FACULTY
Tamarack’s faculty includes teachers, learning support staff, and specialists. Faculty are dedicated to the creation and implementation of a developmentally-appropriate curriculum based on Rudolf Steiner’s theories and their own research. Full-time faculty members meet weekly, working together to bring unity and cohesion to the educational experience of each child.
EARLY CHILDHOOD
Ana Gomez
Ana was born and raised in Colombia. Moved to the US in 2003 to pursue her career in hospitality. She is passionate about foreign languages and traveling the world.
Mom to 2 Waldorf kids: a 2nd grader and a kindergarten child. Before enrolling them in school they enjoyed a nomadic life, visiting more than 15 countries, as she believes the best way to learn is by experiencing the world.
When she is not exploring the world with her kids, she enjoys practicing kickboxing, salsa dancing or lately learning to roller blade.
"Working as a kindergarten assistant has been an awesome experience, learning something every day from these amazing kids, and encouraging them to engage head, heart, and hands on their daily activities"
Danielle Lohuis
Danielle grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin spending most of her time in the theatre, dancing and singing. She is a company member with Wild Space Dance and enjoys music, sewing, creative writing, woodworking, and anything art related.
Education: BFA in Dance and minor in Somatics (mind/body connectivity) from UW-Milwaukee. Certified Energy Mastery practitioner.
“The approach I take to movement and physical education is to make optimal functioning the priority by supporting the inner connectivities of an individual. It is my goal to have every student excel at any physical endeavor they choose to embark on. For each child to have an immersive understanding of both their inner and outer worlds.”
Halle Luksich
Teacher Halle grew up in Milwaukee, and in her spare time, she enjoys Irish dancing with the Milwaukee Irish Dance Company, hanging out with her dog Frankie, playing in a band, and crafting.
Education: B.A., Elementary Education, University of Wisconsin Madison, Certificate, Scandinavian Studies, University of Wisconsin Madison, pursuing Waldorf Teaching Certification through Great Lakes Waldorf Institute
"The fun we have in the Waldorf kindergarten brings so much joy to the children and me. There are so many opportunities to build confidence in these young people through play and real-life experiences. There's nowhere else I would rather teach!"
Sara Martinez
Ms. Sara grew up in West Bend, Wisconsin. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Whitewater, Wisconsin and then after becoming certified in Teaching English as a Second Language, Sara spent years in Thailand, South Korea and India teaching English and studying the healing arts including yoga, Thai massage, energy work and meditation.
Sara now lives in Bay View with her family. She loves spending time in nature and she especially loves the beach!
"I feel that a Waldorf kindergarten is the most healing, beautiful place that a child could possibly be.
I am honored to be a part of the village that helps each child to grow and to feel loved and supported."
Emily Peterson
Emily lives in Riverwest with her husband, three children, one dog, and two cats.
She enjoys camping, road trips, reading, baking bread, and fermenting foods.
"Community is very important to me and I have been very lucky to be a part of the Tamarack community as a parent at the school. I am thrilled to begin my journey working in the Waldorf Kindergarten where children blossom through free play and plenty of time in nature."
Maryam (SUnny) Pirouz
Ms. Sunny was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. She received her BA in psychology and then moved to the U.S. after graduation. For the first 3 years she lived in California with her sister. She then met and married her husband who was a graduate student at UWM and moved to Milwaukee in 2016 . She started working at a daycare as an assistant and then lead teacher. She decided to change direction and applied at Tamarack. She feels the Waldorf method gives her a different perspective in early child education in terms of instruments and way of teaching.
During her free time she enjoys doing yoga, walking in nature and spending time with her husband and friends.
LIELA SNYDER
Liela grew up in the Milwaukee area where she fostered her love and appreciation for nature and community. She enjoys walking along the river, lake, and nature trails around the Milwaukee area. She has a deep love for exploring new music and authors.
She is an alumnus of Shorewood High School and is currently in a gap year at the University of Minnesota where she is pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education.
“When entering the Waldorf Kindergarten world it is clear the connections that children make through play, imitation, and movement. I believe that every child deserves to be a part of a community that cherishes and loves them.”
Leah Taylor
Ms. Leah grew up in Milwaukee but enjoys getting out of the city in her spare time. She loves crafting, hiking, foraging, baking, and gardening with her four kids whom she homeschooled with a Waldorf approach for several years.
Education: B.A. Global Studies and International Affairs, minors in Philosophy and Spanish; a handful of courses in Elementary Education at Alverno College in Milwaukee.
“The space that Waldorf education gives a child to fully embody a connection with nature; their own hands, hearts, and minds is priceless. It is a unique gift to have the opportunity to guide children in this environment as well as see my own children grow in it.”
LOWER GRADES
Chet Garrett
Mr. Garrett grew up in New Orleans and developed an appreciation for theater, the arts, and his fellow human beings. This has fostered a deep sense of compassion and learning that he is delighted to cultivate in others, especially in children and their families. Alongside spending time with his family and friends, Mr. Garrett enjoys nature, learning and philosophy, reading, and music.
Education: B.A., Psychology (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), pursuing M.A., Education (Mount Mary University), pursuing Waldorf Teacher Certification (Great Lakes Waldorf Institute).
“Each child carries with them a hope that is nurtured in Waldorf education. This childhood hope shapes the development of that child, as well as the community of children in the classroom and the school, continuing ever outward to carry this hope into the world. It is this hope that impels the child to discover what it means to be human in their individuality and to be a part of a community.”
Brandon Oaks
Brandon grew up in Minneapolis. After graduating with a B.A. from Augustana college, he traveled to learn different permaculture and farming techniques, and experience a multitude of teaching opportunities. He taught at the Waldorf high school before coming to Tamarack.
Brandon lives with his family in RiverWest. He enjoys nature hikes, music, art, reading, traveling, and martial arts.
"I feel blessed to have been so immersed in Nature, and gardening before becoming a teacher. The lesson in every seed is the same lesson in every child; that whatever grows on this earth has it's own unique set of needs to thrive, and our job as a gardener of souls is to help every child bloom."
Michele Peterson
Ms. Peterson is a Wisconsin native and enjoys cooking, crafting, reading, the arts, history, and mathematics. She has been at Tamarack since its inception. Ms. Peterson has taken two of her own classes from 1st through 8th grade, worked at the Tamarack Waldorf School High School for two years, and was in the Firefly Garden kindergarten as an assistant for three years.
Education: She received her Waldorf Teacher certification from Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Teacher Education in Chicago, Illinois; is certified in the Lifeways Early Childhood Program, and has her B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in writing and editing and a minor in Art History from Alverno College.
Sonja Schlesner
Ms. Sonja returns to Tamarack after 20 years, as she substituted and worked aftercare all those years ago. She is a native of rural southeastern Wisconsin, largely residing near the Geneva Lakes area. She has spent the last 18 years raising 4 beautifully precocious children, 2 of whom have joined the student body here at Tamarack Waldorf. During those years she ran a 3-acre certified organic vegetable and fruit market garden during the summer months and substituted all grades in the local schools during the winter months. During the gardening months, she coordinated outdoor education programs on her farm with a local camp that served students from Chicago schools. She also worked with the Field Museum of Natural History in the Mycology department when she trained high school students in field identification, collection, and cataloging of mushrooms for a larger pollution project.
In June 2019, she was published in the General Science Journal: Gravitational Dynamic Equilibrium: A Mechanism for Gravity with a Non-Mathematical Approach to Quantum Field Theory. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1997 with a degree in Conservation Biology and a Botany emphasis. After graduation, she sought further inorganic and organic chemistry studies at William Rainey Harper College in Palatine. After her time at Tamarack, she began her graduate studies in Waldorf education with Cardinal Stritch College. She hopes to pursue completion of this degree in the coming years.
Ms. Sonja enjoys dancing, kayaking, camping, playing the tenor saxophone and flute, learning the cello, and spending time with her children. She is thrilled to begin teaching the 1st graders here at Tamarack!
ZAKIA WELLS
Zakia or Miss Kia to students enjoys painting, mix media art, and practices like meditation, belly dancing and reading. Sometimes during breaks kiddos will catch her watercolor painting or sketching. She graduated from Rufus King and Mount Mary University and plans to complete her graduate degree in Art Therapy and run her own art & spiritual practice.
UPPER GRADES
James Boland
Mr. Boland is a Wisconsin native who is active in the Milwaukee theater community. He enjoys long form improvisational comedy, comic books, gardening and cooking.
Education: B.A. in Critical Theory in English Literature and Theater from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. Waldorf Teacher Certification, Great Lakes Waldorf Institute.
"I feel extremely fortunate to be part of Tamarack Waldorf School's community, where there are many wonderful people who strive to bring a rich education environment to Milwaukee."
Peter Deboer
Science
Peter was born and raised in the western Great Lakes region. He grew up with a love and deep appreciation of the outdoors. His mother and father were both educators, allowing the family to spend summers in the Wisconsin north woods, between school years residing in the western Milwaukee suburbs. Not long after completing college at UWM in Conservation Biology and Political Science, Peter and his family moved to Far Oaks, California to pursue Waldorf teacher training. Eventually taking a teaching position at the Sacramento Waldorf School, they stayed California for nearly ten years.
After returning to Wisconsin to assist aging parents, Peter remained involved in education: homeschooling his elder children and working on a number of writing projects. Eventually, Peter would work in the fishing and food industries as well as returning to Waldorf education briefly during the 2010’s. Recently, Peter has returned to Tamarack Waldorf School, where he has worked previously twice in his time as an educator, to help develop environmental education programming.
Maya Kaspar
5th Grade
Ms. Kaspar is so excited to be joining the Tamarack Waldorf School Family! Born and raised in Madison, WI, Ms. Kaspar moved to Milwaukee in the fall of 2013 to pursue a college degree in education from UW-Milwaukee. Here she fell in love with the diversity, art scene, and abundance of water in Milwaukee. Ms. Kaspar began her teaching career in 2018 and has taught fifth grade for Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) until now! MPS taught her and strengthened her as an educator. She received training on management, trauma-informed education, Indigenous studies, and a writing workshop curriculum. Tamarack Waldorf's values of community, independence, and social responsibility match Ms. Kaspar's alignments as an educator identically.
In her spare time, Ms. Kaspar loves to read, sing, paint, explore, and travel. Over the summer, Ms. Kaspar tries to read as many books as she can from a variety of genres. Some of her favorites include: Harry Potter, The Diary of a Young Girl and Circe. Growing up, Ms. Kaspar was in several musicals and even two operas! She often brings singing wherever she goes. Painting has also been a strong outlet for Ms. Kaspar. From painting on canvas to her apartment walls, she loves the artistry and creativity paint has to offer. Exploring and traveling are Ms. Kaspar's passions. Some of her favorite places include: London, England, Portland, Oregon, and Sedona, Arizona.
Eliza Klunk
Applied Arts and Health and Wellness
Eliza grew up in and around the Milwaukee area. She first came to Tamarack as a parent and volunteer. In addition to handwork and woodwork, she enjoys reading, baking, games, hiking, biking, and movies.
Education: B.S., Elementary Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. M.A. Education with Montessori Certification, Loyola University Maryland. Pursuing completion of the Applied Arts Training Program, Threefold Educational Center, Chestnut Ridge, NY.
“Applied Arts in a Waldorf school reaches something within the student that few other subjects can - it shows them the strength they have within themselves, both spiritual and physical, to work towards the creation of something beautiful and useful. It is a therapeutic and joyful experience.”
SUMMER SULLIVAN
Ms. Summer grew up in Wisconsin and has lived in Milwaukee for the past 10 years where she has worked as a server, organic farmer and house remodeler. In her free time she enjoys playing a variety of musical instruments, traveling, and expanding her knowledge on herbalism. Her love of nature, philosphy, and children has drawn her to Waldorf education and she is finding her time here to be very rewarding
Alex Wyszewiański
Mathematics
Mr. Wyszewiański grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he developed his love of science, team sports, nature, and gaming. He studied Mechanical Engineering and Afro-American and African Studies at the University of Michigan and then received his BS in Elementary Education - Mathematics from Eastern Michigan University. He has spent the past five years teaching sixth-grade math during the school year and serving as the eighth-grade supervisor at the Wayne State Math Corps summer program in Detroit during the summers. He has been bringing his experience and enthusiasm for mathematics education to the upper grades since the 2022 school year.
SPECIALISTS
Marcia Duncan
Handwork/Applied Arts
Mrs. Duncan has taught handwork at Tamarack since 2001. Throughout life she has maintained a love for working with her hands: handwork, cooking, and gardening. It was her family’s involvement in a Waldorf initiative in Connecticut more then fifteen years ago that started her on this rich path. Marcia has two adult children.
Education: Applied Arts Program, Sunbridge College (Spring Valley, New York). B.S. in History, Charter Oak College (Hartford CT)
“There are infinite reasons for children to do handwork: from the sacred, to the intellectual, and to the practical. To make ordinary things beautiful is my current favorite.”
Adam Fisher
Music
Mr. Fisher grew up in Sheboygan, WI. As a child, he played sports, read books, and made a lot of music with family and friends. He attended UW-La Crosse and earned his BS - Music Education degree, where he developed an affinity for hiking and ballroom dancing. Immediately after graduating, Adam moved to Milwaukee to attend UW-Milwaukee and earn a Master's in Music in Trumpet Performance. He fell in love with the city, and has happily made it his home. In addition to Mr. Fisher's work at Tamarack, he also teaches trumpet lessons, both at the Wisconsin Conservatory and in his home, and plays trumpet in local orchestras and theaters. Away from music, he enjoys spending time in his garden, baking bread, woodworking and carpentry.
VERINIA GLASS
Upper Grades Art
Verinia Glass is very excited to take on the role as the Upper Grades Art Instructor at Tamarack! She has a BFA in Animation with a minor in illustration, and comes from a very long background of formal training and self-teaching of visual art. She has a lot of experience and wisdom to pass on to the upper classes when it comes to combining form and content to create beautiful visual aesthetics. The brief time that she has spent so far with each grade has been spent connecting with each group in ways that encourage spaces of mutual understanding and learning from each other. Miss Glass has very high hopes for her time here and is definitely looking forward to what the rest of the school year brings!
PILAR GOMEZ
Spanish
Pilar grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina and came to the United States 22 years ago making this beautiful and diverse country her home. As a child, her family moved around every two years within Argentina and Chile due to her father’s military career. This, in part, contributed to her love of traveling and living in new places and meeting different kinds of people. This is also where her fascination with Anthropology, Geography, and languages developed. Pilar completed her degree in Los Angeles and later moved to Wisconsin. When not traveling, she enjoys hiking with Ruby (her 3-year-old German Shepherd dog), camping, knitting, swimming, and playing with her two young children. Her oldest is currently attending 3rd grade at Tamarack and has been delighted with his Waldorf education. Pilar is excited to teach Spanish to all of the grades and to show them the richness of Latin American and Spanish cultures.
Education: B.A in Anthropology and Geography, Bilingual EN and SP interpretation and translation certification.
Paul Jarvis
Environmental Education
Mr. Jarvis grew up in the Milwaukee area and received a philosophy degree from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. Upon graduation he moved to Albuquerque, NM and worked at a television station, as a substitute teacher , and at a natural foods’ cooperative. He returned to school in Albuquerque and received a degree from the University of New Mexico in Secondary Social Studies Education. Upon his return to Milwaukee, Mr. Jarvis taught for 25 years in Milwaukee Public Schools as a Social Studies teacher at various middle schools and high schools. Mr. Jarvis enjoys reading, hiking, travelling, and playing music with friends in his free time.
Rosie McCormick
Lower Grades Art
Ms. McCormick was born in Manchester, New Hampshire and raised in Milwaukee. Her first three years of college she attended UWM and studying Art, Psychology, and Special Education. During college she worked with the elderly in Recreation Therapy at a nursing home. Her senior year was spent at Carthage College in Kenosha, where she completed my degree in Elementary Education and obtained her teaching license.
She taught in traditional education for several years, later serving as Class teacher at Tamarack for 16 years and completing her Master’s in Education, along with my Waldorf Teacher Training.
She is currently enjoying teaching Art in the lower grades at Tamarack, and also substitute teaches at Tamarack and elsewhere.
Anna Poulos
Applied Arts
Anna Poulos (he/him) graduated from Cornell College in spring of 23 with a degree in religion and minors in international relations and dance. He is a Tamarack alum, having graduated in 2015 and has been in the Waldorf community his whole life. He will be joining the handwork team as the lower-grade assistant starting this fall.
Dawn Schahczinski-Kelly
Physical Education
Dawn grew up in Brookfield, Wisconsin, and went to college at UWM. After graduating, she moved to Seoul, Korea where she taught English for nine years. Dawn’s adventures in Asia include scuba diving in the Philippines, trekking to the top of a volcano in Indonesia, and exploring Kathmandu. On her way back to America, she hiked the 600-mile Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia. Dawn is a lifelong fitness enthusiast. She runs, bikes, or jumps rope every day.
“I’m looking forward to my next adventure- joining the team at Tamarack!”
Stephanie Schrader-Lawson
Applied Arts
Stephanie grew up in the Lake Country area. She graduated from UW-Madison with a BS in Human Development and Family Studies. Since graduation Stephanie has been a preschool teacher, the leader of a parent education group, a doula, a stay-at-home mom to her three children, owner and head seamstress of a boutique toy store, and the leader of the Tamarack parent group. She also served on the Tamarack Finance Committee for seven years.
Stephanie has always loved quiet crafts and hobbies. She learned embroider, cross stitch, and crochet from her mother; machine sew in high school; knit after her first son was born, and is honing her woodworking skills now. She enjoys reading science fiction, is probably the only staff member at Tamarack who does not love nature, and her most favorite thing in the world is napping.
LEARNING SUPPORT
Jordan Allen
Learning Support
Jordan Allen was born and raised in Wisconsin, but prior to joining Tamarack, began his career in education out of state. In the classroom, Jordan has taught multiple grade levels in both elementary and middle schools. He has also worked as a Community Organizer, and as an Instructional Coach.
Ceal Hunter
Learning Support
Mrs. Hunter is the parent of two Tamarack alumni. She enjoys spending time with her family, gardening and walking along the Milwaukee River. She has been the Learning Support Coordinator since 2005.
Education: B.S.W. and M.S.W., University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Certificate in Educational Support from Sunbridge College (NY). M.A. in Special Education from Alverno College. Apprenticed for seven years at Tamarack as the Learning Support Program assistant.
“I was drawn to the holistic, soulful nature that Waldorf education takes in educating children and its strong musical, artistic and movement work.”
Chelsea Kirchberg
SNSP Coordinator
Chelsea was born in Minnesota, but has lived in Milwaukee most of her life. She first came to Tamarack as a parent and gained a deep appreciation for Waldorf education. Chelsea started working at Tamarack in the fall of 2021 and currently provides learning support for students in grades K5-6. In her free time, she enjoys going on nature walks with her family and their beloved dog.
Education: BA in Elementary Education, Language Arts, Middle Childhood-Early Adolescence, Alverno College, Wisconsin Teaching Certificate
Samantha Lewis
Learning Support
Ms. Lewis grew up in Rockton, Illinois. She moved to Milwaukee in 2017 to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Ms. Lewis is certified to teach 1st-8th grade and comes to Tamarack with two years of experience in teaching 5th grade. She is also in the process of completing her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
Ms. Lewis will be working with the Learning Support Team as an Academic Interventionist, as well as working as a Title I Math Interventionist through Learning Exchange.
During her free time, Ms. Lewis enjoys reading, painting, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Grace Rigney
Learning Suport
Ms. Rigney grew up in Massachusetts, but moved to Milwaukee five years ago to attend Marquette University. She graduated in 2022 with degrees in Education and Psychology, and is so excited to begin supporting students at Tamarack during the 2023-2024 school year!
In her spare time, Ms. Rigney loves trying new coffee shops, doing New York Times crosswords, cooking, and spending time with her friends.
In addition to being on Tamarack’s learning support team, Ms. Rigney will be pursuing a Master’s in School Counseling from UW-Milwaukee.
Deborah Schermer
Speech Language Pathologist
This is Mrs. Schermer’s second year working with students at Tamarack Waldorf school. She is the parent of two young adult sons. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, dancing, traveling, and enjoying the outdoors.
Education: B.A. Northeastern University, Boston. M.S.Sp. Emerson College, Boston. Certificate in Clinical Competence - ASHA 1993. Clinical Fellowship, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA.
“Communication is where human interaction lives, and verbal expression is the tool we all use to show the world who we are. It is a privilege to be able to help and support students with the development of their communication skills so that they can engage with the world and share themselves to the best of their abilities.
SUPPORT STAFF
REBECCA GOSSELIN
School Nurse
Nurse Becca has worked in the medical field for a little over a decade, in both the military and civilian sector. She started as an EMT working in the ER, then finished school as an RN, and remained in the ER for 7 years. During the middle of the pandemic she switched to ICU, and rotated between ER/ICU to help meet the greatest needs. She has also worked as a Psych nurse, specializing in mental health, and substance abuse/addiction.
In 2021, she finished up my enlistment with the WI Army National Guard, where I served as a medic for 12 years. (An Army medic scope of
practice is similar to a civilian paramedic.) During my years with the WI Army Guard she had the opportunity to go many different places and do amazing things. Nurse Becca has served on several humanitarian support missions, and trained as a flight medic for search and rescue. She was also part of a special team trained to mobilize and provide medical treatment in an “NBC” (nuclear, biological, chemical) environment. One of her favorite basic Army tasks was conducting tactical land navigation using a map and compass!
For fun she loves to dance, particularly “shuffle / cutting shapes” and make jewelry with different gemstones and crystals. She also love to spend time with her two dogs, named Donny and Copper.