NVS Faculty and Staff

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Sara is an educator who is thrilled to bring her passion to NVS as a specialized teacher, currently focusing on theater.  She spent 30 years founding three schools, administrating, and teaching, and she is excited to help foster an educational environment in which learners can flourish at NVS.  Sara specializes in overcoming learning gaps, curriculum development, and supporting neurodivergent learners. She holds a degree in elementary education and has extensive training in dyslexia support, autism, authentic academic discourse, reading and writing instruction, inquiry-based history teaching, restorative justice, trauma-informed care, and Love and Logic. Much of her teaching career has been devoted to understanding and advocating for neurodivergent students.

Newly relocated from the Midwest to the West Coast, you can find her walking on the beach, hiking on the beautiful local paths, playing music, or training to be a volunteer firefighter.

sara@neskowinvalleyschool.com

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND ADVANCEMENT

Emily is thrilled to serve as Director of Operations and Advancement at Neskowin Valley School. A firm believer in lifelong learning, she finds great joy in exploring new ideas, skills, and experiences. Originally from upstate New York, Emily relocated to Oregon in 2020, drawn by its natural beauty and creative spirit.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Spanish from the State University of New York at New Paltz and a Master’s in International Relations from Norwich University. Emily brings a diverse background to her role, with professional experience as a paralegal, legislative research assistant, and small business owner. She’s excited to support NVS through a time of growth, innovation, and community building.

Outside of work, you’ll often find Emily hiking and camping with her dog, Penny, or scrapbooking memories from her travels around the world.

emily@neskowinvalleyschool.com

PRESCHOOL TEACHER

Sammi grew up in Southcentral Alaska and spent many summers visiting family on the Oregon Coast. She attended Southern Oregon University, where she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. Sammi taught Preschool and Kindergarten for six years in Delaware and has a love of play-based, child-led learning. She is committed to providing an engaging, safe space where children can thrive. Sammi spent many years on the East Coast, as well as four years living overseas in Spain, and is excited to be moving back to the Pacific Northwest.

Outside of the classroom, she enjoys playing board games with her family, gardening, tending to her many house plants, reading, and walking with her Mini Schnauzer, Biscuit.

sammi@neskowinvalleyschool.com

LOWER SCHOOL TEACHER

Tori grew up in the Midwest, has lived in many different states, and traveled extensively before finding her way to the Oregon Coast more than ten years ago. From the moment she arrived, she knew she had found her soul home. She earned her Master's Degree in Elementary Education and has spent the past five years teaching first grade. Tori is passionate about the Science of Reading and loves watching young learners discover the confidence that comes with becoming lifelong readers. She believes children learn best when they are curious, engaged, and active participants in their learning, and she enjoys using nature as both a classroom and a guide for child-led inquiry and exploration. 

When she's not teaching, Tori can usually be found outside tending her garden, looking for tide pools, or caring for her lively collection of animals, including two goats, a dog, lots of chickens, snakes, and geckos. She loves sharing her enthusiasm for the natural world with her students and is committed to creating a joyful, welcoming classroom where every child feels seen, supported, and inspired to learn.

tori@neskowinvalleyschool.com

LEAD CAMP COUNSELOR / SUBSTITUTE

Claire is an Oregon native, having grown up spending weekends exploring the Pacific Northwest with her dogs. Her passion for the great outdoors led her to Oregon State University, where she graduated with a degree in environmental science. During her free time, she enjoys utilizing positive reinforcement in training dogs, skiing, and watching Formula One. Before coming to NVS, she worked as a substitute teacher for Nestucca Valley School District.

Claire is committed to helping children discover their passions and interests through compassionate care and encouraging inquiry. With a scientific background, she loves to explore the mysteries of coastal ecosystems and hopes to share her joy of learning with the NVS students. You’ll be able to easily spot her by the presence of one of her two Guide Dogs For the Blind puppies in training, black lab Wonton or golden retriever Lawson.

claire@neskowinvalleyschool.com

BOARD CHAIR / DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Kelsey grew up on Vancouver Island, Canada, where she spent all her time outdoors and with her animals. Today, she resides in Neskowin, Oregon, where she is still following the path of an outdoor woman and animal advocate. She is a mother of 2 wild-hearted boys who attend NVS, three horses, three kitties, and a couple of dogs. If she is not at the school sharing her passion for social-emotional development paired with neuroscience and playing in the school garden, you will find her at her farm with her animals or out adventuring with her family. She has joined our team as Board Chair and is volunteering her time to facilitate a period of regrowth and revitalization of our beloved school. With years of experience in management and running her own business, she brings a creative outlook to our new strategic plan and development.

kelsey@neskowinvalleyschool.com

 OUTDOOR EDUCATION & NATURE-BASED ART TEACHER

Sepha’s greatest passion is being in and learning about Nature.  She is always ready to discover something new with anyone who is curious about the natural world around us. 

Sepha grew up playing outdoors whenever she could. At a very young age, she accompanied her mother and her mariner scout troop with their canoes, camping and exploring the high lakes of the Cascades.  In college, she gravitated to Art, which soon led her to botanical illustration and nature journaling through Oregon State University’s Master Naturalist Program. Sepha works summers as a ranger at Cape Lookout State Park, curating the JR Ranger program, sharing art and nature, and teaching environmental education.

As an avid naturalist and artist, she loves to see the spark in someone’s eyes when they observe something they haven’t noticed before. Sepha loves to play using all sorts of things, microscopes and paintbrushes, which might lead us to new things we haven't done before! By discovering nature journaling or creating art, both kids and adults can connect to the outdoors in new ways.

Using imagination and exploration, we can all create memorable moments in nature!  Sepha truly believes that by forging a deeper appreciation, understanding, and knowledge of the natural world around us, we can all become better human beings.