Meet Our Team
Dedicated School Community
We’re proud to present our amazing school team. Their care, enthusiasm and dedication to helping students exceed has brought Coastal Waters Chartered Public School from concept to reality. We invite you to take a moment to read their stories below.
Pedagogical Director
Erica is a trained Waldorf teacher, with a Masters in Education from Antioch University, and BA in English and Psychology from UNCC. She has many years of experience teaching a wide range of subjects and ages, and has specialized in the curative aspects of education and meeting the needs of underserved and underrepresented students and families. She is also currently working towards a Masters of Social Work. Past experience on the Board of Directors of a private Waldorf school, serving as the Faculty Chair, and overseeing mentoring and professional development, as well as her Administrative and Leadership training, have been beneficial in her work on the Coastal Waters Development Team. Erica has taken a step away from full-time teaching to serve as a Director at Coastal Waters, but continues to teach our upper grades health curriculum.
When not immersed in her work at school, she enjoys running, gardening, fiber arts, and quiet. Her three children all attend Coastal Waters.
Lower Grades Support
Stephen comes to our team with experience working as a paraeducator, teacher assistant, after care programs, and school administration. Stephen loved working with children and helping them grow as a individual and helping them reach their highest potential.
When Stephen isn’t at school, you will usually find him at a basketball sport or soccer field playing his favorite sports. Stephen loves to be active and stay busy.
Educational Support Coordinator
Kayt Gagneux graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Masters of Education in 2018. She has nearly 10 years experience in the field of education. In addition, Kayt has extensive experience with trauma informed care and attachment, and is a certified Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) specialist and a MANDT certified instructor and practitioner.
Kayt is a lover of music, theater, and the arts. She is involved in community theater projects and performances on the Seacoast year-round. In her spare time, she can be found dancing, in the garden, cooking, painting, or curled up with a good book. But Kayt’s greatest love is for her seven-year-old son, Owen, who keeps her on her toes and full of good energy.
Special Education
Kelsey graduated with her Masters in special education (Ms.Ed) from the University of Maine Farmington. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Child, Family, and Community Studies from Merrimack College, as well as an associate's degree in Human Services. Kelsey holds her teaching credential in Maine and New Hampshire as a special education teacher. She has experience working in special education as a para-educator and special education teacher. Recently, Kelsey completed her student teaching experience working in a public school in Maine. There she acted as the special education teacher and case manager for children in grades 2-4. Kelsey has worked with students in special education with various needs and is looking forward to using the Waldorf Pedagogy to help students reach their full potential.
When not teaching Kelsey enjoys being outside, traveling, camping, hiking, skiing, and going on adventures with her Jack Russell terrier Tynan.
Guidance Counselor
Katy is a certified school Counselor and holds eight years of experience providing support to student achievement and behavioral health. In addition to a bachelor's degree in psychology, Katy recently obtained a masters of education in school counseling at Rivier University. Katy has spent the past year working as a school counselor for elementary and high school students. Katy has provided individual and group counseling, classroom guidance and has extensive experience in teaching college and career readiness. Katy is passionate about utilizing strength based approaches and believes that every student has something unique to bring to this world. She is excited to be a part of Coastal Waters!
Meghan Kilroy
mkilroy@cwschool.org
Kindergarten Lead Teacher
Meghan recently earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a concentration in child and adolescent development from Southern New Hampshire University. Additionally, she holds her Montessori certification from the North American Montessori Center. She has over 10 years experience working with children in a variety of roles. These roles include lead infant teacher, lead toddler teacher, lead pre-K teacher, and lead after-school care provider, among other teacher's assistant roles. Four years of this experience was in a Montessori based school. She has most recently been working as a paraprofessional in our CW school community.
Meghan is very passionate about family, nature, music, and theater. She can often be found snuggling her beloved pets, listening to music, going for a walk, or playing with her nieces.
Grade One
Olga is an experienced teacher with bachelor's degree in elementary school education, master's degree in pedagogy and postgraduate diploma in speech and language pathology. After working for several years in Poland as an elementary school and kindergarten teacher, she moved to New Hampshire and continued working in the field of education, as a special education paraprofessional and program paraeducator. For several years Olga worked as a summer camp program director.
Olga is an amateur watercolor artist who is passionate about art history. She likes to spend her time watching documentaries and reading criminal investigation books. She is a mom to a teenage boy and a wife to a Navy veteran.
Grade Two
Jennifer earned her BA in education from Rivier University. Throughout high school and college she has worked in childcare and completed field work in elementary classrooms. She completed her student teaching in a first-grade classroom giving her experience teaching in the classroom as well as remotely. Her first year after graduating she worked as a special education paraeducator supporting students in third and fourth grade. She is beyond excited to start her teaching career here at Coastal Waters. She is committed to providing a successful and safe classroom community. Jennifer’s core education values align with Waldorf education and restorative justice. I am excited to meet everyone in the fall.
Grade Three
Mallory has been teaching for four years. Last year Mallory taught kindergarten at Moharimet Elementary School. She was a lead teacher in a mixed pre-k and kindergarten classroom at Great Bay Kids' Company for her first two years. Mallory has also worked in the Epping School District as a paraprofessional. Mallory has a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Southern New Hampshire University. She completed her bachelor's degree at the University of New Hampshire with a major in sociology and a dual minor in French and Justice Studies. Mallory is excited to transition to working in a Waldorf school. She is especially excited to loop with her students, as it has been a goal since becoming a teacher (in part inspired by Mr. Feeny, fictional teacher extraordinaire). Mallory loves integrating arts into her lessons, and using student artwork to help make her classroom beautiful and inviting.
Mallory loves reading, crocheting, and spending time with friends and family. She has a tuxedo cat named Addie, who she enjoys spoiling.
Grade Four
Anna has been teaching for four years. In 2018, she received her degree from Plymouth State University in Elementary Education with a minor in Elementary Mathematics. She is on her way to complete her master's in Curriculum and Instruction. From the moment she stepped foot into her second grade classroom when she was 8 years old, she knew she was bound to become a teacher. Anna puts her heart and soul into her craft of teaching and is always open with communication. Working in a Waldorf school is a big change, but Anna is extremely excited to be a part of the hands-on learning she and her students will engage in daily.
Anna thoroughly enjoys reading a good book on the beach while listening to the waves crash around her. She loves to make connections with her students and their families. Anna is extremely excited to be a part of the CWS community in the fall!
Grade Five
Mary graduated from Plymouth State University in 2021 with a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a minor in Mathematics Education. She was a middle school math teacher at Hill View Montessori in her first year teaching, and a camp counselor for about 6 years. She decided to go back to elementary level because of her love of all subjects, and teaching younger students.
When Mary isn't at school you can find her curled up with a book, or on a bike at her spin studio. Mary is very excited to meet the entire Coastal Water community, and expand her teaching skills in a new environment!
Grade 6/7 & Upper School
Laurie is a lifelong learner raised by two teachers (is there a teaching gene?) She graduated from Keene State College with a B.S. in Geology, as well as a minor in music. She spent some time as a paraprofessional in a local middle school. She earned her master’s degree in elementary education from Southern New Hampshire University, and has worked as a paraprofessional and and literacy specialist in a variety of middle school levels. She then went on to teach 6th grade reading and writing, with science and social studies, for two years. She helped out with the chorus and ran after school clubs in crochet and traditional playground games.
Laurie is an avid reader, primarily of romances and sci-fi/tech thrillers. She enjoys crochet, puzzles, board games, sewing, singing, theater/chorus performance, and Irish dance. She is an avid gamer, having played video games since 2009. Laurie loves spending time with her husband, father, and stepson, as well as their five cats.
Upper School Humanities
An alumna of the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor, MI, Justin’s experience of transferring to a Waldorf high school was deeply transformative. The way that their teachers encouraged them to grow, learn organically through experience, and think critically about the material inspired Justin to become someone who could encourage that same level of growth and transformation in others. While attending college, they truly fell in love with the humanities and discovered the interdisciplinary field of Comparative Religion. This field of academic study allowed them to explore their many academic interests, such as social history, historical literature, holistic wellness, and folklore. Through this path of study, they earned a bachelor’s degree in Religion from Kalamazoo College and an MA in Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University. Justin is passionate about teaching the whole student, and encouraging critical thinking and self-expression. Their teaching experience prior to joining Coastal Waters has been with a variety of older students, as well as at the university level.
Justin is also a veteran theater kid, a fencer, an RPG enthusiast, and an avid consumer of horror fiction media.
Upper School Science/Math/Humanities
Jake is an energetic teacher-learner with a wide range of educational experiences from his BA in Biology, an MA in Consciousness Studies and Transpersonal Psychology, a Life Coaching Certification, and time spent studying meditation, horse therapy, and now, Waldorf teaching. He has engaged in ecology field research internationally, taught mindfulness in Mexico, and most recently, he taught K-12 at his former public school.
Jake is excited to transition to a pedagogy more in line with his ideals and to bring his academic as well as personal interests such as hiking, chess, and stories into the classroom. His endless curiosity and love of learning guides his teaching of science and math at Coastal Waters.
Upper School Humanities
Aerin received her PhD in Global Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, where she combined her love of literature with that of international security studies through an exploration of Albert Camus' political writings. Prior to this, she went to Thomas More College of Liberal Arts for a BA in Literature and UMASS Lowell for an MA in Criminal Justice. Through a program at Harvard University, she was also able to study religion and literature at Doshisha University in Japan. She has spent recent summers working at the Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial House in Concord. An avid traveller, she has recently returned to the States from Japan, where she spent several years teaching literature at international schools in Tokyo and Nagoya.
Ron Libby
rlibby@cwschool.org
Movement
Ron is an alumnus of SNHU and a former DII soccer player. He is a three-sport referee: twenty years of college soccer, seven years of high school lacrosse, and four years of middle school basketball. He is also a swim instructor, lifeguard, and soccer coach. In his free time, he likes to take trips to campgrounds and adventure parks with his two sons, Finnegan and Jameson, and wife, Chelsea. He has worked in Exeter School district for the past three years, Manchester School district for four years, and private schools in Maine for three years. He looks forward to expanding into charter schools.
German
Chloe studied Classical Civilization and German Studies at Emory University as an H. Prentice Miller Scholar, studied German language and Austrian history at the Austro-American Institute in Vienna, Austria as a Max Kade scholar, and worked as an academic researcher at the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library) as a SIRE grant recipient and a Viola Westbrook endowed scholar. She also studied Modern Standard Arabic and Darija (Moroccan Arabic) at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. Chloe earned her FiA Nam MD German teacher training certification in Schwäbisch Hall, Baden-Württemberg, Germany at the Goethe Institut, a division of the German government. She taught German language and culture in Atlanta, Georgia and served as Treasurer of the American Association of Teachers of German before moving to her home state of New Hampshire. She has worked with children of all ages and loves teaching, food, and being outside.
Handwork
Tori received her BFA in Fibers from Massachusetts College of Art & Design in 2012, although her love of fiber arts did not begin there. Tori likes to think handcrafts are in her blood, having come from a long line or quilters, crafters, and sewists. After graduating, Tori had her own small business for 4 years where she focused on natural dyeing methods. In addition to selling naturally dyed goods, Tori taught workshops on the natural dyeing process. She has also explored other creative avenues over the years that have taken her to Whole Foods Market as their Store Graphic Artist, Stonewall Kitchen as their in-house Photo Stylist, and most recently a gourmet food company as their Creative Manager.
Tori is an avid runner, certified yoga teacher, loves spending time outdoors and working on her own textile projects. She is excited to share her knowledge of fibers in the Handwork classes at Coastal Waters!