Anne
Zimmermann
Anne was
welcomed to the Wellspring Community in January
2008. She brings eleven years experience working
with children in both public education and nonprofit
organizations in Colorado. Anne strongly
believes that life is a journey of learning, each day
presenting new puzzles to ponder. She applauds
creating a safe environment and networked community in
which younger learners are free to test, create, and
explore. Anne delights in facilitating this
discovery learning.
Anne is a Nordic skier and avid hiker and delights in
exploring the Northeast forests. She is an
accomplished xeriscape gardener and is the mother of two
teenaged children. She and her husband, Ron, have
been building a life together for more than 20 years.
Edward
Arabia-Meyer

Edward is
joining the Wellspring Community School in September
2009. He holds a Master of Science in Elementary
Education from Sunbridge College and a Bachelor of
Arts in Human Ecology with a Concentration in Applied
Child and Family Services from Montclair State
University. Edward is certified as an Elementary
School Teacher in Grades Kindergarten through Five. He
was the founder and director of Lakeview Learning
Center and Community School, which was predominantly a
nursery school, that followed closely the ideals of
Rudolf Steiner. After five years, the school closed,
after which Edward taught students in public high
school. After relocating to Warren County, Edward
worked part time at the River Valley Waldorf School
and the Harmony Township Elementary School, while he
searched for full time employment. Edward and his
family are committed to education that focuses on the
whole child, as well as on the child’s relationship to
and with the community. He believes that education
should foster the love of learning that children
inherently possess.
Edward lives in Alpha with his partner, Angela, and their
four children: Corinna (12), Elena (10), Dakota (8) and
Edison (7). He is active with his children in their after
school activities, such as: scouting, soccer, and
softball.
Darcy
Petrie
Darcy
Petrie joined the Wellspring Community in Fall
2009. She holds an M.A. in Early Childhood and
Family Studies, and over the past 20 years has worked
in a variety of educational settings with children
ages infant through early elementary. Darcy
taught preschool at Bennington College Early Childhood
Center in Vermont, and was a substitute at Morning
Light Preschool while her daughters attended their
Waldorf-inspired program. While she has also
worked in child care and public school settings, she
finds herself continually drawn back to the types of
environments which support her passion for
alternative, nonacademic,
child-centered preschool education. Darcy
believes that young children learn and thrive when
they are allowed and encouraged to explore their
environment, their individual emergent
interests, and their place in the world with
adults providing safe parameters and gentle guidance.
Darcy lives in Bernardsville with her wonderful 9 and
12 year old daughters. She enjoys reading, knitting,
cooking, and celebrating the rhythms and cycles of our
natural world.