Janie grew up on a ranch in Santa Cruz, CA where she spent most of her younger years exploring nature. Janie attended Mountain School Elementary, a school that helped foster her appreciation of the arts and love of nature. Always being a helper to younger cousins, She developed a passion for working with young children. While attending college at CSU Monterey Bay, she took a job as a Nanny and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Liberal Studies with a Minor in Child Development. After graduating college she moved to Bend with her husband and three Labs. Janie has worked at different Childcare centers over the years and recently as a Teacher in an Infant/Toddler Program at Bend High. Janie now has a 10 year old son that shares the same passion of loving and living in nature. In her spare time Janie enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, camping, watching her son play in soccer games and spending time with family.

Cyndi grew up in the Midwest and Colorado, where she spent most of her young life exploring the world around her. From an early age, she loved being outside and she spent as much time as she could wandering through ravines and hiking in the mountains with her grandparents.

During high school and then in college, Cyndi worked in Early Child Care, first as an assistant and then as a lead teacher. After attending Colorado State University and graduating with both a B.A. and a B.S., Cyndi spent a year traveling through South America. She fell deeper in love with the mountains by spending weeks at a time in the backcountry. During this stint, she spent many months living out of her tent and volunteering on organic farms, eventually landing on a farm where they spoke about living soil and the farm as a living organism. Thus began her introduction to Biodynamic farming and the work of Rudolf Steiner.

After returning to the United States, Cyndi found a Biodynamic farm in Fort Collins, CO to trade time for vegetables. While working full time, she eventually went from a working farm member to a farm apprentice and eventually into co-management. During this time, she often had opportunities to utilize her early childhood experience with children who came to the farm for their farming block in Waldorf Schools. After her mentors began their transition into retirement, she landed a job as the Biodynamic Program Director at the Rudolf Steiner College (RSC), where she trained apprentices, taught Biodynamic classes, managed RSC’s Biodynamic farm production, and instructed neuro-diverse young adults in Animal Husbandry and farming.

In 2018, Biodynamic farming brought Cyndi to Central Oregon to work for a Herbal Supplement company specializing in organic and Biodynamic medicinal plants. Falling deeply in love with the Cascades and the culture of Central Oregon, she felt inspired to re-enliven her passion for teaching the next generation of stewards of the Earth.

In her free time she can be found consulting for farms wanting to convert to Biodynamics, driving giant tractors, gardening, camping, hiking, rock climbing and caring for animals. She loves Nature, Children, Animals and composting!

 

Born and raised in Oregon’s Rogue Valley, Maddi was always intertwined with the environment. From a young age she took a fascination with animals and horses which got her outside in 4-H club. 

Her next greatest hobby and love was photography and film making. Her grandpa always had his camcorder out when they went on National Park road trips, and she absolutely admired watching old videos of her family on the television. The nostalgic feeling that she got from watching memories on the television ignited a fire. This passion carried her into university, where she spent her bachelors at SOU, studying Emerging Media and Digital Arts. She had a desire to see more of the world, so she spent her junior year in Australia studying Sustainability and Environmental Action. This magical time was spent traveling all over the Eastern Coast of Australia and Tasmania, fostering and deepening her relationship to the earth. She blended her two loves of being outside and photography and designated her Independent Study thesis on how connection to nature breeds a sustainable future – through the avenue of photography and interviews of 7 different clients. 

From Australia, she got the travel bug and once graduated from SOU, she spent 6 weeks in Chile working at an eco-resort on a work/trade. When she returned back, she decided to move to Bend, Oregon because of the natural environment and spent 1.5 years there until the pandemic hit. She then moved back to Southern Oregon to teach Art at an Outdoor School for the last two years. She is looking forward to continuing her love for art and environment-based education as she joins WSB! Maddi also enjoys practicing and teaching yoga, hiking, road trips, and photography.

Taryn was raised in beautiful Bend Oregon, where she knew from a very young age that she had a passion for education and a love for children. 

 

Miro Frankzerda grew up in Western Oregon, surrounded by lush forests and inspirational artists of all kinds.

After graduating with a  B.A. in Biopsychology, he spent three years teaching around the world highlighted by contracts in Thailand and Ecuador. He has a calm and steady demeanor that is paired with a deep investment in the education of children.

Miro has a love of nature that he integrates into his educational approach. He recently worked with New Vision Wilderness Therapy, which is an incredibly rigorous program providing a physically and emotionally safe place for adolescents and young adults in the context of the outdoors.

Bio Coming Soon!

 

Growing up in a farming family, in the mountains of Salzburg, Austria, I was fortunate to attend Kindergarten through 12th grade at the Salzburg Waldorf School.

My Waldorf experience certainly laid the foundation for my love of kids, nature, animals and the arts. I told my teacher in 5th grade that I was going to be a teacher when I grew up and decided after 12th grade to go study at Paedagogische Akademie Salzburg to become a teacher.

During a visit to Sisters, OR in 2001, I met the father of our son and moved to Portland, OR in 2003. Since then I worked myself up from an assistant instructor to the Director of a horseback riding school, French Hill Farm, which combined my love for horses with kids and teaching. After 8 years at French Hill Farm, I started my own horseback riding school and led that for 10 successful years.
Becoming a mother had me start working for Kozy Kids enrichment center as a preschool teacher. Family brought me to Central OR in 2020 and since then I call Redmond my home.

That brings me to this beautiful place, the Bend Waldorf School, which feels like home already.

Bio Coming Soon!

Nicole Blume grew up in Los Angeles, CA, where she spent her teen years tutoring, babysitting, Girl Scouting, and working as a camp counselor and “Big Sister” mentor. A profound bibliophile, she graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a degree in English Literature and a focus in Children’s Literature after studying abroad in Italy for a summer and England for a year.

After working in corporate America for four years, she decided to return to school to become a Waldorf teacher. She graduated with her multiple subjects teaching credential from Cal State University of Northridge in 2014, from the Waldorf Institute of Southern California teacher preparation program in 2016, and from the Waldorf Practical Arts Training program in 2018. She has worked at several Waldorf schools over the years and is deeply passionate about Waldorf Education.

Nicole lives in Bend, OR with her partner and two young children. She enjoys reading, painting, gardening, crafting, and spending time in nature with her family.

Ms. Becky was born and raised in the Bay Area, California, graduated from San Diego State University with a BS, Integrated Marketing Communications and studied abroad at Oxford University. After graduating, she returned to San Francisco and worked in sales, software implementation and built customer success programs at various technology companies.

Ms. Becky and her family moved to Bend 6 years ago and enjoy all of the natural beauty and opportunities for play that this town has to offer. She has served on the Bend International School Board and the Waldorf School of Bend Board. Ms. Becky is a member of the Bend International School Social Justice and Equity Committee.

Susan moved West from Virginia to teach high school English and Native Culture for The High Country School, a traveling, academic outdoor school.  From this, she developed as a professional storyteller, learning to tell Native American Coyote Stories from many experiences with Native elders research in anthropological and linguistic texts.  From a Nez Perce friend, Susan learned to speak a bit of Shahaptin, a Plateau Native language.

Today her performances included traditional stories from many cultures.  Past venues for her performances, keynotes and workshops (The Passionate Fact:  Storytelling Science) include:  Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Royal Botanical Gardens Edinburgh, Australian botanical gardens, National Geographic Society, SF Jazz, the Oregon Symphony and the National Park Service.

Although she learned to read late, she is the author of four books and six recordings.  Her love of language lead her to Eurythmy training.  She holds a B.A. cum laude and a Masters of English from the University of Virginia.  She holds a Eurythmy diploma from Rudolf Steiner College after also studying at Eurythmy Spring Valley.  

 

Carla Delfino was born in Buenos Aires, and grew up in Neuquen, Patagonia Argentina. She moved to the USA at 18 to study Marine Science and Biology at the University of Miami.

She then moved to Alaska to work in the Marine Sciences department at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. After almost four years in Alaska, and a year of travel, Carla worked in Hawaii for Dolphin Quest as an educator, teaching kids about the fascinating ocean world. She also worked as a field biologist doing research at the base of Mauna Loa.

In 2007, Carla and her husband moved back to the mainland, to be closer to family, finally settling in Bend in 2008. Since moving to Bend, Carla has worked as an educator at the Sunriver Nature Center and at the Natural Areas Association. When their daughter Rowan was two, Carla decided to become a full-time mom. Carla began teaching Spanish to pre-school aged children in 2015, and began teaching Lower Grades Spanish at the Waldorf School of Bend in 2017. Carla has been enjoying teaching in the Waldorf philosophy and actively learning more about the methods involved.

When not teaching, Carla loves to spend time with her family, traveling, hiking, skiing, canoeing, rafting, practicing martial arts and reading!

 

During his years at UC Santa Cruz, where he received his bachelor’s in Art History, Robert met an old man who taught Tai Chi. He was quirky and funny, and Robert was fascinated by the way he moved. Before long, Robert was completely obsessed with the martial art, and started going to Tai Chi classes four times a week.

Since then, the practice has unfolded into all areas of his life. It continues to show him the great value of movement practices on physical, mental, and spiritual levels, and it informs within him a certain love for movement. As a teacher, he tries to remember his own childhood days in PE classes. He aims to have fun and experience games with the students from their own perspective, and he believes this brings a lot of energy to the class.

 

Justin LeBart is the Chief Clay Officer and Soul Proprietor of Journeyman Ceramics.  Life’s journey has lead him from Massachusetts, where he grew up and received his degree in Fine Arts Sculpture, all the way through Arizona and Belgium, where he apprenticed in clay and received his Masters of Education from NAU, to his current home of the last 15 years, beautiful Bend, Oregon. 

Mr. Justin believes through meaningful interactions with clay we can learn about ourselves, our community and the world at large. For over 10,000 years our ancestors have used clay for both utilitarian and expressive needs, Waldorf students will be part of this history and through play, critique, and creation of objects. Let’s be part of history!

 

Annie grew up between Boston, MA, and Prince Edward Island, Canada, spending afternoons swimming in the Atlantic ocean and her neighborhood pond, catching tadpoles, snapping turtles, and sunfish, cooking and baking with her parents, and staging plays and puppet shows with her friends. 

Annie attended Pitzer College in Claremont, CA where she earned her BA in Psychology with concentrated studies in creative writing and literature. Much of her education focused upon integrating topics in sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies within clinical settings. 

Since moving to Bend, OR in 2020, Annie has served Central Oregon’s population of individuals with developmental disabilities as a Behavior Specialist, counseling clients and their families with the goal of increasing independence and overall happiness in each life that she touches. 

In addition to her academic endeavors, Annie has been coaching competitive swimming professionally for nearly eight years, and she currently serves as the Head Swim Coach at Mountain View High School in Bend. 

When Annie is not in her office at WSB or at the pool, she enjoys cooking for her family, swimming in our many beautiful bodies of water here in Central Oregon, hiking with her dog, reading novels, and traveling to France, the Caribbean, Cambodia, Singapore, Costa Rica, and beyond!

 

Peter was born and raised outside Corvallis, Oregon, spending his childhood in nature wandering the forests and fields with his three older brothers. He spent much of High School with a Waldorf Inspired tutor before moving to British Columbia to study education and philosophy in university.

After graduation, Peter worked in university student development leading human services programs in areas of houselessness, incarceration, immigration and refugee support, and other areas of community need. During this time he began volunteering in childrens and youth bereavement at a local hospice, eventually moving back to Oregon to work full time in hospice mental health support.

Peter is currently enrolled in counselor education at the Canadian School of Existential Analysis in Vancouver, BC. Existential Analysis is a therapy developed from the work of Dr. Viktor Frankl. It aims to help people freely experience the world and make authentic decisions in pursuit of a fulfilling, empowering experience of life. Peter believes strongly in the value of mental wellness and aims to bring a person-centered approach to all aspects of his life.

In his free time, Peter loves to cook, hike, garden, and spend time with his nephews. Peter’s so happy to be at the Waldorf School of Bend and is excited to help create a learning environment where young minds and those who care for them can thrive.

Bio coming Soon!

Bio Coming Soon!

Nicole Handley moved to Bend, Oregon from Acton, CA. She spent 22 years as one of
the Film industry’s leading animal trainers. After years of traveling the world from Sri
Lanka to Costa Rica Nicole had her daughter Hailey and knew it was time to slow the
pace and find a community to settle down in. Passionate about animals and the great
outdoors Bend was a natural fit. Growing up skiing the Oregon Mountains with her
hippy father Nicole always felt in her heart that Oregon was home. Nicole loves the
outdoors and most activities that take place there. Waldorf Education has been in
Nicole’s heart from the very moment she started the journey of learning “What is
Waldorf”. Nicole loves that Waldorf School of Bend is a tight knit community with
likeminded, caring and kind families that love the outdoors.

Bio Coming Soon!

Michelle was born and raised in Alaska and put down roots in Bend in 2018. Along with serving on the WSB Board, she volunteers at the school once a week supporting the early childhood program and has a child in first grade. She sees the value of a Waldorf education every day in her own daughter’s intellectual and spiritual development, playfulness and excitement about learning. When not at the school, Michelle hangs with her friends and family and works a day job. Her background in higher education administration and current work in project management informs her role on the Board — and also comes in handy when organizing playdates.

Hello and welcome to our school community! I’m thrilled to be a part of this wonderful educational journey as a dedicated board member and the co-chair for our Parent Council group. Having grown up in the beautiful landscapes of Northern California and now residing in the vibrant community of Bend, Oregon since 2020, I deeply appreciate the value of a nurturing and enriching educational environment for our children. With a bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship from Chico State University and a rich professional background that includes owning businesses, involvement in funded start-ups, and a specialization in marketing, operations, photography, videography, organizational structure, and community/culture building, I am committed to contributing my expertise and passion to help cultivate a thriving, inclusive school atmosphere. As a parent with two children attending this school and being married to Mrs. Crystal, our beloved pre-k 3 day teacher, I understand the importance of fostering a supportive, engaging, and enriching educational experience for all our young learners. Additionally, I am in the process of launching a men’s coaching business aimed at empowering individuals to reach their fullest potential, fostering fulfillment, and creating a life of abundance. I look forward to collaborating with fellow board members, educators, parents, and students to ensure a bright future for our school community.

Bio Coming Soon!