Teachers and Community
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Yasmeen Osman - Lead Kindergarten Teacher

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Yasmeen was born in South Africa, where she had a strong experience of living in community and spending a lot of downtime outdoors, 'just playing', with a lot of freedom. She also internalized deeply the need to recognize the humanity in all people and to contribute to the creating a better world. She moved to Ottawa when she was 12 years old, and has been mostly rooted here since then. 

​With a university degree in biology and studies in child development and psychology, she then felt drawn to her long-standing interest in children and education. She was first inspired by the focus on beauty , reverence and and lively engagement of the children in the Waldorf approach. Her interest grew when her daughters attended Waldorf schools, and she completed the Waldorf Teacher Training at Sunbridge College in New York. She has had the privilege of leading Kindergarten programs for the past 23 years, including at École Parsifal and the Garden Gate Program. 
Learning and integrating her personal and professional experience continues to be a priority, with the children as treasured among her many teachers. "My task is to hold a space that celebrates the precious un-hurried nature of childhood. I feel honoured to be witness to the profound richness of the children's play and to be in the presence of their joy and wonder." Connecting with family and friends, long chats at the kitchen table, singing together, reading, being in Nature and long walks beside water are cherished activities. ​

Alan Krueger-Lead Grade School Teacher
Grade 6 & 7

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We are delighted to announce that Mr. Alan Krueger has joined Polaris. Alan is a graduate of the University of Guelph and received his B. Ed at Western University. Before teaching in the Haldimand-Norfolk County School Board, Alan taught overseas in Germany, Lebanon and Thailand. Upon returning to Canada he embarked on a 19 year career as a Waldorf teacher at the Ottawa Waldorf School. Alan has also mentored Waldorf teachers in Ottawa, Kingston, Guelph and Toronto. He brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise to share not only with the students but with our teachers and staff as well.

Marieke Winkeldermatt - Grade School Teacher
Grade 1

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Marieke brings a deep love of Waldorf education, language, and community life to her work at Polaris School. Her journey with Waldorf began when her daughters attended Waldorf pre-schools, inspiring her to homeschool in a cooperative setting using the Waldorf curriculum. During this time, she led multi-age programming for Grades 1–4, preparing and delivering main lessons, form drawing, handwork, nature walks, seasonal crafts, plays, baking, music, and recorder.
Marieke has also served as a teacher’s aide at Chelsea Forest School and Chelsea Elementary, supporting children of diverse needs and abilities. Her fluency in English and Dutch, along with strong French and German skills, reflect her passion for language and cultural exchange. With additional training from the Toronto Rudolf Steiner Centre and a background in music and community programming, Marieke brings warmth, creativity, and a collaborative spirit to the classroom and looks forward to continuing her Waldorf training.

Karima Stacey - Grade School Teacher
Grade 2 & 3

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Karima brings a lifelong connection to Waldorf education, having been raised in Ottawa and attending a Waldorf school throughout her elementary years. These formative experiences—filled with music, handwork, storytelling, and time in nature—inspired both her teaching style and her deep belief in the value of nurturing the whole child.
Karima holds an Honours Bachelor of Social Sciences in Conflict Studies and Human Rights as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa. Her passion for travel and cultural exchange led her to work with NGOs in Ghana, India, and Tanzania, and to teach in classrooms across the UK and the UAE.
Karima most recently served as a class teacher at the Toronto Waldorf School, where she led Grades 1–3. She draws on a strong understanding of child development, differentiated instruction, and Waldorf pedagogy. She also served as a teaching assistant in the lower grades prior to taking on her own class, gaining valuable experience across multiple grade levels. With a warm and nurturing presence, Karima brings to Polaris her love of singing, movement, cooking, the arts, and the outdoors—all rooted in her early Waldorf education. She is excited to be returning to the classroom and is grateful to be part of the Polaris community.

Hidayet Abbad​​ - Grade School Teacher
Grade 4 & 5

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Hidayet joins Polaris School with a deep admiration for the Waldorf approach and a strong background in bilingual education, community programming, and holistic child development. She has completed her Forest and Nature School Practitioner certification and brings a meaningful understanding of Rudolf Steiner’s philosophy, which has shaped her personal and professional path. Hidayet infuses her teaching with intention, rhythm, and reverence for each stage of childhood.

Her experience includes leading bilingual (French-English) educational programs, creating songs and stories for children’s enrichment, and working as a Teaching Assistant in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Through her work at the Rhoda Foundation, Hidayet designed and facilitated immersive programming for children and families, guided by seasonal rhythms, storytelling, and nature-based learning—an approach that mirrors the heart of Waldorf education. With a degree in mechanical engineering, Hidayet brings a unique perspective to the classroom, blending analytical thinking with creativity and curiosity. Her background supports an integrated approach to teaching that nurtures both the imaginative and practical capacities of the child. Whether through hands-on exploration, problem-solving, or experiential projects, she is passionate about fostering a love for inquiry and the natural world.  
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Hidayet is excited to deepen her understanding of Waldorf pedagogy as she begins her formal teacher training through the summer intensive program at the Rudolf Steiner College of Canada this summer. She looks forward to growing as an educator and bringing the richness of this work into the classroom. She is delighted to be part of the vibrant Polaris community and to continue her journey in Waldorf education.

Cole McLaughlin - Nature Connect
Lead Outdoor Facilitator

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Cole is a naturalist, nature mentor, scholar, craftsman and artist. He comes to us having led our first iterations of Nature connect with an organization called Earth Path back in 2017.

Throughout his career, working with kids and adults connecting with nature, Cole has led many day programs and camps with various organizations and communities. His journey started with the guidance of a caring mother who inspired by Rudolf Steiner’s work but unable to send him to a local Waldorf school, brought him into his body, mind and spirit through craft, music, story and time in nature. Later, through enrolment in an outdoor group led by his grade six teacher, Cole embarked on a journey that went deep into philosophy, wilderness living and naturalism.

Cole continued through his youth as a participant and eventually leader for young boys and into a career after searching for a way to keep growing his skills and doing meaningful work in his early 20’s. Right around the time that he was enrolled as a undergrad student at University, Cole began planning adult programs with the hopes that he might once again have a cohort to deepen his skills and love for nature and teaching. It was serendipity or chance that Cole stumbled upon an outdoor school at that time called the P.I.N.E. Project and discovered that the Director, Andrew McMartin, had already started building what he though didn’t exist in Toronto and the rest is history.

From 2011 on Cole led and developed programs through the P.I.N.E. Now since moving to the nation’s capital Cole has been sharing his love for nature and craft through his work with various organizations in the area. He brings a special love of working with local plants to turn their barks into threads and textiles and continues to bring cohorts of kids and adults out and into relationships with the world all around.

Amy Edwards - Nature Connect
​Outdoor Facilitator

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Amy has been bringing people outside for many years. With a background in early childhood education, Amy decided many years ago that there must be a very good reason why recess is the universal favourite subject. She then embarked on a joyful path of weaving naturalist knowledge and inquiry, storytelling, song, ecology, wilderness skills, and good old-fashioned dirt, mud, and snow into her work with young people. She brings experience and gratitude from facilitating the Nature Connect program at Polaris, as well as working for the Pine Project in Toronto and Chelsea Forest School in the Gatineau hills. She and her own children have felt very nurtured by the Polaris community and she feels inspired to compliment the Waldorf curriculum by extending the classroom to the natural world outside. 

Dina Cristino - Administrator

Dina brings over 23 years of experience in school administration and a rich background in teaching and language education to her role at Polaris School and Centre. Before joining Polaris in 2018, she served as both administrator and bookkeeper at the Ottawa Waldorf School, supporting all aspects of school operations, human resources, financial reporting, and parent communications. Her deep organizational skills, combined with her warm, people-centered approach, make her a steady and compassionate presence in the school community.

A number of coincidental events lead her to Waldorf Education upon her return to Canada, and she began her journey a number of years ago after joining a Parent and Child class with her daughter. Waldorf Education’s focus on movement, art, music, storytelling and creating a “lived experience” for the children all spoke to Dina’s own teaching methods and philosophies. That combined with its focus on reverence for the earth and natural toys and lifestyle, fit so well with her family values.

She is grateful for all that Waldorf Education has brought to her personal and family life and thankful to be a part of Polaris and working with the whole community to ensure that all families seeking this unique education have the opportunity available to them.  

​Growing up in a very small town in Northern Ontario, surrounded by forests and lakes, Dina developed a love for the outdoors and nature. She enjoys spending time hiking and gardening or can be found curled up with a book, when she can find the time, which is her other passion.