Class Teachers
Jeanette Voss
Rising Grade 1 Class Teacher
Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany, Ms. Voss graduated from the Rudolf Steiner Schule in Hamburg-Nienstedten and completed a Waldorf Foundation Year at Hochschulkolleg in Stuttgart. She earned a MA in translation from the University of Heidelberg. Ms. Voss completed her Waldorf high school teacher training in German and practical arts at Rudolf Steiner College. She started her career at WSL as a handwork teacher, a position she held for twelve years. She also taught German and Practical Arts at Waldorf High School of Massachusetts Bay for two years. After switching to class teaching 16 years ago, Ms. Voss has since graduated three eighth grade classes. She served as WSL’s AWSNA delegate as well as on four joint AWSNA/NEASC or AWSNA/AISNE accreditation teams. Ms. Voss has been invited as guest teacher, mentor, and evaluator at WSL as well as other Waldorf schools in the New England area. She also guest lectured at Fiber Craft Studio, Chestnut Ridge, NY, in their Applied Arts Program for Handwork Teachers. Ms. Voss’ three children graduated from WSL.
Szu-Ting Peng
Grade 1
Ms. Peng joins us from The Camphill School, Glenmoore, PA, where she served as a house parent in a residential program for children with special needs and studied Inclusive Social Development with a concentration in Curative Education. Prior to that, she served three years as a class teacher and music teacher at Li River Waldorf School, Hsinchu, Taiwan. Ms. Peng holds a Master's Degree in Waldorf Pedagogy from Freie Hochschule Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany.
Beatrice Bellacosa
Interim Grade 2 Teacher
Since receiving her degree in psychology, Beatrice has worked with children of all ages in both academic and therapeutic settings. She finds working with children to be incredibly fulfilling. She believes that although children have much to learn, we have so much we can learn from them. Beatrice has many passions including sailing, which she has enjoyed since childhood. She now races competitively, including multiple campaigns for World Championship titles. Over the past few years, Beatrice has taught herself how to create bespoke prints out of carved Japanese woodblocks and currently creates art on commission. She also has experience in both interior and floral design.
Mea Hilton
Grade 3
Ms. Hilton comes to us with 12 years of teaching experience, including two years at Oxbow Schoolhouse, a developing Waldorf School serving families in the greater Worcester area. She holds a Master’s of Education, Consultant Teacher of Reading from Lesley University and received her Waldorf teacher training at Antioch University. Prior to attending Antioch University, she taught first through fifth grade in Newton, Belmont and Swansea public schools. She has also served as a US Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras, where she led workshops for teachers throughout the country. In addition to facilitating these workshops, which focused on incorporating a multi-sensory approach (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile), she also offered parent-child classes, with a focus on nutrition.
Elizabeth Pellegrino
Grade 4
Most recently, Elizabeth Pellegrino has been assisting WSL faculty with reading support across grades 2-3. Prior to that, she served as a class teacher at our school for four years. In addition to her experience at WSL, Ms. Pellegrino has also taught at the Waldkindergarten program at Natick Community Organic Farm and taught English for five years in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Ms. Pellegrino holds a M.Ed. from Cambridge College in Cambridge, MA, a B.S. in sociology from Kenyon College, and earned her Waldorf Teacher Certification at Taruna College in New Zealand.
Helena Niiva
Grade 5
Ms. Niiva grew up in Finland and received a B.A. in elementary education from Jyvaskyla University with a specialty in music, speech, and special education. After teaching in Finland for several years, Ms. Niiva moved to Germany, where her interest in anthroposophy began. She started her career at WSL first as a German teacher, then as a chorus teacher, directing four musical productions at the school. Longing to return to the classroom, Ms. Niiva earned a master’s in Waldorf education at Antioch, where she had been on the faculty for a decade teaching music curriculum. She has graduated four classes at WSL.
Jennie Cain
Grade 6
Ms. Cain attended Waldorf schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade in Chicago and the D.C. area. As a professional, Waldorf education kept drawing her back. During a gap year in college, she worked as an assistant middle school English teacher at the Rudolf-Steiner-Schule Ismaning, near Munich, Germany. She also held a year-long role as a house parent at the Somerset School, a residential Waldorf farm school for students with special needs. This led her to earn her master’s degree in learning disabilities from Northwestern University. Later, while completing her Ph.D. in German Studies at the University of Michigan, she taught courses in German language and culture to undergraduate students. After a couple years teaching at a local community college, she began teaching in Waldorf elementary schools. Jennie has taught German at Waldorf School of Lexington, Waldorf School at Moraine Farm, and Steiner School of Ann Arbor. Ms. Cain is currently enrolled in the Antioch University summer sequence program to complete her Waldorf teacher training.
Megan Curtis
Grade 7
Megan Curtis received their Waldorf Class Teacher Diploma from Emerson College in England, where they also trained in storytelling and art. Megan received their B.A. with a concentration in creative writing and philosophy from Sarah Lawrence College and studied for a year at Oxford University.
Megan Curtis graduated from WSL in 1994 and has been a member of our faculty for over 16 years. They have served in a variety of capacities, including Middle School English Skills Teacher, Aftercare and Extended Day Program Director, Classroom Assistant Teacher, and Tech Support Lead. In addition to teaching, Megan is the faculty advisor for the middle school’s Gender & Sexualities Alliance (GSA). They are also a leader of our High School Advisory Team, alongside Andrea Faber.
Joseph O’Donnell
Grade 8
Mr. O’Donnell received his B.A. in History, English and Foreign Languages at West Virginia University. While there, he pursued his life-long love of music and theater, directing choirs through high school and college and performing in children’s and community theater. Mr. O’Donnell received his M.A. in History from Harvard University, an M.A.T. in History Education from Boston University, and completed his Waldorf teacher training at the Center for Anthroposophy in Wilton, NH. He also spent a year in Paris, France as a Fulbright Scholar. He taught history, English, and drama at Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs and most recently, Waldorf High School of Massachusetts Bay. During his 13 year tenure at Waldorf High School, he integrated American Sign Language into his teaching along with practical arts such as puppetry, mask making, hand spinning, and quilting. In his roles as teacher, advisor or theater director, Mr. O’Donnell has always valued his strong connection with the students.
Liz Reading
Class Teacher
Currently on sabbatical
Ms. Reading holds a B.A. in geology from Carleton College, an M.Ed. from Lesley College, and a Waldorf Teaching Certificate from Antioch University. Before becoming a Waldorf class teacher in 2012, Ms. Reading assisted in grades 1 and 2 and handwork for four years. Previously she taught fifth grade science at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School and pursued a career in the healing arts.