As the new year kicks off, we are pleased to welcome new members to our team of faculty and staff. Some are new to our community as a whole, while others have previously been involved with our school as parents, grandparents, and volunteers. We are confident that this wonderful group of people with create a richer educational experience for all of our students, and that our community will warmly embrace them in their roles.
Faculty
Celia Martone
Celia Martone will be joining our faculty this year as our First Grade teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Elizabethtown College, and is excited to continue developing her teaching craft as she pursues Waldorf training with Sophia’s Heart. Last year, Celia worked at the Susquehanna Waldorf school where she completed her internship in the Fall and then assisted in first grade main lessons. She also taught subject classes to 3rd and 4th grades in the afternoons. She looks forward to the prospect of having regular access to an outdoor classroom and enhancing her students’ awareness of, and connection to, the natural world.
Anna Scalera
Anna Scalera joins us this year as the lead teacher of one Parent and Child class and of the Clover Nursery. Anna has a masters in Elementary Education from Antioch University and is a certified Waldorf teacher. This is Anna’s second time teaching at WSMF, where she has previously been a class teacher at the grades level, having held a class from 4th through 8th grades. Since leaving WSMF, Anna has spent time training Waldorf teachers, and refocusing her own Waldorf teaching on younger students. Anna sees immense value for young children to have a healthy experience as they embark on their school years, and we are grateful to have her bring this perspective to our students this year.
Emily Ascarino
We are thrilled to announce the hiring of Emily Ascarino as this year’s lead teacher for the Kindergarten afterschool program. Emily holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts with a specialization in Early Childhood from Lesley University, and rejoins our community this year, moving from the role of parent to faculty, as she had previously attended Parent and Child classes with her daughter. Prior to joining our faculty, Emily was a Toddler Teacher in a Reggio Emilia inspired school at Harvard University and a student teacher in a Kindergarten classroom at the Advent School in Boston. She is also currently enrolled in Explorations, a foundation studies course, through the Center for Anthroposophy and looks forward to developing her craft as a Waldorf Teacher with further teacher training.
Jessica Hanscom
Rejoining our school community this year as the assistant in the Lilac Kindergarten class is Jessica Hanscom. Jessica has previously worked at WSMF in various roles within our Early Childhood program, including an aftercare assistant, a substitute teacher, Kindergarten assistant and Nursery assistant. In addition to her work in the classrooms, Jessica has also been involved with our school as a parent and volunteer serving on the Enchanted Fair Committee, as a class parent, and having worked various admissions events. We are grateful to have Jessica’s wealth of experience with Early Childhood Education, as well as her knowledge of and commitment to our school’s philosophy, traditions, and community.
Andrea Ledesma
We are excited to welcome Andrea to our school where she will be teaching Spanish– a new offering in our curriculum– to our grades level students. After school, Andrea will also be assisting Emily Ascarino in our kindergarten afterschool program. Andrea grew up in Ecuador and has recently become a US citizen. She is a native Spanish speaker and looks forward to bringing elements of the culture of her childhood along with her while teaching our students. ¡Bienvenidos Andrea!
Staff
Rachel McCarthy
Waldorf School at Moraine Farm is proud to welcome Rachel McCarthy as its new Director of Admissions. Rachel holds a B.A. in Communications from the College of St. Benedict, an A.A. in Culinary Arts, and an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from Johnson & Wales University. She also comes to us with a wealth of experience in the admissions world, as well as the hospitality and sales industries. Rachel began her admissions career as a student volunteer while she was an undergraduate at the College of St. Benedict. Upon graduation, she joined the department full-time. Rachel has over a decade of admissions experience at the college level during which she expertly helped families find their ideal college match. She will bring this, as well as a strong administrative background, to her time at WSMF.
Michael Sumner
Michael Sumner joins our school as the Co-Director and comes to us with extensive executive level experience in process management, finances, and information technology. His experience comes from roles in organizations ranging from start-ups to multi-million dollar corporations. Michael joins us after having built and sold his company, Beech Medical Group, in Arizona. Following the sale of the company Michael stayed on as the CEO for two years before eventually choosing to leave and focus on personal interests such as charitable work, travel, and spending time with his family. Michael is now excited to join our school, where he currently has two grandchildren enrolled, as he seeks to bring his time and talents to a smaller community-focused organization where he can make a difference.