The Bridge School staff is a vibrant, diverse, and committed group of educators who work collaboratively to meet each student’s needs. All of our classroom teachers hold advanced degrees, as do many of our specialists. Our Core Classroom Teaching team is joined by an evolving team of specialists each year as we strive to meet the needs of our current students.
CORE CLASSROOM TEACHERS
Anna Erickson
Maple Classroom Teacher
Lead Instructor
Outdoor Education Instructor
Anna (she/they) was a Bridge School teacher from 2015-2019 and was excited to be back into the fold starting 2023 as Classroom Teacher, Creative Enrichment Instructor and, for 24-25, Outdoor Education Instructor.
Her professional teaching career spans from over a decade in early childhood to a Master’s Degree in Teaching with experience in classrooms ranging from K-8. She is a musician, mother, certified permaculturist, organic gardener, amateur carpenter, and budding herbalist. Her work is rooted in social and environmental integrity with a firm belief in human kindness, self-awareness, metacognition, and solution oriented critical thinking.
anna@bridgeschoolcoop.org
Jessica Wride
Cedar Classroom Teacher
Jessica (she/her), who enters her second year as our 5-6 year old teacher, has 9 years experience as an elementary classroom teacher in the Issaquah Public School District. She also has extensive experience in teacher coaching and mentoring for educators in K-12. Her depth of knowledge and experience in child development and social-emotional learning contributes to the well-being of all our students and the success of our caregiver volunteers. Jessica is also a visual artist!
Jessica has a B.A. in History and a B.A. in Child Development from Washington State University, Pullman and a Master in Teaching degree from City University, Seattle. She holds an Early Childhood (Generalist) National Board Certification.
jessica@bridgeschoolcoop.org
SPECIALISTS
Ali Arnote
Outdoor Education Seahurst Instructor
Ali (she/her) grew up between the wilds of Northern Arizona and Tokyo, Japan, where she was lucky enough to play freely in the outdoors creating such vivid memories of her adventures that she still finds herself sizing up trees for their climb-ability, looking for sticks to race down streams or introducing herself to new plant friends. She returned to the US to earn degrees in Visual Anthropology and Photography from University of Southern California and Visual Communications from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
While she has worked with kids her entire life, Ali began working in a school setting in 2004 which grew into opening a process based kid’s art studio in Southern California. She is a certified Tinkergarten Leader and has been exploring outdoors with kids and their grown-ups since 2016. Ali works with all ages in our program. She has also been a parent of Bridge School students and a Board Member! Ali continually finds delight in sharing her connection with nature while watching the pure joy as students develop their own.
alison@bridgeschoolcoop.org
Allison Gobat
Music & Theater Specialist
Academic Support Specialist
Creative Enrichment Instructor
Allison (she/her) is a hands-on, sensory-led, active teacher. She likes to keep the children moving, experiencing, having fun, and learning through doing. She likes to bring multiple senses into her teaching so that she can reach each student wherever their strengths lie. She believes in allowing skill development to happen in its own time for each student — there is no “one size fits all” for learning. Allison has taught Preschool through High School in various positions: special education inclusion specialist, one-on-one instructor, special programs teacher, specific subject tutor, and music, theater and arts teacher.
She has a Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of San Diego and holds certifications in Elementary Education, K-8 Special Education, and Early Childhood Special Education.
allison@bridgeschoolcoop.org
Jewel C. Hawley
Specialist Instructor
Jewel (she/her) is Filipina American, born and raised in Seattle. She has 11 years experience as an elementary educator in the Federal Way and Seattle Public School districts and served as a mentor teacher, co-planning and co-teaching with colleagues. She has been a phenomenal force for change in equity and diversity in her previous schools. Jewel served as a Core Classroom Teacher during the 23-24 school year at Bridge, and this year transitions to a part-time specialist role, bringing her love for dance, social justice, and literacy to all Bridge students!
Jewel has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and American Ethnic Studies from the University of Washington and a Master in Teaching degree from City University. She became a National Board Certified Teacher in Literacy in 2014.
Caitlin Huertas
Specialist Instructor – Visual Arts
Multidisciplinary artist, creative director and curious crafter.
Penny Bellemans
Specialist Instructor – Visual Arts
Photo and bio coming soon!
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Amanda Hill
Head of School
Amanda (she/they) comes to Bridge as a life-long educator with 15 years of experience teaching, supervising educators, building programs, and managing teams in a college setting. Amanda views each leadership opportunity as a chance to serve, support and uplift community members while providing clear direction and vision and respecting each other’s time, talents, identities and boundaries.
Amanda’s passions as an educator include addressing systemic privileges in education, implementing anti-racist teaching methods, fostering gender inclusive communities, and creating accessible, welcoming learning environments for neurodivergent students. Amanda is also a studio potter and an avid reader. They have been part of The Bridge School community since 2019, when their child joined as a Coho student. Before pursuing a career in college education and administration, Amanda taught preschool and K-5 students in community and faith-based settings and studied early childhood development.
Amanda holds a BA in English and a minor in Women’s Studies from California State University East Bay and a Master’s in English from Western Washington University. Prior to joining The Bridge School, Amanda was Professor of Rhetoric and Composition and Director of the Writing Center at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.
Amanda@bridgeschoolcoop.org
Kate von Duering
Administrative Assistant / After School Care Provider
Kate von Duering became part of The Bridge School community in September 2022 when her
daughter Charlie joined as a kindergartner. As a stay at home mom and part time nanny, Kate
became the ‘on call’ parent volunteer and spent many hours in the classroom and on every field
trip. In the fall of 2023, Kate joined the staff officially as an office administrator and the after care
coordinator. Prior to becoming a parent, Kate ran The Original Children’s Shop in Madison Park.
She grew up in Wenatchee, where her parents and siblings still reside, and enjoys going to visit
the family cherry farm and Charlie’s favorite, Slidewaters in Chelan. Outside of school, you will
find her working at a donut shop or playing softball.