Our Teaching Community

Our principal & Class 6 teacher

Seamus Devane teaches Class 6 this year.  Seamus graduated from St Patricks Training College, Dublin in 1981 where he received his Bachelor of Education.  He taught for five years in a primary school in Dublin.  In 1986 he moved to Wynstones Steiner School in the U.K where he completed a Steiner Teacher Training.  From 1988 – 2000 he was a class teacher at Wynstones School.

In 200 he returned to Ireland where he taught teenagers at the Alfa Project in Scariff.  In 2008 he joined the staff at Raheen Wood Steiner National School as a class teacher.

Kindergarten

Marguerite Devane has taught in the Kindergarten (An Grianán group) since September 2001. She graduated from St. Patrick’s Training College, Dublin with a B. Ed. degree in 1987. In 1986 she took the Kindergarten Training Course at Wynstones (Gloucestershire, England). She has experience in both National Schools and Waldorf Schools.

Kate Porter – Kindergarten Assistant.  Kate was born and raised in England to Irish Parents, from Co. Donegal.  At the age of 18 she moved from England to Ireland where she spent two years with family before moving to California at the age of 20.  A year later she moved to Orlando, Florida where she married Eric and spent the next twenty two years working as an Executive Assistant for Marriott Vacation Club.  After the birth of their daughter, Caoimhe, in 2002, Eric and Kate moved closer to family in Indiana for 18 months and then to Co. Clare in 2007 where Caoimhe joined the Kindergarten.  Kate completed the Foundation Year of the three-year Steiner Kindergarten Teacher training last year.

Grace Burton teaches in Cois Coille Kindergarten.

Renate Adriaanse - Kindergarten Assistant. After doing her leaving cert in Germany in 1981, she has worked for 19 years in Anthroposophical village communities for adults with special needs as a housemother and workshop leader.  In 2002 she qualified in Therapeutic Massage.  Since 2005 she has been working as a Kindergarten Assistant and a s a home help for the elderly.   She is also a member of the Craft Group.

Class 1/2

Ciara Felle:

Class 3/4

Fionnuala Bates. Since graduating in 2004 with a B.Ed. from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Fionnuala has been teaching in national schools in Clare, Tipperary, and Limerick city. Originally from Dublin, she worked as a volunteer for five years in East Africa before returning to Ireland in 1981 where she worked as a relationship and fertility counsellor while raising five children. She lives in Shannon and for many years has taken an interest in Waldorf education and the work of Rudolf Steiner.

Class 5/6

Alan Dickey. A native of County Antrim, Alan has a degree in English and French from St Andrews University and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from Queens University, Belfast. He taught for ten years in English comprehensive schools, also teaching children with moderate learning difficulties, before completing the Foundation year in Steiner education at Raheen Wood, and taking his first class in 1999. That class having graduated to secondary level in 2005.

Eurythmy

Eurythmy Teacher

(click here for an introduction to the concept of Eurythmy)

Learning support/Resource Teachers

Maírín Kelly: Maírín is job sharing with Grainne Vaughan.  Mairin Kelly graduated from St. Patrick’s Training College in 1983, taking her first teaching post in an inner city Dublin school.
She then pursued a career in art and design, recieving an MA in Fine Art from Wimbledon School of Art, London in 2004.
She returned to teaching at Raheen Wood Steiner N.S. in 2009.

Roísín Healy: Learning Support Teacher in a job share with Maírín Kelly

Maura O’Grady: full-time resource teacher.  Maura has a B.A. from the University of Limerick and  a H. Dip. in Primary Education from Coláiste Mhuire, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.  She has taught for fifteen years in primary schools in Dublin, Meath, Clare and Sydney, Australia.   Maura brings to Raheen Wood Steiner National School.  a particular interest and experience  in teaching children with special needs in a mainstream setting.

Handwork

Mai Foley: teaches handwork.

Marike Peek: teaches handwork.  After moving to Ireland in 2000 she volunteered as a handwork assistant.  She took over the position of part-time handwork teacher in February 2009 and now teaches handwork in classes 1 – 5.

Lisa Bedford studied Textiles at Salisbury Art College in the UK, and has many years’ experience in handwork and craft work as a parent of four children who have studied (and continue to!) at Raheen Wood. Lisa spent a year as a full-time assistant to Monica Hannaford, who has retired.

French

Regine Roskam is French and moved to Ireland in 1990 after she got married.  She has been teaching French in primary and secondary schools in the area since 1994.  In recent years she has tutored adult classes in Scariff and Shannon.  She has been working for Raheen Wood Steiner National School since September 2009.

Physical Education and Woodwork

Paul Mahoney trained for two years at Emerson College in the U.K, then for a year at Ringwood Steiner School.  He has taught as a class teacher for 7 years (6 of them at Raheen Wood Steiner School).  He was formerly a professional drummer and enjoys music and rugby.

Afternoon Care Team

Catherine Horgan & Janice Manson Butcher: afterschool care service between 13.30 – 15.00 Monday-Friday.

School Administration Manager

Ellen Baggs studied Fashion and Costume design for 5 years in the UK. She came to Ireland 6 years ago after working as a freelance costume designer, wardrobe mistress and manger. Her background includes working as a College Lecturer at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design, a Nursery Nurse at a private nursery for children from 0 to 5 years and youth work at an Indian Boys Club in Southampton, England.

SNAs

Noelette O’Brien – SNA.  Noelette O’Brien joined Raheen Wood Steiner National School this year.  She has over 10 years experience in working as special needs assistant; resource teacher and Montessori teaching.  She also does voluntary work when she has spare time with children with disabilities and has four children of her own.

Simona Taylor – SNA.  Came to Ireland from Italy via London in 1991.  She worked in London for 8 years, where she worked in primary schools and day centres in the inner city as a nursery nurse.  Simona trained and worked as a Steiner Kindergarten teacher within Raheen Wood and her four children all attended Raheen Wood Steiner School.  She has been an SNA and home tutor for the past 6 years.