A Free Parent Enrichment Evening--Open To The Community--All Donations Gratefully Accepted!

We are excited to present this panel discussion of our Spring River teachers and parents as they focus on aspects of the developing child from 7-10 years old from a Waldorf education perspective. This includes discussing family aspects such as rhythm and routine, media, and emotional regulation.

The format for this presentation will be a presentation by each of our panelists with a time for discussion and Q&A at the end.

We hope you will join for a rich conversation on Thursday, March 6th!

DATE: March 6th, 2025
TIME: 6:00-7:30 PM
PLACE: Atlantic Theatres, 751 Atlantic Beach FL 32233

Meet our Six Panelists:

Jackie Stetson, Pedagogical Chair at Spring River School

Jackie holds a degree from the University of Florida with a BS in Psychology and a Minor in Education and was an elementary school teacher for Duval County Public Schools from 2007-2018, working in grades K-6. Some of the highlights of those years were as team leader for Third Grade and considerable work as a "Various Exceptionalities Teacher," meeting the individual needs of students including their IEP goals. Jackie has been working at Spring River since 2019 and looped with her class from Grade 2 through Grade 6 as a class teacher.

Julia Hassler, 6th Grade Class Teacher & Faculty Co-Chair at Spring River School

Julia is a trailblazer for Waldorf Education, dating back to 1994, when she led Waldorf mixed-age programs as one of the founders of The Playgarden. She branched out to teach school-age children at various homeschool co-ops, including middle school classes in physics and chemistry. Julia has been a class teacher at Spring River since 2017 and has taken two groups of students through 8th grade so far. She is loved and respected by her families and the greater community and is known for teaching her students through hands-on activities and field trips.

Leah Henderson, 5th Grade Class Teacher at Spring River School

Leah was first introduced to Waldorf Education when her daughter started at The Playgarden in 2017. She was soon enthralled and eventually became their Lead Forest Teacher. Through her professional development and experience at The Playgarden, Leah fell in love with the whole child approach to learning, understanding that the head, hands, and heart are all essential. She had long ago discovered this sentiment on her journey through academia. As a professional in the field of education, she was excited to see this sentiment echoed in the Waldorf community. As her daughter moved on from The Playgarden and into Spring River, Leah also wanted to follow the journey through the grades.

Kelly Corson, 2nd Grade class Teacher & Faculty Co-Chair at Spring River School

Kelly's commitment to her profession is evident in her continuous professional development. She received her Waldorf teacher training certificate from Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento and holds a bachelor’s degree in child development from Brigham Young University. She has taught in various Waldorf Schools, including Whidbey Island Waldorf School and Olympia Waldorf School, and mixed-age homeschool settings. Each summer, she dedicates time to grades training to ensure her understanding of her students' development level is up to date.

Nika Spengler, 4th Grade Associate Teacher at Spring River School

In Germany, Nika taught for many years at a public school for grades 1-10 before she discovered her passion for the Waldorf way of teaching. Nika believes that the heart, hand, and head teaching is the best way to guide children into this challenging world.

Amy Ayers, Board Member at Jacksonville Educational Community and Parent at Spring River School

Amy holds a Master's in Behavioral Analysis, Performance Management, and Behavioral Leadership from the Florida Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis on Organizational Behavior Management from Florida State University. Over the past twenty years, Amy has worked as a Corporate Consultant and Executive Coach for Fortune 500 companies.

Amy was introduced to Waldorf education at the Denver Waldorf school in 2012. She immediately felt at home and that her intuitive parenting ethos was honored, supported, and inspired by the Waldorf pedagogy. Amy continued learning more about Waldorf Education at Mountain Phoenix Community School in Denver, Colorado. In 2017, Amy moved home to Atlantic Beach, Florida, and enrolled her children in the Playgarden and the Seaside Charter School. She was actively involved in both schools and was instrumental in creating a strong Parent Teacher Organization at the Seaside Charter school and served as PTO President from 2017-2020. Amy’s three children currently attend Spring River.

Kristi Hinkley, Occupational Therapist, Founder of Beaches Nature Therapy and Parent Alumni of Spring River School

My expertise is in finding positive solutions for behavioral challenges experienced by kids with ADHD and ODD. My quest to expand the impact of my services led me out of my job in the schools and into opening my own private practice. Now I guide families on how to trade reward charts, blame and defeat for the joy and empowerment of hands-on skill building in groups, nature, and body-brain education. Beaches Nature Therapy serves kids & teens with ADHD and behavioral challenges. Through groups and individual OT, we improve problem-solving, impulse control, body awareness, and social relationships.

Ashley Bender, Parent at Spring River School

Ashley is a nutrition coach, combining evidence based practices with natural healing methods. She's currently enrolled in Nutritional Therapy Association to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Her own health and healing journey ignited a passion in Ashley to help others heal and feel their best. Ashley is a mama of 4 beautiful children, two of them currently attend Spring River.

ABOUT SPRING RIVER SCHOOL:

Spring River School is an initiative of Jacksonville Educational Community (JEC), a pioneering non-profit organization founded by parents and local educators who are driven by a common desire to create a transformative educational experience focused on the whole-child approach.

This impulse led to the establishment of Florida's first Waldorf-inspired K-8 all-outdoor education program.

Students at Spring River are welcomed to a place of respect and encouragement, where they learn to be self-sufficient and are provided the space to flourish. The curriculum, pedagogy, and teaching methods are designed to nurture and realize each child's unique potential.

In the fall of 2020, we took our homeschool classes on outdoor field trips for the school year and found that outdoor education was the perfect fit for our curriculum and families. Our classes, which for several years were indoors in churches and community centers, have now been moved to local parks steps from the ocean in the Beaches Area. With the support of our community, we are working toward building a campus that will be home to outdoor pavilions and a biodynamic garden. Outside of Spring River, parents may homeschool their children in any manner of their choosing. Our parents and teachers are available to provide inspiration and ideas that blend well with our supplemental program.

A little bit, about JEC:

WHO WE ARE

We are a pioneering community of business owners, caregivers, teachers, and students seeking ways to connect with the wonders of the natural world and each other.

WHAT WE DO

Our purpose is to engage the Northeast Florida community in initiatives, programming, and community outreach that embodies the full range of Holistic and Anthroposophical-inspired ideals such as:

Outdoor Education

Homeschool Enrichment

Waldorf Education

Community Green Space

Biodynamic Gardening

Anthroposophical Studies

The Healing Arts

Teacher Training and Support

WHY WE BELIEVE THIS IS IMPORTANT

Everyone needs and deserves access to nature and human connection.

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES

I. We exist to support the developing human being on their journey to discover purpose and meaning.

II. We accomplish this support through education, spiritual practice, and service.

III. We seek to awaken capacities of judgment, creativity, perception, empathy, joy, and wonder.

IV. We embody reverence for the uniqueness of each individual and respect for their right to freedom.

V. We believe nature offers the essential needs of reflection, health, and connection.

Developmental Stages, Rhythms, and Routines for the 7-10 Year Old.

By Jacksonville Educational Community Inc

Developmental Stages, Rhythms, and Routines for the 7-10 Year Old.

A Parent Enrichment Panel Discussion with Q&A.