Jelena was born in Stuttgart, Germany and was later joined by two younger brothers. When she was four, her family moved to Denver, Colorado where her father worked as a Christian Community priest and her mother helped found and taught at the Denver Waldorf School. Jelena attended Waldorf schools through the eighth grade, first at the original Waldorf School in Stuttgart and later at the Denver Waldorf School. After high school she attended colleges in Denver and Bochum, Germany, receiving a bachelors and masters degree in history from UC Colorado. It has been Jelena’s intention to become a Waldorf teacher since she was in first grade.

In 1993 she moved to Eugene to teach at the Eugene Waldorf School, and taught in the high school for three years before becoming a class teacher. After taking a class from first through eighth grade, Jelena spent a sabbatical year in Mexico volunteering at a Waldorf school. She is now very happy to be back in this community teaching another class.

Ian was born in Camarillo, California, where he spent the early part of his childhood with his parents, an older sister, and a lovely Old English sheepdog named Sweet Rosie McDuff. When he was in second grade he moved to a town on the Merrimac River in semi-rural Missouri. He lived there, enjoying the forests in summer and the hills in winter until his family moved back to California. After high school Ian went to college at UCSB where he majored in political science.

After college Ian hopped around a bit before landing in Eugene, where he has worn many hats: culinary student, care provider, baker, cook, husband, and papa. He completed the Teacher Education Program in Eugene in 2003, and spent a year tutoring at the school before starting as a grades teacher. He loves teaching and studying anthroposophy, as well as painting models, reading, and playing games with his children in his spare time. He lives with his wife Cameron, their two sons William and Paul, their 100-pound lab, Angus.

Growing up in rural North Carolina, Sarah discovered a love of nature while exploring the wide expanse of dense woods between her home and the city park. She and her younger brother built dams, climbed trees, and embodied nature throughout every season. Her passion for the great outdoors has magnified during her twenty-plus years in the spacious green of the Pacific Northwest.

Prior to leading the Class of 2027 at Eugene Waldorf School, Sarah led the Class of 2026 at Olympia Waldorf School from first through third grade. She also substituted at EWS, taught after-school STEAM programs and library workshops, and served in several capacities at summer camps for kids with social-emotional communication difficulties and disorders, such as Autism. Sarah received a grades certificate from Waldorf Teacher Education, Eugene in 2018 and a bachelor’s degree from Pacific University in media and film production in 2005.

The ethos of Waldorf education strongly matches Sarah’s personal beliefs: education should be an immersive experience, adults should be worthy of imitation, and developing kindness, adaptability, and strong social skills are as important as academic learning. Sarah believes that a teacher’s greatest accomplishment is helping children develop a true sense of agency.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys making art, foraging, singing, hiking, and camping.