HIGH SCHOOL
FULL-TIME FACULTY
Gayle Ansel, Art and Humanities
Gayle Ansel received her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Science Degree from San Diego State University and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She has her Waldorf Teaching Certificate from Antioch, New England. She came to the Waldorf School of San Diego in 1998 as a class teacher and graduated a combined class in 2005. She then guided the sixth grade class through to graduation in June 2008. After completing a 6-month sabbatical, she is now teaching art and humanities in our high school. She also teaches veil painting and dark and light drawing for the Waldorf Institute of Southern California. Prior to teaching at the Waldorf School of San Diego, she exhibited her artwork in both Canada and the United States. She taught painting, drawing, printmaking, and various crafts at the San Diego Children’s Museum/Museo de los niños, San Diego, CA; San Dieguito Continuing Education, Encinitas, CA; Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts, Idyllwild, CA; and the San Diego Community College District Continuing Education Programs, San Diego, CA. She is a member of the Pedagogical Group and finance committee. Her daughter, Clara graduated from the Waldorf School of San Diego in 2004, and attends Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts where she will graduate in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree.
Michelle Boynton, Mathematics and Physical Science
Michelle has been teaching math and physics in the High School since it opened in the fall of 2008. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Architectural Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, where she graduated with honors. Her graduate studies include two years of Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. During her professional career, Michelle has served as a technical consultant to a wide variety of corporate clients including Philips Lighting North America and Qualcomm. Her experience includes teaching at the Design Institute of San Diego and the New School of Architecture and Design in San Diego. She is a graduate of the Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program (WHiSTEP) at the Center for Anthroposophy. Michelle is a skilled massage therapist and enjoys yoga, dancing, and watching her daughter play softball. She joined the school as a parent in 2003, and her daughter is currently in 8th grade.
Barbara Dagman, Humanities
Barbara is honored to join the high school faculty after serving teens for nearly 20 years in public high schools. Recently, she attended the teacher’s institute at the Getty Villa Museum in Los Angeles and led a student Art History tour to Europe. Long ago, she earned her bachelors and masters degrees from UCLA in English Literature, specializing in the Renaissance and Victorian periods. Barbara minored in Art History and vocal music, but spent most of her time in the weight room or on the water, competing with the UCLA women’s crew team. Barbara enjoys the arts and physical movement, particularly spatial dynamics. She has completed her second year of Waldorf teacher training at Steiner College. This fall, her son Hayden enters first grade just as her daughter Madeleine departs for Seattle University. Her husband Brooks Dagman –whom she married at the UCLA boathouse -- has coached men’s rowing at USD for twenty years.
Maria Morales, Science and Mathematics
Maria has been teaching at the post-secondary level since 1995 at various colleges as an adjunct faculty. Her subjects have included biology, environmental science and skills for professional development. Her time away from the classroom has been spent in working as a consultant in the environmental field. She has written wildfire management plans, co-edited scientific proceedings and has worked on marketing campaigns for innovative technology. With her three children she enjoys brass music, river rafting and choral singing. Maria is currently enrolled in the High School Teacher Training Pogram at Rudolf Steiner College. Previously she earned a B.S. in Genetics, a minor in Forestry and a M.S. in Wildland Resource Science from the University of California, Berkeley
Julia Nuñez, French, Spanish, Humanities
Julia Nuñez has a B.A. (honors) in French from Wichita State University. She lived in Avignon, France, where she taught at the Lycée Fredéric Mistral de Garçons. She did graduate work in French at L’École Française at Middlebury College, in French and Linguistics at Georgetown University and in Spanish at Hunter College. Since completing her Waldorf teacher training at Emerson College in Sussex, England, Julia, has been a Waldorf teacher for 25 years. She taught French at Michael Hall School in Sussex, UK, Spanish at the Rudolf Steiner School in NYC, and Spanish, Hispanic Folk and Social Dance, as well as Elementary Music at the Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School and the Great Barrington Waldorf High School. Julia moved to San Diego from the East Coast to be a founding teacher of our high school. She has two daughters, Rebecca and Tristana, who are Waldorf graduates, and is the happy grandmother of Nico, who lives with his parents in Spain.
Nathan Wood Wilcox, Humanities
In addition to his high school teaching duties, Nathan serves as the High School Chair and is a member of the Pedagogical Group and Board of Trustees. Nathan earned his B.A. in English from Pomona College in Claremont, California, and Jesus College in Cambridge, England. He completed his Waldorf High School teacher training in literature at Rudolf Steiner College. Nathan spent eight years teaching disabled adults and directing programs for United Cerebral Palsy prior to joining the school in the summer of 2006 as the Director of High School Development. He is a founding teacher of our high school. Nathan and his wife Megan have three children: Magnolia, in 4th grade, Donovan, in 1st grade and Pippa, age three, at home with mom.
PART-TIME FACULTY
Sara Gomes, Movement
Sara holds a B.A. in Women’s Studies from San Francisco State University. She came to the Waldorf School when her daughter was a toddler in the Morning Glory Program; she’s been here ever since. In preparation for becoming a teacher, she has put in many volunteer hours at various schools. Sara has two children, Maya (7th Grade) and Felix (5th Grade).
Beth Holmberg, Science and Metalsmithing
Beth recieved her B.A. in Geology (with department honors) from Boston University and Sc. M. in Geological Sciences from Brown University. She has been teaching and doing science since age 15-- in the field, NASA-funded labs, museums, and both traditional and alternative high schools. Her post-graduate education includes courses and certifications in education, history of science, wilderness first aid, Danish, and blacksmithing. She is glad to be back at the high school after a year away living in Odense, Denmark where her spouse, Sarah Elkind, was a Fulbright Fellow. While in Denmark, Beth expanded her historic blacksmithing to the Viking era (about 850 A.D.), helping to rebuild the 22 m. Ladby Viking ship (and learning to love Viking cooking). Her passions (beside teaching) include hiking and orienteering, cooking, reading plays, building beautiful boats, and seeing science in the world. This year, Beth is teaching Oceanography, Geology, First Aid, and Metalsmithing.
Johanna Müller-Laurelin, Eurythmy
Johanna attended the Kassel Waldorf School from first grade through thirteenth/Arbitur.While at the University in Hamburg, she discovered the Eurythmy School where she co-founded the Orchestra Hamburg as the principal violinist. In 1985, Johanna became a member of the Stuttgart Eurythmeum performing group. In 1988, she was invited to co-found the Los Angeles Eurythmy Ensemble, which in 1997 evolved into the South Coast Eurythmy Ensemble. Johanna is a widely acclaimed eurythmist who performs with stage groups in Europe and the U.S. An experienced eurythmy teacher inWaldorf schools, Johanna is also a teacher and co-director of The Waldorf Institute of Southern California (WISC). She joins us for her ninth year of teaching Eurythmy and Strings. She is also a member of the Pedagogical Group.
Melinda Rocha, Science and Mathematics
Melinda was born and raised in Corpus Christi, TX, where she attended a small Catholic school. Following graduation, she went on to study education with an emphasis in Chemistry at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. It was at Texas Tech, where she worked as a college tutor and found her calling as a teacher. She graduated Cum Laude in 2008, and shortly thereafter began a Navy journey with her husband, taking them through four states in three years. In Maryland, she taught and tutored high school geometry at North County High School. In South Carolina, she taught physical science at Ashley Ridge High School, where she was honored as the school’s “rookie teacher of the year”. Finally, she has had the opportunity to instruct the wonderful students at WSSD in an array of subjects from organic chemistry to algebra. She also tutors math and reading at the Sylvan Learning Center. She is truly grateful to have experienced the challenges and delights of students from many backgrounds, and looks forward to contributing to Waldorf’s history of success. On a personal note, she enjoys running and has completed 4 half marathons in the past year. She is currently working towards the “Triple Crown” and finishing her first marathon. She also enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband and puppy and of course trying her very best to take advantage of the gorgeous San Diego sun.
Kate Vance, High School Costume Design
This will be Kate’s 18th year with WSSD. She has a passion for costumes and has overseen the costume locker for the past 17 years. She also raises Guide Dogs for the Blind, so you might see her on campus with her newest trainee, Harvey. She received her B.A. from Cal Western. Her daughter, Amelia, graduated from our school in 2005 and is currently a junior at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.
Bryan S. Whelan, Band
Bryan is a professional guitarist and accomplished teacher with both private students and performing ensembles. Having studied jazz and classical music theory at San Diego State University, Bryan has performed in a variety of professional groups and recently spent two months performing in Copenhagen, Denmark. Currently he instructs and leads the high school jazz ensemble at the Children’s Creative Performing Arts Academy in addition to his work at WSSD.
April Wilson, Spanish
After living for six years with her large family in Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico from 2nd grade through 7th grade, immersed in the language and culture of Mexico, April naturally went on to study Spanish in college. She has a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Hispanic Studies from Principia College, a private school for Christian Scientists in the midwest. Shortly after graduation she was hired by a school district in Texas where a team of credentialed Spanish teachers were working to implement a language program that would utilize research-based best practices for language development. For 2 years April taught with this team at many schools (both lower and upper schools) across the district teaching with methodologies beyond the traditional scope--utilizing TPRS (Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling). But April longed for the mountains and the beaches she was born near in California and relocated to San Diego where she also began to surf, run and work with students with learning differences in San Diego public schools. In 2010 she came across some gold! --The Waldorf Institute of Southern California! She has been pursuing her Waldorf teacher training with WISC ever since and will be graduating in January 2013. April is also a youth group leader with DiscoveryBound San Diego and has taken a group of teens on a 2-day backpacking trip to the famous Mount Haleakala in Maui. In her spare time she runs with friends at the beach, the lake, or the mountains and just completed her first Marathon in June 2011. April also loves to swim in the ocean, dance, play tennis, and hike. And in quiet moments she enjoys scrap booking, baking, and making thank-you cards because there is so much to be grateful for!
Renee Woodring, Choir
Renee earned her B.A. in Music from Pennsylvania State University. She has been teaching private singing lessons since 2001, and is currently a Teaching Artist with the Vocal Conservatory and choir and Canyon Crest Academy. While Renee has a diverse musical background, including several musical theatre productions, and a brief stint in a rock cover band, the majority of her professional singing has been in a classical, liturgical, or choral setting.