Kim Bolstad – Kindergarten

“I choose Waldorf education because it protects the magic of childhood while preparing for adult self-reliance. Childhood should be filled with wonder, joy and nature.”

My name is Kim Bolstad and it is my honor and privilege to be teaching kindergarten at Mountain Oak School for the 2019/20 school year. My journey with MOS goes back to the year 1999, when Mountain Oak opened as a charter school on Virginia Street. My sons, Theo and Clay, both attended Mountain Oak School through sixth grade and then went on to complete their Waldorf education at Desert Marigold School in Phoenix. I first encountered Waldorf education in 1996 when I began searching for a school for my daughter. We were living in Tempe at the time, raising our four children. I joined an anthroposophical study group, which met in a psychologist’s office in Tempe. Out of the study group grew a small Waldorf Nursery school, Desert Marigold, situated in downtown Phoenix, in which our family became a part.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a Waldorf early childhood teaching certificate from Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California. I recently became a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor, another enormous passion of mine.

In addition to my love for young children and Waldorf education, I am in my bliss whenever outdoors, be it hiking, biking, camping, or kayaking the beautiful lakes of Prescott. I also enjoy the fiber arts, ceramics, painting, and drawing and am an avid movie buff.

Pamela Craig – 1st Grade

I began my teaching career as an outdoor educator for Stanislaus County Schools at Foothill Horizons Outdoor School in Sonora, CA for 10 years. During that time I was introduced to Waldorf education while volunteering at the Sierra Waldorf School in Jamestown, CA where I later accepted a first through third-grade teaching position. In 1999 I moved to Prescott where my husband had accepted a faculty position at Prescott College. Coincidently, that fall, Mountain Oak School opened as a Waldorf inspired charter school. That first year I was the handwork teacher, kindergarten aide, substitute and teacher mentor. I went on to teach grades 1-4 three times. To complete my last year of my master’s study, I took a break from the intensity of teaching. My “break” consisted of working full time as a middle school librarian, a wonderful job that allowed me to work closely with older children and gave me a great deal more insight into the interests and needs of adolescent readers. During this time I created an after school reading program for small groups of students and individuals who needed remedial reading classes. I returned to Mountain Oak Charter School as a first grade teacher in the fall of 2013.

During the spring of 2014 my mother’s failing health lead me back to California, which began a 3-year journey of transitions and travel, opening up my schedule to the health needs of family and friends. During this time I was honored to work at Sebastopol Charter School as the first-grade teacher and mentor to a student teacher who had gone on to be that classes grades teacher. I also taught at IslandWood as a seasonal outdoor education instructor.

My formal teaching education includes a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on education from Sonoma State University, a California Teaching Credential from Chapman University with a Life Science Endorsement, an Arizona State Teaching Credential, Waldorf Teacher Certification from Anne Arbor, MI and a Master in Education and a Reading Endorsement through Northern Arizona University. Over the years I have attended many teaching-related conferences in a variety of topics, from reading and writing to math and science, to maintain my teaching credentials. I have also attended many weekend remedial workshops with Joan Treadaway, a local remedial therapist and instructor at Rudolf Steiner College. I have participated in many Waldorf summer teacher grade-specific trainings and Waldorf conferences. I have also completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training. This summer I completed a third course through Mindful Schools.

My interests range from playing the Irish flute, folk dancing, yoga and long-distance bicycle touring, to knitting, hiking and, sailing.

Janelle Poirier – 2nd Grade

Miss Poirier has 10 years of teaching experience, working with children birth through 5th grade. She earned a BA in History, English and Education from Framingham, MA and is currently studying for her MA in Education. She is the oldest of five children and was homeschooled through grade eight. Miss Poirier grew up in Royalston, Massachusetts and spent her summers camping, swimming and hiking in New Hampshire. She enjoys playing piano, singing, meditation, yoga, drawing, and spending time with her family.

Amy Zitzer – 3rd Grade

Amy Zitzer is a new teacher at Mountain Oak this year. She is thrilled about the third-grade curriculum and engaging the students in a journey through time! She enjoys integrating the arts into the educative experience to create a strong foundation of knowledge that incorporates, not only the fundamentals, but also fosters individual expression and creativity. She received the opportunity to personally explore the importance of experiential learning while receiving her Bachelors in Education at Prescott College. She has worked for a number of years leading adult and teen groups in the outdoors through adventure activities, craft-making, creative expression projects, and mindfulness exercises. She seeks to learn new delivery systems to implement a hands on and thematic flow that brings meaning to the classroom experience. Amy enjoys exploring the natural world in and around Prescott, engaging in making a variety of crafts, and learning songs on percussion and string instruments to provide an accompaniment to her outlet of singing. 

Angélica Miller – 4th Grade

Angélica (Ms. Angie) moved to Prescott, AZ in 2011 from San Diego, CA to finish her undergraduate studies. She holds a B.A. in Education from Prescott College and an M.A. in Integrative Health and Wellness from Maryland University of Integrative Health. Angélica is married to her Realtor husband, Brian and has a 2-year-old daughter, Mackenzie. She has taught in various capacities, including: as Director of Faith Development for a Unitarian Universalist congregation, as a private Yoga teacher and virtual health coach, and in positions in the educational field, including Assistant Director of a before-and-after-school program at an inner-city, low-income school in San Diego.

A perpetual student, she enjoys spending time in the “thinking” space and you’ll often catch her reading, researching, and writing, both for personal interest and professional development. She also likes to practice yoga, to cook and bake, and to try her hand at different creative outlets. Angélica and her little family enjoy spending time outdoors; hiking/rock climbing, grilling on the patio, visiting places of interests (near and far), and cuddling on the couch with their rescue dogs, Keira and Zoe.

Sarah Greene – 5th Grade

Sarah Greene is a new teacher here at Mountain Oak and will be teaching our 5th grade class. She is thrilled to begin this journey with your child and is looking forward to a prosperous year full of exploration and discovery. 

Sarah was born in Boulder, Colorado and grew up in Tempe, Arizona. She moved to Prescott two years ago and has two children of her own; five and eight years old. Sarah has her bachelor’s degree in Art History from Northern Arizona University and earned her master’s degree in Art and Visual Culture Education from the University of Arizona in 2010. She holds her K-12 Arizona teaching certification and has taught art to middle and high school-age children. She also taught elementary-age children as a graduate student at the University of Arizona. Her hobbies include painting, drawing, jewelry making, and hiking. Sarah is a passionate, devoted teacher and is eager to get to know the children and families of Mountain Oak School!

Abigail Poirier – 7th/8th Grade

Abigail Poirier is a life long learner, world traveler, and dedicated teacher. She has taught elementary through college-aged students in Taiwan, Bangladesh, as well as the United States. Originally from Massachusetts, Abigail was homeschooled through seventh grade, attended a trade high school, and then graduated from the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She is the second oldest in a family of five children – her brother and sisters are her very best friends.