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Fourth Grade Class Teacher Kendra PeloJoaquin < Back Fourth Grade Class Teacher kpelojoaquin@circleofseasons.org < Previous Next >

Spanish Teacher Allison LeCoultre < Back Spanish Teacher Allison received her Bachelor of Arts from Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Since graduating 18 years ago she has worked in both social service nonprofits and schools as a youth evaluator, case manager, TSS, teacher, and mentor. Through all of her experience, Allison developed the strong belief that a child-centered approach coupled with empathy and compassion are integral components of working with children. She is so excited to join the staff at Circle of Seasons where those values are so clearly embodied. In addition, Allison is incredibly passionate about Waldorf education as she has seen firsthand her own two children flourish and genuinely love school at COS. In her spare time, Allison loves to spend time with family and friends, travel, read, learn, cook, bake, listen to music, write and spend time outdoors. alecoultre@circleofseasons.org < Previous Next >

Second Grade Class Teacher Sarah Johnson < Back Second Grade Class Teacher A love for exploring the environment and inspiring young children through artistic expression shaped Sarah's goal of becoming a Waldorf educator. Sarah earned her B.S. in Elementary Education (Grades 1-5) from Mount St. Mary's University after student teaching at an environmental charter school. For her senior project, she presented an independent study exploring the benefits of environmentally focused education and the Waldorf method in guiding creative, critical, and independent thinkers through community. Now, she is overjoyed to be beginning her journey in the Waldorf pedagogy at the school which inspired her to become a teacher. She is passionate about hands-on learning and creating a community to guide students in expressing themselves, with loving hearts, strong voices, and brave minds! While not in the classroom, Sarah can be found hiking in mountain forests, wading in lakes and creeks, or curled up with a cup of tea and her cat. Sarah is often singing, playing her guitar, or at the piano. She has a large collection of succulents and enjoys every opportunity to craft something colorful, through knitting, chalk, or paints! She is very excited to break out her bright yellow honey bee rain boots and dinosaur overalls to trek through the grounds of COS, inviting her students to explore their place in nature and together, strengthen both their stride and their song. sjohnson@circleofseasons.org < Previous Next >

Third Grade Class Teacher Alexis Smith < Back Third Grade Class Teacher asmith@circleofseasons.org < Previous Next >

School Counselor Jill Jenkins School Counselor < Back Jill earned her Master’s degree in School Counseling from Gwynedd Mercy University. She first discovered Circle of Seasons while searching for a potential Kindergarten program for her son. After leaving the Open House, she knew she had to intern and work at Circle of Seasons. The atmosphere was amazing and the teachers left Jill feeling inspired and full of joy. Jill completed an internship at COS and was immediately attracted and connected to Waldorf education. Jill is excited to be part of the COS community and looks forward to collaborating with all members of the COS community, and most importantly, the COS students. Outside of the classroom, Jill enjoys spending all her free time with her two children, husband, and Australian Shepherd. If not adventuring with them, Jill will most likely be cooking, one of her favorite activities to relax, reflect and recharge. jjenkins@circleofseasons.org < Previous Next >

Executive Assistant Erin Orben Executive Assistant < Back Erin earned a BS in Psychology with an English Minor from The University of Scranton and an M.Ed. in School Counseling from Lehigh University. Throughout her graduate years and into her school counseling tenure, Erin worked as a TSS and Mobile Therapist, supporting young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their family members. She worked in local school districts as a counselor, mostly at the middle school level, where she loved wearing many hats in that dynamic role. She left full-time education after having her first child, and stayed home with her kids while working various part-time jobs. These included outpatient therapy, customer service, and working as a virtual office assistant. It was in these years as a new parent that she learned about COS, and was thrilled when her first child was able to enroll for Kindergarten. Since then, Erin and her family moved to an organic farm in Kutztown and she now has two children who proudly attend COS. She was very excited for the opportunity to combine her various professional experiences into a new role as the Executive Assistant at this amazing school. Outside of work and school, Erin and her family enjoy being outside, growing vegetables, hiking on their property, and reading. eorben@circleofseasons.org < Previous Next >

Facilities Manager Doug Keller Facilities Manager < Back dkeller@circleofseasons.org < Previous Next >

MTSS and Assessment Coordinator Casey West MTSS and Assessment Coordinator < Back Cassandra (Casey) West attended the University of Vermont, where she earned her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. Upon graduation, Casey's adventurous spirit led her to Utah, where she taught Kindergarten at a Montessori elementary school. The whole child approach taken by the school fit perfectly into Casey's own teaching philosophy. Eventually, though, Casey's love of family drew her back to the East coast, where she ultimately settled in the Upper Perkiomen Valley. Upon moving to the Philadelphia area, Casey began working as the Volunteer Coordinator at a residential community for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Casey also began building her family during this time, going on to have a daughter, Ava, and two sons, Dylan and Griffin, whom she had the pleasure of staying home with for 8 years. As her youngest child grew older and Casey began volunteering more frequently in the classroom, she was eager to rejoin the workforce. A lifelong learner, Casey also earned her Master's degree around this time in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Trauma and Resilience. As she finished up her degree, she found herself at Circle of Seasons Charter School in 2019. The ability to teach her students where they were developmentally, and let her class guide her teaching through their own discoveries and explorations were some of her favorite parts about being a first and second grades teacher. Casey is excited to take on a new role at COS, providing support to students on their academic journeys! cwest@circleofseasons.org < Previous Next >

French Teacher Irene Blough < Back French Teacher Irene Blough earned her Bachelor’s Degree in French from St. Joseph’s University and her Master’s Degree in French from Temple University. She has been teaching a combination of French and Spanish for the past twenty years. She is honored to join the staff at Circle of Seasons whose staff approaches teaching with love and devotion, as well as with the enriching methodology of the Waldorf education. She is excited to begin this journey with her new colleagues and students, and is delighted to have the chance once again to delve back into French, to learn some German from her new colleague, the famous, Sprau, and to continue to share what she has learned from her experience with Spanish. This year, some of her favorite activities have been put on hold; dancing, traveling, and singing in a choir, but she is grateful that her mother has recently joined her and her husband in their home. She is now improving her Greek cooking, enjoying being in the garden, and going for more walks. She is looking forward to starting to teach at Circle of Seasons because she can’t wait to experience what it’s like to see kids happy to come to school and to watch them develop their gifts in a setting that values nature and creativity. iblough@circleofseasons.org < Previous Next >

Dean of Students (K-4), Safety and Security Coordinator Dennis Nappi Dean of Students (K-4), Safety and Security Coordinator < Back dnappi@circleofseasons.org < Previous Next >

School History Circle of Seasons Charter School (COS) is a public school guided by the Core Principles of Public Waldorf Education and a member of a growing educational movement that equally values intellectual growth, social-emotional learning, connection to the creative, and the freedom, time, and space to do meaningful work. Circle of Seasons seeks to support the development of the whole child by educating the head, heart and hands. In the fall of 2013, Circle of Seasons Charter School received the keys to a former Penn State Lehigh Valley Extension building days before the first day of school. Along with the school’s founder, Phil Arnold, a dedicated group of families and educators worked tirelessly to transform the building into inviting classrooms and play spaces for the 110 students in grades kindergarten through second who walked through the doors on the first day of school. Circle of Seasons Charter School received charter authorization for the first three years and was the only member of the Alliance for Public Waldorf Schools on the East Coast, a pioneer for the Public Waldorf Education movement. The spring of 2016 brought Circle of Season’s first charter renewal resulting in a reauthorization for five years. Another momentous event was reached the following spring of 2017 as COS purchased the building and 35-acre property it had previously leased from Penn State. The purchase would not have been possible without the efforts of devoted fundraisers and volunteers from the Circle of Seasons community as well as monetary contributions from the school's families, faculty and staff. During the summer of 2018, COS endeavored to complete a $2.7 million renovation project that transformed the school into a facility that included learning spaces for school’s growing student population. Again, such a transformation would not have been possible without the tireless commitment of Circle of Seasons families, faculty, staff and administration. The conclusion of the 2017-2018 school year also brought about an achievement by Kaitlin Moore. Mrs. Moore was the first COS teacher to complete a first through fifth grade loop with a class that joined her for first grade the day COS opened its doors in 2013. In 2018, Circle of Seasons swelled to embrace and educate a student population of 376 children and will continue to grow. By the 2020-2021 school year, Circle of Seasons will reach full capacity with double tracked classes in grades Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Circle of Seasons’ enthusiastic and committed faculty, staff, and families continue to invest in the advancement and development of Circle of Seasons, a school dedicated to awakening each child’s full and unique potential. Circle of Seasons continues to develop a campus master plan to fully utilize the school’s expansive campus. It is clear that the Circle of Seasons devoted community strives to support the individuals who learn and teach within the welcoming walls and rolling campus of the school and that the virtue of each community member is living and thriving therein.

Multi Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Circle of Seasons Charter School believes that to provide the most effective education for all students, we must start with providing an effective education for each child, and truly understanding who they are. We know that children have different learning styles and not all children will respond to the same instructional approach. Some students may require additional support to experience success. At COS, we use Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), a 3-tiered approach, to identify and support students who are not experiencing success with our core curriculum and instructional strategies. These students will be provided with two levels of support beyond the core curriculum. MTSS has been identified as best practice in education, and fulfills federal and state requirements for meeting the needs of all students. At TIer 1 (i.e. core curriculum), the classroom teacher uses the core curriculum for all students, including strategies to support students with different skill levels. Research has shown that at least 80% of students can be successful with the general education approach and curriculum. At TIer 2, the core curriculum are supplemented with additional small-group interventions for students who are struggling at Tier 1. At COS, students are provided with additional instruction in their area(s) of need. Parents will be notified in writing and proposed interventions and support strategies will be described. At Tier 3, a small percentage of students who do not benefit from Tier 2 are provided more individualized and more focused interventions. WIthin each tier, student progress is monitored on a schedule determined by the student’s need. At Tier 1, all students’ basic skills are monitored 3 times a year. At Tier 2 and Tier 3, students’ skills are monitored more frequently. We take very seriously our responsibility to ensure the success of ALL students. MTSS allows us to support each student more effectively. The goal of MTSS is to close achievement gaps and ensure that all students are successful at Tier 1.