Our Staff

Our class teachers are listed below. For a full list of staff biographies click here.

Lavender Kindergarten

Doris Rainville was born in Rhode Island in 1951. She was an only child who loved to play in the woods. Her family moved to Southern California when she was ten years old. After high school she attended Cypress College, majoring in Drama. She married in her early twenties and had two children, Joshua and Celestial. Since children have been a main focus in her life, she studied early childhood education courses at Ohlone College. She was introduced to Waldorf education while living in Oregon in 1979. Shortly after, she moved to Fair Oaks to study at the Rudolf Steiner College. Doris then had three more children, Grace, Anna and Christopher. Raising her children as a single mother, creative effort was put forth in developing ways of supporting her children while staying home raising them. She developed a doll business and provided full-time childcare. Using her training as a massage therapist also became a part of her work at home. When Christopher started kindergarten, she became a kindergarten assistant in a Waldorf home kindergarten. In 1993-1995 she worked at Live Oak Waldorf School in their kindergarten. She did the Kindergarten training at Rudolf Steiner College and has a B.A. in Liberal Studies.

Armida Cervantez (Lavender Kindergarten Assistant)

Rose Kindergarten

Baruch Simon was born in Detroit, Michigan were he attended Upland Hills, a private arts-based-eco school run on renewable technology. Surrounded by music and the arts since birth, Baruch began studying piano at the age of 8 and continued his study of music including instrumental, choral and percussive genres. Baruch earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Oakland University in Rochester, MI in 2001. After undergraduate school, Baruch chose to travel throughout the country working on organic farms through a work exchange program called Willing Workers on Organic Farms. Serendipic circumstances led him to explore the Waldorf programs while working at a farm in Carmichael, Ca. The intrigue in Waldorf education led Baruch to his first teaching position in the Waldorf kindergarten. After a year of teaching, he decided to pursue a graduate degree, which focused on Waldorf Education at Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene, NH. Upon graduating he earned a Master's Degree in Education, a Waldorf Teaching Certificate and a New Hampshire State teaching credential. Baruch joined the Yuba River Charter School faculty in 2007 teaching third grade to the class of 2013. Baruch now teaches Rose Kindergarten and is thrilled to be working in the Yuba River Community. He's currently transferring his NH credential by earning a California Clear Credential through the North Coast Beginning Teacher Support Association.

Leslie Schwartz (Rose Kindergarten Assistant)

Sweet Pea Kindergarten Coop Home Study

Suzanne Scirpo was born in a farming community in Pennsylvania. Her family lived in Boulder, CO for years, eventually relocated to Penn Valley in 1998. She is a mother of two children who have attended Yuba River Charter School and has been a dedicated and flexible teaching assistant and substitute for the past nine years at the school. Suzanne has a BA in theater arts from UC-Santa Cruz. She has experience in theater working in New York City. In the summer of 2009, Suzanne received her CA State Teaching Credentials and also completed the Rudolf Steiner Teacher Training program. Suzanne’s interests and passions are her family, nature and the arts, animals and people under the age of ten. Suzanne started the Sweet Pea Kindergarten Coop Home Study Program in 2009.

Grade One

Leila Barber has been teaching elementary school for 20 years and feels very proud to be taking the new 1st grade at the Yuba River Charter School. Leila and her husband Michael live in an old miner’s cabin built in 1880 in Nevada City. They raised two sons, Gabe & Jesse, who are now grown up. Leila loves to read, hike, sing, play guitar and spend time hanging out with her family. Leila graduated with her Waldorf Certificate from the Rudolf Steiner College the summer of 2009.

Elise Hierman (co-teacher and Educational Specialist in the Home Study Program)

Grade Two

Carrie Reuther was born in Detroit, MI and raised in rural Northern Michigan. Growing up she had a deep love and passion for the performing arts and studied dance, theatre and voice. During high school she received a scholarship to attend the Walnut Hill School, a private performing arts high school in Natick, MA. Carrie returned to Michigan and designed her own bachelor’s degree in Dance and Interpretation/Performance studies from Eastern Michigan University. She studied Elementary Education at San Francisco State University and earned her California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential there. She received her Waldorf Teaching Certificate and her MEd in Waldorf Education from Antioch University New England. Her most recent teaching experience has been as a lower grades class teacher at Woodland Star Charter School in Sonoma, CA. She taught the Yuba River class of 2013 in first and second grade with Paula Barber and is so grateful to be back in the foothills teaching in such a dynamic school community.

Grade Three

Dan Martinez was born and raised in San Jose, California. Ever since his early childhood he has had a great interest in learning and outdoor adventuring. Dan began teaching at the Santa Cruz Waldorf School in 1987. Since then he has served as a teacher at Mariposa Waldorf School and Yuba River Charter School, and has operated his own landscaping business and a family storage business. His love of teaching brought him back to our community where he led the YRCS class of 2011 on its journey through grade five and now leads the class of 2016. Dan has his B.A. in Liberal Studies.

Raelynn Noel (co-teacher and Educational Specialist in the Home Study Program) has lived in Nevada County most of her life. She earned an A.A. at Sierra College, a B.A. at Chico State in Liberal Studies and Enviornmental Education, and a Teaching Credential from Prescott College where she was able to focus in Waldorf Education. She has also taken Waldorf Methods classes at Steiner College and at our own Community Learning Center. Raelynn worked as a specialist teacher in a homestudy program for 10 years while earning her credential and is very excited to be starting the Home Study Program here at YRCS for the 2010-11 school year. In the 08-09 school year she worked as a co-teacher in third grade at our school. She has two boys in the school and enjoys spending time with her family outdoors, gardening and recreating.

Grade Four

Erik Bell was born in the Sacramento Valley. His family, including his older sister, traveled, camped, skied and enjoyed time in the outdoors. Erik graduated from Humboldt State with a B.A. in Teacher Prep Multiple Subjects and minor in Art. During college he worked as a whitewater raft guide and spent the next decade challenging and developing his river skills. He formed a video company traveling around capturing tourists rafting trips and extreme video of himself and friends kayaking throughout North America and Mexico. Erik also taught Nordic skiing and helped develop a kids kayak program for Wolf Creek Wilderness. Erik started substitute teaching in 1997 and was a popular substitute in Nevada County for many years. Being familiar with Waldorf education Erik started as a substitute teacher for YRCS and became a class teacher and games teacher in 2006. With the opening of the Community Learning Center at YRCS through the Rudolf Steiner College, Erik formally began his Waldorf teacher training graduating with his Waldorf Certificate in 2009. Erik was hired as the first grade teacher for the 2007-08 school year. Erik’s life has dramatically changed and he is enjoying being a teacher, a student, and a proud poppa of his dog Cedar.

Karen Geisler (co-teacher) started her 22 years of elementary school teaching in the public schools of Madison, Wisconsin. During the third of her four years teaching there, Karen was introduced to Waldorf Education. When her fourth year of teaching ended, she moved to Fair Oaks, CA, to attend Rudolf Steiner College. After gaining a Waldorf teacher’s certification, Karen turned to several years of raising 5 children. Karen & her family moved to Grass Valley in 19813, and, in 1986 she began using her Waldorf training by teaching for seven years at Mariposa School. When the school closed its doors, she taught one year at Live Oak Waldorf School, and then 10 years at Yuba River Charter School. At the end of 10 years, Karen took a 2 year break and came back to Yuba River as a co-teacher.

Grade Five

Heather Peery was born in Utah in 1975. She has lived in California since 1982. She attended Sacramento Waldorf School for two years in her early years. Her family moved to the Auburn area, which is where she primarily grew up. She is an alumnus of the first graduating class of Live Oak Waldorf School in Applegate. Her mother also taught kindergarten there. She graduated from Bear River High School. Since then she graduated from Humboldt State in 1997 with a B.A. in Psychology, and a minor in Art. She also received her Multiple Subjects and Education Specialist Credentials from CSU, Chico in 2004. She is currently working on getting her Waldorf certification. She taught as a resource teacher in Rocklin for two years. This past year she lived in Arcata and worked as a part-time Resource Teacher at Coastal Grove Charter School, a Waldorf methods school. She has a 3 ¾ year old boy, named Jedidiah Dante. He is currently attending Little Creek Nursery three days per week. They live in Nevada City. In her spare time Heather likes to travel. She has been all over Europe twice. Highlights included the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland, and Chartres cathedral in France. She has also been to Mexico and Hawaii. She has traveled all throughout the southwest and New York City. She enjoys taking many photos along the way.

Grade Six

Paula Barber is the descendent of a long line of Nevada County natives. Her ancestors originally came to Cherokee (now Tyler) to grow vegetables for the miners in the 1850s. Although born in Sacramento, California, at the age of nine Paula returned with her family to their native Nevada County. Paula graduated from Sierra College, with an A.A. in Social Science and from California State University with a B.A. in Environmental Studies. Paula graduated with her Waldorf Certificate from the Rudolf Steiner College in 2009. After marrying Steve Barber and having two sons, Samuel (Skippy) and Josiah, Paula returned to college to earn her teaching credential. Paula pinches herself, daily, as she realizes her dream of being part of Yuba River Charter School's outstanding teaching community.

Grade Seven

Doris Dunning is a native of Carmel, CA and graduated in her third year of high school to pursue her interests in science at CSU, Chico. Her undergraduate degree in Biology led her to complete a Botany MA at Chico, and later to work with a company in Davis assisting research in commercial crops. Her interest in education led her to complete a CA teaching credential at UC Davis focusing on multicultural education, during which time she substitute taught in both Placer and Nevada counties for 4 years. Her first year at YRCS, Doris co-taught with Dan Martinez in the 2nd grade, and then took a class in their third grade mid-year and graduated them in 2010. She graduated with her Waldorf Certificate the summer session of 2009. Doris spends her free time up Hwy 20 working on her property when not wandering the woods getting exercise from various mountain sports. She has a son and a daughter; both are in college.

Grade Eight

Ron Charles moved to Nevada County and the Yuba River community in 2007 with his wife Cheri (then 8 months pregnant) from Mendocino County where he taught at River Oak Charter School - a Waldorf Methods school in Ukiah, CA, carrying a class grades 5 - 8. Ron and Cheri’s son, Cyrus was born just 1 week before the start of the 2007 school year. Ron started at Yuba River by taking the 8th grade class of 2007/08. Since being a part of the Yuba River Faculty, Ron has worked in each of the Middle School classrooms and has started a successful guitar program for 8th Grade students. Before becoming a teacher, Ron spent several years traveling throughout the world, visiting and learning from many different cultures. Music has also been a big part of Ron’s life since he was young and he has continued to pursue his own musical education through playing guitar as well as mandolin, banjo, singing and song writing. Ron is also very interested in the visual arts specifically drawing with a variety of mediums. Ron has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Berry College in Rome, GA and earned his California Teaching Credential as well as his Master’s of Education from National University in Sacramento, CA. He is currently enrolled in the Waldorf Teacher Training Program at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, CA.

Little Creek Nursery Teacher

Marguerite Jane (Tinker) Vulfs was born in Connecticut where her father’s family has lived since the 1600’s. She was raised in Southern California along with her 4 younger siblings. In college Marguerite was one of the first Title 9 athletes playing Varsity Tennis and Basketball, Swimming and Diving. She studied to be a high school Physical Education teacher with a minor in Horticulture. Marguerite moved to Nevada County at age 21 and in 1981 began studying at the Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks. She began her Waldorf teaching career in 1988 at Mariposa Waldorf School as a kindergarten assistant taking her own class in 1992. After Mariposa closed in 1994, she continued her kindergarten and pre-school work privately for 13 years. In addition, Marguerite was a founding parent of Bitney Springs College Prep. High School and worked as an Enrollment Director at YRCS. Marguerite is the mother of two children, both alumni of YRCS. Marguerite plans to continue her education in the Child Development Permit Matrix process through Teacher Credentialing.

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