Machelle, along with her husband Greg and Blue Heeler mutt Maggie, recently became seasonal residents in Bellevue. They will split time between Tubac, Arizona, and the Wood River Valley. She spent most of her adult life in Alaska, raising three children and experiencing countless adventures.
During Machelle’s educational career, she served as a special education teacher and then teacher/librarian in the Anchorage School District as well as Unalaska in the Aleutian Islands, and Nuiqsut in the North Slope Borough of Alaska. Her hobbies include gardening, all kinds of crafts, and attempting to learn watercolor and banjo. Machelle’s daughter, Crystal (Ms. O), teaches kindergarten at Syringa, and her granddaughter, Mabel Jane, is in middle school there. She’s had the privilege of volunteering over the last nine years, mostly in the library.
It has been her joy to see the journey of growth Syringa has experienced since its early years. While continually staying committed to Waldorf-inspired educational philosophy and practices, Machelle is thrilled to become part of the School Board and join the unique and resolute staff, students, and volunteers of Syringa Mountain School. She looks forward to working hard and learning all along the way.