Faculty and Staff
Early Childhood through High School
Grade 1: Chris Bennett has had a varied career in Waldorf Education for 36 years, as a class teacher, foreign language teacher, and high school teacher in Austria, England, Hawaii and Canada. Chris' work in teacher training began in London, continued in Russia, Greece, Australia, India and Taiwan. Until recently Chris had been teaching high school in the Honolulu Waldorf school and leading Kula Makua, the Honolulu Waldorf Teacher Training Program.
Grade 2: Ms Beka was born in Anchorage, Alaska, where as a child she volunteered at a Waldorf-inspired preschool. As a young adult, she taught music and theater in the public school system in California, and worked briefly in the entertainment production industry. Beka completed her Waldorf teacher training in 2007 through Waldorf Institute of Southern California. She joined the staff of WSOC in 2005, teaching pre-kindergarten for three years before becoming a class teacher.
Grade 3: Kimberly Telfer-Radzat has been with WSOC for eight years. Formerly the extra lesson and remedial support teacher, she took on the role of class teacher in 2007. Kimberly graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor's degree, earned her California teacher credential through the University of California, Irvine, has special training in the Slingerland method of working with children who have learning differences, and completed the Extra Lesson training at Rudolf Steiner College. Her interest in the unique challenges of each individual child has also led her to attend the Child Study course with Christof Weichert. Her two daughters attend WSOC, one in 6th and one in 10th grade.
Grade 4: Miriam McKenna was born in Argentina and grew up in San Diego, California. Several years working as an entrepreneur in the world of franchising came between her start at the University of Chicago and the completion of college at California State University, Long Beach, where she earned a BS in finance. The first of her three children brought the family to WSOC. In July 2003, she completed the high school teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College. Miriam was the administrator at WSOC for two years, subsequently taught 7th and 8th grade and then began at grade one with her current class. A desire to deepen WSOC's approach to meeting the diverse needs of our students led Miriam to join with two colleagues to do intensive work with Christof Weichert in child study over the last two years. She has been teaching at WSOC since 2002.
Grade 5: Nancy Mitchell grew up in Southern California and earned a BS in business at California State University, Northridge. She has two sons who graduated from WSOC. Since 1991, Nancy has worn many hats at WSOC, serving as a volunteer, Board member, admissions director, school store organizer, registrar and now a grades teacher. She graduated from Rudolf Steiner College with her Waldorf teaching certificate in June 2006.
Grade 6: Lauren Schowe grew up in the Pasadena, California area. She earned a BA in international relations, peace and justice studies, and community health from Tufts University. She continued on in school, this time studying to be a social change organizer, which led her to South America, where she spent seven years doing human rights and environmental work. There, her path curved towards homebirth midwifery and anthroposophical studies, and endeavors such as biodynamic agriculture, hospice care and anthroposophical medicine. In 2005, she moved to the San Diego area, where she worked as a homebirth midwife, doula, childbirth educator, and, being fluent in Spanish, as a Spanish teacher. Lauren was an assistant teacher at the Sanderling Waldorf School from 2006 to 2008. She graduated from the Waldorf Institute of Southern California teacher training program and joined WSOC in 2008.
Grade 7: Christiane Unutzer Bohr was born and reared in Germany, closely connected to nature and the four seasons. She holds a BA in arts and crafts from Iowa State University and an MFA in textiles from California State University, Long Beach. She taught in the arts department at California State University, Long Beach and elementary schools in the Long Beach Unified School District. "Ms Christiane," as she is known to the children, is married and has a daughter at WSOC and two sons at UCI who are Waldorf graduates. Christiane has been teaching for 14 years and has been at WSOC since 1996, first as the handwork teacher and then becoming a class teacher in 2003.
Grade 8: Clare Knauss grew up in England and was introduced to anthroposophy while living in the Camphill Movement in England. After a number of years in special education, Clare went to the teacher seminar in Stuttgart, Germany, to study Waldorf Education. After class teaching in England, South Africa and the U.S. she returned to Germany to study eurythmy. She went on to teach eurythmy to grades 6-12 at the Freie Waldorfschule Engelberg. Clare returned to the U.S. in 1994 and joined the faculty of WSOC.
Eurythmy:
Elisabeth Beck teaches eurythmy. She was born and raised in Stuttgart, Germany. "Miss Elisabeth," as she is called by the children, attended the Waldorf School in Stuttgart and received her MA in business management and motor vehicle science from Stuttgart University. After working in business for two years, Elisabeth attended the Waldorf Teacher Training in Mannheim and completed the Eurythmy Education program at the Eurythmeum Dornach in Switzerland. She taught eurythmy for 12 years in Germany and joined the faculty at WSOC in the fall of 2000.
Eurythmy:
Kurt Faerber teaches eurythmy in grades 1, 4, 6, 7 and 9 and math in grade 7. Born and raised in Southwest Germany, he completed his civil service at the Institute for Children and Youth. He studied art therapy/pedagogy at the School for the Arts in Northern Germany and completed his class teacher and eurythmy training at the Institute for Waldorf Education in Witten. Kurt toured with eurythmy ensembles throughout Germany, Egypt and Italy for one year. He taught eurythmy to all grades at the Rudolf Steiner School near Zurich in Switzerland for 15 years and was a high school sponsor for several classes. Before joining the faculty of WSOC, he spent five years developing the eurythmy program at the Honolulu Waldorf School for Kindergarten through grade 12. The students call him "Mr. Kurt."
Therapeutic Eurythmy:
Truus Geraets teaches Special Eurythmy to individual children. She was born in Holland and was one of the founders of a Waldorf School in a black township in South Africa. Her background is in Special Education (Anthroposophical Seminar in Germany) as well as Eurythmy and Therapeutic Eurythmy for which she was trained at the Goetheanum in Switzerland. She has taught Eurythmy and Therapeutic Eurythmy in many Waldorf Schools throughout the United States.
Spanish (Grades 1-5):
Iris Maria Ortiz teaches first through fifth grade Spanish at WSOC. Born in Mendoza, Argentina, she completed her studies in 1974 at the Superior School of Music, National University of Cuyo, becoming a professor of piano and theory. In 1985 she began teaching piano and Spanish at Highland Hall Waldorf School in Northridge. Iris returned to Argentina in 1992 and began a weekend children’s program, Cascabeles (“little bells”), in her home, focusing on musical activities. She returned once more to California and Highland Hall in 2001, and has since been engaged in using music to teach Spanish to children and other teachers in a variety of settings, from private classes to public and private schools in Orange County and Los Angeles. Iris has three children, ages 31, 29, and 26, and is the proud grandmother of two grandchildren.
Spanish (Grades 6-8):
Sandra Blanco teaches Spanish in the high school as well as middle school grades 6, 7 and 8. She is from Mexico City and earned her BA in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing and Human Resources from CETYS University, Mexicali, B.C. After graduating from college, Sandra guided young entrepreneurs on their path to developing their own companies. Before joining the faculty at WSOC, she taught at Saddleback Valley Unified School District in the Spanish Immersion and "English as a Second Language" Programs for twelve years as a teacher’s assistant. For the past eight years, Sandra has taught Spanish in grades 1-8 at WSOC. She is enrolled in the Waldorf High School Teaching Education Program at Rudolf Steiner College of Fair Oaks, Sacramento specializing in Spanish. Sandra's two daughters graduated from WSOC and are pursuing degrees in pre-med and civil engineering.
Japanese:
Masami Inoue, called Masami sensei (teacher) by the students, teaches Japanese in grades 1 through 8. She was born and raised in Kobe, Japan. After she earned her BA from Kobe City University of Foreign Studies with her middle and high school teaching certificates, she became a full time high school English and class teacher in Amagasaki City in Western Japan, where she worked for five years. In 1991, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to do her graduate study in the U.S. She earned her MA degree in foreign language teaching with a miner in intercultural communication from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT. She has taught Japanese and English as a second/foreign language both in the US and in Japan since then. In her soul search as a teacher as well as a mother of two children, she encountered Rudolf Steiner’s educational philosophy. After her family's relocation to San Diego from Connecticut in 2003, she started her Waldorf teacher training at the Waldorf Institute of Southern California (WISC), and completed the program with certificate in the summer of 2007. She has been teaching at WSOC since 2006.
Choir:
Rusty Delafkaran is the director of the choirs in grade 4-6 and grade 7-8, she also teaches pentatonic and C flutes in third grade, and guides the music in Playgroup's parent toddler program. She is from Florida and earned her Bachelor's Degree in music (voice) from Jacksonville University, followed by graduate study at the Indiana University School of Music. Rusty came to WSOC in 1992, starting in Playgroup when her older daughter was 3 and her younger daughter was just born. Both girls graduated from WSOC and during their time here, she was involved with classroom music support for many different classes over the years. Rusty also directed the parent singing groups, Circle of Joy and later the Festival Singers, providing choral music during the winter and spring festivals from 1996 to 2005. She teaches privately piano, guitar and recorder, is in Waldorf teacher training through the Waldorf Institute of Southern California and studies Werbeck singing with Christiaan Boele.
Strings:
Debora Wondercheck is the orchestra director and instructor of string techniques. Debora taught string courses for several years as a Master teacher for the Irvine Unified School District. She also served on the district's Arts Assessment committee designing standards for strings that have been piloted and instated throughout California. Debora obtained a BA in music education with an emphasis in cello performance from Vanguard University in 1994, and in 2000 received a master of science in education administration from California State University Fullerton. Noted as an experienced elementary string specialist with a background in conducting youth orchestras and serving as an adjunct professor of music in string pedagogy, Debora believes that all children have the ability to grow and excel in music. In addition to her education career, she is a freelance cellist, teaches privately and performs chamber music for special occasions. "Mrs. Wondercheck," as she is known by the children, has been conducting
Pianist/Choir Accompanist:
Daniel Pitts
Art:
Joy Hill
Woodworking:
Michael Knauss teaches woodwork. He was born in Fuessen, Germany, and grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. He became acquainted with Waldorf education through working with handicapped children in the Camphill School in Hermanus. Michael completed his Waldorf teacher training at the Lehrerseminar in Stuttgart, Germany. He has taught in England, the US and Germany. Before joining the WSOC faculty in 1995, Michael completed an eight-year cycle as class teacher at the Freie Waldorfschule Engelberg in Stuttgart, Germany, and in 2002 graduated his class at WSOC.
Handwork:
Angelika Meier, known to the children as Miss Angie, is in charge of our handwork program this year. Born in Manhattan, she was introduced to the art of handwork in 4th grade at a public school in Switzerland. She completed her undergraduate schooling in the United States, then returned to Switzerland to complete a degree in culinary servicing. After meeting her husband, she returned to the United States with him and started a family. She first volunteered in WSOC's playgroup, then in kindergarten and began assisting the handwork teacher in 1997. She recently completed the foundation year of Waldorf teacher training.
Drama:
Kathy Paladino
Games:
Greta Nelson, is herself a Waldorf student, having attended the Waldorf School of Princeton, New Jersey from Pre-Kindergarten is excited to find herself having found her way back to this source of her love of learning, but as a teacher this time! She has had a real kaleidoscope of varied educational experiences since which have helped her both to widen and deepen her interests and passions, specifically for language, education, and movement. She holds a BA in English Language and Literature from Rutgers University as well as an MA in English Education from Columbia University Teachers College. After receiving this degree and student teaching in New York City, she spent a year teaching 8th and 9th Grade English at a private IB school in Santa Fe, NM where she also coached the Cross Country and Swim teams and started a physical conditioning club for students. This year, Greta is thrilled to have the opportunity to work in a position in which she can even more fully integrate into her work an appreciation of the essential intersection between movement and academic learning. An avid distance runner, swimmer, yogi, reader, writer, and traveler, she hopes that she will be able to share with her students her own skills and interests. Most importantly, however, she hopes too to demonstrate for each individual the centrality of the physical in cultivating balance, discipline, and joy as a means of being able to enter into a healthy and confident engagement with the world.
Pre-Kindergarten:
Catherine Averett teaches pre-kindergarten. She grew up in Southern California earning a BFA from California State University, Long Beach in Visual Communication Design. While in college she taught English as a Second Language for three years to children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. After graduation she worked as a Creative Director for a New York-based publishing company for twelve years. In 1994, through her father and family she learned about Waldorf education and the work of Rudolf Steiner. Her own two children brought her to WSOC six years ago where she has been a dedicated volunteer and most recently a kindergarten assistant. She has completed a two year Anthroposophical Foundation Studies and has biodynamic gardening training. She is currently enrolled in the Waldorf Teacher Training program at Antioch University, New England.
Assistant:
Denise Ogawa
Pre-Kindergarten:
Barbara Cubanski teaches pre-kindergarten. She grew up in Chicago, Illinois, where she taught young children in a variety of settings. The birth of her son rekindled her love and interest in working with young children and she began assisting in the kindergarten at WSOC in 2000. She completed her teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College and joined the WSOC faculty in 2003.
Assistant:
Erica Linhares
Kindergarten:
Holly Richards teaches kindergarten. She was born and raised in Pasadena, California. Holly completed her certification of Waldorf Early Childhood Teacher Training at Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento, and holds a Core Certificate in Early Childhood Education from UCLA. Holly is married and has a son in college who graduated from WSOC. She has been teaching since 1995 and loves working with the young children and her colleagues here at WSOC.
Assistant:
Hillary Mayne
Assistant:
Bobbie Magnuson
Kindergarten:
Terri Webster teaches kindergarten. She was born and raised in Costa Mesa, California, where she attended Orange Coast College. Terri has been teaching her own class for five years after assisting for four. She also ran a summer kindergarten program for five years. She has finished her early childhood teacher training, a two year Anthroposophical studies program, and is finishing the three year remedial training at Rudolf Steiner College. "Ms Terri" especially enjoys handwork and taking her class on long walks. Her hobbies include family hikes and camping trips, as well as cooking and traveling. She has two children, a son that graduated from WSOC and a daughter in 6th grade. This is Terri's ninth year as a teacher at WSOC.
Assistant:
Deborah Parrish
Playgroup:
Uschi Friebauer directs the playgroup program. She was born in Gruenstadt, Germany. She graduated as a medical assistant and worked for over fifteen years in the Emergency Hospital in Gruenstadt as an X-ray and laboratory assistant. Uschi is married and has two children at WSOC. She moved to California in 1996 and graduated from the teacher training program at the Waldorf Institute of Southern California in 2003. She joined the WSOC faculty in 2003.
Playgroup Music:
Rusty Delafkaran is the director of the choirs in grade 4-6 and grade 7-8, she also teaches pentatonic and C flutes in third grade, and guides the music in Playgroup's parent toddler program. She is from Florida and earned her Bachelor's Degree in music (voice) from Jacksonville University, followed by graduate study at the Indiana University School of Music. Rusty came to WSOC in 1992, starting in Playgroup when her older daughter was 3 and her younger daughter was just born. Both girls graduated from WSOC and during their time here, she was involved with classroom music support for many different classes over the years. Rusty also directed the parent singing groups, Circle of Joy and later the Festival Singers, providing choral music during the winter and spring festivals from 1996 to 2005. She teaches privately piano, guitar and recorder, is in Waldorf teacher training through the Waldorf Institute of Southern California and studies Werbeck singing with Christiaan Boele.
