Defne Caldwell - English and Drama

Green Meadow Waldorf School, Class of 1987; B.A. Literature, Boston University; M.A. Teaching, Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Defne teaches high school English and reading, and English in the Lower School. She serves on the Collegium and the High School Social Health and Community Service committees, and is co-advisor to the class of 2011.

Before joining the Green Meadow faculty full time in 2006, Defne taught at Ramapo Indian Hills High School and Ramapo College. Her two daughters attend the school.

Alix Christofides - Humanities and Drama

B.S. Art History/Design/Film, Empire State College, NY; M.A.T. English, Manhattanville College. Alix has taken various courses and trainings at Sunbridge College, Bard College, NYSAIS and AWSNA and is certified to teach art and English in New York and New Jersey.

Alix is the High School Chair.  She serves on the Collegium and the Aesthetics Committe and is the co-advisor for the class of 2010.  She is also the faculty co-advisor for the Burning Bush literary journal.

Alix has obtained seven arts grants for the high school. She has been teaching at Green Meadow since 1998 and is the parent of two GMWS alums.

Karl Fredrickson - History and Social Studies

B.A. History & Social Psychology, St. Olaf College; M.A. Goddard College; further graduate work at Fordham University.

Karl is the chair of the History/Social Studies department.  He serves on the Community Service Committee and the Collegium and is the advisor to the Model United Nations.

Karl is interested in social entrepreneurship and movements for social change and is actively involved with the Rockland Farm Alliance.  An avid hiker and orienteer, he enjoys traveling in Latin America.  He has been teaching at Green Meadow since 1978 and is the parent of Green Meadow alumni.

Harlan Gilbert - Math

Undergraduate education in mathematics and natural science at Yale University and Reed College, and in architecture at the Boston Architecture Center. Waldorf teaching certificate, Emerson College, England; Eurythmy training, Eurythmeum Zuccoli, Dornach, Switzerland; M.S. Ed, Sunbridge College.

Harlan serves on the school-wide Math Curriculum Committee.  Several of his articles, including "Rhythm in Nature," have been published in Lilipoh, in the Waldorf Education Research Institute Bulletin, and in Golden Blade yearbooks.  Harlan's book, At the Source: the Incarnation of the Child and the Development of a Modern Pedagogy, was published by AWSNA Press in 2005.

Harlan has been teaching at Green Meadow since 2002 and has two children in the school.

James P. Henderson - Science and Math

B.A., Philosophy/Psychology, University of Missouri; M.S. Biology, Eastern Michigan University.

A math and biology teacher, Jim serves on the Finance Committee, the Collegium, and the Teacher Development Committee.  He is co-advisor to the class of 2010.

Jim, who has had several articles published in Renewal, has been teaching at Green Meadow since 1979.  He and his wife, Leah, are the parents of two Green Meadow alumnae.

Leah Henderson - Guidance Counselor

B.A. and M.A. Psychology, University of Missouri

In addition to being the High School Guidance Counselor and College Advisor, Leah teaches high school and sixth grade English.

She is the Senior Project Coordinator and Senior Internship Coordinator and is a member of the Care Group, the Drug & Alcohol Task Force and the Collegium. She has been at Green Meadow since 1984. Her daughters are GMWS alums.

John Hoffman - Science and Math

B.S. Ceramic Engineering, Alfred University; Air Force Communications-Electronics School. 

A former research chemist, John teaches high school chemistry and mathematics and seventh grade math. He is a member of the Collegium and is the school's maintenance supervisor. He has been teaching at Green Meadow since 1979.

John is the author of the three-volume anthology, Buzzy and the River Rats, tales of a Catskill Mountains boyhood. 

James Madsen - Math and Physics

B.S. Applied Mathematics (minor, Aerospace Engineering), University of Colorado-Boulder;  M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Waldorf Teacher Training, Waldorf Institute of Adelphi University.

James is faculty advisor to the Robotics Club and the Student Council, a member of the Collegium, Maintenance committee and the GMWS Board, is High School Week chair and co-advisor to the class of 2011.

The director of Camp Glen Brook, a Waldorf summer camp and visiting school program, for 19 years, James previously taught at the Waldorf School of Garden City and the Toronto Waldorf School.  He is interested in alternative energy engineering and studied at the University of Wisconsin Solar Energy Lab.

Maskit Ronen - Math and Life Science Intern

B.Sc., Environmental Biology, Columbia University. B.Sc., Management and Computer Science, Open University,Tel Aviv, Israel. Maskit received her teacher training in the Israeli Defense Force, where she taught in a prestigious programming course. She completed Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy at Sunbridge College (2008) and has joined the 5th cycle of the Applied Arts Program at the Fiber Crafts Studio. 

Maskit teaches 7th and 8th grade math and apprentices with high school science teacher James Henderson. She loves doing handwork, strives to live holistically and sustainably, is interested in herbal medicine, and enjoys hiking and scuba diving. Two of Maskit's children attend the school.

John Hager Wulsin, Jr. - English and Drama

A.B. Harvard College, English and American Language & Literature; M.A., Columbia University, English and American Language & Literature; Waldorf teacher training at Emerson College, England.

John is a member of the Collegium, co-advisor to the class of 2012, and serves on the Teacher Development Committee. He also teaches poetics at the Eurythmy School and high school pedagogy at Sunbridge College and Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento. A member of the Green Meadow faculty since 1980, his children are Green Meadow alumni.

John is the author of Proverbs of Purgatory and Laws of Living Language (AWSNA). He edited The Riddle of America (AWSNA), and co-edited Books for the Journey (Michaelmas Press). Published articles include "The Great White Whale," and "Parzival: the Journey of Adolescence," both printed in Renewal. John's most recent book is Spirit of the English Language: A Practical Guide for Poets, Teachers & Students.