Administration
Jennifer Lockwood:
Principal / Administrator
Talia Cechin
Registrar/ Administrative Assistant
Heidi Poloynis
Office Manager/ Health Tech
Staff
Teachers
Rachelle Coleman
Crimson Clover Kindergarten
Education: B.A., Education, Principia College; B.A., Sociology, Principia College; Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Brandman University; Waldorf Teaching Certificate, Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training
Credentials: Multiple Subject Teaching Credential; Waldorf Teaching Certificate
Biography: Rachelle’s journey with Waldorf education began when she was a kindergartener. She carried the seeds of that experience with her through her public-school years, and after graduating from college, she completed her Waldorf Teacher Training. She was a class teacher at the (Waldorf-inspired) Monterey Bay Charter School for 8 years and cherished watching her 2 classes become more capable and creative each year. She then began a family of her own, whose journey brought her to Ukiah. While her children were very young, she created an in-home preschool program, and started an Etsy shop featuring Waldorf crafts. Rachelle is happy to return to her first love, the kindergarten classroom, and share all the magic, joy, and discovery that set her on this path so many years ago.
Camille Meeker
Golden Sun Kindergarten
Education: B.A., Anthropology and Environmental Studies, UC Santa Cruz; Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Sonoma State University; Waldorf Teaching Certificate, Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training
Credentials: Multiple Subject Teaching Credential; Waldorf Teaching Certificate
Biography: Camille started as a class teacher at River Oak with a class of first graders in 2006. She and the children journeyed through the grades together and graduated eighth grade in June 2014. Her students are now incredibly capable, creative, and kind-hearted adults. After graduating her class, Camille taught Spanish at ROCS, a position for which she was well-qualified as she taught Spanish bilingual classes at the Anne Darling Elementary School in San Jose before joining the faculty at River Oak. Before becoming the Golden Sun Kindergarten Teacher in 2018, Camille took a sabbatical and taught English at Papalotes Oaxaca, a Waldorf initiative in Mexico. Camille states, “My goals in education are to teach cultural awareness, communication, creativity, and kindness towards each other and the environment.”
Sara Westbrook
Education:
Credentials: Waldorf Teaching Certificate
Jenn Douthit
Education: B.A., Liberal Studies Elementary Education with a focus on English Language Acquisition from Humboldt State University
Credentials: K-8 Teaching Credential from HSU with a supplementary authorization to teach English, as well as various trainings at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks & Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training
Biography: Jenn came to River Oak after spending the beginning of her teaching career at several Ukiah schools including Grace Hudson Elementary and Instilling Goodness Girl’s school at The City of 10,000 Buddhas. Before that, she and her husband had also spent two years teaching English in Japan. When their children were old enough, they were enrolled in River Oak and Jenn became interested in pursuing teaching using Waldorf methods. Jenn began her journey into Waldorf education in 2016-17 when she was asked to teach in Golden Sun Kindergarten for a teacher on leave. Following that year, Jenn was hired on to take the third grade class before looping back down to first grade. Though the journey to River Oak was a long one, Jenn has found her home here, believing that her love of music, the arts, and hands-on learning, is just what our children need to become active, life long learners. When she is not preparing to teach her class, Jenn enjoys working in her vegetable garden, cooking, and handcrafts (sewing and both wet and needle felting). She and her family also have the travel bug and have been to Japan, the UK, France, China, Thailand, and New Zealand.
Kris Mize
Education: B.A., Liberal Studies, Sonoma State University; Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Dominican University; Waldorf Teaching Certificate, Center for Educational Renewal, Santa Rosa, CA
Credentials: Multiple Subject Teaching Credential; Waldorf Teaching Certificate
Biography: Kris came to River Oak with a background in public school teaching. At Anderson Valley Unified School District, she taught junior high math from 1996 to 2003, fourth grade from 1994-1996, and she served as a resource assistant from 1986-1994. River Oak hired Kris to start-up and direct a new preschool, but the pre-school never came to pass. However, Kris was soon hired to teach a new first grade, and followed them through graduating eighth grade. After graduating her class, Kris served for several years as the Curriculum Coordinator at River Oak, but ultimately knew she was happiest with a classroom full of students. She feels blessed to now be teaching in the grades 1-3 loop, with her wonderful class of second graders. She enjoys gardening, cooking, crafting, reading, swimming, and playing with her six wonderful grandchildren. She loves living in Mendocino County with its beautiful beaches, rivers, and mountains-like one giant playground!
Amy Jirout
Bio not yet available.
Adam Williams
Education: B.A., Environmental Studies and Communications, University of Vermont; Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Dominican University; Waldorf Teaching Certificate, Center for Educational Renewal, Santa Rosa, CA; The Art of Teaching Grades 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, Rudolf Steiner College, Sacramento; Extra trainings in Waldorf education: high school level math, science, and English
Credentials: Multiple Subject Teaching Credential; Waldorf Teaching Certificate
Biography:
Adam joined the River Oak faculty as the eighth grade teacher in 2004 and carried them through graduation. The following year he took the new first grade class and carried those students through their eighth grade year. Presently, he’s completing a teaching cycle with his students who are in the eighth grade. As a boy, Adam grew up in rural Vermont, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. His childhood experiences helped to cultivate in him an active imagination and a deep respect for nature. He attended the University of Vermont where he majored in Environmental Studies and designed his own minor called “Integrated Communications”. In 1998, Adam wrote a thesis about climate change that was published internationally by the “Earth Island institute”. He also has a background in theatre, has tutored writing at the college level, and is currently working towards publishing his first children’s book. In 2019 he started the Hardin Fly Program here at River Oak, which is sponsored by Orvis, to teach fly fishing to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Adam enjoys fly-fishing and snowboarding when he isn’t busy enjoying time with his family.
Rebekah Martinez
Education: B.A., Psychology, Chico State University; A.A., General Education and Basketball, College of the Canyons; Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Sonoma State University; Waldorf Teacher Training, Center for Educational Renewal, Santa Rosa
Credentials: Multiple Subject Teaching Credential; Waldorf Teaching Certificate
Biography: Rebekah started her career at River Oak when the doors first opened; she was hired as the director of the aftercare program. In 2003 she accepted the first grade teacher position and carried her students through their eighth grade year. She is now in her third teaching cycle with a new group of students whom she started with in first grade also. Rebekah’s educational philosophy stems from her desire “to bring balance in being, reverence for nature, and most importantly love for learning and life.” Her interests include children, the natural world, music, health, fitness, and much more. She enjoys her family and community and hopes to make a difference in the world through love, reverence, and the balance that she brings to teaching and beyond.
Lori Stubben
Education: B.A., Anthropology, UC Santa Cruz; B.A., Southeast Asian Studies, UC Santa Cruz; Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, California State University, Monterey Bay; Waldorf Teaching Certificate, Rudolf Steiner College, Sacramento; Anthropology, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco; Theater (shadow puppetry and Shakespearean studies), University of Oregon, Ashland
Credentials: Multiple Subject Teaching Credential; Waldorf Teaching Certificate
Biography: Lori joined River Oak in 2000, when she accepted the position of first grade teacher in the school’s first year on Leslie Street. She stayed with her first class until they graduated from eighth grade in 2008, and then she left to teach first grade and theater in Fukuoka, Japan. She then taught 1st to 3rd grades at Novato Waldorf Charter School. In 2013, she returned to River Oak taking a fourth-grade class through to graduation. She is now working on her masters in US history, constructing her thesis on Shakespeare in America. Lori enjoys gardening, international and healthy cooking, dance, theater, singing, travel, and fiber arts (weaving, spinning, and knitting). She spent three years teaching English in Japan, one summer studying archeology in Israel, and two semesters studying Indonesian culture in Java. Most recent travel includes a summer in China and Mongolia and trips to South Korea and Oman. Bringing culture and history to life through the arts is her passion.
Jesse Beck
Nimka Kurzfeld
Specialty Teachers
John
Cunnan
Woodworking
Education: A.A., Biodynamic French Intensive Gardening, Riverside City College
Credentials: Vocation Education Credential
Biography: John is an inspiring and patient teacher for woodwork classes in the middle school. His students eagerly anticipate his classes each week. He is also beloved with the aftercare children where he teaches enrichment classes to grades 1-8. One can find aftercare kindergarten students eagerly looking on, awaiting their chance to join his classes when they reach the first grade. In addition to his regular teaching duties, John has created a beautiful master plan for the grounds of the school. He is also the proud grandfather of four River Oak students.
Terri
Nicholson
Reading Teacher
Education & Credentials: Terri holds a BA in Religion and Chinese from UC Santa Barbara, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Dominican University, and a Reading Certificate from Sonoma State University.
Biography: She served for many years as a teacher-consultant for the Redwood Writing Project and helped establish and lead a cadre of teachers to oversee the teaching of writing district-wide. She is the author of several plays for children and co-author of several children’s books. She loves, most of all, to help children discover the joy of reading and writing.
Sonya Campbell
Painting
Educational Support
Eli Moreno-Vaca
ELPAC Coordinator