EDUCATING THE WHOLE CHILD
IN A NURTURING, CREATIVE COMMUNITY

Anna grew up in Richmond, VA and graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in both Sociology and Spanish. Having worked with children in various settings, Anna was excited to join PCWS which seeks to foster creativity in every child and emphasizes the importance of being in nature. She looks forward to being part of the Waldorf community. In her free time, Anna enjoys crocheting, reading, and spending time with her dogs. 

Kathy is a midwesterner at heart, spending her first 25 years in Ohio and receiving a BS in Education from the University of Cincinnati. She has been an early childhood educator for the past 13 years. Following the child's interests and listening twice as much as she speaks are two of her teaching philosophies. Her family recently relocated to the DC area after calling Boston home for the past decade. Kathy is a joy seeker who loves spending time in nature, walking with her dog, writing handwritten notes, and cheering on her son and husband's basketball teams. 

Shelley was raised in the Washington DC metropolitan area and graduated from the University of Maryland.  After spending a few years working in technology and publishing, she moved abroad with her husband.  With three children and seeking to provide positive growth opportunities during a rather nomadic life, Shelley developed a love for early childhood education.  As a teacher and assistant teacher at preschools in Singapore, Japan, and Northern Virginia, she experienced a variety of educational programs and styles. Common among her broad experience is Shelley’s focus on providing the highest quality, most supportive, and appropriately tailored environment for the children and families she serves.  Shelley enjoys hiking, gardening, sewing and creating jewelry .  

Kerry grew up in Bermuda and Ireland. She traveled abroad in the Peace Corps to Niger, West Africa as a community health educator. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Johns Hopkins University. Kerry worked as a Pediatric Registered Nurse at Children’s National Hospital for 8 years and is currently pursuing her Waldorf teaching certificate from Antioch University. Kerry discovered Waldorf education while leading a Spanish-immersion forest school. She has been a forest school leader for several years in Northern Virginia. When not teaching, Kerry can be found exploring local forests, dancing bachata, and practicing yoga. 

Sam grew up in Northern Virginia, received a BA from the University of South Carolina, and spent some
years in the Caribbean. She is grateful to be discovering Waldorf education after 6
years working in early childhood, including as a mixed age kindergarten assistant teacher and specializing in nature connection. Sam is currently enrolled in the graduate program for Transdisciplinary Healing Education at Antioch University. She looks forward to learning and offering service within the PCWS community and promises to be a safe, loving, playful presence to her future students.

Nicole and her family recently returned to Alexandria after spending two years in North Africa, where she taught 4th grade and helped support grades K-5. Previously, she earned a Psychology B.A. from Clark University in Worcester, MA and worked in early education. Being a certified yoga instructor also informs her teaching style and she is naturally drawn to Steiner Waldorf philosophy. She is grateful to have experienced incredible travels, from camping in the Sahara to skiing in the Alps, exploring remnants of ancient civilizations to meandering around new cities and inspiring museums. The people she has met on these journeys have taught her much about humanity, the world, and the art of living. Nicole plans to continue her education with a Waldorf teacher training program in the near future. 

Adriana is originally from Bogota, Colombia. She holds a Master in Textiles from Universidad de los Andes. She first discovered Waldorf Education while looking for a school for her first child. She knew she wanted to find a school that was a departure from her own childhood education and became committed to finding an environment that created space for creative and artistic work and fostered innate curiosity and love for learning. She visited PCWS and immediately knew that Waldorf education was the right learning environment for her family.  Both of her children began their education at PCWS and continued on to Washington Waldorf School. She began working at our school as a long-term substitute teacher in the Grades Program and then became the Spanish Teacher. She has completed her Waldorf teacher training at the Sophia Institute. In addition to her passion for Waldorf education, she has a passion for handwork such as knitting, embroidery, woodworking and painting. She and her family live in Lorton along with their horses, angora rabbits and Bernese Mountain Dog.

Hareem is a passionate early childhood educator with over six years of professional experience as a lead teacher for second and third grades at a Fairfax County public school.  Hareem homeschooled her children using a Waldorf curriculum and has previously volunteered as a preschool teacher at a Waldorf-inspired summer camp. Hareem graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Master’s degree in Education. All three of her children are enrolled at PCWS.  Hareem enjoys cooking, knitting, crocheting, and reading historical fiction.

Michael has a long history in Waldorf education. He received his Waldorf Teacher Training Certificate in 2008 and his Spacial Dynamics Certificate in 2009. Spacial Dynamics is the foundational study of movement therapy and movement education. It focuses on the developmental progression of age-appropriate games, group activities and exercises that introduce the pupil, student and adult to the changing dynamics between the body, the surrounding space and the world in which he/she moves. In addition to his extensive background in Waldorf education, Michael actively supports biodynamics  and founded the Chesapeake Biodynamic Network. Michael holds a B.A. in History from the University of MD and has completed the State of MD Teacher Education Certification Coursework.  

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Kristen spent her childhood moving around the southwest, where she received her BA from the University of Arizona.  In her early adulthood, she traveled and lived across the globe, grateful for the opportunity to learn about new places and diverse cultures.  When she was ready to settle down, she called the Bay Area her home for many years before moving to Northern Virginia.  She has more than ten years experience in various early childhood education programs, but has been drawn most to her time spent with play-based forest schooling where she witnessed children find wonder, joy and value in themselves and the natural world.  Kristen is excited to be a new member of PCWS and is currently receiving Waldorf training with the Early Childhood Teacher Education Center at Sophia's Hearth. Kristen cherishes time spent with her family, reading, soccer and BollyX fitness dancing.

Cynthian Knight holds a BA in Vocal Performance from Virginia Tech and an MM in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan. She comes to us from Meadowbrook Waldorf School in Rhode Island where she worked as the Chorus and Singing class teacher for the Grades program. In addition to teaching music within a Waldorf school, she has a vast musical background that ranges from professional performing to teaching a variety of musical topics to all ages of students and collaborating with additional music departments to present concerts. She enjoys teaching within the Waldorf education program because it allows her to combine her professional musical background and holistic approach to music with the spiritual awareness and developmental understanding that Waldorf education provides.

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Tina Liu teaches Chinese (Mandarin) at PCWS. She has taught Chinese language for
more than 10 years and has led numerous study abroad and exchange programs in
China and the U.S. A lifelong teacher and mathematician by training, Tina has a
bachelor’s degree from Beijing Normal University and a master’s degree from the
University at Buffalo. She has taught mathematics at Northern Virginia Community
College, Daeman College (Amherst, NY), and SUNY-Erie Community College, in
Buffalo, New York. Tina is currently working on an arts degree, specializing in
photography and ceramics, and enjoys Chinese poetry, calligraphy, and painting.

Simi comes to us from Primrose Hill Waldorf School in New York. She began her experience with Waldorf education in 2000 when her family became co-founding members of Riverbend Garden Waldorf Homeschool Cooperative based in Northern Virginia. Her family then relocated to Geneva, Switzerland where her children attended L'Ecole Rudolf Steiner de Geneve and she was very involved in the grades program for over 10 years. From Switzerland, she moved to Nairobi, Kenya and while living there she decided to pursue her Waldorf Teaching Certificate. When she returned to the U.S., she accepted a job as an Early Childhood Teacher's Assistant at Primrose Hill and worked as the Lead Teacher for the Afternoon Program. In addition to her work in Waldorf education, she has an extensive background in dance/ movement and Pilates and has taught in French and Russian. Simi holds a B.A. in Russian Language and Literature from Barnard College, Columbia University.

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Jennifer Scotti received a B.A. in International Relations from Stanford University. While working for the State Department, she traveled extensively and lived in Uzbekistan for two years. She worked on Soviet nationalities and refugee immigration issues, and helped open embassies in Central Asia and countries of the former Soviet Union. Her children began at Potomac Crescent Waldorf School in the first year of the school’s opening, and started in the first year of the Parent-Child class. She received her Waldorf Teaching Certificate from the Nova Institute in Bethesda in 2011. She has been teaching handwork since Fall 2009 and has been the lead Parent-Child teacher since 2011.

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Prior to becoming first grade teacher at PCWS, Rebecca served in early childhood programs for several years, most recently as a lead and co-lead in the Redbud Pre-K class. She completed her Waldorf Elementary Training in July 2023 and is currently studying for her Master of Education in Waldorf Education at Antioch University. Rebecca holds a Masters Degree in Water Resources from the University of Bergen in Bergen, Norway and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Oregon. Rebecca is a parent of two PCWS students. 

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Kristina was first introduced to Waldorf education as a 5th grader at Kimberton Waldorf School where she attended through high school. With the birth of her son she reconnected with Waldorf education attending parent-child classes at the Seattle Waldorf school, where she lived at that time. For the past 7 years she has worked in the early childhood classes at the Ithaca Waldorf school in Ithaca, New York. She is dedicated to Waldorf education and is completing her early childhood teacher training through Sunbridge Institute. Kristina enjoys spending time with her family in Greece during the summers, reading, knitting, felting, practicing yoga, bookbinding, candle making, painting, hiking, and much more!

Kyong and her family immigrated to the USA to Oklahoma when she was ten years old. She grew up as an Oklahoma State Cowboy and obtained a BS in Marketing from Oklahoma State University. After graduating from culinary school in San Francisco, Kyong moved to the DC Metro area and worked at various fine dining restaurants. She created and operated the beloved Fontaine Caffe & Creperie in Old Town Alexandria for 11 years before selling it in 2018. Since then, she has been travelling with her husband, learning to play golf, learning Spanish, and working as a substitute teacher in Alexandria public schools and private schools. She loves to run, to cook, and to read science fiction in her spare time. 

Amy was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia. She received a BS in Human Development from Virginia Tech. There she worked at the Reggio Emilia-inspired Child Development Center for Learning and Research for five years as teacher assistant and lead teacher. She fell in love working with young children and decided to continue her career in early childhood education. After taking the summer off to travel to Guatemala and El Salvador to visit family, she returned to Alexandria and found PCWS. She is excited to continue learning and strives to provide a safe and loving environment for all students. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, live music, sporting events, and reading.