Our Faculty & Staff
Jennifer Dawes
Huckleberry Kindergarten Teacher
Jennifer Dawes is the Huckleberry Kindergarten teacher at Stone Bridge School. She has a great passion for teaching and a love of children. Jennifer holds a Master of Arts in Waldorf Education from Touro University and Rudolf Steiner College. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in humanities/psychology and her teaching credential from Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Nevada. Jennifer has been teaching kindergarten at Stone Bridge School since 2007 and working with children for over 20 years.
Ashley Terradista
Mulberry Kindergarten Teacher
Ashley grew up in South San Jose when orchards and open land could still be found. At the age of 15 she began working with children as a Recitation Aid for the city of San Jose in a children’s musical theater program. In 2005 she graduated magnum cum laude from Sonoma State University with a BA in Sociology and emphasis in Gender Studies and Theater. Life took her into the events and the wine industry for a decade.
It was not until her children were in a Parent Co-op, Napa Valley Nursery School, where Ashley was a regular substitute teacher, did her love of working with children reawaken. In 2018 she began to substitute as an assistant at Stone Bridge School. Shortly thereafter she obtained her substitute permit and began subbing in K through 8th grade. For the past few years, she has been an assistant teacher. Ashley enjoys outdoor activities including, hiking, kayaking, camping, time with family, travel and hopes to get back to yoga!
Martha Clements
First Grade Teacher
Originally a first grade teacher from Virginia where she taught for 6-1/2 years, Martha landed in Napa in 2020 during the pandemic and only planned on staying for a harvest. She put her teaching experience to work caring for a pod of SBS students throughout the 2020-21 school year and quickly fell in love with Waldorf education.
Martha holds a Masters in Early Childhood Education from Virginia Tech and is enjoying expanding her Waldorf knowledge as a class teacher at Stone Bridge. She loves being outside with the students, moving and singing to keep each day exciting and full of joy. Martha is extremely grateful to have landed in a school that honors the whole child and allows them to be kids first! When not at school, she can be found laying in her hammock with a good book, on a road trip exploring, or cozied up by a campfire under the stars.
Timothy Winter-Nelson
Second Grade Teacher
Tim is a native of Illinois who grew up spending summers in Napa with his grandparents. His path has taken him all across the US and beyond, including a variety of roles in school and after-school settings in Mississippi, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Nepal. He graduated from Carleton College with a BA in Religion and a minor in Educational Studies, which he has most recently put to use teaching sixth grade in western Massachusetts. Tim is delighted to be returning to his familial homeland, and is especially eager to be joining the community at Stone Bridge as the second grade teacher. Tim brings with him a passion for empathetic and joyful education and a deep enjoyment of the outdoors, books, woodworking, music, and games.
Jennifer Balaguy
Third Grade Teacher
Jennifer’s passion for working with children began with her job as a camp counselor in high school and college. It gave her great joy being outdoors with children, delighting in all that nature has to offer. After many summers of canoeing, hiking, archery, singing, skits, games, art projects and having received a BA in child development from Sacramento State University, she decided to pursue a teaching credential. Once completed, she taught kindergarten for 12 years in Fairfield and loved it! After her third child turned one year old, she decided to stay home. While home, she found a second career as a Clinical Coach for Touro University. This gave her the opportunity to mentor teachers working to get their teaching credential.
Jennifer is beyond thrilled to be heading back to the classroom at this most amazing school! Waldorf education matches her belief that education should be engaging, well rounded, developmentally appropriate, teach the whole child, and most importantly be filled with love and care for one another and our Earth.
Courtney Borkovec
Fourth Grade Teacher
Courtney is a lifelong learner who is passionate about sharing her love for learning with her community. After graduating from UCLA, Courtney received a teaching credential and began her teaching career at a Multi-Age, Project Based Charter School in San Carlos. Courtney has taught 1st grade, 3/4 multi-age, 5th grade and 8th grade. Her love for teaching multiple grades makes her a perfect fit to join a Waldorf school. In her spare time, Courtney loves cooking, reading, photography, theater, singing, scuba diving and traveling. She lives in Wooden Valley with her husband and 3 dogs.
Tara Zwetsloot
Fifth Grade Teacher, Faculty Co-Chair
Tara Zwetsloot has been part of the Stone Bridge School community since the day it first opened. Tara’s three children went from Kindergarten through Eighth
grade at the school. She has been teaching at Stone Bridge since 2001 - initially as a substitute teacher, then an assistant teacher, and now a class teacher. Tara received her Bachelor’s Degree from Sonoma State University in Liberal Studies. She has just completed the credential program from Brandman/UmassGlobal. Tara has a deep love of Waldorf education and has been with her current class since First Grade.
Julia U'Ren
Sixth Grade Teacher
Julia U’Ren first learned about Waldorf education as an undergraduate at UC Davis where she studied both Rhetoric and English. She enrolled in UC Davis’ credential program upon graduation and began teaching full time that same year in a 7th Grade Language Arts classroom in South Sacramento.
Her three years teaching culturally and linguistically diverse children inspired her to earn a Master’s Degree in Educational Thought and Socio-Cultural Studies, this time from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. After graduate school came more middle school teaching, marriage, and three children of her own. Julia found herself thinking about Waldorf education once again. As she filled out the application to enroll her oldest daughter as a Mulberry Kindergarten student at SBS, she added a note that read, “I think I might want to teach for you one day," and if things haven’t changed…
Lisa Meyers
Seventh Grade Teacher, Faculty Co-Chair
Lisa Meyers was born and raised in Napa. She graduated from Sonoma State University with a BA in Human Development, and studied Waldorf Education at Sound Circle Center in Seattle and Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, Ca.
In 2002, Lisa was introduced to the Waldorf classroom as a kindergarten assistant to Christine Waskowiak when Stone Bridge was Napa Valley Charter School and called the fairgrounds home. Lisa taught kindergarten for 4 years at the Madrona School on Bainbridge Island, Washington. After 9 kinder years at East Bay Waldorf School in El Sobrante, Lisa picked up a second grade class at East Bay Waldorf and taught for two years.
Lisa is now delighted to be teaching at Stone Bridge School in her hometown. She enjoys many outdoor activities including camping, hiking, summer and winter in Tahoe, and games with friends and family.
Michele Conyers
Eighth Grade Teacher
Michele Conyers graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a BFA in dance and from the Waldorf Institute of Southern California with a certificate in Waldorf education. She then completed an 8-year journey with a class at Journey School, a Waldorf-inspired charter school, and concurrently earned her California Teaching Credential. She continued her academic strivings and earned a Master’s Degree in Waldorf Education from Touro University through Bonnie Rivers, Dr. William Bento and Eugene Schwartz, and has also earned her CA certificate in Remedial Education. Michele joined Stone Bridge School in 2010 and has worked with students here as a lead teacher, recorder/choir teacher, and Music Director.
James Brown
Executive Director
As a Napa native and longtime area educator, I’ve had the honor of contributing to the incredible human journey of many in our community through varied roles and across generations. My education and interest spans art and music, commercial design, literature, mythology, sociology, and psychology. While I am proud to have academic success, I am also dedicated to applied learning as it relates to expanding experience, character, and conscious growth of the individual and our society for the benefit of the public good. I have been a teacher, transformative coach, and administrator in service to these goals, and am excited to continue with that work for many years to come.
Heather Schumaker
Office Coordinator
Karla Slay
Administrative Assistant
Karla has lived in Napa since she was a child in grade school. She graduated from Napa High and attended Napa Valley College. She was in the process of taking coursework to prepare herself for working in a medical setting, when a teacher acquaintance told her all about a wonderful school she was working at! Upon hearing that Stone Bridge School was hiring, Karla jumped at the opportunity. She has since fallen in love with the people and the program and has been with SBS ever since. In addition, both of her children attend(ed) SBS. Karla and her family enjoy camping and all things outdoors, as well as taking care of their two dogs and two cats.
Wil Anderson
Movement 5th - 8th
Wil Anderson has a background in human development from the Arica Institute. He also attended the University of Southern California and studied acupuncture at the Samra Institute. In Los Angeles, he was co-owner of Pyramid West, a nonprofit business focused on personal growth and understanding the human process. Soon after moving to the Napa Valley in 1987, he opened the Veranda Club Spa in Yountville which thrived for 22 years. Wil has spent 50 plus years organizing group trainings for industry workers and military veterans in methods and techniques that uplift the human condition across the human spectrum.
It was during his marriage that he became aware of Rudolf Steiner. Steiner's perspective on the child and the deep respect that should be accorded impressed him. He found Steiner's ideas about how Waldorf teachers should present themselves most fascinating. The idea of the teacher being a guide and not an imposer appealed to him.
Wil is the father of five adult children who all attended Waldorf schools in their youth. He was thrust into a leadership role as the president of the Napa Valley Waldorf Education Foundation in 1997. This organization provided the foundation for what is now Stone Bridge school. It was George Hoffecker, a Waldorf Charter School developer--dear mentor and brother--who inspired Wil to continue contributing to the evolutionary process of SBS.
Wil found that bridging his work and the Steiner method was a harmonious process. He was further assisted by Edmond Knighton (President of the Steiner Waldorf College) who had authored several texts on how to instruct movement classes and how to teach archery, javelin and discus. Edmond led several Movement Teacher Trainings, which Wil was fortunate to attend. The blending of Wil's past training/teaching skills and the Waldorf games trainings work well together to create a healthy Movement program for SBS.
Maria Giusti
Handwork 1st - 8th
Maria Giusti is the Handwork Teacher/Director for Grades 1-8. She has worked at Stone Bridge School for over 18 years - 13 years as a class assistant and the most recent five years teaching Handwork. When she first came across Waldorf education 20 years ago, she knew it was the right fit for she and her sons. Teaching and learning through head, heart and hands was very much how she experienced all of life.
Maria learned knitting, sewing, embroidery, gardening, cooking, building, and many other life skills from her family as a child. Not only did she want these experiences for her own children, but she was eager to bring such skills to others as well. Over the past 15 years she has studied Waldorf education at Steiner College and through various Handwork Conferences and other coursework. She is grateful to combine her love of creativity and fiber arts with a deep desire to do purposeful work through Waldorf education.
Greg Gresson
Woodworking 5th - 8th
From an early age, as far back as he can remember, Greg was a tinkerer. He would spend countless hours at his father’s workbench creating, inventing, discovering. No wonder then that in 2016, Greg (aka “Mr. G”) would become the woodshop teacher here at SBS, bringing his creative and inventive spirit to the students. “I love working with wood, how it can be transformed by our head, heart and hands – indeed, how our head, heart, and hands can be transformed by it!” Greg has a B.S. in Biology, three lovely children, two of whom attend SBS, and a very patient wife!
Chris Hattich
Farmer 1st - 5th
As far back as Farmer Chris can remember, he's always been an "outside" person. Growing up on a family farm not far from the SBS Campus, his love of the outdoors seemed pre-destined. "Some of my favorite memories came from that farm. Splashing around in the creek, climbing the unimaginably huge oak trees, caring for the horses, sneaking fresh carrots right out of the garden."
After graduating from Sonoma State University with a degree in Environmental Studies and Planning, he worked in viticulture for several years before finding his true calling in the classroom ... or more accurately, the Farm. Since 2015, Farmer Chris has overseen multiple Elementary School Garden Programs at various schools throughout the Napa Valley. In August 2019, Farmer Chris became the Farm Instructor and Farm Manager at Stone Bridge School.
His passion for the unique opportunity that outdoor education provides has found a home on the SBS Farm. Farmer Chris views the SBS Farm as not just a place to grow plants, but rather a "living laboratory" primed for student investigation and inquiry.
In his free time, Farmer Chris can usually be found, no surprise, outdoors. His hobbies include fishing, hiking, camping, kayaking, gardening, nature photography, music and cooking.
Laura Jones
Math 6th - 8th
Laura was born and raised in the Napa Valley. Looking for a "big city experience," she moved to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California where she earned her bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering. Deciding Northern California was more her style, she moved back to the Bay Area to work as a Project Engineer. During this time, she encountered Rudolf Steiner's ideas regarding farming while her husband worked at a biodynamic winery in the Santa Cruz mountains.
Fast forward a few years, Laura returned Napa where she and her husband were raising their two young boys. While looking into school options, she discovered Stone Bridge School! This was her introduction to Steiner's ideas regarding education. Excited to become involved in the SBS school community, Laura started substitute teaching, then took on the role of Assistant Teacher to the class of 2025, from first through third grade. When the Middle School Math Teacher opportunity opened up, Laura was so excited to share her passion for math with upper grades students. Laura strives to prepare her students for the rigors of high school while keeping math class fun. She puts great importance on helping students understand that there is never just one way to think through a math problem and enjoys helping students discover how math is all around them!
Jeannette Long
Spanish K - 8th
Born and raised in Mexico City, Jeannette has also lived in Europe and Polynesia. She attended New York University and finished her Liberal Art studies at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. In Spain she worked in the Newspaper and Magazine industry and later in International Banking. Back in the U.S., she worked in commercial financing, but left the corporate world to study psychoneuroimmunology, neuroacoustics and behavioral psychoacoustics. She holds master certifications in brain entrainment, biofeedback, applied kinesiology, as well as certifications in leading large group awareness trainings (LGAT), working internationally teaching and leading seminars and workshops, for several years. After working in these fields a number of years she then moved to Hawaii where her children were born and where she was first exposed to Waldorf Education. Back on the mainland, and searching for a Waldorf school for her children, she found Stone Bridge. Jeannette went on to serve on almost every SBS committee and was hooked! Jeannette is a graduate of Rudolf Steiner College where she received her Waldorf teacher training with a specialization in World Language and became “Señora Long”. Jeannette practices meditation and enjoys yoga, art, dancing, hiking, healing arts, traveling, and exploring.
Kathy Flynn
Resource Specialist
Kathy works as an Educational Specialist with the Napa Valley Unified School District, helping identify needs and develop/provide services to Stone Bridge School students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs).
Jane Breneman
Educational Support Specialist / SST / 504
Long, long ago, Jane and her identical twin were born prematurely to parents who expected a single offspring. “The Twins” spent their childhook and adolescence in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, years that were highly sheltered and vastly more predictable than their initial months post-partum. Upon electing a separate college path, Jane earned a B.A. in Psychology from Pennsylvania State Universtiy then ventured further wesward to Columbus, Ohio, where she eventually completed the graduate program in Developmental Psychology at The Ohio State University (OSU). During and after grad school, Columbus, Ohio offered a wealth of opportunities in teaching, research, and administration. Jane taught psychology courses at OSU and Franklin University. Good fortune lead to research positions at Battelle Columbus Laboratories and OSU, in areas such as intellegence test development, learning, creativity and the social worlds of adolescents. Jane’s final three years of residence in the Buckeye State entailed working for the State of Ohio, Department of Mental Health, as Assistant Director of Program Evaluation and Research. As well, Jane gave birth to her son during this period. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Napa. Jane has called Napa “home”since then, with the notable exception of a two-year adventure in Dallas, Texas. In 2004 Jane’s journey at SBS began as a Special Education aide. Since that year, her work at SBS has been part of the general education program, providing academic support to students and coordinating the SST (Student Success team) and Section 504 programs, Jane continues to be grateful to work in this remarkable, ever-evolving, caring community.
Anthony Charles
Educational Support Specialist and Games Teacher
Raised in the beautiful Napa Valley, Tony has always had a deep connection to the area, but more importantly, to the wonderful and diverse population living here. After graduating with his bachelor’s in Psychology from Sonoma State University, he somehow found his way back to Napa. Having worked with his niece and nephew during the pandemic, providing academic support, Tony was immediately enamored with Stone Bridge School and its methodology.
As the current Games teacher and Educational Support Specialist, Tony is enjoying the opportunity to help students both academically and emotionally. When he is not on campus, Tony is typically found with a book in his hand or kitty on his lap, or as one of his favorite poets put it, “Books. Cats. Life is good.” (T.S. Eliot)
Heather Sutter
Huckleberry Kindergarten Assistant
Brianna Llamas
2nd Grade Class Assistant
Brianna has been working with children from a young age, whether babysitting, tutoring, or caring for her younger cousins. After graduating from Vintage High School, she began taking classes at Napa Valley College and is finishing up her degree in Early Childhood Education. Concurrently, Brianna worked as an instructional assistant for NVUSD for several years and has also held a number of positions that have helped her hone her customer service and communication skills. Brianna plans to begin studies soon towards earning her teaching credential. She is excited to be at Stone Bridge School and is quickly learning much about the Waldorf curriculum!
Brianna also enjoys reading, spending time with her family and dogs, cooking and baking, as well as visiting new places.
Jess Mosher
First Grade Class Assistant
Jess Mosher grew up in a small coastal community in Massachusetts, swimming, hiking and reading. After graduating from Oberlin College in Ohio with a BA in religion and history, she immediately moved to California, and hasn’t left since! Jess first learned about Waldorf Education while researching elementary schools for her oldest son. After experiencing her first Enchanted Village Faire at the Napa Fairgrounds, she knew she had found the right school for her family. After many years as a class parent and volunteer, Jess spent 2 years teaching handwork at SBS, marrying her love of Waldorf education and fiber arts. She stepped away to focus on running Yarns on First in downtown Napa, but returned just a few years later as the 1st grade Support Teacher. Jess is thrilled to be back, assuming the role of Assistant Teacher for the 2022-2023 school year. When not at school, Jess can be found reading, knitting, or hanging out with her gaggle of boys.
Karla Bunter
Aftercare Coordinator
Karla Bunter discovered Stone Bridge School first as a parent, and then as the Aftercare assistant in 2003. She had been homeschooling her children with a Waldorf curriculum. She then decided to try elementary school at SBS for her oldest child (now a college graduate) and just never left! Karla took over as Aftercare Coordinator in 2004 and has developed the program beautifully since then.
Karla has studied Art and Theater at Napa Valley College, ACT, and San Francisco City College, as well as completed postpartum doula training at Natural Resources in San Francisco. She loves providing a place for children to play, socialize, and create. One of the favorite aspects of her work is encouraging a child to bring their own ideas to fruition; she thinks of her role as being that of a professional substitute parent.
Karla enjoys spending time sewing, painting, gardening, traveling, reading, hanging out with her family and pets, and being a stage mom to her youngest child.
Eric Baldwin
Aftercare Assistant
Eric grew up in Napa, a stone’s throw away (no pun intended) from the SBS campus. He graduated from SFSU with a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology and worked for Suicide Prevention at the Institute on Aging for 20 years.
Eric lived in San Francisco for 28 years, loving it immensely. He spent years attending the San Francisco Zen Center. He was also deeply engaged in underground theater as an actor, in addition to embracing bicycle culture and learning how to live without a car. Ten years working with the folks at the San Francisco Department of Elections was also a very fun side gig.
Eric returned to Napa in 2015 and has been part of Stone Bridge School’s Aftercare team since 2016, joining his friend of over 35 years, Karla Bunter, our Aftercare Director. Eric’s father was a pediatrician, and Eric recognizes that he echoes his father’s deep care for children in his own daily work with the students at SBS.
Rachael Vallerga
Aftercare Assistant
Rachael was born and raised in Napa and has had both of her children attend Stone Bridge School. Her oldest, Adelyn, now 18, attended grades 1-8.
Rachael has been working with children in Napa since 2007. She started as an assistant teacher at Connolly Ranch in Napa, assisting young children with guided play on the farm with her then-preschool daughter by her side. She then became a preschool assistant with the Little Rascals program in Napa, again following her daughters’ interests and getting to know her peers through play.
Rachael has worked at Stone Bridge in the Aftercare program since 2018. This time, she is following the fun and play with her young son, Revere. She really enjoys being apart of her child’s daily school life with all its play and learning. “It takes a village” to raise our kids and Rachael has always enjoyed being apart of our village.