Meet Our Teachers
Shining Star Waldorf School is home to some pretty incredible educators! Our Shining Star teachers are creative, experienced, passionate and motivated to provide your child with well-rounded Waldorf curriculum and an inspired view of the world.
Julie Gatti - Linden Tree Kindergarten
Ms. Julie Gatti began teaching at Shining Star School in 2004 as an assistant teacher in the Kindergarten. She created the Moonbeams preschool program for 3 & 4 year olds the following year, which she taught for 6 years. Then she became the Linden Tree Kindergarten teacher for the last several years. She also oversees the K-Grade 1 rest nest after-care program.
Ms. Julie received her Waldorf Teacher Training at the Michael Institute in Portland from 2003-2006. She creates a warm, loving & joyful environment for the young child with a gentle approach, honoring each child's individual qualities.
More recently, she pursued training and certification in remedial education for Early Childhood through the Grades at Waldorf Learning Support (WLS) in San Francisco from 2018-2021. She now offers private remedial educational and developmental support to students at Shining Star who have learning difficulties. She consults with teachers and parents, and performs school screenings and assessments.
She is originally from New York but has lived in Oregon since 2000. You can usually find her on a walk (rain or shine!) with Jonnie, her little doggie, who is one of the Shining Star school mascots!
Ian Moore- Osoberry Forest Kindergarten
Ian Moore has lived in Oregon since 2006. He is happily married with a delightful 2 year old daughter.
He has been teaching outdoor nature education programs and survival skills for over a decade, and loves connecting children to the wild world in all weather. Ian Moore taught a wide variety of grades in an all outdoor Forest School before coming to Shining Star in 2023. He is excited to continue his Waldorf training while leading the Forest Kindergarten and Nature Immersion Fridays.
Audie Fuller - First Grade
(Second grade Fall 2024)
Ms. Audie started her path as a teacher in the forest, teaching people about ecology and all the different creatures living in the woods. She spent 9 years teaching Outdoor Education until she became a Nature Immersion teacher at Shining Star. That is where she fell in love with Waldorf Education. Ms. Audie went through an intensive Waldorf training with Dolores Julian, expanding her knowledge of child development and anthroposophy. On her days off, Ms. Audie is doing art, crafts, learning plants, singing songs, and playing with her kids.
Elisabeth Neely - Second grade
(Third grade Fall 2024)
Elisabeth began working with children in nature over 20 years ago as an outdoor educator, serving as the park naturalist at Oxbow Park for many years. After her teacher training, she taught grades K-2 at a public charter school in Corbett. Elisabeth first came to Shining Star as a Nature Immersion instructor in 2011. Later she led the Wild Nest nature classes for parents and young children. She enjoyed this experience so much that she became the teacher for the new Osoberry Forest Kindergarten in 2019! In the kindergarten she loves being part of a warm community that connects children, families and nature. Elisabeth has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Lewis & Clark, and received her Waldorf training from the Michael Institute in Portland.
She and her husband have three children. They enjoy tending a menagerie of goats and chickens, watching birds and exploring Oregon.
Asrune Reed - Third Grade
(Fourth grade Fall 2024)
Ms. Asrune has been a classroom teacher for over 10 years. She taught English overseas in four different countries, then moved into grades teaching at international baccalaureate schools. Ms. Asrune taught in Oregon public school for 5 years until discovering Waldorf education at Shining Star, and fell in love with the school philosophy. Ms. Asrune took taught the 5th/6the grade for Mrs. Johnson at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and was thrilled to rise through the grades with her own class beginning in 2021.
She has her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and a Masters of Education. She is trained in Orton-Gilliangham reading instruction, and Making Math Matter. She received Waldorf training from The Center of Anthroposophy and at the Mich-ael Institute here in Portland.
When not at school Ms.Asrune enjoys hiking, camping with her family, pottery, cooking, beekeeping, partner dance, and sewing costumes for the SCA.
Anna Krecic - Fifth Grade
(Sixth grade Fall 2024)
Anna is a lifelong learner. She loves to share the joy of learning with her students and families. She discovered Waldorf Education in 2007 when her oldest child was 18 months old. They were looking for community and joined a parent child class in upstate New York. She quickly jumped into anthroposophical studies and learned as much as she could about Waldorf education. Anna has been teaching in and around Waldorf education in some capacity ever since. Through the years she has taken various teacher training programs in both Waldorf and project based learning methods. Handwork was her first love and she taught and led parent groups for several years in both New York and Colorado. In 2012 she moved to California and began homeschooling her own children and other homeschool children in the Waldorf method. In 2017 her family moved to Vancouver, WA and discovered Shining Star. She has been teaching handwork for Shining Star since 2018 and joined us as a full time class teacher the following year.
When she isn’t in the classroom, Anna is out on adventures with her children, wildcrafting with herbs she collects, working in her jungle of a garden, playing with her sheep and chickens or making/building something!
Laura JOhnson - 6th grade
(Seventh grade Fall 2024)
Ms. Laura Johnson joined Shining Star School in 2012. She was a Waldorf student herself through the grades and high school at the Porltand Waldorf School. Ms. Laura has received multiple training certificates from the Steiner College in Sacramento and has been teaching "color through the grades" at the Magic of Waldorf Conference for several years.
She is also a Portland artist, graduating with a Masters in painting from Pratt Institute in New York. Many of her drawings, paintings and artworks can be seen around the school including a large mural on the outside walls. She brings this artistry to both the school and the classes.
Noa wotton - 7th grade
(eighth grade Fall 2024)
Noa holds a certificate in Waldorf teaching from Rudolf Steiner College and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. He has been with his class since first grade. Before joining Shining Star, Noa was a class teacher at a Waldorf-inspired charter school in Colorado. Before that, he taught at a mainstream public school. Sometimes, when he’s not in town, Noa can be found leading wilderness trips and coordinating outdoor programs.
He's a big fan of joyful, healthy education! This will be Noa's eleventh year as a class teacher.
Marsha Johnson - 8th grade
Mrs. Johnson founded the school in 2003 with two Family Playgroups. She began her teaching career in Waldorf as a sub for the Portland Waldorf School, where her 3 children attended. She was co-founder of Cedarwood Waldorf School and taught there for six years. Her background includes study of anthroposophy, and she has a deep love and appreciation for children and their parents. Mrs. Johnson has degrees in Economics, Speech & Hearing Communication, and Auditory Science (Doctoral degree).