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.

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Ildiko Gal

Early Childhood Co-Chair, Parent-Child Assistant Teacher

Ildiko Gal was born in Transylvania and has a degree in engineering from the University of Brasov. For seven years, she managed all of the machinery in a beer factory in Romania. She speaks Hungarian, Romanian and English and moved to the U.S. 26 years ago. She started her Waldorf teacher training the following year and during her training she was a student teacher at Acorn Hill and Washington Waldorf School. Mrs. Gal was one of the first Early Childhood teachers at PCWS and has been at the school on and off for twelve years. Her son, who is now 18 years old, went through Kindergarten at PCWS and her youngest daughter went all the way through 3rd Grade at PCWS. She has seen the school grow and blossom. Aside from teaching, she loves gardening and hiking.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.  

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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.

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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 Nunez 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.

Paul Nary 

Spanish Teacher

Paul learned Spanish as an enthusiastic high-schooler in Arlington County, as an exchange student in Spain and studying Latin American and Spanish literature at Amherst College. Paul has kept up his Spanish throughout his life, speaking and learning with friends, using it in International Public Relations work and joining other lovers of the language at every opportunity. He 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, stories, tongue-twisters and more.

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Virgilio Joven

Strings Teacher

Virgilio Joven holds a B.M. and a M.M. in violin performance from the Juilliard School. In addition to teaching at PCWS, he also teaches strings in the Alexandria City Public Schools and at the Levine School of Music. He loves the willingness and imagination of the students at PCWS due to their Waldorf education. A Tagalog speaker, he lives in Manassas with his wife, son, 3 border collies, a pomeranian, a shihtzu, and two African greys.

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