Faculty 2022/23

Liisa Hymander
Parent and Child, Co-op Morning Preschool 2023/24
Growing with the school since our beginnings, Liisa has adventurously carried the blended kindergarten to Grade 2 class in our early years. Liisa is on maternity leave in 2022/23.
Completing Waldorf Foundation Studies, Liisa started her first year of Waldorf teacher studies at the Rudolf Steiner Centre Toronto in the summer of 2019 and completed her teacher training by 2021. An Honours Child and Youth Worker graduate, she has a spirit for creating space for others to learn, grow and connect.
Liisa is a mother of four children who values curiosity and child centred learning. Her second daughter has been a student at Northern Lights since 2017. A passion for whole foods, circus arts, sewing and the outdoors keeps her smiling. Liisa looks forward to future adventures with Northern Lights School students, families and community.

Marcela Greer
Kindergarten
Marcela came to Thunder Bay from Slovakia many years ago… Thunder Bay has become her home with her son Raymond and husband Kelly.
Working with children has been a source of joy for her. Since 2004 she has worked in public schools as a Student Support Professional. She got involved with the Northern Lights School Friday Adventure Program which deepened her connection with nature and the education. She is excited to facilitate children’s imagination in a kindergarten through play, art and stories.
Kindergarten Assistant
Bio coming.
Bio coming.

Solange Cote
Grade 1 and 2
Solange enjoys sharing teaching skills, mindfulness practices and her love of sports and the arts. Her greatest desire has always been to inspire each student, to awaken in each one the “spark” of curiosity, the love of learning and the desire to delve and discover new things.
She is looking forward to this new chapter of her life and taking up teaching children in a new way.

Caitlin Malone
Grades 3,4,5 and Friday Nature Program
Caitlin is excited to be joining Northern Lights School as the Grade 3/4/5 teacher. She was first introduced to Waldorf education in British Columbia and the moment she entered the school, she fell in love with the rich educational philosophy and practices.
She received her Waldorf teacher education at the West Coast Institute and taught grades 3-7 within a Waldorf school. She is passionate about holistic education which she believes children need more than ever.
She has recently moved to Thunder Bay and is looking forward to this new journey. She hopes to inspire and foster a love of learning that will continue to grow in the children for years to come.

Arlene Thorn
Board Chair and Administrator
Arlene has been part of the Waldorf School and Anthroposophical movement for 40 years. Following years as a parent, Board member and Community Development Coordinator at the Toronto Waldorf School, she joined the Rudolf Steiner Centre Toronto as the Adult Education Coordinator. In 2012, she and her husband moved to Thunder Bay.
Upon arrival Arlene joined the Northern Lights Initiative group for an alternative school in Thunder Bay . In 2017 the Northern Lights School started a kindergarten and it has been a daily task to keep the school ‘on the road’. She is grateful that we are being entrusted with the children in our care. We are blessed to be creating a Waldorf inspired school within a community of children, teachers, parents and friends.