Educating The Whole Child In A
Nurturing, Creative Community
FACULTY & ADMINISTRATION
Our talented Faculty and Administration love to teach and hold a passion for Waldorf Education. There are roughly 2,000 Waldorf Kindergartens and preschools worldwide and about 170 Waldorf schools in the U.S. The diversity of our employees confirms the global appeal of Waldorf Education.
While our school is small, our employees bring a wealth of professional and cultural experience to PCWS. With backgrounds in education, marine biology and engineering, as well as the fine and performing arts, our employees share a passion for learning and creative collaboration.
For information about working at Potomac Crescent Waldorf School, please visit our Employment page.
FACULTY
Jennifer Scotti
Faculty Chair, Early Childhood Co-Chair, Handwork Teacher and Parent-Child Lead Teacher
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.
Addison "Addie" Helmke
First Grade Teacher
Addie comes to Waldorf teaching after years of experience at the Howard Gardner School, Alexandria VA, as Dean of Students, Director of Environmental Studies and Lead High School Science Teacher. She has a passion for the environment and outdoor activities and has worked as a naturalist and instructor of children and young people at the National Park Service, The Appalachian Mountain Club and many other environmental organizations. Addie has a Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Antioch University, New England and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies, from Dickinson College.
Adriana Gomez
Grades Chair and Second Grade Teacher
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.
Simi Nary
Third Grade Teacher
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.
Russell Sage
Mixed-Age Kindergarten Lead Teacher
Russell Sage has worked with children, ages four to eighteen, in both academic subjects and athletics for over twelve years. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a B.A. in Anthropology and is currently pursuing a M.Ed in Special Education from Trinity University. Russell completed his Waldorf Teacher Training at the Nova Institute. Russell and his wife are raising four children in Washington, D.C. and are deeply committed to Waldorf Education. In his spare time, Russell enjoys cooking, camping, and playing his ukulele.
Rebecca Vickrey
Preschool Lead Teacher
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. She has worked at the school for several years in multiple roles. She is dedicated to Waldorf education and is completing her Waldorf Teacher Training through Antioch University.
Susannah Courand
Mixed-Age Kindergarten Assistant Teacher
Susannah is an experienced educator who completed the Explorations program through the Center for Anthroposophy in 2020. She has worked as a teacher, department chair and instructional coach and previously co-founded and served as the co-chair for the International Academy at Alexandria High School in Alexandria, VA. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont and received the prestigious National Board Certification in 2011. Susannah has been a PCWS parent for over six years and previously served as the PCWS Parent Association Chair for two years.
Hareem Hanphy
Preschool Assistant Teacher
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 Judge
Games and Movement Teacher
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.
Cynthian Knight
Music Teacher
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.
Marcela Lansberry
Spanish, Early Bird and Afternoon Program Teacher
Marcela Lansberry attended a Waldorf School in Lima Peru and returned in 2017 to work as a volunteer at the kindergarten at the same Waldorf School. Marcela teaches Spanish to the first and second grades at PCWS and also supports the Early Bird and Afternoon Programs. She received her BA in Psychology with a minor in Child Development from American Public University in 2021 and is excited to deepen her Waldorf experience at PCWS.
Xenia NuÑez Caballero
Early Childhood and Grades Program Assistant
Xenia has worked with children in a variety of childcare settings for almost 5 years. She enjoys helping children develop and grow and is delighted to be working at Potomac Crescent. Xenia is a senior at Marymount University studying Elementary Education and Law.
Snigdha Ravy
Early Childhood Program Assistant
Snigdha holds a Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction and has been working with young children since 2015. She is originally from India but has lived in many places, including Mexico and Australia. She currently resides in Arlington with her husband, eight-year-old daughter and their Maltese-Yorkie, Bear. She speaks several languages including Spanish, Hindi and is currently learning Italian.
ADMINISTRATION
Paul Nary
Director of Administration, Marketing and Communications,
Spanish Teacher
Prior to coming to PCWS, Paul worked for over 15 years managing and providing technical leadership to international development and public health programs for UNICEF and US-based NGOs. This work included a strong focus on community-based advocacy, communication campaigns and interventions and adolescent health and development. Paul has managed public relations campaigns for international and commercial clients and has taught English as a second language to children and adults in the US and Russia. Paul holds a BA from Hunter College of the City University of New York (C.U.N.Y.) and an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine/University of London. As Spanish teacher, Paul has taken to heart the "mandate" of PCWS Spanish instruction, to "have fun," and hopes to pass on his love of the language to his grades students through games, poems, songs, stories, tongue-twisters and more.
Claire Tran
Director of Finance
Claire Tran has a B.A. in German from Colby College and an MBA from American University, with a concentration on International Finance and Non-Profit Management. Prior to PCWS, she worked for various environmental and international development nonprofits in the DC area. She is drawn to Waldorf Education because it is play-based with structure and it looks at the whole child — not just academic development.
John Cox
Director of Operations
John is a management professional with extensive experience in school and state and local government facility environments. He has worked on capital improvement projects and is deeply skilled at resolving facilities issues including repairs, renovations, and acquisition of new space using knowledge of current ADA, building trade and life safety codes. John has worked as a facilities director for almost 20 years, most recently serving as the Director of Facilities for Washington Waldorf School. Prior to his time at WWS he worked for the Arlington County Department of Human Services and also for The Key School in Annapolis, Maryland, where he was responsible for a campus of 14 buildings.
Kensei Phillips
Enrollment & Admissions Coordinator
Kensei has extensive experience directing and advising nonprofits, foundations and national associations committed to social change, including: the Council on Foundations; the Greater Washington Community Foundation (GWCF); and, Figure Skating in Harlem, Inc., which combines the power of education with access to figure skating for girls of color. She is currently on the board of directors of the Williams-Franklin Foundation and is co-chair of the Community Service Committee of the Alexandria-Mt. Vernon chapter of Jack and Jill of America. Kensei is deeply committed to advancing educational and leadership opportunities for young African Americans.