DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SUPPORT

Sherri is a native of the North Country and loves the opportunity Heartwood has brought, enabling her to stay connected with her local roots. She has 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 holding different positions (special educator; elementary educator; principal) and has been with Heartwood since its opening in 2022.  Being from the North Country, Sherri loves reconnecting with families and students and welcoming Heartwood newcomers! When not at Heartwood, she enjoys spending time with her family, her beloved furbaby Ninja (cat), loves to read, play board games, solve logic puzzles, cook (Sherri-A-La Specialties) and spend quiet time alone outside on her land enjoying the beautiful view of Mt. Washington.  Additionally, Sherri is a supporter of food pantries and animal shelters.

DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION &
GRADE 2 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.

DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL OPERATIONS

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 her best 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.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT & MOVEWELL TEACHER

Danna is a native to the North Country and a local of Lancaster. 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.

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

Forest Kindergarten teacher Ann Ranger is a seasoned educator who enjoys working with children outdoors. She believes that there is no better place to learn, and she hopes to inspire more teachers to take lessons and activities out into the fresh air.

She recently relocated to the White Mountains from Massachusetts, where she taught Forest Kindergarten on a woodsy, suburban campus. She is excited to share her enthusiasm for nature-inspired pedagogy with the Heartwood community.

When she is not teaching, Ann enjoys reading, writing, yoga, running, hiking and skiing.

GRADE 1 TEACHER

K & 1 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 3 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 4 TEACHER

Jessie is a North Country native, White Mountains Regional High School graduate, and a Natural Resource program completer. She is a proud alumnus of the Paradice FFA chapter and National FFA organization, and holds her FFA American Degree. Jessie was an active NH 4-H member and represented Coös County for several years at the Eastern States Exposition with her Tunis sheep and mentoring younger members of her 4-H club., and is now the 4-H leader of our after-school club, the Heartwood Hares. She is currently in the process of obtaining her Master's degree in Education. In her free time, she’s off exploring with her family or tending to her small farm of sheep and goats. Jessie is excited to share her agriculture experience and passion with others inside and out of her classroom this upcoming year.

GRADE 5 TEACHER

Micah was born and raised in Texas.  She and her family, including her parents, relocated to New Hampshire in June 2024 for her husband's job.  She is the proud momma of Camden, who is 21 years old and serves in the United States Coast Guard, and Mallory, who is 7 (2nd grade) and keeps their lives exciting! Micah absolutely loves living in such a beautiful place after living in the plains and deserts of West Texas and the Texas Panhandle.

Micah received her BA in English Literature and Composition from Texas Tech University and this is her 12th year teaching.  She has taught 5th grade through 12th grade, teaching everything from ELAR to reading intervention, social studies and government and economics and holds teaching certificates in both Texas and New Hampshire.  Prior to teaching, Micah was a museum curator in a history museum in Fort Worth. She is a proud bookworm and lover of history!

When not teaching, Micah loves hanging out on the porch with her family and four dogs, taking naps, playing in the dirt (gardening) and reading.  She is so excited to be a part of the Heartwood family and to spend a great year with her new students. 

GRADE 6 TEACHER

A North Country native, Melissa holds a B.A. in Anthropology and has been workingtoward teaching certification in English for grades 5-12. Most recently an English teacher for grades 7-12 and Art K-12, Melissa has also been a Children’s Librarian. Through her experience, Melissa has seen the most joyful learning take place when it is hands on and driven by students’ natural curiosity. A mother of one amazing, creative kiddo, Melissa loves to spend time exploring the world through hiking, gardening, reading, and making art.  

GRADE 6, 7 & 8 MATH TEACHER

Richard Bond was privileged to teach mathematics in New Hampshire public schools for over forty years. During his teaching career, he taught math and science, with courses ranging from basic math and earth science to advanced placement Calculus. He enjoyed every group of students he had the pleasure to work with.

He earned his B.A. in Mathematics from Plymouth State College where he had his first teaching experience working as assistant to the math department. Later, he completed my M.S.T. from Lyndon State College.

Richard now spends most of his time gardening where he finds that nurturing plants is very much like nurturing children – the end product brings a brightness to this world.

GRADE 7/8 SCIENCE TEACHER & FIELDWORK COORDINATOR

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 7/8 ELA & SOCIAL STUDIES 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 ART & OBSERVATION TEACHER / ENRICHMENT 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.

NUTRITION & GARDENING COORDINATOR / ASSISTANT 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.

TITLE I TEACHER

Julie lives in Waterford, Vermont, and enjoys driving into New Hampshire each morning and seeing the beautiful White Mountains.

Julie graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1990.  She then graduated from Saint Michael’s College in 1993 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. She worked as a paraprofessional in Title I for three years in Burlington, Vermont, and then stayed home for many years to raise her five kids. Her oldest son was born with congenital heart disease and needed seven heart procedures at Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Julie is an avid knitter and crocheter. She has sold her sweaters, afghans, etc. at craft fairs for over 25 years. Her favorite fair is the Lancaster Fair! Julie has three orange tabby cats.  They love to watch all of the beautiful songbirds that come to the feeders.

Julie was hired by SAU36 last November to work as a Special Ed. paraprofessional at Heartwood. She enjoyed working with Heartwood students and was hired as the Title I Teacher this year.  She is excited to work with the students!

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.