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 Heartwood founder, is a mother and educator who has taught at the college level for the last 15 years. Beyond teaching, she has managed both a medicinal herb cooperative and a farm office, has led a Community Supported Agriculture program which also supplied free healthy meals for local children, and has spent time using her formal training to provide affordable web design to artists, farmers, and herbalists. Her most important work, however, is raising her children, who she has homeschooled for the past three years. She loves both working with the land and using technology to create efficient systems and beautiful designs, and both parenting and working with students over the years has inspired her to dedicate her life to living intentionally and contributing to the cultivation of vibrant and resilient communities.

K/1 TEACHER

Kelsey grew up in Berkshire County Massachusetts and relocated to the White Mountains in 2018. She holds a BS in Elementary Education from Plymouth State University, along with a New Hampshire teacher certification for grades K-6. Kelsey began her career of teaching in 2018 teaching preschool, which continued until 2020 when she began teaching kindergarten in Berlin, NH until 2022. She is currently working towards her Master’s degree in Child Psychology through Southern New Hampshire University. She is passionate about providing students with an equitable, safe, student centered classroom where all students can succeed and have their needs met. Kelsey enjoys spending time hiking with her dog, reading, traveling, woodworking, and painting.

K/1 ASSISTANT & TITLE I TEACHER

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.

GRADE 2 TEACHER

Jennifer grew up in Northumberland, with family ties ranging all over the North Country, allowing her to grow up exploring nature. She received her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from New Hampshire Technical Institution, and her Bachelors in Child and Family Studies at Granite State College. While pursuing her education, she began working at Stark Village School as a paraprofessional, and over the span of 13 years she helped students as a Title one aid and Kindergarten/First grade teacher. After many years there, she decided to leave Stark and homeschool her two children, focusing on experiential learning. She then worked with Mondelez International for six years, while also a ski instructor in the colder months. In her free time she spends many hours outside gardening, bird watching, skiing, hiking, and enjoying the sun. She strives to instill a love of learning into her children and students, while also encouraging them to grow as individuals.

GRADE 3 TEACHER

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.

GRADE 4 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 5 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.

ART TEACHER

Stacey Zemla, BFA Graphic Design, MAT, is a mother, an artist, a dreamer and a native of Lancaster, who recently returned home to raise her family and is happy to call Coös county her home. Before settling down in her hometown, she studied fine arts at the Maine College of Art, where she earned her BFA in Graphic Design. After college, Stacey served as an AmeriCorps volunteer with University of VT extension, where she spent two years designing and implementing science and technology curriculum for youth-at-risk in the Northeast Kingdom of VT. In 2005, Stacey enrolled in the Visual Arts Education program at Tufts University, where she earned her MAT and fulfilled her practicum in Boston area schools. Over the years, Stacey has taught and worked with youth in a range of ages and a variety of contexts: she’s been a coach, a counselor, a teacher, a nanny, and an instructor. Stacey holds certifications to teach art in both MA and NH and currently teaches at the White Mountains Regional High School.

K/1 ASSISTANT 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.

ASSISTANT TEACHER