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Urban Prairie Waldorf School - Chicago
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Gia Rodriguez

Gia Rodriguez

Early Childhood Assistant

Gia Rodriguez (she/her/hers).

Lisa Moser

Lisa Moser

Early Childhood Assistant

Lisa Moser (she/her).

Rebekah Dotzel

Rebekah Dotzel

Music Teacher

Rebekah Dotzel (she/her/hers) is a cellist and educator based in Chicago. Rebekah’s teaching takes many forms, including a studio of Suzuki and traditional private lessons fo...Read More

Nelson Mendoza

Nelson Mendoza

Music Teacher

Nelson Mendoza (he/him/his) is originally from Venezuela and is a violinist with Master’s and Post-Master’s degrees in Violin Performance from DePaul University and a Bachelorâ...Read More

Phillip Mundine

Phillip Mundine

Student Support Coordinator

Phillip Mundine (he/him/his) comes to us from Catapult Learning, a service that assigns skilled tutors to schools for long-term academic intervention with students. Previously, Phi...Read More

Dani Ruiz

Dani Ruiz

Operations Coordinator

Dani Ruiz (she/her/hers) is the Operations Coordinator. 

Jessica Goc

Jessica Goc

Operations Manager

Jessica Goc (she/her/hers) is the Operations Manager. Jessica has been working with Urban Prairie as a substitute teacher, a lead on special projects, a volunteer closet cleaner ex...Read More

Caitlin Flannery

Caitlin Flannery

Director of Early Childhood

Caitlin Flannery (she/her/hers) is the lead teacher in the Hummingbird Garden and the Director of the Early Childhood program.

Mat Riendeau

Mat Riendeau

Class Teacher

Mathew Riendeau (he/him/his) was the class teacher for the class of 2020. He trained as a teacher at the Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Education Program in Chicago. Before coming to Urba...Read More

Anne McDonough

Anne McDonough

Community Connections Chair

Anne McDonough (she/her/hers).

Kirsten Akre

Kirsten Akre

Early Childhood Assistant

Kristin Akre (she/her/hers).

Cristina Filicky

Cristina Filicky

Spanish Teacher

Cristina Filicky (she/her/hers).

Everardo Sanchez

Everardo Sanchez

Music Teacher

Everardo Sanchez (he/him/his) was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. He first started on flute at the age of 11 then at the age of 15, he switched to cello. Everardo is now a passi...Read More

Katie Cousins

Katie Cousins

Music Teacher

Katie Cousins (she/her/hers) is a versatile performer and educator with enthusiasm for a vast range of musical styles. Currently based in Chicago, she actively performs with multip...Read More

Jen Kang

Jen Kang

Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Jennifer Kang (she/her/hers) is an educational leader who has led and taught for 15 years in American public schools and in international schools in Morocco, Lebanon, and Myanmar. ...Read More

Ayesha Wahidi

Ayesha Wahidi

Class Teacher

Ayesha Wahidi (she/her/hers) Is the class teacher for the combined class of 2026/25. She is a compassionate educator from St. Louis, Missouri, a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium S...Read More

Jennifer Zielinski

Jennifer Zielinski

Director of Enrollment Management

Jenn Zielinski (she/her/hers) is a CAED (Certified Admissions & Enrollment Professional) and a S.E.E.D. (Seeking Educational Equity & Diversity) facilitator who comes to us...Read More

Dan Galat

Dan Galat

Co-Orchestra Program Director

Dan Galat (he/him/his) started playing violin when he was 7 years old. Seven years later, he began teaching violin. Twelve years and many thousands of hours of practice after that ...Read More

Kelly Quesada

Kelly Quesada

Co-Orchestra Program Director/Board Member

Kelly Quesada (she/her/hers) is a cellist and educator based in Chicago. Active as both an orchestral and chamber musician, she has been playing in professional ensembles for over ...Read More

Sherry Diaz

Sherry Diaz

Woodworking Teacher

Sherry Diaz (she/her/hers).

Heather La Riviere

Heather La Riviere

Handwork Teacher

Heather La Riviere (she/her/hers) is a native of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and grew up in an Army family. She earned a BA/MA from the University of Chicago with general and special...Read More

Sharla Paul

Sharla Paul

Head of School

Sharla Paul (she/her/hers) is responsible for the overall operational management and vision of Urban Prairie. She oversees the school’s financial health, shepherds its governance...Read More

Robert Welcher

Robert Welcher

Class Teacher/Board Faculty Representative

Rob Welcher (he/him/his) began his Waldorf teaching career in 2011 during Urban Prairie's nascent years in the storefront at 16th and Halsted. He taught math and science (7th-12th ...Read More

Megan Rotko

Megan Rotko

Early Childhood Teacher

Megan Rotko (she/her/hers) is the lead teacher in the Butterfly Garden early childhood classroom. She served as a class teacher for the class of 2024 from 3rd through 6th grade. Sh...Read More

Erica Moriarty

Erica Moriarty

Toddler Play Group & Early Childhood Teacher

Erica Moriarty (she/her/hers) is the lead Toddler Playgroup and Prairie Roots teacher. She strives to offer families an introduction to Waldorf education in a warm, creative space ...Read More

Adriana Kondrat

Adriana Kondrat

Movement & Games Teacher, Student Support Coordinator

Adriana Kondrat (she/her/hers) is a Chicago Waldorf School(CWS) graduate and studied at the Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Education Program in Chicago. She was the Assistant Director and...Read More

Angela Kiefer

Angela Kiefer

Volunteer Urban Farming Coordinator

Angela Kiefer (pronouns are she/her/hers) was our first class teacher, completing her first eight-year teaching cycle in 2017. This year, she is contributing significantly to our s...Read More

Sophie  Baumgartner

Sophie Baumgartner

Early Childhood Assistant

Sophie Baumgartner (she/her/hers) attended the Chicago Waldorf School from kindergarten through 12th grade, graduating in 2005. She earned a BA in Political Science and Environment...Read More

Glenda Ding

Glenda Ding

Chinese Teacher

Xuefen (Glenda) Ding (she/her/hers) is a native of Lanzhou, in northwest China. Glenda was a college professor for ten years and taught foreign languages at a global education orga...Read More

Candace  Choma

Candace Choma

Educational Support Coordinator

Candace Choma (she/her/hers) received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Washington University in St. Louis. Upon graduating, Candace became the founding early ch...Read More

Megan Cather

Megan Cather

Class Teacher

Megan Cather (she/her/hers) is the class teacher for the class of 2022. Megan received her BA in Spanish and Writing/Communications from Maryville College and her MS in Elementary ...Read More

Elizabeth Avilla

Elizabeth Avilla

Class Teacher

Liz Avila (she/her/hers) is currently the teacher for the class of 2028. Liz joined the teaching team at Urban Prairie Waldorf School after working in the Chicago Public Schools, b...Read More

Hannah Avellone

Hannah Avellone

Class Teacher

Hannah Avellone (she/her/hers) is the class teacher for the class of 2023. She received her BA from Bard College and her Waldorf teacher certificate from the Arcturus Rudolf Steine...Read More

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