HEAD OF SCHOOL & GRADE 6 TEACHER

Alayna grew up in Portsmouth, NH and spent her childhood summers at her family’s cabin in Thornton. She holds a BA in International Development Studies and Linguistics from Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a MA in International Development Studies from Saint Mary’s University, also in Halifax, and a M.Ed in Elementary Education from the the Teacher Residency for Rural Education (TRRE) program at the University of New Hampshire. She has worked with children between the ages of fourteen months and twelve years in public schools and in a private Montessori school. Alayna’s background also includes outreach work for New Hampshire land trusts. She is passionate about outdoor education and providing learning experiences in the natural world to children. Alayna is a lifelong learner and strives to instill that love in her students. An avid hiker, runner, and skier, Alayna also enjoys spending quiet time reading, writing, and learning languages.

LEARNING COORDINATOR

Sherri is a native of the North Country and is thrilled with the opportunity to reconnect with her local roots. She brings with her 24 years of experience in the field of education, holding NH certifications in K-12 General Special Education, K-8 Elementary Education and K-12 Educational Leadership. She worked for many years at Lancaster and Jefferson Elementary Schools working in different positions (special educator; elementary educator; principal) and is thoroughly excited to start making connections with Heartwood families and students. As a pastime, Sherri enjoys spending time with her husband and two cats. She also loves to read, go camping, ride motorcycles/four wheelers/snow machines, play board games, solve logic puzzles, cook and is looking forward to foraging (a new found interest). Additionally, Sherri is a supporter of local food pantries and animal shelters.

ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL

Bethany, a North Country native and Heartwood founder, is a mother and educator who has taught at the college level for the last 15 years. Beyond working in education, she has managed both an herb grower’s cooperative & medicinal herb farm office, led a small farm and community supported agriculture program, and has utilized her formal training to provide affordable web design to artists, farmers, and herbalists. She considers her most important work to be raising her children, who she also homeschooled for three years. Both parenting and teaching over the years have inspired her to do my best to live intentionally & to contribute to the cultivation of vibrant and resilient communities, of which she believes education is at the root. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and being outside in nature.

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

Danna is a native to the North Country and a local of Lancaster. She is no stranger to the natural beauty the Great North Woods and White Mountains bring. She enjoys winter and summer hiking, kayaking, and recently horseback riding. She grew up spending time at her family’s camp on Maidstone Lake, in Maidstone VT. In High School she worked summers at Safe Haven in Lancaster, leading the youngest group’s daily activities. She completed her bachelor’s degree in health science, nutrition and health promotion at Keene State College in Keene, NH. After college she worked in our community as a Nutritionist for Women Infants and Children (WIC). While managing many WIC clinics in the North Country, she most enjoyed fostering relationships with clients and their children. Throughout her time at WIC, she participated in continuing education conferences to stay up to date with the latest nutrition and breastfeeding research. She loves practicing yoga on her own but recently completed a 200hr in person yoga teacher training. She enjoys teaching at Northern Roots Yoga, in Lancaster. She also obtained a certificate in sound and vibrational therapies. You can find her sound healing sessions in the fall and winter months performing restorative sound baths at Northern Roots Yoga. She is passionate about health, mind-body connection and all that encompasses mental and emotional wellbeing.

Danna is excited to bring her knowledge into the classroom to foster a place for children to feel safe to make mistakes while learning, facilitate effective social and emotional development in a natural and enjoyable way. She hopes to foster a classroom that accommodates diverse learning opportunities through play and outdoor activities. Danna understands that each child learns at their own pace and hopes to guide them in a way that builds their confidence, encourages independence and kindness.

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

Paige is no stranger to the North Country, living most of her life split between Whitefield and Lancaster. After taking time off from her career to focus on raising her three children, she is both ready and excited to jump into the world of education. After seeing the positive changes in her own children after attending Heartwood, she knew that this was the perfect place for her to be. Paige received her BA in Psychology with a focus in Child and Adolescent Development from Southern New Hampshire University. She strives to foster children’s natural curiosity with the world around them, as she believes in the importance of this curiosity. In her spare time, Paige enjoys spending as much time as possible with her husband, three kids, and two silly dogs. Her favorite pastimes include snowboarding, reading, hiking and traveling.

GRADE 1 TEACHER & MENTOR TEACHER

Kelsey graduated from Plymouth State University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She is also licensed by the state of New Hampshire to teach grades K-6. Before joining Heartwood, Kelsey taught kindergarten at Berlin Elementary School for two years. Since coming to Heartwood, she has taught kindergarten, a K/1 combo class, and first grade. Additionally, Kelsey has served as a teacher mentor for the past two years, and will begin pursuing a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership in April.

When not in the classroom, Kelsey enjoys spending time outside with her partner and their dogs, Maple and Daisy, reading, creating pottery, and exploring new places. She looks forward to seeing what the next school year will bring for the Heartwood community as a whole.

GRADE 2 TEACHER

Dana was raised in the Pacific Northwest in Washington state and moved to New Hampshire in 2018. She loves living in the White Mountains. Her journey in education began in 2013 at a small Waldorf cottage school, where she discovered her passion for teaching young children. Dana has homeschooled her four children for a decade and, in 2021 opened a micro school in her home, teaching students from Kindergarten through 8th grade for three years.

With 20 years of experience as a photographer, Dana also has a deep love for art and sewing. She is dedicated to fostering creativity and learning in children and believes that Heartwood is a special place that greatly benefits the community.

GRADE 3 TEACHER

Jessie grew up in the North Country and is a White Mountains Regional High School graduate and Natural Resources program completer. During her younger years she spent much of her time in the woods and on the dairy farms her dad worked at, as well as on her family’s small diversified livestock farm. She is a proud alumni of the Paradice FFA chapter and National FFA organization, and holds her FFA American Degree. Jessie was also an active NH 4-H member and represented Coös County several years at the Eastern States Exposition with her Tunis sheep and mentoring/teaching the younger members of her 4-H club. After high school, she spent time completing coursework in the degree field Captive Wildlife Care and Education at Unity College in Unity, Maine. Upon completion of an associates degree in Liberal Arts, she found her way back to teaching about the outside world and agriculture to children she cared for in daycares. In 2021 she received her bachelors degree in Human Services with a concentration in Children/Family from Southern New Hampshire University, and is currently in the process of obtaining her Masters degree in Education. In her free time, she’s off exploring with her family or tending to her Tunis sheep and Boer goats. She is excited to be back in the classroom and to be able to share new experiences from the farm and the natural world with the students and staff at Heartwood.

GRADE 4/5 TEACHER & MENTOR TEACHER

Genavieve is from the Lakes Region of NH and recently moved to the North Country. She holds an AA degree in Early Childhood Education, and is currently working toward her BA in Psychology with a focus on Child and Adolescent Development. She has been working with children between the ages of six weeks and twelve years in various settings such as in a lab school, childcare and community service centers, ski schools, summer camps, and private homes. Genavieve is certified in teaching Vinyasa and Hatha Yoga and loves to share her practice with others. She is passionate about nature, mindfulness, and teaching children about the powers of the mind-body connection. Genavieve is an avid skier, mountain biker, and hiker. She enjoys spending time reading, writing, and bird watching.

GRADE 4/5 ASSISTANT TEACHER

Ellen, a brand-new resident of New Hampshire, has just moved to the stunning North Country with her husband Michael, who is also a teacher here in New Hampshire, alongside their Cattle Dog, Howl. She is an avid traveler, reader, nature and food lover. Before buying her first home here in New Hampshire, she spent a few years traveling full time in a bright green converted school bus with a goal to visit every single state in the country. Although life interrupted her before she could finish her goal, she has seen 45 U.S States, hiked in countless National and State parks, and hopes to visit the final 5 states someday with her husband and dog. Before that, she enjoyed Assistant Teaching within Early Childhood education and hopes to finish her Bachelors degree someday soon in either Elementary Education or Psychology. Although she grew up in New Jersey on a lovely small Farm and misses her large family dearly, she already feels more at home here in New Hampshire than she’s ever felt anywhere else. She enjoys spending her summers traveling, has lived in the Middle East where she completed High School, and has visited over 13 countries so far across 5 continents. Ellen is excited to be a new smiling face here at Heartwood, and hopes that her love for travel and dream chasing encourages students to follow their own hearts and dreams, wherever the future may take them beyond Heartwood’s doors.

GRADE 7 TEACHER

Madalyn grew up in Southern Connecticut and has resided in the North Country since 2015. She first pursued a career in theater, studying musical theater at both the Hartt School of Music and Southern Connecticut State University. After teaching theater and dance to students of all ages for many years, while also working in Special Needs classrooms at the elementary level, Madalyn went back to school to study another one of her passions: history. She now holds a BA in History, with a focus on Early American and African American History from Southern New Hampshire University. She is passionate about providing a classroom where all students can develop a lifelong love of learning and find their true passions. Madalyn enjoys traveling, reading, and the arts, and continues to teach dance and theater locally.

NATURE & PLACE-BASED EDUCATION COORDINATOR

Julie was first introduced to education in 1997 when she started working at a small child care center in Sandwich NH. That small school in the woods was the beginning of a wonderful journey to bring the love of learning in a natural environment to young learners. She has worked with children of all ages for over 25 years in multiple settings, from everything from being a Postpartum Doula to teaching children's fitness. In 2009, Julie opened Natural Beginnings, a nature inspired preschool in VA. She closed the door of that school after 10 years and then helped two other forest schools in VA to get started. Her dream has always been to move back to NH from VA, and in June she did just that. Julie has 3 children as well as Kais, her family’s adventure dog! Her family enjoys learning survival skills, camping, hiking, finding swimming holes and finding the best ice cream in any given town. She believes that Heartwood will be another part of her never ending Journey to keep the love of learning in our kiddos.

ASSISTANT TEACHER / NUTRITIOUS FOOD COORDINATOR

Growing up in So. Glastonbury, Ct, free to explore the farms, forests, and brooks, Karen believes that positive connections at a young age with the natural environment and the community leads to a happier and healthier world. She feels fortunate to be a part of the Heartwood Community where all are encouraged and allowed to be their best self. Karen received her BA in Early Childhood Education from Keene State College. She has taught kindergarten and third grade in public schools, and then for fourteen years at a nature-based preschool in the NH Seacoast. Most recently she has been a Paraprofessional at the Lancaster Elementary School. She lives in Lancaster with her husband John and cat Freyja. Their three grown children live on the West Coast. Karen makes time in her day for preparing healthy food. Her happy place is outdoors: hiking, gardening, sailing, and skiing. She also enjoys singing, traveling, and creating art.

MUSIC TEACHER

Cindy Gay has lived in Lancaster, NH for the past nine years. Originally from Connecticut, Cindy came to the North County to enjoy the many outdoor recreational activities the area has to offer. The decision to move up here came out of a desire to live sustainability and after a long search in 2015 she and her husband decided to call Lancaster their home. Prior to her pursuit in agriculture, Cindy had been involved in many music endeavors. Cindy has been a certified K-12 music educator and a graduate of Central Connecticut State University, with Master course work from the University of Hartford, HARTT School of Music, Central Connecticut State University as well as Nyak College-Seminary-Graduate School. Cindy has been a choral director, vocal coach, and soloist in addition to general music educator grades 6-8 for most of her career. Her work experience spans all ages and genres of music. She is excited to work with the Heartwood students in exploring and developing their musical capabilities.

ART TEACHER

Savannah grew up all over the West and is thrilled to finally call the mountains of northern New Hampshire home. With a profound appreciation for nature, she finds it to be a rich source of inspiration for her work and creativity.

An avid learner, Savannah embraces the excitement of new knowledge and believes that no subject is ever truly boring. She continuously explores new art processes and delves into different cultures, fascinated by how they interconnect and build upon one another.

In her free time, Savannah enjoys reading sci-fi and fantasy, watching shows with her husband, hiking, and filling her home with houseplants.

TITLE I TEACHER

Emily grew up in Gray, Maine exploring the woods and streams near her childhood home. She attended the University of New Hampshire where she rowed for 4 years, earned her Bachelor's degree in English Education and began exploring in the White Mountains. 

Before arriving at Heartwood, Emily wore many different hats. She worked in hospitals teaching doctors and nurses how to use an electronic patient charting system called Epic. She spent time traveling in the UK, sailing around the Bahamas, worked at L.L.Bean during a couple of holiday seasons, and for 1.5 years lived on the Big Island of Hawai’i. While there she worked with at-risk youth in a therapeutic program, gardening, composting and educating students on the importance of mindfulness. 

After her time in Hawai’i, Emily moved back to Maine where she received her Masters in K-8 Education at the University of Southern Maine. She taught 5th grade at Crescent Park Elementary in Bethel, ME for four years before moving to New Hampshire this past summer. During her time at Crescent Park she became passionate about getting outside more with her students. She’s attended multiple workshops and courses about outdoor education and loves to find new ways to teach “indoor lessons” outside, especially in the areas of math, reading and writing.

Emily currently lives in Bethlehem, NH where she is building a tiny house with her partner and loves spending time in the mountains, hiking with her dog Koa. She is excited to be joining the Heartwood community!

SAU 36 STAFF: SPECIAL EDUCATION

Valentina grew up in Eastern Europe. After living on the West Coast of the US, she moved to Maine, where she worked in a preschool while earning her Master’s degree in Special Education. Valentina then moved to New Hampshire, where she worked at Jefferson Elementary School in different roles: special education, Title 1, and ESOL teacher, and most recently, ran a self-contained classroom in Woodsville, NH. Valentina now supports the special education needs of SAU 36 students at Heartwood. She is thrilled to join the Heartwood’s nature and place-based community, as she believes in experiential learning. She is the current Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year in the state of NH. 

Valentina resides in Whitefield, where she cares for a big garden filled with flowers, herbs, and veggies in the summertime. She also has a herd of Highlander cattle in Vermont. In her spare time she loves making soaps, candles, lip balms, and body scrubs & butters. 

SAU 36 STAFF: SPECIAL EDUATION

Julie grew up in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. She attended St. Michael’s College and earned a bachelor’s degree in education. Julie worked at H.O. Wheeler Elementary school in Burlington, Vermont for three years. 

Julie first son, Andrew,  was born with congenital heart disease. Andrew survived a stroke and had seven heart procedures by the time he was 13.  Julie was a stay home mom for 12 years.  In that time, she had four more children. She had another son , David, and three daughters, Grace, Katie and Rosie.

Julie worked part-time at JCPenney in St. Johnsbury for ten years. She delivered Meals on Wheels during that time.

Julie has been married to her husband, Nate, for 32 years. Her family resides in Waterford, VT., where they have a large flock of backyard chickens. They also have 3 adorable orange tabby cats. Her family also love all of the song birds that surround the house and come to the feeders.

Julie’s family love to spend time at their family’s camp on Neal’s Pond in Lunenburg VT. Julie is an avid knitter and loves to crochet.