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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.