Week 1 — In Person
June 28 - Friday, July 3, 2026
Wilton, NH
Teaching First Grade:
Laying Foundations for Lifelong Learning
In-Person with Sarah Galligan
The first-grade year is a momentous and imaginative threshold. Children step fully into grade school life, encountering learning through story, movement, rhythm, artistry, and meaningful work. The first-grade teacher carries the essential task of forming a cohesive class community while laying the foundations for reading, writing, and arithmetic in a way that nourishes the whole child.
This Renewal Course offers inspiration, practical guidance, and artistic renewal for teachers preparing to meet this pivotal year with clarity, confidence, and joy.
Participants will engage deeply with the essential elements of first-grade teaching, including:
Storytelling and Imagination
Choosing and telling stories that enliven learning and speak to the developmental needs of the first grader.
Movement, Rhythm, and Sensory Integration
Circle work, games, verses, and rhythmic activities that support healthy learning and embodied understanding.
Artistic Practice
Guided drawing, form drawing, painting, chalkboard art, and beeswax modeling as foundations for academic and soul development.
Curriculum Foundations
Language arts and mathematics through Rudolf Steiner’s indications, thoughtfully adapted for children today.
Nature, Festivals, and Reverence
Integrating seasonal rhythms, nature study, crafts, and festivals to deepen connection and meaning.
Classroom Life and Social-Emotional Learning
Establishing rhythms, fostering respectful relationships, and creating inclusive classrooms that support belonging and community.
Additional Course Offerings — In-Person (Grades 1–5)
This course also includes Eurythmy with Alexandra Spadea, offering developmentally appropriate movement experiences that support embodiment, balance, and learning readiness across the grades. Participants will also engage in Teaching Music and Singing with Meg O’Dell, providing practical and inspiring approaches to cultivating a rich musical life in the classroom, as well as Artistic Engagement with Narsingh Khalsa, offering immersive artistic experiences that strengthen teaching practice, creativity, and inner renewal.
By the end of the course, teachers leave with renewed confidence, practical tools, and the inspiration to guide their class through this transformative year – laying strong foundations for learning, community, and lifelong growth.
Born and raised in New Hampshire, Sarah Galligan landed in the Monadnock Region 16 years ago to undertake Waldorf teacher training, and never left. During that time, she has held many roles working with children and families, including Director of Davis Public Library, Founding Director and Lead Teacher of Calendula Garden Children’s Center, and Kindergarten Teacher at Monadnock Waldorf School. This is her fifth year teaching first grade at Gathering Waters Charter School. Sarah holds a BA in Fine Arts from Franklin Pierce University and an M.Ed. in Elementary Education with a Waldorf teaching certificate from Antioch University New England. Sarah is inspired by an unwavering commitment of Waldorf Education to meet the needs of children today through developmentally appropriate curriculum and its creative and holistic approach. Sarah lives in Keene and loves to spend time with her family and in her garden.
Each Renewal Course, Grades 1–8, Includes:
Eurythmy
with Alexandra Spadea —
Offering developmentally appropriate movement experiences that support embodiment, balance, and learning readiness across the grades.
Teaching Music and Singing
with Meg O’Dell –
Practical approaches to cultivate musical life, rhythm, and singing in the classroom.
Artistic Engagement
with Narsingh Khalsa –
Guided artistic practice in drawing, painting, form work, and creative exercises to inspire teaching and inner life development.
These offerings provide teachers with practical tools, inspiration, and experiential learning to integrate the arts, rhythm, creativity, and science into classroom practice while supporting their own professional and personal growth.
Alexandra Spadea grew up in a Waldorf school in Germany, where her lifelong love of eurythmy began. She trained at the Elena Zuccoli School in Dornach, Switzerland, and graduated from Eurythmy Spring Valley, NY, in 1994 under the directorship of Dorothea Mier.
Alexandra taught high school eurythmy at Green Meadow Waldorf School (1994–2000) and has been a member of the Rudolf Steiner School, NYC community since 2009, teaching grades 7–12 and serving as a class advisor. She earned her postgraduate B.A. in Eurythmy Pedagogy in 2015–16.
Meg O’Dell loves helping people access their innate capacity for wellness, vitality, and connection. She does this as a somatic coach, supporting individuals and couples in growth, transformation, and healing, and also as a music teacher and vocal mentor. She teaches music at The Bay School, a Waldorf school on the coast of Maine, and leads a large intergenerational all-comers chorus called Misty Mountain Singers. Meg serves as faculty for Antioch University’s Waldorf Teacher Training and CfA’s Waldorf High School Teacher Education Programs. She is a regular instructor for CfA’s the Renewal Courses and introductory Explorations program, and she has taught with LifeWays North America. She received her M.Ed. from Antioch University New England in 2008. Her great joys include spending time with her growing children and visiting the small, misty mountain that rises out of the sea near their home.
Narsingh Khalsa is a Waldorf educator and artist with a degree in Education from Prescott College and teacher training from Sunbridge Institute. Currently teaching a combined 2nd and 3rd grade class at the Waldorf School of Princeton, Narsingh brings 18 years of experience teaching fine arts to students from 1st through 12th grade. Passionate about creativity, she enjoys making children’s books, developing Waldorf curriculum for homeschoolers and teachers, and engaging in handwork. Outside the classroom, Narsingh loves hiking, yoga, and exploring the beauty of nature.
Community Gatherings In-Person, June 28 – July 3, 2026
Community Gatherings bring together participants attending Renewal Courses and the Mentor Training Program, twice daily, at 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Daily Keynote
with Carol Ann Bärtges
Spiritual Cognition: How Wonder, Imagination, Inspiration and Intuition Inform our Work
Eurythmy
with Alexandra Spadea
Midday Community Singing
with Meg O’Dell
Evening Events — In Person
Monday, June 29, 2026
Evening Lecture : The Five Circles of Love and Friendship
with Kim John Payne
“Helping students navigate their class social dynamics and adults to calibrate the complexities of collegial relationships”
Join us for an illuminating evening lecture with Kim John Payne exploring the Five Circles of Love and Friendship. This thoughtful presentation offers practical insights for helping students navigate the social dynamics of their classes, while also supporting adults in skillfully calibrating the complexities of collegial relationships. Grounded in warmth, clarity, and real-world experience, this evening invites reflection, understanding, and renewed capacity for fostering healthy relationships in both educational and professional communities.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Affinity Group Connections
with Renewal Faculty
Join us for an engaging session of mutual support and shared wisdom. Affinity group connections are dynamic roundtable forums designed to foster collaboration, exchange, and community among Waldorf educators. These interactive sessions offer teachers preparing to enter their next grade an opportunity to gain insights, ideas, and best practices directly from colleagues who have recently completed teaching that grade.
Teachers who have just completed a grade can share their experiences, challenges, and successes, providing invaluable guidance to those stepping into new roles. These conversations are also inclusive and supportive for special subject teachers, pedagogical leaders, and anyone wishing to deepen their engagement with movement practices, arts integration, curriculum development, or broader Waldorf pedagogy. Participants leave inspired, connected, and equipped with practical strategies to enhance their classroom work and professional growth.
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Live Music and Contra Dancing
with Carey Bluhm, Gordon Peery, and Diane Goodman
Join us for a joyful evening of live music and contra dancing with Carey Bluhm, Gordon Peery, and Diane Goodman. Come move, laugh, and connect through spirited music and shared rhythm in a welcoming, celebratory atmosphere. This lively gathering offers a perfect opportunity to unwind, enjoy community, and end the day energized and uplifted for a memorable summer start.
Care for the Body, Soul, and Spirit
Attending a summer course in person offers more than just professional inspiration and community connections—it’s an opportunity for deep personal rejuvenation. Take time to relax and nurture your well-being by indulging in some much-needed self-care.
Choose from a variety of wellness offerings designed to nourish your soul and body. Whether you seek quiet reflection, hands-on healing, or artistic renewal, these options are crafted to support your journey of self-care and rejuvenation.
Wellness sign-up options will be available in the spring—stay tuned to secure your moments of personal renewal!
Holistic Custom Facial
with Kira Atkinson
Healing Massage
with Lilliana Rivera
Restorative Yoga and Meditation
with Erin Brie