Early Childhood
Michele Poplarchik
Born and raised in Anchorage, she was first drawn to the Waldorf Community as a parent seeking a more holistic education for her three children. And it was because of our nurturing environment that she decided to further her role at Anchorage Waldorf School as an early childhood teacher. Michele can be found at an early morning hot yoga class, on a family trip to the forest, or trying to keep up with her energetic dog.
Ashley Mikos
I was born and raised in Alaska and I spent most of my time at our family cabin that my Father built. My days were spend with my two younger sisters and our beloved family dogs hauling wood, building tree forts and visiting our cabin neighbors. The first time I walked into a Waldorf kindergarten a decade ago I knew I had found home and I never looked back. Since then, I have been building my knowledge of Waldorf education. Through formal trainings and years of experience, I have deepened my understanding of Steiner’s teachings, realized the importance of the Domestic Arts and begun practicing meeting parents and children where they are at with open arms and an open heart.
Regin Dervaes
Regin has been an Early Childhood educator for over 28 years. An early introduction to the work of Rudolf Steiner led her to Waldorf Education. She has attended various workshops and lectures throughout the US and Canada, and has completed her Waldorf Teacher Education in Early Childhood at the West Coast Institute for Anthroposophy. She holds a LifeWays Early Childhood Certification and has completed Steiner Foundational Studies through Antioch University.
Before accepting a position at AWS, she owned and operated Nettlewood Playgarden, a LifeWays Preschool in the Matanuska Valley.
She is committed to creating a classroom environment that provides warmth, security and a sense of belonging for all. Outside of school, you can find her digging in her garden or meandering along the trails.
Grades
Shenandoah (Shannon) Herda
Shannon has been part of the community at Anchorage Waldorf School for just over ten years. First as an interested parent and then as a class teacher. Shannon has been fortunate enough to have journeyed with two previous classes through the middle school years and is now enjoying her third group. She always gets excited about taking them on adventures both in the curriculum she gets to teach and the great outdoors of Alaska. Her favorite thing to do is tramp out to a cabin somewhere and enjoy! Shannon can usually be found riding to and from school or in her classroom. She has four young people at various stages of life that she is helping to raise with her husband, Joe and dog, Sydney.
Svetlana Burton
Growing up as a military brat afforded Ms. Burton countless opportunities to travel around the world. This unique experience provided inspiration to study foreign languages and work towards becoming a teacher. After graduating with a Master’s Degree in teaching English and German in 1996 she continued her education and earned a PhD in Linguistics. Ms. Burton offered 14 scientific publications based on her research which have been cited by many other linguists.
Her desire to teach remained strong and she has taught every level at school as well as at the University. She has mentored many beginning language teachers and developed multiple language curricula and courses. After moving to Alaska in 2003 Ms. Burton taught at the University of Alaska Anchorage as well as at the Community Schools through Parks and Recs.
She joined Anchorage Waldorf School in 2012 as a Russian teacher. During these years she has been a block teacher and a second grade class teacher. After a year sabbatical she decided to return and become a full time class teacher in addition to teaching Russian. In total she has 29 years in teaching.
Though her passion for teaching comes first Ms. Burton is also a professional interpreter and translator. Balancing and maintaining her expertise in both fields she has worked with different federal, state, local as well as private organizations. Her range of experience includes interpreting for the State Department, Coast Guard, EPA, Alaska Court System, Museums, International Whaling Committee, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Alaska Railroad, VECO, H2MHILL, Polar Bear/Walrus Committees, Alaska Eskimo Whaling Committee, and many others. Ms. Burton has translated many different books, scientific papers, and brochures.
During her free time Ms. Burton likes to spend her time with her family hiking and traveling, trying out new cuisines at different restaurants. She likes to cook, to read, to garden and grow her indoor plants’ collection, to create mosaic art, paint and draw, make cards, do felting and cuddle with her dogs.
Amber Miles
Matthew Unterberger
Matthew Unterberger is our former Movemenet Teacher now serving us as 2nd and 3rd Grades Teacher.
Mr. Unterberger has been an AWS block teacher and movement teacher since 2006. He has two children who have gone through AWS and one that is in Mr. Guyver’s class. He has worked as a teacher, coach and artist for many years. His art creations are treasured by the community
Mr. Unterberger grew up in Chicago, IL, where he later studied Fine Art. From 1995-2002, he was a high school art teacher at Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder, CO and received teacher training from master Waldorf teacher Rene Querido.
Specialty
Katie Coffey
Mrs. Coffey was born in Wisconsin and moved to Alaska with her family when she was just a year old. Growing up, she spent most of her time outdoors—climbing trees, hiking, camping, rock climbing, and exploring—fostering a lifelong love of nature and activity. At age 12, her family returned to Wisconsin for family reasons, where she immersed herself in school life through gymnastics, cheerleading, band, choir, drama club, academic decathlon, and the National Honor Society.
She went on to study at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. In 2009, she returned to Alaska, working for many years as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor before taking time away to raise her children. During this time, she also earned an Associate’s Degree in Accounting.
Today, she is the proud mother of two children, both enrolled at Anchorage Waldorf School—one in Sunflower Kindergarten and one in 1st grade. Outside of school life, she enjoys crafting and is part of the school’s craft guild. She loves sewing, crocheting, and knitting (as a beginner), as well as experimenting with felting. Most of all, she treasures spending time outdoors with her children, continuing the love of nature that shaped her own childhood.
Mr. Unterberger grew up in Chicago, IL, where he later studied Fine Art. From 1995-2002, he was a high school art teacher at Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder, CO and received teacher training from master Waldorf teacher Rene Querido.
Mr. Unterberger has been working at AWS as a block teacher and movement teacher. He has worked as a teacher and coach for many years but is also an artist whose watercolor paintings, drawings, calligraphy, and chalk art creations are treasured by the AWS community and Alaskans across the state.
Mr. Unterberger grew up in Chicago, IL, and studied Fine Art at the Art Institute of Chicago and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He began working with children in 1991 as a camp counselor at Four Corners Rediscovery Camp for Native Youth in Crestone, CO. From 1992-1995, he was an art and English teacher in Ladakh, India, at SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh). From 1995-2002, he served as a high school art teacher and all grades substitute at Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder, CO, and received teacher training from master Waldorf teacher Rene Querido. From 2002 to 2006, he took a break from teaching to work in New York City in film and TV production.
2006 brought Mr. Unterberger here to Alaska, where he has enjoyed working at AWS and coaching wrestling with Service High School and Alaska Battle Cats during the school year and working at Kantishna Air Taxi/ Skyline Lodge in Denali National Park during the summers. He lives in Chugiak with his wife Ginger and children Gia (High School), Aven (Grade 8), and Alice (Grade 3).
Amanda Kerr
Amanda Kerr grew up within the nurturing musical community of Anchorage, AK. Her fiddling career started with a Cracker Jack box with a ruler taped to it. Somewhere around 10,000 “Huckleberry Stop Stops” later she began traveling to fiddle contests around the country. Her titles have included the Alaska State Fair Grand Champion, Western Open Junior & Grand Champion, and the National Junior Fiddle Champion.
In 2003, Amanda started teaching music lessons. What started out as teaching a couple of students per week in her parents’ living room quickly turned into a full-time teaching studio. After studying music education at the University of Alaska, Amanda went on to complete teacher certification for Suzuki Method (Every Child Can, The Joys of Pre-Twinkle, Suzuki Principles in Action, Teaching with an Open Heart, Teaching from the Balance Point, Suzuki in the Schools Unit 1, and Violin Units 1 through 4), and Music Mind Games (Unit 1). The methods and traditions that gave her the technique she uses today is now being passed on to the next generation of fiddlers.
In addition to teaching private lessons, Amanda also teaches group lessons, workshops, and camps. She currently is the Orchestra teacher at the Anchorage Waldorf School where she teaches violin, viola, cello, and bass to grades 3-8. While living in the Washington DC area from 2014-2016, Amanda taught Suzuki Violin, fiddling, and Music Mind Games group classes with Stephanie Flack and Russell Fallstad as a part of the “Heartstrings Academy” in Alexandria, VA. Every summer, Amanda continues to teach fiddle at many music camps in (and out) of the country.
Amanda loves performing just as much as teaching. She often plays with High Lonesome Sound and the Anna Lynch Band. You can hear her fiddling on Anna Lynch’s self-titled album that was released in 2014. When Amanda is not teaching (or “Momming” her two young children), you can occasionally find her performing around town with her husband, Dan Booth.
Emily Stephens
Raised as a military kid, Emily lived all over the country before settling in Anchorage, Alaska in 2016 for her husband’s job. Since then, Alaska has truly become home—she’s lived here longer than anywhere else and proudly claims it as her own.
Emily’s love for handcrafts began early, learning to crochet at eight and sew at ten. Her creative passions continued to grow alongside a developing interest in teaching. What began with giving piano lessons and tutoring in her teen years evolved into a dedicated career in education. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in teaching, and she has served in a variety of roles from yoga instructor to special education teacher. She is now a passionate handwork teacher, bringing together her love of teaching and creating.
Her journey into Waldorf education began with the birth of her first child, when she was drawn to its focus on nurturing childhood through rhythm, imagination, and meaningful connection.
Outside of school, you’ll likely find Emily exploring the outdoors with her two young Alaskans or working on her latest handcraft project.
Mr. Unterberger has been working at AWS as a block teacher and movement teacher. He has worked as a teacher and coach for many years but is also an artist whose watercolor paintings, drawings, calligraphy, and chalk art creations are treasured by the AWS community and Alaskans across the state.
Mr. Unterberger grew up in Chicago, IL, and studied Fine Art at the Art Institute of Chicago and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He began working with children in 1991 as a camp counselor at Four Corners Rediscovery Camp for Native Youth in Crestone, CO. From 1992-1995, he was an art and English teacher in Ladakh, India, at SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh). From 1995-2002, he served as a high school art teacher and all grades substitute at Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder, CO, and received teacher training from master Waldorf teacher Rene Querido. From 2002 to 2006, he took a break from teaching to work in New York City in film and TV production.
2006 brought Mr. Unterberger here to Alaska, where he has enjoyed working at AWS and coaching wrestling with Service High School and Alaska Battle Cats during the school year and working at Kantishna Air Taxi/ Skyline Lodge in Denali National Park during the summers. He lives in Chugiak with his wife Ginger and children Gia (High School), Aven (Grade 8), and Alice (Grade 3).
Michael Pero
Michael Pero was born and raised in New Jersey and is a graduate of Lenape Valley Regional High School in Stanhope, NJ. He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps from 1989 to 1992. Following his service, he pursued his passion for craftsmanship, earning both his Master Leathercrafter and Leathercraft Teaching Certifications from the Tandy College of Leather Arts in 1998. In 2018, he graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from the University of Alaska.
As the Waldorf Woodworking teacher, he shares not only technical skills but also a deep appreciation for creativity and hands-on learning. Outside the classroom, Michael enjoys spending time in the outdoors—hiking, skiing, and traveling—as well as immersing himself in music, the arts, and theater. His love of teaching and lifelong learning continues to inspire his work with students.
Tun Blanchett