ChildsGarden
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Marianne Perchlik

Marianne Perchlik

Co-Teacher

Marianne earned her BA in Theater and English from Holy Cross College, then earned a JD and a Masters in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School. She served as an Agriculture Volunteer in the US Peace Corps in Paraguay, then returned to Vermont to serve as a VISTA volunteer. She also worked as an attorney for the Vermont Juvenile Defender. Childbirth and motherhood stirred her inspiration toward the craft of caring more consciously for people and for the natural world and brought her to Waldorf Education. For 12 years, while her three children attended OVWS, Marianne developed her own practice as a certified Childbirth Mentor, Doula and Simplicity Parenting Coach. Marianne completed Certification as a Waldorf High School Teacher from the Center for Anthroposophy in 2015. She was a member of the faculty of the Initiative; a Vermont Waldorf High School, for four years.

Marianne Perchlik

MainCampus

Madelief Becherer

Madelief Becherer

Madelief Becherer

Administrative Director

Madelief was raised in a home steeped in the traditions of Anthroposophy, where her family immersed themselves in Waldorf education, biodynamic farming, and many other aspects of Steiner’s teachings. Madelief attended the Great Barrington Rudolph Steiner School in Massachusetts, and she and her family have been a part of Orchard Valley Waldorf School since 2008. During this time, Madelief has served on Parent Council and as chair of the ATA (Accessible-to-all) Committee, along with other countless roles that do not have a formal name or committee. Most recently, Madelief has served as Vice-Chair on the OVWS Board of Trustees. She has two daughters who attend OVWS and are completing 1st grade and 7th grade, and another daughter who will be completing 10th grade at Lake Champlain Waldorf School.  

Michelle Gullage

Michelle Gullage

Michelle Gullage

Farm & Forest Kindergarten

Michelle worked in Adventure Education and Wilderness Therapy for twelve years before stumbling upon Waldorf Education while looking for a school for her oldest child.

Now with over a decade of experience serving as an Assistant and Lead Teacher in Waldorf Kindergarten, Michelle is so happy to have found OVWS—a place where her love of the outdoors and Waldorf Education meet. She looks forward to the many years of adventures with her students, all the while assisting them in finding the goodness in themselves and in the world around them.

In her spare time, Michelle loves to drink coffee, listen to bluegrass, and disappear into the forest on bike and foot. She has two children, who attend OVWS, a husband and an entire menagerie of animals who live on a mountaintop just a few miles from school.


Lottie Maker

Lottie Maker

Lottie Maker

Faculty, Grades

Lottie received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina, where she taught second and third grade at an arts-based charter school. Since returning to Vermont in 2011, she has worked at a small, independent school in Montpelier.

Lottie grew up in central Vermont exploring the woods with her three brothers. Drawing inspiration from the Waldorf lifestyle, her artist mother infused the home environment with a creative spirit. Stories and song were a part of daily life. Participating in festivals at the Green Mountain Waldorf School with her family, Lottie marveled at the thoughtfulness and care expressed in the beauty and simplicity of the Waldorf classrooms. The artwork, the natural materials, and the handcrafts all evoked a sense of wonder and curiosity in her young mind. This contact with the school left a lasting impression and served as an inspiration to learn more about Waldorf education in the years since. Lottie is looking forward to pursuing Waldorf training while teaching at Orchard Valley.

When not in the classroom, Lottie loves to dig in the garden, sing in harmony, and walk in the woods with her husband and three children.

Peggy Roche

Peggy Roche

Peggy Roche

Apple Tree Kindergarten

Peggy has been in a Waldorf Early Childhood classroom since 2003. Having initially been drawn to the beauty of the Waldorf Early Childhood classroom and the artistic, soulful quality of Waldorf education, Peggy especially enjoys the laughter and joy of sharing snack time together and creating handwork with little ones. She studied fiber arts in college, earning a Master of Fine Arts, and has always believed in the gift of creating beauty for our world. Peggy has traveled extensively in West Africa, Asia and Europe. She taught preschool in South Korea and there her love of the small child was born. She and her husband Moss enjoy camping, reading, and going out to eat with their daughter, Maeve and their son, Rowan.

CONTACT

Contact Us

Orchard Valley Waldorf School
(Main Office)
2290 VT Route 14 North
East Montpelier, VT 05651

(802) 456-7400