Early Childhood Faculty

Prekindergarten Teacher, Anna Ridgeway has been a member of our CLWS early childhood faculty since 2000 and a lead Pre-kindergarten teacher since 2002. Ms. Ridgeway is a second generation Waldorf Early Childhood teacher and the first graduate of City of Lakes Waldorf School to join our school faculty. Ms. Ridgeway earned a BA in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota and her Waldorf Early Childhood teaching certificate through the Micha-el Institute in Portland, Oregon. Ms. Ridgeway and her husband Adam have a young daughter named Eloise and two cats. Ms. Ridgeway enjoys gardening, reading and camping.

Pre-kindergarten Teacher, Melissa McPartland joined the CLWS faculty in 2003. She has worked as recorder ensemble teacher, kindergarten assistant, and, since 2007, as a lead preschool teacher. Ms. McPartland holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Saint Olaf College, a Master of Music degree from Boston University and is in the process of completing a Waldorf Early Childhood teaching certificate from Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California. She has furthered the work of the school on various committees, including the green, community partnership and human resource committees, and is currently a member of the College of Teachers. Prior to her teaching work at CLWS, Melissa was a freelance clarinetist, music teacher, and costume seamstress for local theater. Following a circuitous path leading from Minneapolis to Cambridge, England and back again, her heart and her two children have led her to City of Lakes where she happily combines her love of young children and her love of music.

Kindergarten Teacher, Elena Orsak has been a member of CLWS teaching faculty since 2008. She taught String Ensemble to grades students for two years prior to accepting a position as a lead Kindergarten teacher in 2010. Ms. Orsak previously taught as a substitute and after school teacher at the Cambridge Steiner School and the Minnesota Waldorf School where she also developed and taught a summer program. She founded and taught her own Waldorf inspired home preschool program, “A Children’s Garden” for two years before taking a position in the Early Childhood program at CLWS. Ms. Orsak completed coursework in Early Childhood Education at Naropa University and has been an integral member of the Rudolf Steiner Institute for many years. She has attended numerous teacher preparation courses at RSI and helped to facilitate the summer sessions of the 35 year old Rudolf Steiner Institute. Ms. Orsak currently serves on the faculty of Novalis Institute and continues her work in anthroposophy through many venues nationwide. Ms. Orsak is a Waldorf graduate and a second generation Waldorf teacher.

Kindergarten Teacher, Lori Daniels, one of our lead kindergarten teachers, has been a part of the CLWS community since 2003.  She has been an assistant in the kindergarten and preschool classrooms, a substitute teacher in the grades and facilitated summer programs.  During her three year hiatus in Iowa, she returned for the fall semester of 2008 as a long-term substitute while Miss Anna was on maternity leave. Previous to CLWS, Miss Lori has worked with children for over 20 years in many capacities.  After attending the University of Minnesota, she is currently a candidate for a B.A. in Early Childhood Education Administration, and has earned her Waldorf Early Childhood Teaching Certificate from Micha-el Institute in Portland, OR.