Manuela Russo-Nelson

Grades 1-8 Spanish Teacher

I’m Manuela, and I’m so happy to share a bit about myself with this amazing community. I’m married to Max, and we have two daughters, Juana (14) and Damasia (4), with a little boy on the way! Our family also includes Mateo, our playful Border Collie. In my free time, I love working out, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

I first discovered Waldorf education in Argentina, where its connection to nature and learning through play really spoke to me. I joined this school in 2017 as a kindergarten assistant and Spanish teacher, took a break to welcome Damasia, and returned in 2023 to teach Spanish again.

What I love most about Waldorf is its focus on creativity, kindness, and the outdoors—it’s such a natural fit for how I see the world. But what really makes this place special is the people. This community feels like family, and I’m so grateful to be part of it.

I’m excited to keep growing here and to help nurture creativity, kindness, and joy in our children.

Foreign Language

Educators and parents alike understand the clear benefit of language study. Our dedicated Foreign Language Program offers Grades students the opportunity to take weekly lessons focused on a sole language. Currently, students receive an immersive Spanish experience in line with Waldorf pedagogy. The intention of our program is to develop a positive attitude toward people of other languages, cultures and countries and to encourage the development of human understanding. The goal of our program at this time is not to ensure language fluency.