Coordinator of Teaching and Learning,
PreK-4th grade

Anne Stires, M.Ed.

Founder of Juniper Hill School for Place-Based Education in Alna, ME, she is now an independent educational consultant working with schools and programs throughout Maine and beyond to support equitable outdoor learning and nature connection. Anne wrote the first chapter for David Sobel book, Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens: The Handbook for Outdoor Learning (2015) and co-authored the NAEEE/Natural Start Alliance’s Nature-Based Preschool Professional Practices Guidebook (2019). She teaches graduate level courses for Antioch University and serves as an advisor to Inside-Out Nature-based Educators’ Network. She loves to go on outdoor adventures with her son and partner.

Music Coordinator

Rhonda Bullock

Rhonda spent her first six years at Fiddlehead immersed in play-based learning in the Pre-K classroom as an assistant teacher. During that time, she was able to share her passion for music, planting the seeds for Fiddlehead’s music program. Since them, Rhonda has dedicated her time and passion as the school’s Music Coordinator. Teaming up with the music teacher and several private music instructors, she ensures that all students have the opportunity to explore and nurture a love of culture, community, and creativity through music. Rhonda shares the gift of music with others through teaching both group and private violin/ fiddle lessons as well as playing and performing with the group Fiddle~icious, Maine’s largest fiddle orchestra.

Music Teacher

Heather Milberger

Born into a musical family, Heather’s earliest memories are of singing in the church choir alongside her father. Music took her to study at New England Conservatory in Boston, where she spent five years exploring and expanding her personal style while teaching in the Boston community. Heather deeply values creating a space of expression for young musicians and strives to create community through musical connections. Heather lives in Portland with her cherished cat, Ophelia and is very active in the New England music scene performing her original music.

Spanish

Dawn Ellen Kirkland

Before coming to Fiddlehead in 2019, Señora Kirkland taught Spanish in elementary and middle schools in Portland for several years. Prior to that, she developed and ran a study-abroad semester program in Ecuador that included the study of the Spanish language and Ecuadorian culture. Prior to that, she was an outdoor educator, primarily with Outward Bound schools around the world. Señora Kirkland holds a Masters in Experiential Education from Minnesota State University and a Bachelors in Art from SUNY Albany. She lives in South Portland with her husband and daughter, always eagerly planning their next adventure together.

Occupational Therapist

Katherine Uschmann

Katherine is an Occupational Therapist who loves working with students and their families. She earned her Master of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Southern Maine and brings experience from a past career in business consulting. Katherine believes in the unique value of everyone she works with. Katherine lives in Yarmouth with her husband and three children. She is active in her library’s book club and a local artist group.

Speech Therapist

Beata Welsh

Having provided speech/language services for over twenty years, Beata’s favorite part about therapy is seeing how proud the students are when they’ve accomplished skills that were initially difficult. When she is not at school, she enjoys hiking, biking, and camping with her family. She looks forward to assisting all Fiddlehead students in being the best communicators they can be.

Atelierista (Art Teacher)

Amy Arsenault

Outdoor Learning Coordinator

Seal Rossignol

School Social Worker, Pre-K–3rd Grade

Kelly Lancaster

Kelly has been a social worker for kids in the school setting for 8 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in child development from The University of Maine. She then went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Boston College. Kelly has worked in early intervention, in-home therapy, and in school settings. She specializes in child-directed play therapy. Kelly loves school social work because it allows her to give students a safe place to express their feelings in playful and creative ways. When not at work you can find her running, baking, and playing with her 2-year-old son, Jack.

School Social Worker, 4th–8th Grades

Carrie Larson

Carrie has been a School Social Worker at the Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences since August 2020. Carrie has an extensive history of working with children and adolescents in a variety of settings but has chosen School Social Work as a result of the daily opportunities to interact with young people in a supportive, community-oriented environment.  Carrie is a strong advocate for students, their emotional wellness, their independence and their identity.  When Carrie is not at school, she enjoys being with her partner, her three children and her dog finding ways to laugh.