WHISTLER WALDORF SCHOOL - Key Persons
Aida Clarito is originally from the Philippines and graduated at Philippine Christian University (PCU) in Manila. She earned a degree of Bachelor Science in Secretarial Administration (Diploma) and has a Certificate of Caregiving. After living in Hongkong for 2 years, she came to Canada in 2006 where she studied online at Montessori School in Vancouver taking an ECEA Certificate.
Over the last few years Aida has worked at Pemberton Children's Centre and Whistler Children's Center. At Whistler Waldorf School, Aida is a teacher assistant and support teacher for Briar Rose. When not at work, Aida enjoys spending time with her daughter and friends, and attending Whistler's Catholic Church. She also enjoys the beautiful scenery of nature and loves to travel, shop, cook and especially barbecue at the park during the summer.
Ms. Matsunaga has worked with young children over 25 years in Japan, Canada and Indonesia as a teacher and cultural exchange facilitator. After completing ECE diploma and BA in Child and Youth Care at Malaspina University-College on Vancouver Island, she moved to Whistler in 2001, drawn to the beauty of the summer mountain's nature.
Since then, Ms. Matsunaga has worked for daycares and preschools in Whistler and Pemberton as a teacher, HR assistant and supported child care workers. She started substituting at Whistler Waldorf in 2012 and has worked as an Assistant Preschool and Kindergarten teacher as well since September 2018. Originally from Hiroshima, Japan, she obtained a BSc in Biology from Shimane University. She lives in Whistler and enjoys family rock climbing, as well as growing vegetables at Community Garden during summer. Ms. Matsunaga has two children that attend Whistler Waldorf.
Ms. Wells has fond childhood memories growing up in Newfoundland and Labrador. Following her Bachelor of Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Amy moved to Toronto to study at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. The call of the ocean enticed her to travel west and she settled on Vancouver Island. Amy began a small Naturopathic Medical clinic and practiced for five years.
When researching schooling options for their older son, Waldorf education also inspired Amy to begin her second career. She completed her Waldorf Teacher training with the West Coast Institute and joined Comox Valley Waldorf School in September 2012 as a Kindergarten Assistant and then Class One Teacher. She then guided them through the grades until they graduated in June 2020. Amy and her family have moved to Whistler to continue their journey in Waldorf Education.
Job Titles:
- Director of Business and Finance
Mr. Gohlke joined WWS in 2015 as the Grade 7 teacher. Brian was a class teacher at the Vancouver Waldorf School since 2007, taking a class from Grade 2 - 7 and then another class for Grade 7 and 8.
Brian has a BA in Economics and International Business and a Diploma in Rudolf Steiner Education, having completed his Waldorf teacher training in New Zealand in 2006. Previous to his work as a Waldorf teacher, Brian worked as a class teacher for eight years at a school in Taiwan.
Job Titles:
- Communications Manager for Waldorf
Cristiana Spooner has been the Communications Manager for Waldorf since 2019. Cristiana has extensive experience working in communications design, public relations & online marketing in Whistler, with a Visual Design Arts and Film degree.
When not at WWS, Cristiana is busy running her own communications and design company, as well as imparting her experience to post-secondary students at several schools around the Sea to Sky. When not designing, Cristiana can be found gathering inspiration from skiing, running and biking around Whistler with her border collie Chinook.
Des and his family moved to Whistler in 2018 from London England and has three kids in the school. He got to know Whistler in his younger years as a former ski racer from Alberta, and enjoys skiing, biking and most of all, the tightly knit, fun loving community that is Whistler.
Des runs Highwood Value Partners, a boutique investment management firm out of Whistler. He has a CFA and is a graduate of Cambridge University (MA in Philosophy) and McGill University (B.Comm).
Ms. Higgins grew up in Guelph, ON, and made the move to Whistler, BC in 2022. From a young age Ms. Higgins knew she wanted to be an educator, and further explore the beautiful west coast of BC! She studied Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism for her undergrad at Lakehead University, in which she was introduced to outdoor education. Ms. Higgins was excited to learn that she could combine her two passions, working with children and being outdoors!
After completing her undergrad, she taught at a Nature School in Elora, ON for a year, which led her to completing her Bachelor of Education at Queens University, specializing in Outdoor and Experiential Education. Ms. Higgins is enthusiastic about joining the WWS team. When she is not teaching, you can find Ms. Higgins enjoying the outdoors in various activities or cooking/baking up a storm in her kitchen.
Ms. Zelikovitz is Vice Principal for WWS's High School as well as part of our High School teacher team. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, and a Bachelor of Education with a focus on Environmental science, Biology and experiential education.
Ellen also has a Masters in Education and Waldorf High School Teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College, Sacramento.
Ms. Johnson grew up on the extremely remote Shetland Islands (Scotland), surrounded by knitting and folk music. Early in life she developed a passion for Sports and Education which lead to her gaining her Bachelors degree in Physical Education at the University of Edinburgh. After University she took some time to focus on family and spent these years coaching junior elite wakeboarding across the UK and officiating ski events across Europe.
In 2017 she made the move from Europe to Canada and Whistler immediately became home. In early 2021 she began work at the Whistler Waldorf school as an Educational assistant and soon enrolled in the West Coast Institute's Grade School training course in order to broaden her knowledge of education. When she's not at school you're likely to find Ms. Johnson up the mountain, in her kitchen baking desserts, playing music or curled on the couch with her latest knitting/crochet project.
Erik Wallsten has two daughters enrolled in the Whistler Waldorf and is proud to offer guidance as Board Chair. Erik was the Founder and Managing Partner of Adobe Capital, one of Latin America's leading impact investment fund managers and now part of Vancouver-based Deetken Impact.
Over the last decade, he has played a catalytic role in the growth of the impact investing sector in Latin America. Before launching Adobe Capital, he worked at various private equity and venture capital funds in Mexico. Erik received an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering with Honors from Universidad Iberoamericana.
Gabriel Alden joined WWS in the 2020. Waldorf Education is the big tent where Gabriel's wide range of curiosity and practice has found a home. She received her BFA in music composition at SFU and went on to work in non-profit arts administration, where she discovered her interest in organizational life and human collaboration.
Gabriel became a part of the Waldorf movement in 2007 as a parent at Squamish Waldorf School, and later served there as board member, administrator, and music teacher learning her subject teaching certificate in music. She studied Waldorf school administration through Leading with Spirit, and attended Waldorf intensives in teaching music through the Grades. She went on to serve as Principal of Squamish Waldorf School. Outside of school, Gabriel enjoys exploration in the wilderness, music, writing, philosophy, the arts, literature, handcrafts, cooking, and time with family and friends.
Mrs. MacKenzie is a teaching assistant providing student support and assistance with the Early Years program. Growing up in the highlands of Scotland, Heather fell in love with Whistler when on holiday almost 10 years ago, and made it her mission to one day call this place home. In March 2019, she moved to Pemberton with her husband and dog; they love the beauty, serenity and the incredible outdoor activities. In 2015 Heather graduated from Strathclyde University with a BSc in Prosthetics and Orthotics. She then went on to work in hospitals and specialist schools as an Orthotist for two years, before switching careers and working at a Camphill Community in rural Scotland.
Heather is currently doing an ECEA course as she is passionate about the Waldorf ethos.
Jake grew up in the Lower Mainland and moved up to Whistler in 2016 with his wife and 3 kids. They came to Whistler for a fun year of skiing and stayed when they fell in love with the community. Jake has been the managing director and principal shareholder of Power Wood Corp since 2011. Power Wood manufactures and exports custom wood products out of its location in Agassiz, BC. Jake is heavily involved in finance, change management, executive leadership, managing capital projects and customer, supplier, community and government relations in that business. He sits on several industry specific association boards and is passionate about growing continuously improving communication both within his organization and with how his organization interacts with other stakeholders in the industry and community. Jake and his wife Christie have 3 children in lower years school who absolutely love the Whistler Waldorf community.
Jeff Rosen has over 30 years of experience in Education, working as the Assistant Head of School/Senior School Principal at York House in Vancouver, Director of Teaching, Learning and Innovation at American School of Lima, and twelve years first as Middle School Principal and then Deputy Head of School at the Shanghai American School.
Jeff has also worked as a classroom teacher in Canada, Mali, China and Mexico. He earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Concordia University, a Masters degree in Ethnic Studies and Educational Issues from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Western Ontario. Jeff is one of a handful of Canadians who has completed a marathon on all seven continents and loves hot yoga, scuba diving and skiing.
Ms. Dodds serves as our Director of Advancement. She has a Bachelor of Arts as well as a Masters of Arts Education. She has over ten years of non-profit administrative experience and extensive experience working in the education sector. Jen has been involved with Waldorf education since 2006 and currently has three daughters enrolled in the school. In addition to being a Waldorf parent, she is also a certified Simplicity Parenting Coach.
Julie, originally from Toronto, joined the Whistler community in 2020 with her 3 children, all of whom are proud students of the Whistler Waldorf School. Like many of us, Julie is drawn to the outdoor wonders of Whistler, indulging in activities such as skiing, biking, and hiking. Beyond her adventurous spirit, Julie also has a knack for comedy and is known to frequent local stand-up comedy events, including the Laugh Out Live and the Big Host Comedy Show.
Professionally, Julie leads a boutique consulting firm dedicated to transforming companies and accelerating their revenue potential through sales and customer success.
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Karen has resided in Whistler since 1998, and currently works with businesses in the Sea to Sky corridor as a Human Resources Consultant.
Prior to this, Karen held several HR management roles, including at Whistler Blackcomb, VANOC, Tourism Whistler, and hotels including Black Rock Oceanfront Resort and L'Hermitage.
Karen specializes in recruitment, training, performance management, strategic planning, and systems implementation. Karen has served on the Board for Whistler Community Services Society, as well as represented Whistler Blackcomb through the Canada West Ski Areas Association.
Karen and her husband have two children who both currently attend Whistler Waldorf in the Lower School.
Ms. Fawcett has been teaching music for over 30 years. She began as a piano teacher, and moved into violin and voice at Whistler Waldorf School. Katherine has lived all over Canada, including Montreal, Yellowknife, Calgary and Canmore, and even spent several years in Japan where she taught English.
In her spare time, Katherine is a yoga enthusiast, trail runner, skier, an award-winning writer and a member of the Sea to Sky Orchestra.
Maeve Bellmore, born in Dublin, Ireland. Island hopped to London, UK, then again some (many) years later after finishing her Art degree, landed in Whistler in 2006. For the past thirteen years Maeve have been working in the hospitality and retail industry, nine years of which were managing a children's retail store, enjoying the high paced life of sales and customer service. In her spare time she loves traveling, embracing the great outdoors and lakeside chilling. Maeve is also an artist, having had many exhibits in town, and is currently writing & illustrating children's stories, inspired by her young daughter Areli.
Ms. Hewitt provides learning support as an education assistant. She earned her BA in Journalism from California State University, Chico in 1995 and completed her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential in 1998. She taught grade school for seven years and loved the challenges, opportunities and learning it brought into her life.
Once in Whistler, which she has lovingly called home since 2005, she began work at the Whistler Youth Centre and LUNA (Late & Unique Nighttime Alternatives) designing programs for youth. At this time she started a family with her husband, Lon. Her daughter Lola, and son Niko, both attend Whistler Waldorf. Living in the snow-covered mountains has been a childhood dream since riding ski lifts in California, Utah and Colorado on family ski trips. And although living in Whistler is her dream come true, she still loves to soak up the sun, ride the waves and spend time with family in California.
Miss Susie Moore grew up in the North of England. She completed a Bachelors degree in Sport and Exercise Science in Leeds, as well as completing her post graduate teacher training at the University of Durham. During university Susie volunteered to support sports camps for children in South Africa and coach her local netball team. She moved to Whistler in 2022 and after her love of the mountains and surrounding areas grew, she joined the Whistler Waldorf team in 2023. Prior to this, Susie had spent time coaching and teaching at schools within the UK.
Susie has a passion for travelling and experiencing new things. When she is not in school, you will find Susie enjoying plenty of the outdoor activities Whistler has to offer or exploring somewhere new.
Job Titles:
- Faculty - Appointed Trustee, Grade 1 Teacher
Ms. Reynolds is caring, creative and dedicated. She combines a firm hand with a sense of humour to make her an adored teacher and faculty member. Mollianne attended Waldorf schools in Vancouver, Germany and Toronto, and after a few years in the health and vitamin industry and at a bio-dynamic farm, she decided to become a Waldorf teacher herself. With a Bachelor's degree in English under her belt already, she completed a 2-year Waldorf Teacher Training program at the world's first Waldorf Teacher Training Institute in Stuttgart, Germany. In addition to exploring the fabric arts, Mollianne enjoys creating in chalk, watercolour, pencil and sometimes even music. When not at school, she can be found inventing children's stories and cuddling with her two dogs in Pemberton
Ms. Eleanor West is originally from Luxembourg (where yes, we speak Luxembourgish, and are technically called ‘Luxembourgers') through her family originate from Belgium and England. Eleanor has a degree in Sociology and a Masters in Child Education from King's College London.
Following her studies, Eleanor started her teaching career in a London Primary School teaching Kindergarten through to Grade 6. She specialized in and headed up the Math and French department as well as working in conjunction with a University as a teacher trainer. After a short career break travelling South America and landing in Canada, Eleanor decided Whistler was to become home and the classroom beckoned again. When not teaching she enjoys skiing, biking and scouting for good cheese.
Nina Moore has lived in Whistler taught at WWS since 2010. A graduate of the London Metropolitan University with a BA in Modern History and International Relations, Nina has lived and taught in the UK, Ireland, Japan and Canada. A certified Early Childhood Educator and Simplicity Parenting group leader, she taught preschool, kindergarten and served as the Early Years Faculty Chair and Licensing Manager. She played a key role with the WWS team opening the Early Years Centre in 2019.
Nina trained at the West Coast Institute and graduated from the Rudolph Steiner Centre Toronto as a Waldorf and certified BC teacher in 2015. She took her first grade 1 class in 2017 and has continued with them to Grade 7 in the 2023-24 school year. She is an active member of the school, and has served in many capacities - on committees, as PAC chair, as a faculty representative on the Board of Trustees and currently as the Middle School Chair. She is an artist who loves to paint, specialising in acrylics, and enjoys teaching art as well as class teaching. She has two children enrolled WWS.
Olga Sabaté joined WWS in January 2021 as a Briar Rose/Kindergarten Assistant. Following her Bachelor Degree of Industrial Engineering at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona and her MBA in Business Administration, Olga worked during 20 years in multinational companies as a Plant Manager and Operations Director until the family decided to move to Canada in 2014. After spending 6 years in Montreal working as Operations Director of a Food Company, the desire to travel West made the family settle in Pemberton. When researching schooling options for their daughters in the Sea to Sky corridor, Waldorf education also inspired Olga to begin her second career. She completed her ECEA at the Coastal College of British Columbia in November 2020 and she is currently finishing her Waldorf Teacher training with the West Coast Institute.
Perry Atkinson is will be teaching Science and Mathematics in our High School program. Born in the south of England, he immigrated with his family to Queensland, Australia as a teenager, gaining an interest in Physics and Mathematics. He attended the Queensland University of Technology for his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering Degree, before working in the industry in road traffic technology projects. His love of the outdoors brought him to Whistler in 2015 for a year to pursue his passions. On returning back to Australia, he completed his Education certifications, and moved to a small rural school in Queensland, teaching Physics, Science and Mathematics for the next four years with his partner, who is also a teacher. A keen snowboarder, skier, mountain biker and kiteboarder, he sought the majestic mountains of BC again, and moved back to Whistler in 2022. Perry is passionate about igniting a love for Physics through practical experiences and hopes to integrate his love for sports and the outdoors
Pippa Chanin joined the Whistler Waldorf school in 2022 as a Humanities, and Support teacher in the Upper School. Having lived in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Canada, Pippa brings a diverse background of experiences to our school. Pippa moved to Vancouver in 2013 to study at the University of British Columbia.
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Sustainability, Pippa began working with children and youth in the Sea to Sky in a number of coaching and after-school programs. It was in these years that she found her love for teaching, and desire to become a high school teacher. Pippa returned to UBC in 2021, and received her BC Teacher Certificate in 2022. She is extremely excited on furthering her teaching career with The Whistler Waldorf Community.
Originally from Toronto but bred on a cricket oval in Australia, PJ graduated from Deakin University in Australia with a Bachelors of Commerce degree in International Marketing. After moving to Whistler, PJ O'Heany took a turn from the business world and through his love of teaching skiing, created YES Tours in Whistler. YES has since certified over 3,000 students through the instructor training program as well as having more than 5,000 skiers & boarders enjoy weekly improvement programs.
PJ and his wife have two children - Savannah, now at University of Victoria and Aiden, a WWS 2018 graduate now attending McGill. Both Savannah and Aiden attended WWS since preschool.
Rachel's journey at WWS commenced in 2020 after she and her family returned from a year-long around the world adventure trip, luckily returning to their then-homeland of Australia right before COVID broke out. With government permission, they were allowed to leave Australia to move to their continent of origin: North America. Rachel began her teaching career in the United States in 2004, went on to teach in England and Australia, and feels fortunate to now be settled and teaching here at the Whistler Waldorf School in Canada. Rachel holds a double Bachelor's degree in Art: Fine Art, and in History: International Studies, with a minor in Spanish. Most recently she received her Waldorf High School Teaching Certification through WHiSTEP (Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program) through the Center for Anthroposophy in New Hampshire, United States. Her love of travel has taken her across the globe. She has lived on 4 continents, travelled to over 35 countries, and has especially fond memories of her times studying and/or volunteering in Kenya, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Rachel also has an innate desire to make the world a better place, her proudest moment being working with Equality Australia to stand up for the dignity, value and rights of the LGBTQ community through assisting in changing Australian national laws around workplace discrimination.
Ms. Grayson joined Whistler Waldorf in November 2016. She has worked as a certified Carpenter in the Whistler area for over 10 years and prior to that, was an Administrative Assistant and Event Manager for over 13 years.
Romy was born in Eastern Germany and grew up in Stuttgart. She decided to come to Whistler with her dog in 2006 on a Work and Travel Permit and never left. She is now Canadian and has her daughter attending the school.
For over 13 years, Sherry Hilliard has had two children enrolled at the Whistler Waldorf and has been an active part of the school community seeing them through kindergarten to high school graduation. Her own journey began as a parent volunteer and transitioned through roles as a class parent and an active PAC member. Now, as the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Sherry is committed to ensuring that the school continues to offer the same invaluable experiences to families now and in the future. Professionally, Sherry co-owns Whistler Photo Safaris and has a background in the insurance industry. Her hands-on business insights, coupled with a BCom in Entrepreneurial Management from Royal Roads University, equip her with a unique skill set she's excited to apply within the board through her legacy of dedication to the values and virtues of Whistler Waldorf.
Tracy has been working on and off at WWS since 2003 and first discovered Waldorf education while working at a daycare in Nelson. She immediately fell in love with the philosophy and the warm, nurturing classroom and when she initially stepped into the Nelson Waldorf Kindergarten, it felt like coming home. There was bread making, storytelling and lots of singing. A move to Ottawa the next year, Tracy worked as a Waldorf Early Years Assistant at Ottawa's Parsival Waldorf School. When she returned the next year, she was excited to hear about Whistler's Waldorf School.
A lifelong learner, Tracy has an ECE Teacher Certificate and Bachelor of Education. Over the years she has taught both Kindergarten and Playschool. She loves working and playing in Whistler with her husband and daughter - skiing, hiking together and spending time camping. When Tracy is not outside, you will find her on a yoga mat or baking sweet treats for family and friends.
Mrs. Grimm moved with her family from Germany where being a Waldorf alumnus herself, she completed her Eurythmy training in Stuttgart and taught Euythmy for more than twenty years. Following this, she turned to her long time passion of helping children with special needs and completed a post graduate diploma for Waldorf Class Teachers, as well as a Certificate in Remedial Education. Mrs. Grimm worked as a full time Remedial Specialist at the Vancouver Waldorf School for five years, and then stepped into a class teacher position. Her deep understanding of anthroposophy, her remedial background, her rich experience in Eurythmy and, last but not least, raising four children has contributed to her success in teaching, remedial work and consulting with parents.
Ute has enjoyed continuing her teaching career at the Whistler Waldorf School as Eurythmy and Remedial teacher, as well as getting to know the Whistler Waldorf School community. Ute has been appointed as our school's 1st Liaison to the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America.
Mr. Feagan joined Whistler Waldorf School in 2013, working in student support as a classroom assistant. He brings over 15 years of experience and training working in special needs education and in children's recreation. He completed a Bachelor's degree at the University of Victoria, and post grad studies in Australia in group facilitation, HR and education. Although Wes was born and grew up in Toronto, he is drawn to the mountains of BC and loves his life in Whistler. Along with his wife and two children, Wes takes full advantage of the beautiful outdoor environment in Whistler through running, mountain biking, skiing, as well as playing and coaching soccer.
Ms. Iwanaga supports the High School Music Dept. with her specialty in teaching various string instruments. Yuko studied the Suzuki Method in Japan and completed a post graduate degree in Music. After completing the Suzuki Method, she played in a String Orchestra and a quartet before coming to Canada for the mountains. She has been teaching violin privately for many years in the Sea to Sky corridor and created the Sea to Sky string orchestra to share her passion for music in ensembles.