Our Faculty
“Receive the children in reverence, educate them in love, and send them forth in freedom. ”
Mary
cowen
Mrs. Cowen is our Pedagogical Director. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Eastern Illinois University and a Waldorf Teaching Certificate from Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Education Program. Before joining City Garden in 2008, Mrs. Cowen taught at the Chicago Waldorf School in the grades. She lives in Chicago with her husband of over twenty years, Tadd, and their two, daughters, Cecilia and Dixie. She enjoys gardening, cooking, going for walks, and a good book.
paula
franzese
Ms. Franzese is one of our Lead Teachers and serves as our Festival Coordinator. She holds a Waldorf Early Childhood Teaching Certificate from the Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Education Program. Before becoming a lead teacher, Paula was a teacher for the Parent/Child program, an assistant, and an aftercare teacher. She loves to incorporate her many family traditions into her classroom, especially when centered around good food. When not teaching, Paula enjoys mushroom foraging, beekeeping, and wine-making with her family.
Jone
HellesoY
Ms. Hellesoy is the Executive Director of City Garden and a Lead Teacher. Prior to founding City Garden, Jone taught at the Chicago Waldorf School for more than 20 years, educated adult students at the Arcturus Rudolf Steiner Education Program, and mentored many teachers along the way. At CWS, she served on the College of Teachers, the Board of Directors, and in a leadership capacity on numerous committees. Born in Norway, Ms. Hellesoy herself was educated in the Waldorf tradition. She enjoys gardening and reading works by Rudolf Steiner.
gina
joslin
Mrs. Joslin is our Administrative and Aftercare Director. She has been involved in City Garden since her children first enrolled. Gina holds a BA in English from the University of St. Thomas and and MA in Humanities from the University of Chicago. Ms. Joslin likes to go camping with her husband Ben and daughters Giulia and Amelia.