Shanah Ahmadi—Director & Early Childhood Teacher
Shanah completed her LifeWays Human Development Certification in 2006. Presently, she serves as the President of LifeWays North America—an organization dedicated to supporting the well-being of parents, children, and early childhood teachers. She has a BA in Communication from the University of Oklahoma and a Silver Director’s credential through OKDHS. She enjoys her work with both the children and their families, and she particularly likes the process of forming a nurturing bridge between home and school. She loves discovering each child’s uniqueness and encouraging each child to grow toward their greatest potential. Shanah’s chosen vocation infuses her days with purpose and meaning.
Amanda Lambert—Administrator
Amanda is new to Rose Rock School, as of Summer 2023. She formerly worked in women’s and children’s healthcare for 20 years. She recently completed the LifeWays fundamentals training in August. She enjoys interacting with the students, as well as being a support to Rose Rock faculty and parents.
Christina Rubino—Early Childhood Teacher
Christina has been at Rose Rock since 2017, teaching across both early grades and early childhood. She relocated to Oklahoma to be near family. She taught in California both Waldorf and public kindergarten for over 15 years and completed her Waldorf Kindergarten certification through WISC in Southern California. Her daughter attended a Waldorf school from nursery thru 8th grade. She comes from a large family and is a mama, both of which integrate with her work with young children.
Jennifer Powers—Early Childhood Teacher
Jennifer is a proud mama of two amazing children, Cora Rose and “baby” Elu. She is so grateful to have her family in a community that protects and honors the wonder of childhood. Jennifer brings her life-long love of nature, movement and the healing arts into all of her interactions. Her contagious laughter is treasured by her colleagues and children alike. Jennifer graduated from the LifeWays program in 2018.
Monica Ball—Early Childhood Co-Teacher
Monica has completed the LifeWays Fundamentals course and will complete her certification in February 2023. She values using play, seasonal songs, stories, circles, and crafts to guide children to their best selves. Socio-emotional development is nurtured during these activities, helping the children to navigate the complexities and joys of being among peers. This gently, playful approach allows the children to mature at their own pace —beginning to build the tools necessary to successfully enter into life.
Kaitlin Young — Early Childhood Assistant & Substitute
Kaitlin has dreamed of teaching since she was a small child. This year, she is completing her LifeWays Fundamentals course, and thoroughly enjoying each moment. Her son is also a student here at RRS. When Kaitlin isn’t focusing on family or her studies, she is substituting and spending quality time with the Rose Rock children. She finds it an honor to be present in this daily rhythm.
Alana Lessly—1st Main Lesson, 4th & 5th Modeling, Grade School Teacher
Mrs. Lessly is teaching our latest group of first graders this year, and will continue to teach the 4th/5th grade modeling class. She has been part of the Rose Rock School faculty since 2021 when her three children also became students of the school. Her roles previously included teaching modeling classes in the grade school program as well as caring for the children of the Early Childhood program during aftercare. Her personal background includes a wonderfully Waldorf inspired childhood and she is very excited to bring the joy and wonder she experienced herself to her new students. She is also a lifelong Normanite and graduate of the University of Oklahoma.
Desirée Varasteh—2nd & 3rd Main Lesson, Grade School Teacher
With every passing year, Desiree is reaffirmed in her calling to teach, learn from, and play with children! She earned her certificate in Waldorf Education from Great Lakes Waldorf Institute and her M.Ed with a certificate in Dance in Healing from the University of Florida. Desiree is currently excited to be embarking on a Lifeways certification, exploring how to further implement wholesome and foundational sensibilities into the Grade School program. She graduated her first class in 2016, has taught grades one through eight, and is endlessly inspired by the evolving students/parents/colleagues that she has the honor to witness grow. Desiree is excited to be teaching her growing and evolving second and third graders this year.
Jared Coady—4th & 5th Main Lesson, 1st-5th Mandarin, Grade School Teacher
Mr. Coady has worked at schools in Taichung, Taiwan; Lawrence, KS; Miami, FL; and is now happy to be bringing his experience back home to Oklahoma as a teacher at RRS. Currently he is serving as the Class Teacher for the 3rd and 4th Grade, and is also teaching Mandarin to Grades 1-5. He enjoys splitting his professional time between teaching children, and working in program and teacher development. He holds the standard of Goodness, Beauty, and Truth as essential healing elements for self, students, and the world.
Tasha England—Therapeutic Arts, Spanish, Form Drawing, & Soprano Recorder, Grade School Teacher
Ms. England completed her Waldorf Elementary teaching certificate in New York and taught there for many years before returning to Oklahoma, her home state, in 2020. She will be teaching Therapeutic Arts for the 1st and 3rd grades. Therapeutic Arts presents students with artistic/movement activities to help more fully integrate their foundational senses and early-life movement patterns. Ms. England will also teach Spanish for grades 1-5 and form drawing and soprano recorder for the 4th and 5th grades.
Elaine Bastos— Violin, Grades School Teacher
Mrs. Bastos will be teaching violin to the 3rd and 4th graders, and she’s looking forward to developing the Rose Rock String Orchestra program over the next several years. Elaine has a doctorate in violin performance. She has been a violin and viola teacher for over ten years, and she teaches adults and children of all ages. Mrs. Bastos moved to Oklahoma City in 2021. Since then, she has regularly performed with the Oklahoma Chamber Symphony. Mrs. Bastos’ favorite things to do are to foster cats and dogs for the Animal Welfare and to learn new pieces of music.
Arielle Piñeiro—Chef & Grade School Teacher
Ms. Arielle is the Chef at the Rose Rock School. She prepares the wholesome and organic snacks and meals that nourish the students and faculty everyday. She also guides the grade school children through an exciting and immersive cooking class. She has a diverse background in cooking and is a graduate of le Cordon Bleu Culinary School. She is inspired by a life of travel as a military child and has fondly set roots on a little farm outside of Norman. Her son attends RR, as well.
Ashley Thomas—Grade School Subject Teacher
Mrs. Thomas joined the Rose Rock School community in 2015 when her son began attending preschool and joined the staff of Rose Rock in 2016. Prior to this, Ashley had started her journey into education through her work in the education department of Little River Zoo and other animal facilities, teaching people of all ages about animal behavior, biology, and ecology. She has worked with every age of child from toddler all the way to college and has worked with over 150 different species of animal. Ashley has completed the level one Athena therapy course which included classes on working with autistic and neurodiverse students using movement to help overcome a variety of learning and communication challenges, as well as a beginning course on equine therapy. In her personal time she is writing several works of fiction as well as a non fiction work about her experiences navigating life as an autistic adult. This year, Ashley is teaching first grade Movement and read alouds, second and third grade Nature Stories, and fourth and fifth grade Literature and Epics. She will be sharing exciting and enchanting classic literature, a diversity of mythologies, and joyful stories with her classes, as well as guiding the children in fun projects and activities which are supportive of their other teachers’ classroom work.
Nadia Ellis—Therapeutic Painting Grade School Teacher
Ms. Ellis will be the painting teacher for 1st through 4th grades. In painting class the children will become familiar with and experience the language of color. Through this experience, they will gain new sense perceptions that will enrich their lives and bring more warmth and enthusiasm to them. Color relationships will be explored; form arising out of color will develop the imagination; color moods will be felt and tied to storytelling and rhymes. Ms. Ellis grew up in Belgium, where she first met Waldorf students at art classes she attended. She came to the US as a post-doctoral researcher in autoimmune diseases. Ms. Ellis raised a daughter while getting familiar with the nourishing and healing ways of Waldorf Education. She is now pursuing a degree as an art therapist.
Charmane Vaianisi—Music Grade School Teacher
Ms. Vaianisi will be the Music teacher for 1st through 5th grades. She graduated from San Jose State University with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Arts and an emphasis in Vocal Performance. She briefly studied music composition with Lauren Sonder of Norman, Ok. Waldorf Education has enthralled her since she joined a LifeWays playgroup in 2002. Music creation, co-creation, and composition are Charmane’s favorite ways to spend time. She hopes to inspire everyone she can toward opening their minds and hearts to the richness and wonder of listening, harmony, and raising one’s own voice in song. Ms. Vaianisi looks forward to exploring life musically with the students and teachers of Rose Rock School.
Shayna Pond – Grade School Handwork Teacher
Shayna is a parent to two Rose Rock students; one in early childhood and one in grades. She has a Bachelors of Fine Arts and a Masters in Educational Psychology both from the
University of Oklahoma. In her career so far she has worked as a professional illustrator and
graphic artist as well as entertained hobbies in crafts of many kinds such as sewing,
embroidery, wool felting, knitting, woodworking, metal working, gardening, home improvement, just to name a few. Currently she works full time as an instructional designer for the K20 Center supporting professional learning for k-12 teachers across the state. However, she is looking forward greatly to beginning on her own teaching journey this year and learning from the Rose Rock community as well as giving her artistic gift back to the children this year through handwork.