Class Teachers 2009-10
Viorica Comaniciu, 1st Grade
Ms. Comaniciu joined the EWS faculty in 2009, bringing 15 years of Waldorf teaching experience. She earned her Teaching Diploma (Literature and Linguistics) in 1983-87 and her post grad Teacher Certification in 1990 in Brasov, Romania. After 7 years teaching at public school she received her Diploma in Waldorf Education in Bucharest, Romania in 1992 where she taught grades 1-5 in the newly founded Waldorf School. In March 1997 Viorica won the green card lottery and immigrated to the United States with her husband and their two-year-old son. A few months later a second son was born. Finding joy in working with very young children inspired Viorica to enroll in the Early Childhood Teacher Training at Sunbridge College, NY in 2000-2002 and to work in Pre-Kindergartens and Kindergartens in various places. In 2001 she took over a Pre-School group at the River Valley Waldorf School, then a Kindergarten group and then a 1st grade class which she taught through 5th grade.
Kris Ritz, 2nd Grade
Miss Ritz joined the EWS faculty in 2008, after spending an inspiring year living in an anthroposophical lifesharing community, Plowshare Farm, where she assisted the courageous adults with developmental disabilities who reside there with the various aspects of home life as well as guiding workshop activities. Prior to that, Miss Ritz led a talented group of students from the first grade into the sixth grade at the Austin Waldorf School, where she was a member of the College of Teachers and served as grades faculty co-chair. Whether on the farm or in the classroom, she gratefully recognizes the many lessons the residents and students have taught or deepened within her, and how we all connect with compassion, respect, humor, and purposeful work. Born in upstate New York and living in a variety of places since, Miss Ritz graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. During her advertising career, she discovered Waldorf education. A new pathway unfolded for her, and she returned to school to receive Waldorf certification and a Masters in Education from the Antioch New England Graduate School. Miss Ritz also enjoys traveling (near or faraway), reading, running, and a challenging hike up a mountain.
Shannon Wiley, 3rd Grade
Mr. Wiley was born in Berlin, Vermont and educated at Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale Vocational Technical Center, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts and Antioch New England Graduate School. He taught for five years at the Cape Cod Waldorf School, teaching Grades 1-5, 8th grade anatomy and physiology and serving on the College of Teachers and as Faculty Chair. He has also been a Waldorf Kindergarten teacher, a substitute teacher at Pine Hill Waldorf School, a college anatomy, physiology and nutrition teacher, a massage therapist and an accounts manager. He is married with two children, who are students at EWS.
Stephen Beck, 4th Grade
Stephen Beck joined the Emerson Waldorf School faculty in 2000, as first grade teacher, and stayed with that class through Grade 8. He then took a sabbatical for 6 months, and rejoined us as our Practical Arts teacher for the spring of 2009. In the fall of2009 he became our 4th grade teacher. Mr. Beck was born and raised in Washington, DC and graduated from George Mason University with a BA in English Literature. After college he did a variety of jobs, ranging from training dogs to pouring concrete. He then taught for three years at a private school in West Virginia, and it was there that he discovered Waldorf Education. He went to Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene N.H. for his Waldorf teacher training, and then joined the EWS Faculty. When he’s not teaching, Stephen loves playing basketball early in the morning and playing mandolin late at night.
Benjamin Trueblood, 5th Grade
Mr. Trueblood joined the EWS faculty in 2006, as the 2nd grade teacher. He was born in Chicago, attended the Chicago Waldorf School from Kindergarten and was a member of their first High School graduating class. He attended Warren Wilson College in Asheville for 2 years, where he studied “everything”, and then took a break to travel in India for 6 months. Returning to the States, he transferred to the University of Georgia and studied Anthropology, which included fieldwork in Budapest and Transylvania on the Roma people and the interaction between music and the cultural and political position of the Roma. Mr. Trueblood is also interested in experimental “Music Concrete”.
David Nikias, 6th Grade
“Mr. N” joined the EWS faculty in 2005 as the 7th grade teacher. After taking that class through 8th grade, he took over his current class in the fall of 2007 , as their 4th grade teacher. He is a graduate of Guilford College, and did Foundation Studies, Teacher Training, and Goethean Studies at Rudolf Steiner College in California. He then taught for 10 years at the Live Oak Waldorf School in Meadow Vista, California, taking several classes through the middle school years. Mr. Nikias spent the 2004-5 academic year working in Waldorf Schools in Mumbai and Hyderabad, India, and continues to train and mentor teachers in Waldorf Schools there.
Judy Grant, 7th Grade
Ms. Grant was born in New York and attended the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City for thirteen years. She graduated from Brandeis University with a major in sociology and received Master’s degrees in Women’s Studies from Goddard College and Counseling Psychology from Antioch College. She completed the Foundation Year for teacher training in Spring Valley, NY, and taught for 11 years at various Waldorf schools in New York and New England before joining the EWS faculty in 1994. Ms Grant taught one class for grades 1-8, and then started with her current class in 2003 when they entered first grade. Among other things, Ms. Grant is interested in birds, and Canadian and Inuit art; she combined these interests when she took a boat trip to the Canadian Arctic, visiting bird and Inuit artist colonies, after her last class finished eighth grade.
Victoria Flynn, 8th Grade
Ms. Flynn joined EWS as the lst grade teacher in 2002. She was born in New York City, attended the Great Barrington Rudolph Steiner School from 1-8 and graduated from Green Meadow Waldorf School. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., majoring in Art Education, and then spent a year in Madrid, assisting in the kindergarten at the Waldorf School there. Ms. Flynn then returned to the US, did her Waldorf teacher training at Antioch New England, and joined the EWS Faculty. She loves to play tennis, run, ski and make art.
Special Subjects
Peter Moyers, Practical Arts
Mr. Moyers joined the EWS faculty in 1992, and took a class from Grade 1-8. He then took a year’s sabbatical in Europe, and returned to EWS to take the 6th grade class through to 8th grade. In August 2005, he began teaching the 5th grade and took this class through 8th grade. In the fall of 2009, he becomes our Practical Arts teacher. Mr. Moyers was born in England, spent his first three years in the Sudan and the next ten years of his childhood in Ireland. He then moved back to England, finished school and University there and in France. He did his Waldorf teacher training at Emerson College. Mr. Moyers has also worked as a carpenter and in a professional theater company. He is married with four children, two of whom are EWS alumnae and two of whom are students at EWS.
Ingeborg Boesch, German
Frau Boesch was born and raised in Marbach, Germany, the birthplace of the famous poet, Schiller. She graduated from the “Mother” Waldorf School in Stuttgart, and then from the University of Munich. She did her Waldorf Teacher Training at Emerson College in Sussex, England, where she met her husband, Eric. With Eric, she moved to Edinburgh, where she taught German and Handwork at the Edinburgh Waldorf School. She also took a class as Class Teacher for Grades 1-8, and at another time taught Class 6 for one year. During this time she was also teaching in the evening teacher-training course in Edinburgh Waldorf School, and acting as a mentor and advisor to Steiner Schools throughout the UK. Frau Boesch moved to the US in 1998, and began teaching German at EWS. In 2001-2 she stepped in as the Class Teacher for Grade 5, and in 2003-5, she was the Class Teacher for Grade 5-6. She also mentors other Waldorf schools in the Southeast USA. She has two children, both graduates of the Edinburgh Waldorf School.
Kim D’Angelo, Spanish
Senora D’Angelo grew up in Montana near Yellowstone Park. She graduated from Montana State University with a BA in Modern Languages. She has lived in Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and Ecuador, where she served as principal flautist with the Cuenca City Symphony. She taught ESL in Peru and flute, piano, English, and Spanish in various schools in Florida. After marrying and having children, Kim spent 5 years teaching private language and music lessons, writing children’s stories, importing Peruvian handcrafts, performing on the flute and being home with her baby daughter. At the same time, she was one of the founding parents of a Waldorf initiative in Florida and began Waldorf teacher education intensive training, which she completed in the the spring of 1999. In December 2005 the D’Angelo family moved to North Carolina, enrolled their children in EWS, and in the Fall of 2006 Kim began teaching Spanish in grades 1-8 and woodwinds in middle school.
Carol Kubik, Handwork
Ms. Kubik is our Handwork teacher for grades 1-8. She was born in Florida, and attended the University of Florida, studying humanities and art. She then worked in a retail establishment and taught handicapped children for a few years, until she had her own children and discovered Waldorf Education. She did her Waldorf teacher training at Sunbridge College in Spring Valley New York, studying child development as she was experiencing the development of her own children. She did Waldorf Handwork training with Greta Frolich, and Early Childhood Training, also in Spring Valley. She joined the faculty of EWS in 1988 as the Handwork teacher, and taught EWS’s very first graduating class. Ms. Kubik took a break from teaching for a few years when she had her third child (but continued mentoring the Handwork program), and then picked up full time teaching again as her daughter entered school. Her three children are all alumnae of EWS. Ms. Kubik was instrumental in starting our Children’s Woodland Shop, many years ago, on the deck of the current Kindergarten. She was also our 1st delegate to AWSNA, the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America.
Whitney MacDonald, Physical Education
Mr. MacDonald was born in Charleston, SC and grew up in Massachusetts. He graduated from Antioch College and worked in various jobs including professional chef, political organizer for the environment, sailing instructor and in a research lab. He then went back to school and received a Master’s Degree in Education with a certificate in Waldorf Education from Antioch New England Graduate School, and joined EWS as the 1st grade teacher in 1996. He took his class through 8th grade, while also studying for his certificate in Spatial Dynamics. In 2004 he became our full time Physical Education teacher. He also has many years experience coaching basketball, baseball and cross country and is our Middle School Afterschool Sports Director.
Jason Child, Music
Our Music Director, Jason Child, has been teaching at EWS since 2005, and has over 12 years experience teaching music to kids from 6 months old through 12th grade. He grew up in Virginia, has a BA in Music from Earlham College, a Master’s in Music Education from Florida State University and has done Foundation Studies coursework through the Center for Anthroposophy, Wilton, NH. He began teaching music in 1988 and became a fulltime music teacher in the public schools of Philadelphia in 1994. He has also been a professional singer, and plays the guitar and the trombone. Immediately before coming to EWS, he was teaching music, language arts and social science in a private school in Tallahassee, Florida. Mr Child teaches music classes 1st – 8th, chorus 5th – 12th and beginning brass. He is the Vice-President of the Association of North American Music Educators, and has three children at EWS.
Brigida Baldszun, Part-Time Eurythmy Teacher
Brigida Baldszun was born in Bremen, Germany. She went to Waldorf schools until she was 20 years old, and then studied the cello intensively until starting her eurythmy training in Vienna, Austria. She was a founding member of the Waldorf School in Darmstadt, Germany, and worked there for 9 years, when she moved to the US and to the Spring Valley Eurythmy School in New York to learn eurythmy in the English language. She then worked for 7 years as a eurythmist in Detroit and Chicago before returning to Spring Valley in 1996 to join the performance group. Ms. Baldszun continues to be intrigued by the balance between performing and pedagogical work, and teaches children in Waldorf Schools as well as adults at Sunbridge College in N.Y. She visits EWS twice a year, teaching Eurythmy blocks Grades 1-12.
Connie Helms, Part-Time Remedial Teacher
Ms. Helms joined our Faculty in 2009, visiting for two 8 week blocks, as Remedial Teacher, and overseeing our Individual Needs program. Ms. Helms has always lived in the northeast, including Buffalo, NY, Wilmington, DE and several New England states. For the past twenty-five years she has lived in northern Vermont where she and her husband raised three children, all of whom received a Waldorf education through eighth grade. Connie received her BA in psychology from Connecticut College and her MEd in special education from Lesley College. In 2000 she completed two trainings: Waldorf Teacher Training from Antioch NE and Waldorf Remedial Teacher certification from the Association for a Healing Education. She is currently on the board of AHE which continues to offer training for Waldorf remedial specialists. She comes to EWS with several years experience as a public school special education teacher and six years as the Educational Support teacher at the Lake Champlain Waldorf School. Since 2004 Connie has had a private practice as an Extra Lesson specialist and consultant. In her spare time, she likes gardening, reading, kayaking, biking and walking with friends.
Shannon O’Connor, Afterschool Director
Ms. O’Connor graduated with a BA/BFA from Parsons School of Design in NYC, with a dual degree from Eugene Lang College through the New School of Social Research in Liberal Arts. Her love of art has taken her to study in Italy and France, and her love of music brought her to Ireland, Denmark and all around America. She paints on anything from canvas, to salvaged barn boards, to the downstairs walls in Duke Chapel. Ms. O’Connor visited this area when she was 21 for a conference of cultural diversity within the Waldorf movement, and fell in love with the school. After moving here to work on the Haw River Festival, she was working at EWS within a year. She has worked in Kindergarten, her own home pre-school, After Care, Summer Camps and loves teaching high school art as well. Ms. O’Connor is currently in the Waldorf teacher training program at Antioch, in New Hampshire.
High School Math Teachers Rob Rich and Lisa Krough and High School Humanities teacher Lisa Braden, also teach in the Middle School. Please see the High School section of the website for their biographies.