Faculty

A profoundly dedicated community of teachers, parents, and specialists realize Swallowtail's rich curriculum each year. Below are some brief introductions to a few of the wonderfully creative personalities that comprise Swallowtail's faculty and staff:

Early Childhood - Grades 1-6 - Middle School - Specialty Teachers

Ms. Cecelia- School Director

Ms. Cecelia has over 15 years of experience working within both private and public elementary schools in Oregon. Ms. Cecelia received her BA from a local university and her formal teaching certificate in Eugene, Oregon at the Eugene Waldorf School.

Ms. Cecelia has always valued a variety of educational styles, realizing that all schools have a common goal and mission: to serve and educate children. Through her discovery, she realized the difference in education is "how" schools choose by their mission to do this.

Waldorf Pedagogy seemed second nature and instinctual to Ms. Cecelia. And she soon found herself at home within several Waldorf school communities. There, she discovered how to work with the development of each student and to grow the curriculum with each individual child. After years of being actively involved in the Portland and Eugene school communities, she found Swallowtail School. Cecelia has been a part of Swallowtail School for 11 years now, and has maintained colleagues that she works closely with all along the Portland, Seattle, and northern California area.

After years of working in the Early Childhood as the Lead Kindergarten Teacher, she now serves as the Director of Swallowtail School.

EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM

Ms. Jamie - Pre-School Instructor

Ms. Jamie is thrilled to be teaching the Lavender Garden children this year. She joined Swallowtail as a kindergarten assistant in 2007. Ms. Jamie fell in love with Waldorf education while studying elementary education at Concordia University and is finishing her Waldorf certification at the Micha-el Institute in Portland. Originally from Kansas, Ms. Jamie lived in South America and Europe before marrying a Texan and settling in Portland.

Ms. Jessica- Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Jessica grew up in Nebraska and became fascinated with child development while studying Psychology at the University there. She came to Oregon in the fall of 2001, after many years of longing to surround herself with the diverse landscape and wilderness this magical place offers. Swallowtail welcomed her as an assistant in Ms. Ingrid's then 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade combined class, where she was astonished at the dedication of the teachers, and the ruddy cheeks, wide smiles, kindness, and peacefulness the children carried. The way the curriculum approached the child in an artistic and imaginative way encouraged them to make discoveries and be joyful in their learning. She realized in that first impression that this was the way she wanted to teach and the humans she wanted to surround herself with. When she is not teaching, Ms. Jessica loves to be in the forest with her husband Kris and young son, Kassidy.

GRADES 1-6

Mr. Justin- 1st Grade Instructor

Mr. Justin received degrees in Elementary Education and Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago. After graduating he spent time traveling in the United States, Canada, and Europe playing music and gaining many important life lessons. He has taught children from preschool through eighth grade in both public and private settings and feels he has found his place in Waldorf Education. He has continued his education with John Miles at the Micha-el Institute in Portland. At Swallowtail School, Mr. Justin has begun a journey in the grade school where he plans to be for the next number of years. Mr. Justin enjoys playing guitar, banjo, and piano. Hiking, bike riding, camping, and gardening are all activities he has been especially excited about since moving to Oregon in 2006.

Ms. Ingrid- 2st/3nd Grade Instructor

Ms. Ingrid has been with Swallowtail School since its inception in 1995. From the beginning she worked hand in hand with the founder of the school inside the classroom as well as with its broader development. Her study of Waldorf education was inspired from a parent's search in finding a 'different' education for her own 2 children and has continued over the years in more formal settings at the Micha-el Institute, Sound Circle Institute, and the Rudolf Steiner College. Entering her 13th year at Swallowtail Ms. Ingrid has taught children of many age groups from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade and has served as a Lead Teacher for over 10 years. Ms. Ingrid holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Oregon.

Ms. Amy- 5th Grade Instructor

Amy was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She received her BA in Elementary Education from St. Andrew's College in North Carolina. She moved to Portland in 1998 and two years later found the Micha'el Institute, a Waldorf teacher training program. She completed the three year training in 2003 and joined the Swallowtail faculty in the fall of 2003.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Ms. Susan - 6th GradeInstructor

Ms. Susan lived in and around New York City most of her life. She attended State University at Syracuse, receiving a BS and BLA. License while in college she studied in Amsterdam, and has traveled in Europe and North and South America. She practiced Landscape Architecture prior to the birth of her two children. She chose the local Waldorf School for her children’s education. . Inspired by the education of her children, she attended Sunbridge College in Chestnut Ridge, NY and received a Waldorf Teachers Certificate in 2003. She taught middle school mathematics and third grade in Chestnut Ridge New York. She is a certified Biodynamic Gardener through the Pfeiffer Center, NY. She loves spending time with her family, gardening, camping and riding her bicycle.

Mr. Jeffrey- 7th/8th GradeInstructor

Mr. Jeffrey has taught a variety of grades during his years as an educator. He instructed art seasonally for a number of years before taking a position as an English teacher with a French/American school. In 2005 he joined the faculty at Swallowtail School and has been nurturing a deeper understanding of Waldorf education ever since. Mr. Jeffrey feels a deep affinity for the artistic foundations of Waldorf education and he is passionate about developing curriculum that inspires students to create and question.

In addition to teaching at Swallowtail Mr. Jeffrey continues to develop his personal artwork at his studio in Portland, OR. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Oregon College of Art & Craft where he studied photography, drawing, and furniture design. He enjoys building pinhole cameras, painting, hiking, visiting libraries and producing short films.

SPECIALTY TEACHERS

Ms. Jean (senora Juanita)- Spanish Instructor

Senora Juanita completed two weeks of intensive course work in advanced Spanish Language, in Malaga, Spain, in the summer of 2007. She has now had the opportunity to experience Spanish in the four major Spanish speaking regions: Mexico, South America, Spain and The United States.

She was introduced to Waldorf Education in 1985 and began studying the ideas of Rudolf Steiner in 1997. She has annually continued studies, since 1997, in Waldorf Education. She is a member of the coalition of Foreign Language teachers in Oregon, COFLT.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Services. She has lived and worked in Santiago, Chile and has worked with Latin Americans in health care, civic and religious capacities. She loves to spend time with her husband and three daughters and enjoys yoga and walking for exercise.