Our Faculty

Miss Gina is grateful for the opportunity to serve the children and families of the Rogue Valley through the ever wise and wonderful Waldorf curriculum. Teaching, art, gardening, and community have all been woven into her life, and her career, which has its roots in Southern Oregon. Her career spans many arenas including teaching in a private bilingual Montessori preschool, in a one room schoolhouse on 60 acres in upstate New York, offering Waldorf-inspired homeschool classes and art classes for all ages, as well as leading a Waldorf-inspired preschool and Kindergarten on a 3-acre homestead. Gina joins Madrone Trail after helping to found a public Waldorf charter school in Colorado Springs where she served as a Lead Kindergarten teacher for 11 years.

In the early years of her marriage, she and her husband Michael traveled the United States working on organic farms and living in intentional communities. Through this work Gina learned to appreciate the life cycles of the plant and animal worlds as well as the importance of inner work and human relationships.

Gina is a trained K-12 art teacher earning her teaching certificate and Bachelor's degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She is a trained Waldorf Teacher earning her certificate of completion from the Denver Center for Anthroposophic Therapies, with an emphasis on therapeutic work with young children, based on indications from Rudolf Steiner.

Gina is inspired on a daily basis in her work with the children and their families, as together they celebrate life and learning through rhythm, outdoor play, storytelling, song and craft. She is honored to be a guide and steward for the youngest members of the Madrone Trail community. Gina spends summers and free time swimming, soaking up the sun, gardening, hiking and tending her home. She treasures family time with her two daughters, her husband and extended family.

Miss Josclyn is a 5th generation Oregonian and has been involved in Waldorf Education for the last fifteen years. She received her degree in Fine Art from the University of Oregon and spent many years on Maui before finding her way back to Eugene to complete her Early Childhood Waldorf Teacher Training. Miss Josclyn has taught mixed-age Kindergarten at Swallowtail Waldorf School & Farm, Haleakala Waldorf School, and FolkSoul Farm. Teaching as a path of self development is important to Miss Josclyn, and she feels extremely humbled to be a teacher. She is passionate about protecting childhood, honoring and nurturing each child in their individual development and gifting. Celebrating the seasonal festivals is also one of her favorite parts about teaching Waldorf Kindergarten. She was very excited to begin a new chapter at Madrone Trail in 2022, and has always dreamed of teaching at a Public Waldorf Charter School. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her daughter, LilyAnn, swimming and playing especially in Maui, doing arts and crafts, cooking, gardening, reading and immersing herself in nature.

Mateo Tryllium appeared on this Earthly scene in the heart of Dixie; Birmingham, Alabama. He discovered the magic of the wild at a young age, spending most of his free time playing imaginary games up the banks and down the creeks, deep in the woods of his ‘hoods. In the burbling songs of the brook, the enchanted aromas of the foliage, and the visionary illuminations of the green filtered sunbeams, his creativity ran wild. The vistas of his childhood fancies imprinted upon his soul the importance, nay, the necessity of a connection to the natural world and a belief that anything is possible.

He got bigger. He learned the ways of the other world; the one with rules, currencies, denominations, and degrees. But he never forgot the lessons of the forest. Feeling disheartened by the limited possibilities of formal education, he designed his own major entitled Creating Social Revolution Through Healing Ourselves and Our Mother Earth at Fairhaven College. He wished to devote his life to creating a sustainable future for subsequent generations through permaculture, alternative energy systems, and environmentally friendly methods of human habitation. However, he realized that a more important solution to the world’s growing problems lay in changing the paradigm that led to these problems in the first place. So after ten years of studying, trying to find the most effective way to save the planet, he discovered Waldorf education. Within two years had a Master’s in Education, a state credential for teaching in public schools, and a Waldorf teaching certificate.

Mateo has taught at Waldorf schools in British Columbia, Hawaii, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon. He brings his great enthusiasm for personal and planetary healing to children through stories, art, music, and dance. He is one of the founding teachers of Madrone Trail and is happy to see the genesis of this amazing school come to fruition.

Emily Belcastro is a native Ashlandian who recently completed her BA in Elementary Education at Southern Oregon University, and her MA in Teaching at George Fox University. She has been extremely passionate about Waldorf education and teaching to the heart, head, and hands for many years. She specialized in Holistic education and social emotional teaching during her undergraduate studies and learned how important it is to craft a learning environment where students feel seen, valued, and loved. When Emily is not teaching, she loves to spend time in nature, teach yoga classes in Ashland and spend time with her cats. She can't wait to get to know Madrone Trail’s community better and understand how she can best support and receive her students and their families.

Daniel Nicholas is a native of upstate New York and graduated from Eastern University near Philadelphia in 2011 with a degree in philosophy. His teaching career began in 2012 at the college level, both in administration and in the classroom, and since then he has taught in two states, working with students from seemingly every age and background, from retired veterans in Medford to the college prep academies of the affluent suburbs of Dallas, TX to the urban public schools of the greater Austin area. He first learned about Steiner-Waldorf education as a parent of a preschooler, and since then his diverse and wide-ranging educational background has stoked an abiding interest in human development, motivating him to begin pursuing his M. Ed. in Waldorf Education through Antioch University- New England in Spring 2020. He is thrilled to be putting roots back down in his beautiful adopted home of the Pacific Northwest by taking on the role of class teacher at Madrone Trail in fall 2021!

I am a first generation Indian American from a mixed cultural heritage. My childhood and early adulthood was spent in Massachusetts in the suburbs of Boston. I attended public schools in Lexington, MA where I excelled in my art and English classes. I had strong connections with nature as well spending many days exploring the various wooded areas near my hometown. One of my favorite places to spend time was at Walden Pond in Concord, MA. It was there that I my first experiences of swimming and almost died in a drowning accident. It was few years after the accident that I spent my first experiences away from home as a camper and then a counselor-in-training.

At the Deer Isle Sailing Center in Maine I developed a love and appreciation for the outdoors and recreational activities like sailing, hiking, canoeing and kayaking. I overcame my fear of deep water and enjoyed being away from home. I found the waterways around Northern Maine left a lasting impression on me in my youth. As a counselor I developed skills working with trip leaders to organize and prepare for two-week excursions into the parks, bays and rivers around Deer Isle, Maine. Helping to manage a supervise 10-15 campers was a formative experience and has led to my pursuit of teaching children as my vocation.

After High School I attended the University of Vermont in Burlington. It was there were I was able to balance my love of the outdoors with a solid liberal arts education. I majored in English and took several education courses to compliment my studies. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher about halfway through my undergraduate experience. One of the factors that led me to this path was volunteering at a local public school my freshman year and working with elementary children to help them create there own Children’s Magazine consisting of stories and pictures that they wrote and drew. After my experience with the Vermont Children’s Magazine I took a position as director for the umbrella student organization Volunteers in Action for one year. During this tenure I learned valuable skills in managing programs, recruiting volunteers, and interfacing with the public.

After graduating with a B.A. in English I moved back to Massachusetts and began working in various settings with children. My most impressionable experiences being with urban children in two childcare centers in Somerville and Arlington. These jobs gave me experience working with talented and dedicated childcare providers and helped me develop my behavior management and leadership style with children. I found that I had natural connection with most children and could develop a strong trusting rapport quickly. I enjoyed singing, playing and creating art in a supportive and nurturing environment with the children I served from the ages of 3-12.

1n 1993 I entered the Waldorf Teacher Training program at Antioch New England Graduate School. I enrolled in the Integrated Day program as well and spent the next two years working and commuting to New Hampshire on the weekends to complete my Masters of Education. During this time I completed three internships that lasted about three months each. The first was in at my own place of employment the Arlington Children’s Center and the other two were at Waldorf Schools in Lexington, MA and Wilton, NH. As a result of these extensive and involved internships I felt fully prepared to take on my own class of first graders in a Waldorf School. My move to the West coast occurred because of the job I took at the Olympia Waldorf School in 1995. I had been on vacation in the Pacific Northwest and fell in love with the region. Colleagues of mine had worked at the Olympia Waldorf School and encouraged me to apply.

During my time at Olympia Waldorf School I cultivated many strong relationships with students and families in the community and had a great working relationship with my colleagues serving on many committees and working in various leadership roles at the school.

In addition to my love of outdoor recreation I also enjoy painting and working with pastels in my spare time. I also am an avid singing and have participated in numerous local choirs in Olympia. Through my singing career I have also been able to participate in opera and local musical theater. Some of my most memorable moments in teaching have been working with students to develop their confidence and skill in singing and drama. As this love has grown in me I have been able to pass it down to them in my enthusiasm for teaching through art. I have always considered myself equal part artist and teacher as I work with children to develop their own unique gifts and capacities.

Ms. Greer is a dedicated Waldorf educator with extensive experience teaching grades 1 through 5 in Waldorf charter schools across California, Oregon, and Alaska. She has a deep love for the holistic nature of Waldorf education, which nurtures the head, heart, and hands of each child. This integrative approach allows her to guide students not only in academic achievement but also in their emotional growth, creativity, and hands-on learning experiences. Her belief in making Waldorf education accessible to all children is central to her work, and she is passionate about supporting the public charter school movement.

Ms. Greer holds a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and a Master’s degree in Teaching. She completed her Waldorf teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California, where she cultivated a strong foundation in the developmental approach and creative methodologies that define Waldorf education. Beyond the classroom, she has shared her expertise by teaching Art of Teaching courses for the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education, supporting new and aspiring educators in the movement.

As she prepares to begin the new school year, Ms. Greer is excited to join the Madrone Trail community and to guide the Otter Class. She looks forward to building meaningful relationships with students, families, and colleagues, and is eager to become an active part of the school’s vibrant culture. With a nurturing and student-centered approach, she aims to provide a learning environment that fosters creativity, curiosity, and a love for learning.

Outside the classroom, Ms. Greer enjoys a fulfilling personal life. She loves spending time with her son and extended family, and she finds peace and inspiration in nature, whether hiking through the woods, traveling to new destinations, or simply enjoying the outdoors. Her hobbies include reading, creating art, and listening to music—activities that constantly renew her spirit and enrich her work as an educator.

Heidi Martin has been teaching children in Oregon for more than 25 years. She grew up on the West Coast in California and Washington and spent a year in Tübingen, Germany as an exchange student at age sixteen, where she first encountered Waldorf education through her host sister’s school. As an artist, writer, and musician, she was inspired by Waldorf education’s rich, creative, and holistic approach. Heidi later studied English at UC Berkeley before completing her degree in English and Writing at Southern Oregon University. After moving to Southern Oregon in 1994, she began working closely with children and families as a tutor and teacher. Heidi completed her Waldorf teacher training in Eugene in 2003 and has since taught both early childhood and grade school in Waldorf communities for many years. She has taught kindergarten, preschool, and grades 1–5, and has also mentored other Waldorf early childhood teachers. In addition to teaching, Heidi is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who supports families and children with developmental challenges. She currently teaches at Madrone Trail and lives in Ashland with her two beagles. Heidi’s greatest joy is being the mother of two grown sons, and she loves sharing her passions for teaching, music, and helping families nourish their children well.

Dara was born and raised in Ashland. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Music from SOU before moving to New York City, where she received her Master's in Education. She and her family spent a year and half living and traveling in Eastern Europe, before returning to the Rogue Valley in 2010, which is when she began her journey at Madrone Trail. She took her first class from first grade all the way through eighth grade, who graduated with flying colors in 2018. In 2019, Dara began the journey again with her second class of first graders, the Sunflower Class. Dara is passionate about Waldorf education and loves the Madrone Trail community deeply. She loves to share her passion for music, and her experience and knowledge with others in the community and thrives on connection and cooperation. Dara has three children of her own, all of whom also attend or have graduated from Madrone Trail.

As a Southern Oregon Native, Luke spent his childhood exploring the forests, rivers, and parks throughout the Rogue Valley. When he wasn’t climbing trees and getting dirty he was playing sports with his friends and brothers. His love of nature and the outdoors eventually turned into a personal and professional passion. He has spent over 2 decades educating youth both as a classroom teacher and an outdoor educator. In his formal education he received a BS in Environmental Science from Oregon State University and a Masters in Teaching from Southern Oregon University, though he would tell you that most of his education came from the many places he has traveled and lived, and his deep interest in the human experience.

After leading international teen service trips to places like East Africa and the Galapagos islands, and working as a wilderness leadership instructor, fate seemed to bring him to Waldorf education at the San Francisco Waldorf School, where he spent five years teaching science and outdoor education…and fell in love with the Waldorf way. Now, with his wife and two sons, he again calls Southern Oregon home. He loves being a part of the Madrone Trail community and supporting the mission to bring this wonderful education to the public.

Nancy was born and raised in Pasadena CA. She loved working with her hands from a young age, starting with crochet, macramé, and sewing and moved on to weaving and knitting. Her parents enjoyed traveling and took her family on many adventures in the states and to Mexico. Nancy discovered the colorful markets in Mexico, mesmerized by the piles of textiles, full of intricate patterns and vibrant colors.

Nancy moved to Montana after spending a summer working in Yellowstone National Park. She attended the University of Montana and graduated with a degree in Visual Art with an emphasis in Fibers. She spent several summers during college working at Idyllwild Arts Summer Program, assisting Native American artists Blue Corn, Lucy Lewis, Rainbow Stevens and Juan Quezada. After graduating college, she joined the Peace Corps and spent 4 years working with a women’s weaving cooperative in Walkerswood, Jamaica. Nancy traveled to Peru, Ecuador, and Guatemala to travel and study with weavers. Nancy returned to Montana and ran a weaving program for adults with physical challenges. Nancy studied tapestry weaving with Rebecca Bluestone in Taos, New Mexico and purchased her first floor loom in Taos. Nancy taught weaving classes at the local yarn store in Missoula and later in her studio. She also started creating and selling her own weavings at craft fairs.
Nancy returned to the University of Montana and received her teaching certificate in Art and Spanish. She spent 5 years teaching Spanish and Fibers at Idyllwild Arts Academy and 4 years at Sentinel High School in Missoula. Nancy led student trips to Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru. Nancy took leave from work for 6 years while raising her son, Logan, and discovered Waldorf Education. She was part of a group of parents to initiate a Waldorf School in Missoula which now has a preschool.

Nancy continues to explore work with fibers. She is passionate about the need to teach children to use their hands to create works of beauty. She completed the Waldorf Handwork Teacher Training Program at Rudolf Steiner College. She loves to spend time with her family and friends, going on fun adventures to the coast, to the mountains, and to Latin America. She always carries a ball of wool in her handbag to create a new piece of beauty.

Ruth Cohen was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Germany, Japan, and the United States. She spoke only Spanish until first grade and went on to teach ESL, Spanish, French, and speaks Hebrew at home to her four daughters. Having grown up internationally, she studied French and International Community Development for her undergraduate and spent her summers in college on work projects in Honduras, Spain, Kenya, and Turkey. She then went on to earn her Masters of Education. Post university years, she taught ESL, French, and Spanish and participated in community development projects in Korea, India, Nepal, Cambodia, and Pakistan and lived in Israel for 13 years, where she started her family. She first encountered Waldorf education in Israel, after having taught foreign languages to elementary and high school for 11 years and knew this was the path she wanted for her children and herself as a teacher.

In 2019, Ruth moved her family to Ashland from Israel where she did her foundation year and taught Handwork at a Waldorf initiative. In Ashland, she took on the first grade as the class teacher and was also the grades Spanish teacher at the FolkSoul Farm Grades Cooperative. She has since then been the director and lead teacher at the Waldorf- inspired Olive Tree Preschool, a bilingual early childhood program. In her free time she loves to be in nature with her girls, exploring this land of pristine rivers and lakes, swing dancing and singing in all the languages.

Andreya Nicholson-Walcott is a Southern Oregon native. Raised on a ranch outside of Eagle Point, she had dreams of singing and being a teacher. She grew up singing in church and counts her first time on the stage being at church at the age of 3. After graduating from Eagle Point High School, she moved to Lynnwood Washington to study music and sing under the direction of Kirk Marcy, director of the vocal jazz group Soundsation, at Edmonds Community College. Andreya was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Music and a minor in Forensics in the Spring of 2009, from Western Oregon University, and a Master’s in music from Western Oregon University in 2011. After graduate school, Andreya taught on the island of Saint Lucia at the Saint Lucia School of Music for 8.5 years, as the head of the voice department, and teacher of early childhood, music theory, and choir. Upon returning from Saint Lucia, Andreya taught for the Phoenix-Talent Schools where she developed an afterschool choir for all elementary students.

Andreya is very excited to be teaching and making music with the students here at Madrone Trail Public Waldorf School. When she is not teaching, and singing, she loves movies, reading, and traveling.

Jeff Roberson was born in Southern California and loved boogie boarding at the beach often while growing up. He also played many sports during his youth, including basketball, soccer and cross country. His main love was basketball and he was able to play pickup basketball games at local parks, pretty much year round due to the favorable southern California weather. Jeff fondly remembers his parents telling him, “Basketball can’t be your whole life.” Maybe not, but it certainly has come close.

Jeff has been an educator and a coach his entire adult life. With a master’s degree in Education, he has taught many grade levels-from preschool all the way up to 8th grade. He especially loves coaching basketball, and has coached youth basketball for over 15 years as well as high-level men’s wheelchair basketball for two years. He also published his Middle Grade fiction book: Homecourt. Currently, Jeff is the high school varsity Girls’ coach at Cascade Christian in addition to being the Math interventionist and athletic director here at Madrone Trail.

Jeff and his wife, Sarah, have four children and have enjoyed the role of being foster parents to several more as well. Jeff and Sarah were living in Long Beach, CA when they found out they were pregnant with their first child, 18 years ago. They had been to Medford several times already after Sarah’s father transferred within the Providence healthcare system. They decided Southern Oregon would be a great place to raise a family and made the move, which they have never regretted.

Suzanne was born in San Diego and moved to Oregon as a child. She graduated with a B.A. in History from Southern Oregon University and went on to attend the archeological field school at Boise State University. She then worked as an archeologist in Hawaii, Kansas and Idaho. After meeting her husband in Idaho she obtained a teaching credential there and taught both social studies and science at the middle school level for four years. Suzanne left teaching for eight years to stay at home with her daughters. Suzanne joined the Madrone Trail staff in 2020. She is so grateful to be a part of a staff that cares so well for their students. Outside of work Suzanne loves to travel and has been to Kenya, Iceland, Israel, Mexico, Canada, and many European countries. She, of course, loves to read and also enjoys baking, music, crafts and the beauty of Southern Oregon. Suzanne enjoys spending time with her three hilarious sisters, three lovely daughters, her wonderful husband and her “forever puppy,” Benny.

Brittany Winters serves as a 1st grade teacher’s assistant at Madrone Trail Charter School. She is passionate about supporting students as they grow into confident and curious learners. In addition to her classroom role, Brittany also directs the school crosswalk each morning, giving her the opportunity to greet families and strengthen school connections. Away from campus, she enjoys spending time with her two children, exploring nature, and pursuing creative projects.

My name is Kristine Krogstad, and I’m the new Special Education Teacher at Madrone Trail this year. To give you a little more information about me, I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska where I’ve spent most of my life. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, I taught English as a second language in Japan for five years and returned to teach in Alaska as a Special Education Teacher. I’ve been a substitute teacher at Winterberry Charter School in Anchorage, which is a Waldorf Program. I moved to Southern Oregon 6 years ago to be closer to family and love the beauty of the area.

I’ve taught for close to 20 years and I’m passionate about helping students with disabilities reach their full potential and I believe all students can learn. I look forward to partnering with you and working with your child!

Miss Monica grew up in Northern California and moved to Southern Oregon in 2015. She has two young children. Miss Monica has her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development. She loves finding bugs, collecting acorns, and having tea parties!