Early Childhood Faculty

Roots & Shoots

Kate Hammond, 2-Day Seedlings Preschool Teacher/Roots & Shoots Director

Kate Hammond is a Waldorf graduate and has a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Applied Linguistics. She began studying Bothmer Gymnastics in England in 1995. While class teaching at the Calgary Waldorf School, she completed her movement training with the Spacial Dynamics Institute in 1999. She graduated from Emerson College with a certificate in Waldorf Teacher Training specializing in Early Childhood Education, and has taught kindergarten, preschool, parent and child classes, and infants. On the weekends she teaches for LifeWays North America and on Waldorf teacher training courses. She has been a lifelong student of Anthroposophy and is the intrigued mother of two teenage boys who both attend Summerfield.

Phone: (707) 575-7194 Ext: 311

Preschool

Catherine Schlager, 5-Day Rosebud Preschool Teacher/ Early Childhood Section Coordinator

Catherine was raised in Wisconsin, attended college in Chicago and graduate school in Boston. She has worn many hats over the years: professional actor, baker, small-business owner, professor of nutrition and international health, and program manager for an international field research organization. Her love of children, handwork, and music as well as her concern for the future of humankind inspired her to take up Waldorf teaching with the very young child. She considers herself privileged to be working in this realm. Catherine enjoys working with fibers and textiles, writing, hiking, and traveling with family and friends.

Phone: (707) 575-7194 Ext: 322

Stacy Ito, 5-Day Seedlings Preschool Teacher & Aftercare

For the past twenty years, Stacy has been working with children in various teaching capacities, including teaching special education classes for students with severe needs, directing a before and after school program for a local school district, and for the last decade she’s been in her “happy place” teaching Waldorf preschool. She has also been a teacher and Student Support Services Director for LifeWays North America, an organization that offers a year-long training in Waldorf education and care for birth through 5 year olds. Stacy holds a BA in Liberal Studies/Teacher Education from Dominican University, and a certificate from LifeWays North America. Currently she is enrolled in the Bay Area Waldorf Teacher Training program, in the Early Childhood track. She is a mother to three growing and blossoming daughters and has been a volunteer board member at Live Oak Charter School for the past 5 years. In her free time, Stacy enjoys hiking in the redwoods, sitting by the ocean, or working on one of her various knitting projects.

Phone: (707) 575-7194 Ext: 322

Linden Fye, 3-Day Rosebud Preschool Teacher

Linden first started at SWSF in 2012 as an aftercare assistant and in 2018 moved to the Sebastopol Charter School as a 1st grade assistant for 1 year, kindergarten assistant for several more years and ended employment there in 2020 as the school secretary. In 2020, due to COVID restrictions, Linden was able stay home and opened her own Waldorf play garden until 2022, when she found my way back to Summerfield. Linden’s two boys have attended Summerfield since they were babies.

Linden completed her Waldorf teacher training at the Center for Education Renewal held at SWSF in 2018. In addition, she has a Bachelors Degree in Illustration with a focus on children’s book illustration.

When not at work she enjoys hiking with her family, painting, sewing and trying new recipes.

Morgan Trujillo, 5-Day Rosebud Preschool Assistant

Previously, Morgan taught kindergarten at Waldorf schools in New York City, The New Amsterdam School and the Rudolf Steiner School. She moved to Sonoma County in early 2020, and was grateful to enroll her daughter in the Blossoms program at Summerfield. Both of her daughters now attend Summerfield.

She is delighted to work in the Rosebud program and join the wonderful community at Summerfield.

Morgan has a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Rochester, and a BA from Mount Holyoke College. She received her Certificate in Waldorf Early Childhood Education from Sunbridge Institute in Spring Valley, NY. In addition, she is a graduate of the Denver Waldorf School.

When not in the classroom, Morgan enjoys knitting, sewing, baking and camping with her family.

Nia Sturr, 2-Day Seedlings Preschool Assistant

Bio coming soon!

Kindergarten

Saree Heydenfeldt, Red Rose Kindergarten Teacher

Saree brings to the children a deep love of nature, singing and play supported by her years of working in beautiful settings with plants, food and people. While receiving her BA in Human Services in Iowa, Saree served both teens in crisis and adults with disabilities. Saree was encouraged to lead classes at various support centers, teaching cooking, gardening, health and art. She started to discover her love for teaching and became an assistant teacher in a high school special ed. classroom. She continued to explore education and took on various roles in public schools, as a para educator in both middle school and kindergarten and served as director of an afterschool program.

Upon discovering the Center for Educational Renewal at Summerfield, Saree instantly fell in love with Waldorf Education and the Summerfield community. She graduated from the Waldorf teacher training while working in Roots and Shoots and the Kindergarten Village. Saree is just over the moon she has found a place that will foster her love for learning and play. She is currently studying Curative Education with Robyn Brown while simultaneously working on credits towards a special ed. credential.

On the weekends Saree loves to cook, kayak and sing karaoke.

Phone: (707) 575-7194 Ext: 310

Sydney Hollinger, White Rose Kindergarden Assistant

Bio coming soon!

Rachel McGarva, White Rose Kindergarten Teacher

Rachel has extensive Early Childhood training: she did the Foundation Year through Rudolph Steiner College, the LifeWays Early Childhood Training and the Center of Educational Renewal Teacher Training. During these years of study, Rachel also had a home program for young children and then went on to work as an assistant in the White Rose Kindergarten here, leaving to have her third child. Working with children in this magical time of their lives and being able to offer them stories and games that make their eyes shine with wonder is one of Rachel’s greatest loves. She is delighted to return to the children and to a school that offers an education that cultivates a child’s blossoming self at each moment of their lives.

Fernanda Olin, Red Rose Kindergarten Assistant

Born and raised in southern Brazil, Fernanda first discovered Waldorf education at a young age while attending the Waldorf Teacher Training in Brasilia (FEWB) and as a Waldorf preschool teacher in nearby Alto Paraiso. Fernanda then achieved her Bachelors degree in Hospitality and Culinary Arts at the University ASSESC in Florianopolis, spending the next decade marrying her love for food, travel, and language in Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Barcelona, and ultimately California. It was here where she fell in love with her husband and reconnected with her passion for Waldorf education. She has completed the LifeWays Early Childhood Certification and is currently attending the Waldorf Teacher Training at the Center for Educational Renewal. Fernanda is the preschool assistant teacher in the Rosebud land where she loves working with young children and finds the spirit of adventure in everyday living.

Preschool Aftercare

Takako Rasmussen, 5-Day Rosebud Aftercare Coordinator

Takako grew up in Japan and moved to Sonoma county during the summer of 2015 for her son’s second year of his kindergarten at Summerfield. As she started to learn more about Waldorf education through her son, she became aware of the importance of early childhood education for all of our children. She strives to bring the children the simple pleasures of a home-like environment through the rhythms of everyday life. Takako has over twenty years of experience working at various businesses, having graduated from Sugiyama women’s college in Japan. Currently, she has been taking Child Development classes at Santa Rosa Junior College and hopes to add Waldorf teacher education in the near future.

Elizabeth Emory, 5-Day Seedlings Preschool Assistant & Aftercare

Bio coming soon!

Mariane Sansone, 3-Day Rosebud Preschool Assistant & Aftercare

Mariane has been an ECE Assistant Teacher at Summerfield since 2017.

Kindergarten Aftercare

Arika Schumacher, Kindergarten Aftercare Coordinator

Arika was raised in North Platte Nebraska, and has been in Sonoma County for 16 years. Arika is currently the Lead Aftercare Teacher in the ECE kindergarten. Arika brings with her a deep love for food, and an appreciation of its role in maintaining a healthy life. After receiving her personal chef certiﬁcation at Bauman College (while simultaneously working herself as a Chef, helping others reach their health goals through implementing food as medicine) she acquired a Permaculture Design Certiﬁcation, as well as a Certiﬁcation in KIVo (Kinetic Voice and movement). She attended Naropa University in Boulder Colorado, double majoring in Psychology and Visual Arts.

Arika is highly interested in the human heart space and Anthroposophy. She completed the ECE Waldorf Teacher training certification in Marin through LifeWays at the end of 2020. She is heart driven to gain wisdom through working with the young child and the earth. Arika’s deep love for children and desire in helping others see their true beauty and inner potential continues to inspire her. She dreams of what this world could become with a little more love and authenticity.

Jessica Berreyesa, Kindergarten Aftercare Assistant

Bio coming soon!