Teachers & Staff

General Education Teachers | Subject Teachers | Student Support Staff | Homeschool Teachers | Administration

Classroom Teachers & Assistants

The Waldorf model includes class teachers in grades 1-8 looping with their students for more than one year. Some teachers stay with their classes all eight years, some are middle school experts, some are early elementary experts. Kindergarten teachers are stable in their self-contained classrooms, continuing as kinder teachers year after year.

Hannah Lewis, Kindergarten Teacher

Samantha Anderson, Kindergarten Teacher

Becky Mikita, Kindergarten Teacher

Lindsey Gordon, Kindergarten Assistant

Lauri Vaughan, Kindergarten Assistant

Melissa Berkebil, Kindergarten Assistant

Lola Stevens, Kindergarten Assistant

Diane Krieger, First Grade Teacher

Liz Tomal-Keiser, First Grade Teacher

Quinn Wikelius, First Grade Assistant

Gee Isom, First Grade Assistant

Katie Blum, Second Grade Teacher

Kathrine Smith, Second Grade Teacher

Lily Ruddle, Third Grade Teacher

Courtney Yarberry, Third Grade Teacher

Nancy Carson, Fourth Grade Teacher

Alisia McCabe, Fifth Grade Teacher

Ellie Arzate, Fifth Grade Teacher

Jessie Stege, Sixth Grade Teacher

Brandy Robinson, Sixth Grade Teacher

Christian Kumpost, Seventh Grade Teacher

Amy Siebert, Eighth Grade Teacher

Shaleena Bennion, Guest Teacher

Special Subject Teachers

Subject teachers specialize in areas of expertise and have the vantage point of teaching many classes, with some teaching all 1-8 students in the school.

Tracy Gonzalez, Lead Handwork Teacher

Stefanny Wagner, Spanish Teacher

Vicki Vaughan, Movement and Games Teacher

Travis Kornegay, Music Teacher

Cara Goodwin, Agricultural Arts Coordinator

Greg Kreger, Agricultural Arts Teacher

Gwendolyn Beachy, Agricultural Arts Teacher

Henry Farrell, Middle School Math Teacher and Interventionist

Student Support Staff

Our social-emotional and behavioral support staff includes our dean of students, our school counselor, and our school social worker. Our academic interventionists provide specialized support for students needing small group help in reading and mathematics. Special education teachers support students who qualify for special education. Our gifted and talented teacher provides support for students qualifying for advanced learning plans. Our paraprofessionals and assistants provide further support for students.

Jennifer Barnes, Reading Interventionist (K-4)

Denise Neal, Reading and Math Interventionist

Gabriella Guendulay, Reading Interventionist

Kathy Eans, Consulting English Language Development Staff

Amy Deibert, Occupational Therapist

Rachel Nordstrom, School Social Worker

Michelle Gates, Librarian and G & T Coordinator

Nicole Mattson, School Social Worker

Michael Katzenberg, Special Education Teacher

Sammi Cosgrove, Special Education Teacher

Sara Clement, Special Education Teacher

Kyle McCabe, Special Education Teacher

Janis O'Brian, Assistant Special Education Teacher

Noelle Strait, Social Emotional Learning Assistant

Dahlia Salcido, Paraprofessional

Ryan Lindemulder, Paraprofessional

Bekah Shaffer, Paraprofessional

Sarah Hancock, Paraprofessional

Jessica Duncanson, Paraprofessional

Lauren (Holly) Morrell, Paraprofessional

Allyson Bartling, Paraprofessional

Taylor Morrison, Paraprofessional

Trish Reitinger, Psychologist

Pam Greenway, Speech and Language Pathologist

Patricia McFadden - Paraprofessional

Kiera Lynn, Paraprofessional

Yesim Yuksel, English Language Development Coordinator

Libby Toman, School Counselor and 504 Coordinator

Amanda Johnston, Special Education Teacher

Kayla Kant, Speech Language Pathologist Assistant

Jess Robinson, Speech Language Pathologist Assistant

Charla Stilling-Hayes, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Julie Farrell, Intervention Assistant

Fin Pinard, Paraprofessional

Kelly Lavaire, Paraprofessional

Cassie Gonzalez, Paraprofessional

Kaleb Cervantes, Paraprofessional

Homeschool Teachers

Homeschool teachers provide supplemental programming for students who are primarily educated in the home environment. We have an in-person homeschool program – the Village Homeschool. We also have an online homeschool program – the Frontier Homeschool.

Shannon Leifer, Village Homeschool Teacher

Laura Rocca, Homeschool Teacher

Executive Leadership Team

Shannon Lang
Interim Director of Education

Shannon Lang has been with Mountain Song since it opened in 2013. Born in Ohio, Shannon received her BS in Elementary Education from Ashland University. She taught several grades in public mainstream education for 12 years before learning about, exploring, and eventually coming to Waldorf education. With help from Mountain Song, Shannon received her Waldorf teacher certification from Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, CA through participation in their Hybrid program. She also chose to tackle the extra hours of study offered by RSC in pursuit of earning her MA in Education with a concentration in Waldorf Education, compiling a capstone project titled A Waldorf Teacher's Approach to Educating with Love: Incorporating the Five Love Languages into Pedagogy.

As a Grades Class Teacher, Shannon helped carry several classes through their 1st–5th, 4th–5th, and 1st grade years. In the 2021–2022 school year, she became the Frontier Online Homeschool Enrichment Teacher. She later expanded her leadership by teaching two Village In-Person Homeschool Enrichment classes and serving as Homeschool Coordinator during the 2024–2025 school year. Shannon now serves as Mountain Song's Interim Director of Education, bringing with her years of classroom experience, instructional leadership, and a deep commitment to Waldorf education. She says she loves being a Waldorf educator because of the relationship-based approach to education. Shannon enjoys swimming, taking neighborhood walks, being by water whenever the chance arises, listening to live music, and, most importantly, spending quality time with her family and friends.

Dr. Dani Lindo
Assistant Director of Education

Dr. Dani Lindo is thrilled to join Mountain Song Community School as Assistant Director of Education. She is an educator, leader, and lifelong learner who is driven by a simple mission: to create joyful, rigorous, student-centered learning environments where every child can thrive.

Dani has worked across every stage of the educational continuum, from early childhood to higher education. She began her career teaching science in South Central Los Angeles, where trauma-informed instruction, restorative practices, and culturally relevant teaching were essential to building trust, connection, and classroom community. She later earned her M.Ed. in Urban Education from UCLA, with a focus on restorative practices, and engaged in participatory action research centered on developing restorative, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed classroom cultures.

Over the course of her career, Dani has served as a teacher, coach, teacher leader, researcher, venture philanthropist, management consultant, state program manager, and nonprofit leader. Each experience has deepened her understanding of the resources, systems, relationships, and partnerships that help school communities thrive.

Dani earned her Ph.D. in Education Leadership and Policy from the University of Texas at Austin. Outside of school, she enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, gardening, and reading fantasy novels.

Lauren Artino
Director of Student Services

With over 20 years of teaching experience in the field of Special Education, Lauren has a passion for creating quality programming opportunities for students in special programs. Lauren is an Ohio native and graduated from Ashland University with a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education in 2001. Her background includes teaching elementary and secondary students in Ohio, New Mexico, and Colorado. She was recognized as the Charter School Educator of the Year in 2019 and went on to participate in Relay Graduate School’s Special Education Leadership Academy the following year. Lauren remains committed to serving the students, staff, and families of Mountain Song and fostering a school culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. When not working, she enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with her family.

Brian Honeycutt
Director of Operations and Development

Brian Honeycutt brings extensive leadership experience in both the government sector and non-profit organizations. He has held key positions such as Director of Vocational Services at New Castle Learning Colorado, Director of Operations for the City and County of Broomfield, and Director of Motor Vehicles for the City and County of Broomfield. In these roles, he collaborated closely with elected officials at the city, county, and state levels, demonstrating his commitment to public service and community support. At Mountain Song Community School, Brian keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes. Much of his current focus is on managing the school’s $14 million BEST grant, ensuring successful execution of this major capital project to support the future of our campus. Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, reflecting his strong foundation in operational management and technological expertise. He is also actively pursuing his Project Management Professional (PMP) certification as part of his ongoing professional development.