Brigitte Bley-Swinston, Grades 8-12 Fine Art
Brigitte received her BA in Art Education in Berlin, Germany, and her MS Ed as a Waldorf teacher at Sunbridge College. She taught for two years at the Steiner School in Manhattan before coming to Sunbridge College as the resident art teacher for all programs. She taught at Sunbridge for 12 years while she continued her own artistic education at the Art Students League, The National Academy of Design, and the New York Botanical Garden. She frequently taught courses at the Rudolf Steiner Institute and is co-director of the Foundation Studies Program in Anthroposophy at the Brooklyn Waldorf School. Her daughter attended GMWS from Kindergarten through Grade 12.
April Kornberg, Middle-School Clay
April studied fine arts at SUNY Oswego. An experienced beading artist, she has also assisted in the handwork classes. Her daughter graduated from Green Meadow, Class of 2012.
Mercedes Gruebler, Handwork Assistant
Mercedes is currently studying in the Applied Arts Program at the Fiber Craft Studio and will be finishing this coming spring. Prior to this course of study, she earned a Master’s degree in Family Therapy and a BS in Business.
Mercedes assists in the handwork classes for the lower school and leads the Parent Handwork Group. Her two daughters are students at Green Meadow.
Sandy Volpe, High-School Applied Arts
Sandy studied fine arts at the School of Visual Arts in NY, and at Livingston College, Rutgers University. Applied Arts training, Sunbridge Institute. Waldorf Teacher Training Certification, Sunbridge Institute.
Sandy taught art to Grades 4-12 at the Clearview School in Wayne, NJ for eight years before coming to Green Meadow in 2000.
Sandy teaches coppersmithing to the 9th grade, geometric floorcloths to the 10th grade, bookcraft to the 11th grade, and leather bookbinding to the 12th grade. Sandy serves on the Collegium, Social Health Committee, Social Inclusion Committee, Athletics Committee, and Costume Committee. She is also co-advisor to the Class of 2016 and is the director of the equestrian program. Her two daughters are alumnae of Green Meadow.
Michael Witri, Woodwork and Blacksmithing
Michael studied at the University of Maryland and Wayne State University. He received a degree in theater. He was a professional singer for many years, and then came to work at Green Meadow in 1989.
Michael teaches woodwork to grades 6, 7, and 8, and blacksmithing to grade 9. He serves on the Collegium. His hobbies are music, singing and woodwork. His children are all alumni of Green Meadow.
Madeleine Wuergler, Lower-School Handwork
Madeleine Wuergler completed the Applied Arts Program at Sunbridge Institute. She was involved in the GMWS Parent Handwork Group for many years before starting to teach handwork in the lower grades. She is also the handwork teacher at the Otto Specht School at the Fellowship Community. All four of her children are alumnae.
Suggested Reading
Click here for a list of books authored by Green Meadow Faculty.
Most images courtesy of Pedro Sousa http://psfotography.com/
