Faculty

OUR FACULTY

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM

Kelsey Huguenin – Lead Teacher, Early Childhood
Kelsey is our Mixed-Age Kindergarten lead teacher. She joined our Riverwood community in 2016 when she enrolled her oldest daughter in the Chickadee Kindergarten. Kelsey worked as an in-home childcare provider in the past. Most recently, she served as a volunteer assistant in the Chickadee class for the second half of the school year as well as home-schooled her niece for a year and a half. Her niece and both daughters now attend Riverwood. Kelsey organized and led our first week-long Summer Nature Camp in August 2017. In May 2017, she completed the online course, Home as the Model - Life is the Curriculum, with LifeWays North America. In July 2017, she attended an intensive training for Waldorf Early Childhood Education in Seattle. Kelsey is currently enrolled in the two-year Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher Training program through Sound Circle Center, a WECAN-recognized certified training institute. She will be graduating in the summer of 2019. Kelsey brings much passion for Waldorf education and a can-do attitude to Riverwood while understanding the important role she holds with the children. Kelsey is a certified yoga instructor and teaches a weekly yoga class in her community. She relishes time outdoors with her family, enjoys handwork projects and loves to read.

Gabriele von Trapp - Assistant, Early Childhood
Gabriele is a founding member of the school, is Secretary of the Riverwood Community School Board and has been involved since the school’s inception. She has worked in public education for over 20 years in an administrative capacity and as a para-educator working one-on-one with emotionally, developmentally and physically challenged students. She has studied Anthroposophy for over twenty years with an interest in Bio- dynamic farming, Anthroposophic medicine, Curative Education, Waldorf Education and Anthroposophy as a path of personal development. In the past, she developed and implemented Art camps, Environmental camps, Mentorship programs, drum making and drumming events for children. She has served as a facilitator for a parent education and early childhood preschool program for Spokane Falls Community College. Gabriele enjoys reading, writing, all seasons and the wonderment of childhood.

Julie Eggleston - Assistant, Early Childhood + Nature Studies
Julie has been home-schooled or in a “nontraditional learning environment” her entire school career. She began to volunteer at Riverwood in 2017, assisting primarily in the handwork class. This year she will be assisting with the Chickadee Kindergarten, as well as leading the Nature Studies class. Julie has an Associate Degree in Biology, and enjoys crocheting, knitting, and being outdoors in her spare time.

GRADES PROGRAM

Nicolle Stewart – First & Second Grade Teacher
Nicolle first became a part of Riverwood in 2017 when her son began attending the 4th grade. It was here that she fell in love with the Waldorf curriculum and its focus on the child. Now both of her children attend Riverwood. In the past Nicolle has volunteered in grades K-3 teaching art at local schools. She received an Animation and Illustration A.A. degree from the Art Institute of Seattle in 2010. She has since spent time working on her art ambitions, raising two young children and has always dreamt of becoming a teacher. Nicolle completed the Waldorf Intensive Course for grades 1 and 2 through Sound Circle Center in Seattle, Washington. She has a passion for creativity and art. She is excited about Waldorf education and the gifts it offers to the growing child. Nicolle enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pets. Painting, creating, reading and connecting with nature are some of her favorite activities.

Denise Seeley - Fifth and Sixth Grade Teacher + Pedagogical Supervisor + Board member
Denise came to Riverwood and fell in love with the children and our teaching philosophy. She is a Washington state certificated teacher and taught in the Inchelium School District for 16 years as a Reading Coach and Fifth Grade teacher. Denise volunteered and substituted in the 2017-18 school year in the Grades program and contributed in many other ways. Denise has a love for educating the child. She attended a week long intensive training in Seattle through Sound Circle Center of Anthroposophy and completed the Waldorf Fifth Grade online teacher training. In her free time, Denise loves fishing on the river with friends and enjoys being outdoors.

Aja Bridge – Third & Fourth Grade Teacher + Literature Specialty Teacher
Aja home schooled her own children for six years, and her children attended Riverwood part-time since the school’s founding. Since 2016, she has been a full-time faculty member, and her children attend Riverwood full-time as well. She has additional experience volunteering with children at the Greenwood Institute D'Art in Chewelah, Washington from 2010 - 2012. Aja has an A.A. from Tacoma Community College (1996). She has completed Waldorf Third and Fourth Grade Teacher Training Intensives. She enjoys spending time with her family, crafting, and managing the local farmers’ market during the summer.

Monica Voltz – Seventh & Eighth Grade Teacher + Handwork Specialty Teacher + Co-Administrator
Monica is one of the founders of Riverwood, and has been a teacher, administrator, and board member since the school’s inception. She has led her class from second grade through its current year. Prior to Riverwood, she operated a home preschool for two years, and prior to that was a founding member of Fingerprints Preschool in Chewelah, Washington. She has a B.A. in Scandinavian Studies and a B.B.A in Business/Marketing from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington, 1986.
Since she discovered Waldorf education in 2008, she has completed a wide variety of Waldorf teacher training courses and conferences throughout the country including: Grade 4, 5, 6, and 7 Teacher Conferences; Math Intensives for Grade 6 and 7; Thinking, Feeling, Willing – a one year online course with Waldorf Essentials; the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) Summer Conference; The Magic of Waldorf Summer Teacher Training Conferences from 2010 to 2013; Early Childhood Symposiums at Rudolf Steiner College in 2010 and 2011; Juniper Tree Puppetry Workshop; Helle Heckmann Workshop for Educators; and a workshop with Rahima Baldwin-Dancy, author of You are Your Child’s First Teacher.
Her two daughters attend Riverwood. She enjoys skiing locally and around the world with her family, playing with the family dog, reading and knitting.

Marci Bravo - Yoga Specialty Teacher
Marci joined our faculty in 2016 and teaches yoga to Grades students, focusing on movement and mindfulness as tools to center, calm and resolve conflict. She completed her RYT200 teaching certification at Harmony Yoga in Spokane in 2015 and has training in Prenatal Yoga from the Seattle Holistic Center as well. She has practiced various styles of yoga for 12+ years. Marci has worked with children in the fields of education, childcare, and the CASA organization since 2008. She holds a M.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Tulane University.

Stazya Richman – Music & Singing Specialty Teacher
Stazya has been on our faculty since 2011 and teaches singing and music to all grades. She is a conservatory trained vocalist with a B.F.A. from the State University of New York. In addition to singing at the Northwest Bach Festival for seven years, she has produced two CD’s, one a solo album of world music, and the other jazz music with her band Stazya and the Naturals. She is the vocal director for the Kettle Falls Woodland Theater and has also acted in several of the theater’s productions. She has been giving private lessons as a vocal instructor since 2004.

Alley McNeil - Fiddle Specialty Teacher
Alley McNeil teaches our weekly fiddle class to grades three and up.
She started playing the fiddle in 2007 and has been giving private lessons since 2011. Alley teaches her students by using tablature instead of notation, which simplifies the process of learning new songs and is a great way to train the ear of the fiddler. Alley also plays the guitar and uses it in class to help the students keep a steady rhythm and learn to play with others. Alley plays the piano as well and has taught piano lessons since 2006. She often plays for services at her church as well as the recitals that she organizes for her students. Alley enjoys playing music with her family. The McNeil family has performed at the Chewelah Farmer’s Market, The Valley Fair, Rendezvous Days, and various other events; as well as playing once a month for the residents at St. Josephs Long Term Care in Chewelah. She has also helped her family with organizing the Fiddler’s on the Peak fiddle contest that has been held for three years at the Chewelah Peak Learning Center. Alley and her family have also enjoyed attending and competing in other contests. Alley received her education at home. She is the oldest of 12 children and loves her role of being a big sister.

Cathy Terrill - Spanish Specialty Teacher
Cathy joined Riverwood Community School in 2018. Her experience comes from many years of self-study of Spanish and attending class whenever offered. She taught Spanish at Onion Creek Elementary School for a number of years, inspired by a satellite program the school was using which didn’t seem to interest the children very much. She introduced the idea that she could be the Spanish teacher just as well as something coming through the television. Through the use of a variety of materials and studying intently, her teaching was a success.
Cathy traveled to Peru twice. The first time was to satisfy her curiosity of the country, its people and history. The second time was to explore and experience living in a place for longer than a week. During this time, she had Spanish classes and other cultural experiences.
Cathy worked for the Onion Creek School for 25 years performing many duties as a para-educator and office secretary. She has some experience with Waldorf education through interactions with friends and reading. She enjoys teaching, sewing, gardening, making candles, reading, the company of her grown children, and her little dachshund, Millie.

Norie Triplett - Home Ec Specialty Teacher
Norie joined Riverwood Community School in 2018 as the Home Ec Specialty teacher. She worked for several years in food service and related positions in the Enumclaw School District in Western Washington before retiring to Eastern Washington. Norie is passionate about creatively teaching everyday life skills to students, including cooking and baking, etiquette and manners, proper food handling, money management and budgeting. She also enjoys cooking with her grandchildren and older nieces. In addition, Norie volunteers her time, energy and skills to various fundraising endeavors. For six years, she has designed and donated a tree for the "Festival of Christmas Trees," a Mary Bridge Children's Hospital fundraiser for needy children. One of her spectacular creations was auctioned off for $7,500 with all of the proceeds donated to this worthy organization.