6 years and continues to lead youth outdoor experiences with Sisters of the Forest under the Earth Arts umbrella.
“I am drawn to early childhood education because this is the foundation where a love for learning is built,” she says. “Everything the Waldorf teacher does is with intention and reverence —something I did not witness in my traditional education but strive to bring to the classroom.” She also recognizes the importance of the Waldorf approach in today’s world. “In a world that continues to operate at faster and faster pace, Waldorf Education centers slowness and thoughtfulness,” says Miss Sassa.

Early Childhood Co-Lead Teacher
Peach Blossom Classroom
Originally from Guelph, Ontario, Annie Sumi joined the faculty at Ithaca Waldorf School in January 2024, first working as the assistant teacher in the Apple Blossom kindergarten before taking the role of co-lead teacher in the Peach Blossom classroom. “When I found Ithaca Waldorf School, I was immediately struck by the warmth and colour within the classrooms,” she remembers. “The Waldorf program connected a love for the outdoors with an emphasis on creativity in learning, and these implemented philosophies felt like what I had been looking for!”
Before she joined our staff, Miss Annie was a full-time musician, and also worked as an assistant teacher at an outdoor nursery program. She holds an undergraduate degree in English and History from Nipissing University in Ontario, Canada, and completed the Introduction to Early Childhood program at Sunbridge Institute for Waldorf teacher training. Miss Annie says her diverse educational background and interests inform her work as a teacher. As a musician, melody and instrumentation “provide a wellspring of resources when I need to reengage the class.” At the same time, her degree in English contributes to her love of language and story in the classroom.
At Ithaca Waldorf School, Miss Annie admires the dedication and creativity she witnesses among her colleagues. “It is remarkable how Waldorf educators devote themselves to the practice of meeting the individual student every single day,” Miss Annie says. “Whether that means finding creative ways of speaking to the student’s will, or altering their lesson plan to meet the energy of the classroom, the cultivated creativity and openness of the Waldorf teacher is an asset to contemporary education.”

Early Childhood Assistant
Ingrid Ayanegui joined Ithaca Waldorf School’s Early Childhood team in 2026. She is dedicated to “nurturing young children through rhythm, practical work, imaginative play, artistic activities, songs, stories, movement, connection with nature, and meaningful relationships.”
Before joining Ithaca Waldorf School, Ingrid worked at Great Oak Waldorf School in Texas, where she supported the daily rhythms of the Early Childhood classroom, assisted in Grades 1–3 with Main Lesson, Spanish, handwork, and practical arts, led a kindergarten craft group, and later taught Spanish in Grades 6-8.
Ingrid received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Business Administration at the University of St. Thomas, in Houston, Texas, followed by graduate studies in Transpersonal Psychology at the Institut de Psicología Transpersonal, in Barcelona, Spain. She is a graduate of the Waldorf World Languages and Cultures Teacher Training at Sunbridge Institute, and she has completed multiple professional trainings with LifeWays North America, LifeWays Early Childhood, and Waldorf Handwork Educators.

As a parent and teacher, Ingrid believes that Waldorf education has a timeless relevance. “Through my background in psychology and my experience as a mother, I developed a deep appreciation for child development, and Waldorf education brings that understanding to life by educating the whole child in a beautiful and loving way,” she says. In addition to teaching, Ingrid enjoys creating fiber art, crafting, going on nature walks, camping, reading, singing, dancing, meditating, and spending quality time with her son.

Early Childhood Assistant Teacher
Early Childhood After School Program Teacher
Xochitl Cruz-Gallo attended a Waldorf school until the age of 9, and she always carried that formative experience close to her heart. When her younger brother enrolled at Ithaca Waldorf School in 2024, Miss Xochitl (SO-chee) was delighted to join the staff as a middle school student aide. Miss Xochitl was quickly drawn into a wide variety of roles on campus, including assisting in skills classes and leading summer camps. In the fall of 2026, she joined the Early Childhood team as an assistant teacher, and as leader of our Early Childhood after school program.
Previous to joining the team at IWS, Miss Xochitl worked at several different preschool and early education centers, where she saw firsthand how many young children today struggle with focus, sharing, or even playing imaginatively. “A screen-free education that is creation- and play-based allows children to find wonder in the world, build resilience and social skills and cultivating curiosity that is rare in many childhoods today,” says Miss Xochitl, who also notes the importance of spending time outdoors and in nature. She treasures being a part of a dedicated and united staff and feeling love and support from the parent body.
Miss Xochitl is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Tompkins Cortland Community College. In her free time, she loves art, crafting, reading, and hiking with her dogs, as well as playing guitar and making music.

Grades Faculty — 1st-8th Grades

Fourth Grade Class Teacher
Growing up near the Aurora Waldorf School in Buffalo, New York, Katherine Arriaga has been close to Waldorf education throughout her life. As a child, she was drawn to the joy and warmth of the Waldorf community, and she started volunteering there as soon as she could, in classrooms, summer programs, and extracurricular programming. Today, as a class teacher, she loves how Waldorf schools encourage children “to seek and wonder and not to shy away from hard work that is meaningful and purposeful.”
Miss Katherine completed a bachelor’s degree in Sociology at SUNY Geneseo, with the intention of becoming a Waldorf teacher after graduation. She joined Ithaca Waldorf School as part of the summer camp faculty in 2021, and took a position as class teacher two years later. She has been leading her current class since 2023, when they started 1st grade. Miss Katherine has also completed numerous teacher training courses at the Sunbridge Institute and is an active member of several faculty committees, in addition to her work as class teacher.
“My students inspire me with how eager they are to learn and do and feel,” Miss Katherine says. “It is this bright eagerness for the world that makes me love my job. They have a light that comes from within them that just shines out to all who have the joy of meeting them. It makes me want to keep planning lessons and projects and experiences to keep this beautiful fire glowing!”

Second/Third Grade Class Teacher
Originally from Sacramento, California, Courtney Sinclair Kersten relocated to the East Coast from Washington State in 2023, crossing the country in a trailer with her family of four, two dogs, a cat, and a hamster. Right after she arrived, she applied for a position in the aftercare program at Ithaca Waldorf School. “When I walked through the doors it felt like a homecoming,” she remembers. She held the lead aftercare position for two years before transitioning to class teacher in the fall of 2025.
Ms. Coco had been interested in Waldorf education since her early 20s, but it wasn’t until her children were born that she began to dive more deeply into Waldorf practices, both in home-schooling her family and in running a home childcare business. Over many years as a Waldorf educator, she has built a profound appreciation for “the deep connections that are developed at every level, with the children, the parents, and the faculty—as well as the belief in mind, body, and spirit connection and the inner development that Waldorf brings.”
Ms. Coco has completed training for specific Waldorf grades curriculum through the Center of Anthroposophy, and is currently pursuing her Elementary Teacher Education diploma at Sunbridge Institute for Waldorf teacher training, having previously completed. In addition to education, she has a background in theater arts, poetry, performing, and writing, and is a certified recovery coach. When she’s not on campus, she enjoys walking in nature with her dogs, traveling, dancing, making spaces beautiful, kayaking, and spending time with her family.

Fifth/Sixth Grade Class Teacher
Daniel Bartholomew has a deep connection to the local community and to the land in Ithaca, New York, where he grew up. As a child, Mr. Bartholomew attended Lehman Alternative Community School, and later Cornell University, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Natural and Environmental Systems, with a focus on Environmental Psychology.
After college, Mr. Bartholomew held a variety of jobs in education, including as a middle and high school mathematics teacher in the Ithaca City School District, outdoor education leader with Primitive Pursuits, hockey coach, and director of a pottery studio. Mr. Bartholomew joined Ithaca Waldorf School in 2026, as a class teacher, saying he was “drawn to an education that takes imagination and practical work seriously, and pays close attention to how children change as they grow.”
“My years in public school classrooms, particularly in special education, have taught me to understand how individual students learn, adapt instruction, and build relationships that make challenging work possible,” says Mr. Bartholomew. “Children need opportunities to become capable participants in the world around them. I value an education that gives them time to observe closely, make things, and work through difficulty.”
Today, at his homestead in Ithaca, Mr. Bartholomew raises chickens, guinea fowl, and other poultry, in addition to foraging and cultivating mushrooms, putting up firewood, and producing, processing, and storing food. Plant identification, wildcrafting, and outdoor skills are among Mr. Bartholomew’s longstanding pursuits, alongside an interest in the work of Rudolf Steiner, Buddhist thought, and Ram Dass. He is an avid inline skater and enjoys snowboarding, hockey, and Japanese swordsmanship.

First Grade Class Teacher
As a class teacher at Ithaca Waldorf School, Dolan Polglaze is driven by his lifelong conviction that “education should respect child development, be living in all aspects, and have as its foundation a belief in the human being as a spiritual being.” Mr. Dolan attended a Waldorf school as a young child, and he was later homeschooled with a Waldorf-aligned pedagogy, which shaped his life in many meaningful ways. Even today, his life and personal philosophy is ”heavily shaped by the work of Rudolf Steiner.”
Mr. Dolan holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and the History of Mathematics and Science from St. John’s College Annapolis. After graduation, he worked as a dairy herdsman at Remembrance Farm in Trumansburg, New York, before joining the staff at Ithaca Waldorf School in August 2025. He is trained in Tier 1 Restorative Practice Circles, which gives him insight into non-violent communication practices.
“In an age of ever increasing abstraction and materialism, Waldorf education quietly but powerfully asserts itself as an imaginative, creative, and moral force that respects humans, the earth, and the cosmos above,” says Mr. Dolan. “It is both highly practical and highly spiritual at the same time.” In addition to teaching, Mr. Dolan enjoys playing instruments, reading, and long-distance hiking.

Seventh/Eighth Grade Lead Teacher
Victoria Dehan decided to pursue a career as a Waldorf teacher after witnessing the transformative power of Waldorf education within her own family. As a class teacher at Ithaca Waldorf School, Ms. Dehan continues to find deep meaning in “helping middle school students explore their passions, supporting social emotional development, teaching moments that nurture awe and inspiration.”
Before she joined the staff at Ithaca Waldorf School as a middle school class teacher in 2021, Ms. Dehan taught at the Waldorf School of Garden City for eight years as a kindergarten assistant, first grade assistant, and upper grades lead teacher, taking a class from grades 5 to 8.
Ms. Dehan holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Hunter College and masters degree in Adolescent English Education (6th-12th), as well as a Waldorf teaching certificate in elementary education (grades 1-8). She has completed a NYSAIS training in DEIJ and holds a EDSE sex educator certification, with particular focus on LGBTQIA advocacy and gender inclusion. In addition to teaching, Ms. Dehan loves writing, singing, making music, and hiking.
“Waldorf education focuses on our shared humanity, and fosters creativity and critical thinking,” Ms. Dehan says. “Education occurs as an active meeting point between the outside world and our own personal inner transformation through these experiences of truth.”

Special Subjects Faculty

Handwork Teacher
Movement and Games Teacher
Educational Support Liaison
Anna Raymer grew up in Ithaca, New York, where she loved exploring the area’s forests and waterways, and developed an early affinity for knitting and crochet. Her interest in fiber arts grew when she had the opportunity to study weaving at Earlham College, where she received a bachelor’s degree in biology. She later completed a master’s degree in the Arts of Teaching at Mount Holyoke College, and she is currently enrolled in a Waldorf Handwork Teaching Certification Program.
Teacher Raymer joined Ithaca Waldorf School with a diverse background in both nontraditional and public school settings. At IWS, Teacher Raymer draws upon her love for fiber arts, outdoor education, and belief in community engagement to ground her teaching in hands-on experiences that nurture a sense of self-identity, community, and connection to place. When not teaching, she enjoys outdoors hiking, paddling, or just watching the birds.

Music Teacher

Trained classically and in contemporary voice, music teacher Olivia Harris joined Ithaca Waldorf School in the fall of 2026 after relocating with her family from Los Angeles, where she worked as an early childhood music educator and songwriter.
Ms. Olivia holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Business from the Steinhardt School at New York University, and she is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Music and Music Education at Columbia University. Her graduate focus is on music pedagogy through a theoretical and philosophical lens, with a specialization in vocal pedagogy.
For Ms. Olivia, the most rewarding part of her work at Ithaca Waldorf School is “seeing the joy in my students everyday and watching the children grow in all ways.” She lives in Ithaca with her husband, a professional keyboardist, and their two children.

Math & Reading Support Specialist
Middle School Math Teacher
Originally from Trumansburg, New York, Kim Knight joined Ithaca Waldorf School in the 2024 as our middle school math teacher and the math and reading support specialist. Before joining our faculty, she taught reading in public elementary school programs and was an assistant professor of Education at Ithaca College.
Ms. Knight holds a bachelor’s degree in French and a Masters in Childhood Education, both from Ithaca College.

Grades After School Program Teacher
Originally from Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, Andrew Stern holds a BME in Music Education from Temple University. Before joining Ithaca Waldorf School in 2026, Mr. Stern worked in a variety of fields, including as a high school choir and percussion teacher, a boarding school dorm parent, a farmer, a prep cook, a summer camp counselor, and a church choir section leader.
Outside of teaching, Mr. Stern loves to practice percussion, read and collect books, and go to the theater.

Art Teacher
Farm & Land Stewardship Teacher
Earth & Space Science Regents
Before joining the faculty at Ithaca Waldorf School, Melanie Ryan taught in rural, urban, and suburban school districts in her home state of Pennsylvania, and was a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher at Circle of Seasons, a Waldorf Charter School in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She took a hiatus from teaching to raise her children, whom she homeschooled during the pandemic, before she began teaching at Ithaca Waldorf School in 2023.
Ms. Ryan holds a BS in Elementary Education from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and is a Pennsylvania Certified Teacher Grades K-6. After learning about Waldorf education, she completed the Waldorf Teacher Training for public school teachers at Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, California, as well as the Waldorf Homeschooling Training with Live! Education in Santa Cruz, California. She is currently completing a Waldorf Teaching Certificate in February of 2027 through the Great Lakes Waldorf Institute and AWSNA's Practicing Teacher Education Certificate Prototype program.
As a teacher with more than 20 years of experience in the classroom, Ms. Ryan appreciates the meaningful moments that happen every day at IWS, from visiting the chicken coop to guiding children to explore the world of color through wet-on-wet watercolor painting. “Passing on the knowledge and know-how of tending the land, growing, harvesting, and preserving foods while learning a new recipe and how they can provide for themselves in this world is a pretty remarkable career to have,” she says.
In addition to teaching, Ms. Ryan loves being in nature, swimming, hiking, kayaking, biking, fishing, gardening, star gazing, making art, crafting, reading, and cooking and baking with fresh wholesome ingredients.

String Ensemble Teacher
Devon Faith English was born, raised, and educated in New Jersey. She graduated from Bucknell University, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, with an undergraduate degree in Music and German, and a Masters in Education. For more than 40 years, Miss English has taught music, orchestra, band, choir, and German at K-12 public, private, and charter schools in Pennsylvania, Germany, Texas, Utah, and Nevada. She believes in “passionately teaching violin, viola, cello & bass to all types of fun & openhearted children in String Ensemble classes & in private lessons at school.”
Miss English is a lifelong teacher of the Suzuki Talent Education Method. She is a member of IMTEX 2026 (International Music Teachers Exchange), the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the Suzuki Association of Utah, currently advanced certified to teach violin, viola, cello, and bass. She also performed for 15 years as a chorus soprano with the Utah Opera Company. From 2022 to 2024, she performed on viola with the New York Chamber Players in the DiMenna Center and Carnegie Weill Hall in New York City.
Miss English was one of the founding teachers of The Weilenmann School of Discovery in Park City, Utah, in 2010. She was awarded “WSD Teacher of the Year” in 2013 for Music and was invited that summer to be one of 40 conductors worldwide to participate in The Juilliard School (NYC) Conductor’s Workshop with Maestro David Effron.
“A Waldorf Education in our current world is of utmost importance,” says Miss English, who passionately supports human interaction and joyful childhood as core values. She is the proud parent (and grandparent!) of two sons. In addition to music and teaching, she loves being in nature, writing, corresponding, communicating, camping, hiking, swimming, boating, traveling, and being with loved ones.

Student Support Specialist
Occupational therapist Jessica Baumgold joined Ithaca Waldorf School in the fall of 2026, enthusiastic to “share, support, and learn within an environment that is receptive and aligned with me both personally and professionally.”
Originally from the small community of The Plains, Virginia, she holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Art from Beaver College, and a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Utica University. In addition to her role in student support at Ithaca Waldorf School, she works at Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (TST BOCES), and she continues to build her knowledge through professional development coursework in trauma, social-emotional learning, executive functioning, interoception, disability justice, restorative practices, and supporting neurodivergent and gender-diverse youth.

“Meaningful change begins with relationships,” Ms. Jessica says. “Children are more willing to take risks, solve problems, and grow when they feel safe and genuinely known. This belief guides my work every day and has led me to embrace trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and strengths-based approaches.”
Jessica grew up on a rural farm in Virginia and has studied herbal medicine. She has a background in fine art, cooking, food preservation, yoga, and partner acrobatics.

Student Aide

Guitar Ensemble Teacher
Craig McMeekin has been playing guitar for 45 years in a variety of genres and ensembles. In 2024, he joined the faculty at Ithaca Waldorf School as Guitar Ensemble Teacher, where he brings his background as a musician and public and private school teacher in both New York City and in the Ithaca area. Mr. Craig has taught general music education classes, and led guitar ensembles with as many as 27 students. As a teacher, Mr. Craig strives to engage students in a hands-on way, encouraging them to learn by connecting to the community and the curriculum.
Mr. Craig holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Cornish College of the Arts and a master’s in education from Bank Street College of Education. He appreciates Ithaca Waldorf School’s thoughtful approach to technology, as well as the opportunity to work with “creative students who are used to challenges.” In addition to teaching and music, he enjoys woodworking, outdoors, hiking, and staying fit.

Spanish Teacher
Originally from Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, Susana B. Rodriguez joined the Ithaca Waldorf School in the fall of 2026 with a rich background in journalism, filmmaking, and cinema research and education, in addition to professional experience teaching Spanish to children and adults. As a native Spanish speaker and arts professional, she was drawn to the whole-child approach that is a hallmark of Waldorf education.
Profe Susana holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy and a master’s degree in Psychoanalysis and Cultural Theory from the Complutense University of Madrid, as well as a master’s degree in Contemporary Art History and Visual Culture from the Autonomous University of Madrid, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, and UCM. Before that, she completed an undergraduate degree in Social Communication from the University of Havana and graduated with a specialization in Documentary Film from the International Film and Television School of San Antonio de los Baños (EICTV).
Profe Susana says, ““From arts education to Waldorf education, teaching has become my calling: to transform each class into a joyful experience of discovery, where everyone feels they belong.”

Student Aide
Substitute Coordinator

Staff and Administration

Head of School
Laura Hayes joined Ithaca Waldorf School after a decades-long career in Waldorf schools on the East Coast of the United States and in her native Germany, serving both in leadership and as a teacher. Before arriving in Ithaca, she led a class from 4th through 8th grade at the Housatonic Valley Waldorf School in Newtown, Connecticut. She previously held teaching jobs at the Maine Coast Waldorf School and at the Waldorf school in Hannover, Germany—the second-oldest Waldorf school in the world! Ms. Hayes believes that Waldorf education is essential in the modern world, providing “deeply human, intentional, and nourishing education for students.”
Ms. Hayes completed her Waldorf Teacher Training in Hannover, Germany, and Curative Education Training in Hamburg, Germany. She is also trained in nonviolent communication, and systemic constellation work, which looks at underlying dynamics in systems like families or a business and brings them into order. As Head of School at IWS, Ms. Hayes loves drawing on her professional experience and training while “mentoring teachers and supporting them to strive for excellence in their teaching.”
When her busy schedule allows, Ms. Hayes likes to visit the adorable campus sheep. She also enjoys writing, sitting in nature with her dogs, and cooking good food.