A New Year at the New Village, Rooted in What Matters
Aug 21, 2026 | by Yana Meydbray, Admin Director & Teacher
As we begin the year, we’re revisiting the core values that shape our school and reaffirming the key pillars that guide all aspects of our work. Although our team’s makeup has evolved over nearly two decades, it is deeply rewarding to see that we are still guided by the same core principles that shaped the school at its inception.
As the world moves ever faster, we renew our commitment to the Protection of Childhood, safeguarding the heart and innocence of children through art, beauty, and the nurturing of their senses. We will continue to strengthen our partnership with families to create an uncluttered, unburdened, screen-free environment for our students.
As a Steiner-inspired school, we teach with Head, Heart, and Hands, centering the child through storytelling, the arts, dialogue, and hands-on inquiry to foster critical thinking and a love of learning. We encourage curiosity, enthusiasm, and a lifelong joy of discovery.
In all we do, we aim to cultivate Reverence for Life by emphasizing personal responsibility, mindfulness of others and our environment, empathy, integrity, and restorative accountability. We prioritize Vibrant Community by honoring parents as first teachers, practicing open communication, valuing diversity and belonging, and modeling consensus-based leadership. And we embrace Global Citizenship through language and cultural exchange, environmental stewardship, purposeful service, and a humble ethic of work and travel.
We are committed to continuing thoughtful dialogue around these pillars so that, together, we remain aligned and clear about what we stand for and why we choose to be part of this beautiful Village.
Our New Teachers
Our team has come together to begin the important work of welcoming the children and beginning another year. It is wonderful to feel the energy of so many teachers committed to Steiner-inspired education, bringing a broad range of experience, perspectives, and skills to our circle.
Nearly every team member participated in summer rejuvenation training to prepare for the year ahead, from early childhood courses and grade-specific Art of Teaching sessions to subject-focused workshops. Altogether, our team completed more than a dozen trainings this summer.
We are also pleased to welcome several new teachers and new roles to our circle.
Kelly Lacy joins our teaching team as an experienced educator, theater director, and humanities teacher with more than twenty years of experience in Waldorf and independent school settings. Most recently, she served as Humanities and Theater Arts Department Head at San Francisco Waldorf High School. Kelly brings a deep commitment to classrooms grounded in mutual respect, humor, creativity, and developmental awareness. She will teach middle school humanities and 6th grade language arts.
Eva Knowles joins us as a Waldorf-inspired educator with an MEd in English Language Arts from Portland State University and a background in literature, film, and place-based education. She has taught across ages and settings, including public high schools, Waldorf schools, and mixed-age learning communities. Most recently, Eva led a Grade 3/4 class in a Waldorf-inspired homeschool collective in Maui. She will lead our 3rd grade this year and will also see our 1st and 2nd graders for painting, gardening, games, and storytime.
Ms. Adele Maze will head our woodworking program this year. Ms. Adele brings more than three decades of experience in arts education, woodwork, and experiential learning in both Waldorf and public school settings.
Renewing Our Village
Our physical Village has been receiving some love as well.
A beautiful olive tree now sits at the center of the school, surrounded by native plantings. The white picket fence has been recessed, opening and enlivening the space. The kindergarten garden now has several children’s sinks and brand-new drip irrigation. The Sunny Room has been transformed into one continuous room, with new floors and an expanded footprint. Other improvements can be seen throughout the main school, and the preschool expansion will be completed shortly.
Countless hands have sanded, painted, varnished, taken down and built up, pruned, weeded, planted, and excavated around the campus this summer. We share immense gratitude for everyone who helped prepare our Village for the children.
New teachers have joined the circle. Our spaces have been renewed. New experiences and discoveries await our students. And through all of this change and growth, the values at the heart of New Village remain steadfast.
Here’s to a wonderful new year at the New Village School!