Michelle received her undergraduate degree in Education and English from the University of Rhode Island. She pursued her graduate degree in Environmental Education from Antioch University New England because she believes, as David Orr does, that “all education is environmental education. By what is included or excluded we teach students that they are part of or apart from the natural world.” Before coming to Oak Meadow, Michelle taught English at Northfield Mount Hermon, was a Learning Specialist in the Massachusetts public schools, and worked as a Program Director for The Massachusetts Audubon Society. Michelle lives in Dummerston, Vermont with her family. Her interests include slow food, travel, parenting, yoga, and the literary arts.

Brian was educated in England, and received his B.A. in Modern Languages from Cambridge University. He also studied at Moscow State University and at the Centre Universitaire d'Avignon. He began his teaching career at Phillips Exeter Academy as an instructor of French, Russian and German. He directed the Exeter Summer School before becoming Director of The Putney School in Putney, VT for twelve years and Head of The White Mountain School in Bethlehem, NH for four years. He is a long-time Trustee of the Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona where he oversaw the school's adoption of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. Brian has served on the NEASC Commission on Independent Schools and has served on numerous accreditation committees, both in New England and overseas. Brian is particularly intrigued by the potential role of distance learning in the future of international secondary education. He enjoys traveling, reading historical fiction, and jogging.

David graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Environmental Science. He taught English as a second language in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (a little speck of land in the Pacific Ocean) and then taught science for five years in Miami, Florida, where he was also the Assistant Director of the Outdoor Education Program. Having homeschooled during his middle school years, Dave has a unique perspective on homeschooling and distance learning. At Oak Meadow, David enjoys working with his students in creative and collaborative ways to enrich and enliven the learning experience. In his free time, David is an avid reader of science fiction, an aspiring cook, gardener, and barbeque meister.

Megan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban and Environmental Policy from Occidental College and a Masters degree in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing/Poetry from Northern Arizona University. She has taught English, bilingual literacy, creative writing, learning skills and dance in independent and public school classrooms for over 15 years. She has also taught writing at Prescott College in Arizona. She believes in the following equation: reading + writing = freedom! Her poems and essays have been published in national magazines, including The Sun and make/shift. She has also worked as a professional modern dancer and choreographer for almost 20 years. Born in Newport Beach, California, Megan has lived in the mountains of northern Arizona, in Ireland and France, and now lives in southern Vermont with her husband, teenager and toddler. In her free time, she loves to go for long walks on dirt roads, read, cook, sew baby quilts by hand, and grow vegetables.

Sarah Hoffman earned a Masters of Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and worked as a college and admissions counselor in a variety of academic settings, including Northfield Mount Hermon School, Newton North (MA) High School, Smith College, and McGill University. Her experiences working in college admissions offices have enhanced her understanding of how application materials are actually evaluated. Sarah particularly enjoys helping students who have chosen a non-traditional path in their education to navigate the college admissions process. At Oak Meadow her goal is to support college bound students, through webinars and individual consultations. She will be offering advice on topics like how to research colleges, getting the most out of college visits, and how to complete applications. In her free time, Sarah enjoys playing tennis and ice hockey, and sings in a gospel and world music chorus.

Richard studied and earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy and Languages at the University of Rennes in France. Richard returned to the United States and spent the next 30 years teaching language in several public schools including East Greenwich High School in Rhode Island, and Wilmington High School and Bellows Falls High School in Vermont. Richard joined Oak Meadow 12 years ago, and currently teaches French (his first language), Spanish, and Latin. He believes that learning a second or third language lends a unique perspective and positions students to fully participate in the world as global citizens. Richard, his wife, and their five children love the natural setting of their home in Southern Vermont and enjoy all outdoor activities, including camping and winter sports.

Kathy received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Irvine, in 1984. She also attended Bakersfield Community College and Cal State Bakersfield where she took upper division Math courses. In 1992, she earned her California Secondary Teaching Credential in Mathematics from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She worked as a math tutor and substitute Math teacher before joining Oak Meadow in 1997. Math has always been Kathy’s favorite subject and it is exciting for her to witness the evolution of learning as skills in logic and organized-thinking emerge and are refined. Kathy likes Oak Meadow’s emphasis on independent learning that asks students to dig deep within themselves which, in turn, inspires personal development and growth. Kathy resides in California with her husband, Ken, who is also a teacher, in a home they designed and built themselves. Kathy enjoys spending her free time walking and gardening.

Alex earned an M.A. in History from Smith College and spent most of his teaching career in experiential education: roaming the Northeast while building and facilitating ropes courses; guiding children to an understanding and appreciation for their environment; working with high school students at the Northfield Mount Hermon School Farm. Recently, he has taught writing and social studies—focusing on critical thinking and communication—to diverse students at the Northfield Mount Hermon School and to boys identified with language-based learning disabilities at Linden Hill School. Alex lives in Northfield, Massachusetts, with his wife, Sarah, and their three young boys. He loves to spend time helping his sons sell flowers from their garden and incubate chicken eggs for their burgeoning chicken farm.

Sara earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Sociology-Based Human Relations from Connecticut College and a Masters degree in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Vermont. She has taught social studies, Spanish, and ESL in independent, public, and university classrooms for many years. Born in Madrid, Spain, Sara grew up in a multi-lingual and multi-cultural home in Vermont. Sara's passion is travel and she has had the good fortune of spending extensive time in Europe and South America, including a month-long hike along the Camino de Santiago in Spain and three years living and working on the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. She hopes to foster this love of travel in her students.

Jacquelyn earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Arts in French from Plymouth State University. She has more than a decade of experience in tutoring students of all ages and has been teaching and creating mathematics courses at Plymouth State University since 2007. Jacquelyn particularly enjoys encouraging students to develop an appreciation for the beauty and relevance of mathematics in the world around them. Jacquelyn lives among the picturesque lakes and mountains of New Hampshire, where she homeschools her own children and creates fun scrapbooks of her family's adventures.

Lucie earned her undergraduate degree in Classics at the University of New Hampshire, and a Masters degree in Education from Cambridge College in Boston. Lucie has taught Latin, Italian, Classics in Translation, Classical Mythology, Humanities, and Spanish in independent and public classrooms for over 30 years. She coordinated and chaperoned several student study tours to Italy and Greece. Lucie encourages in her students a lifelong love of learning, as embodied in this quote from the Greek poet Constantine Cavafy: "When you set out on your journey...pray that the road is long, full of adventure, full of knowledge." Lucie lives in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire with her husband and Golden Retriever, Gracie. In her free time, she enjoys an early morning walk on the beach, traveling, a good book, or being creative in her kitchen.

Marnie holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Education from Smith College, and received graduate credit in English from the University of Kansas, doing her Master’s thesis in poetry. She has been teaching high school English at Oak Meadow since 2000. In addition, Marnie has worked as a classroom teacher, bookstore manager and school librarian. Marnie loves literature and believes that students can learn about themselves and the world in the pages of a book and through putting their own experiences into writing. Marnie is an avid bibliophile, gardener, cellist, and the mother of three grown boys.

Heide was born and raised in Germany and received her education at Stuttgart University, earning a Masters in English Linguistics and Literature, and another Masters in German Linguistics and Literature. Heide taught German at the Upper Valley Waldorf School in Quechee, Vermont, and now holds a position as head administrator for Vermont Law School. She began teaching German for Oak Meadow in the fall of 2008. The unique perspective Heide gained growing up outside the U.S. allows her to bring a special authenticity to the work she does with her world language students. She lives in Chelsea, Vermont, with her youngest of two sons. In her free time, Heide likes to practice meditation and yoga, take long walks, read, and dance.

Peter Siegel holds degrees in music and political science, as well as an advanced degree in environmental studies. His musical credits include publication in Sing Out! magazine and the fiddle tune compilation, The Portland Collection, Grammy award winning mandolin tracks on the Best Children’s Album of 2010 and a guest appearance on the nationally syndicated, Etown. He’s been privileged to have played venues around the country, including Newport Folk Festival, Clearwater Revival, Falconridge, Champlain Valley, Solarfest, The Iron Horse, and the Kennedy Center, and to have shared the stage with Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Dar Williams, Bread and Puppet, and many more. Peter also often leads stringed and vocal workshops in Americana music. As a certified music teacher, he brings to Oak Meadow his musical expertise and his teaching experience in the Orff and Kodaly methods. When he’s not performing or teaching, Peter can be found making music with his two children in southern Vermont.

Cydney holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Environmental Science. She has earned additional certifications in permaculture design, Integrative Nutrition, and is a certified health coach. Cydney was a professor of environmental studies at Southern Vermont College. She founded an online health and lifestyle coaching service, and has experience teaching health and life skills, as well as coaching and mentoring teens and young adults. Cydney appreciates that self-reflection and personal application are integrated into the Oak Meadow health course, and she is happy to be supporting teens as they learn about health and fitness. Cydney loves adventure, and has taken extended solo backpacking trips in the wilderness of Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. She lives in southern New Hampshire with her two daughters, and they are always sharing adventures together.

Camilla studied International Relations and French as a Morehead Scholar at The University of North Carolina. She later received a degree from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Camilla has taught French and Spanish at independent schools for 15 years. She has led numerous student trips abroad and enjoys traveling whenever she can. She believes that by studying another language, students open the door to curiosity, possibility, and awareness of culture and its many facets. Camilla lives in Putney, Vermont, with her husband, young daughter, dog and cat. She enjoys tennis, running, skiing, cycling, and gardening.

Ted Thornton holds a Masters degree in History from the University of Massachusetts and an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School. He also studied in Jerusalem and Cairo, and is a frequent lecturer and panelist on Middle East affairs and Islam. He has presented workshops on teaching about the Islamic world at professional conferences in Cairo, Montreal, San Francisco, and Boston. Ted specializes in the creation of online resources and web-based applications linking his students with other students and teachers around the world. He has led student travel-study programs to Egypt, Turkey, Portugal, Jordan, Brazil, and South Africa. Ted is committed to helping students understand the ways they can connect to the world through his teaching of history, philosophy, world religions, and world cultures.  In his spare time, Ted enjoys hiking, cycling, singing in choral groups, and playing folk guitar and singing with family and friends.

Julia graduated from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science/Fisheries Biology. She has been with Oak Meadow since 1992, teaching high school science and Health and Fitness. She has strong interests in alternative energy, gardening, music, fitness, and outdoor activities, such as cross-country skiing, paddling, hiking, and biking. She is on the PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) Educational Staff, and has ACA (American Canoe Association) certification for whitewater kayak instruction. In developing our new health course, she was committed to integrating a fitness element because physical exercise is proven to enhance mental clarity and mental health, and is a vital part of any healthy lifestyle. Julia lives in North River, New York where she homeschooled her three children, two of whom have fledged the nest.

Antony received his undergraduate degree in Poetry and Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, and his Masters of Science in Education and Waldorf Education from Sunbridge College, New York. Antony spent four years at the East Bay Waldorf High School in Berkeley, CA teaching poetry, photography, literature, and directing school plays. In 2009, Antony graduated once again from Sarah Lawrence College, this time earning a Masters Degree in poetry and creative writing. He encourages students to use writing as a tool for self-exploration, and to gain clarity and perspective on world events by examining issues from new angles. Antony currently lives with his wife and twin boys in Point Lookout, where he enjoys writing poetry and journeying into New York City for soul-inspiration.

Patty earned her undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio, her Masters in Art Education from Rhode Island School of Design, and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. In 2010, she received her Masters of Fine Arts in painting and writing from Goddard College, where she is also a faculty member. Patty homeshooled her own children using the Oak Meadow curriculum and believes that any learning should integrate the arts as a form of self expression. She enjoys guiding her art students through their own creative process so they can feel confident about their skills and knowledge. Patty lives in Stafford, Vermont in a farmhouse with her five children and two cats. Always busy, Patty makes time for her painting practice as well as her teaching and practice of yoga.