Middle School Team

Sixth Grade Teacher
Stephen Winston

Mr. Winston grew up in Petaluma. He graduated from Sonoma State where he met his wife, Lexxi in the radio program. After graduating Sonoma State with a degree in Multiple Subject Education he moved to Byron Bay, Australia. There he lived and worked for several months at a travel agency. After Australia, he started to backpack through South East Asia for six months before getting a job teaching English at a local school in Chiang Mai, Thailand. There he started working as a teacher and making his way to International Schools and earning his Masters Degree in International Administration, Education. There in Thailand he and his now wife worked and lived in Chiang Mai for four years. They both got married in Koh Samui, Thailand and flew back home to start working in California and finish their Multiple Subject California Teaching Credentials.

Since then, they have built a life and started a family in Petaluma with two young kids. Mr. Winston enjoys sports, being outdoors, spending time with his family, and traveling. As a kid he spent his summer in Yosemite as an annual family trip. Now, they spend holidays and summers in Orange County where his wife's family is and enjoy the beach, bike rides, and golf.

His family is in Petaluma and his mother is a teacher too. Being close to family is vitally important to him. Mr. Winston looks forward to growing in the Waldorf community and continuing to be a lifelong learner.

Seventh Grade Teacher
Rachel Mohr

Ms. Mohr grew up in Dana Point California, where she spent endless summers swimming, surfing, and lifeguarding at the local beaches. With a curiosity for the wonders of Northern California, she decided to attend Sonoma State University for college, where her love for nature and the outdoors manifested in a major in Environmental Studies, and a minor in Geography. After graduating, Ms. Mohr spent several years in San Francisco where she held a variety of jobs, ranging from environmental planning to trail maintenance and construction at Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Ms. Mohr spent three years working for Conservation Corps North Bay in San Rafael where she trained and mentored under-served youth in the field of natural resource conservation. It was here that she found her calling to become a teacher. Ms. Mohr moved back to Sonoma County (Petaluma) where she began working on her teaching credential at Sonoma State. Once she graduated she began her teaching career at a small middle school in Santa Rosa’s Rincon Valley District. Ms. Mohr taught math and science to 7th and 8th graders for five years before taking a two year leave of absence after her second daughter, Margot, was born. Ms. Mohr joined the Middle School team at Live Oak in August 2023, her older daughter June has also joined the community as an exuberant TK student in Ms. Lois’s class.

Eighth Grade Teacher
Blythe Osner

Ms. Osner grew up in Modesto, California. Growing up in a musical family, she began playing violin at age 3, and later progressed to vocal performance. Following her passion for music and acting, she received a Bachelor of Humanities and Arts degree from Carnegie Mellon University with a focus on vocal performance and religious studies. After college, Blythe worked for Heifer International developing a farm based global education and service program before attending Pacific School of Religion and earning a Masters of Divinity. She was ordained in the United Church of Christ and was a minister at the UCC in Petaluma for 10 years before moving into teaching. She holds a teaching credential from Sonoma State University. Her education career began in San Rafael, where she taught elementary school before moving to Live Oak Charter School to become a middle school teacher, where she can integrate her dedication to service, social justice and student growth into the classroom. Blythe is also the mother to two almost grown children, Isaiah and Abbey.

Dedicated Math Teacher
Krista Wigert

Ms. Wigert grew up in Buffalo, NY and Aurora, CO. She came to California for college and graduated from UC Berkeley where she met her husband, Scot, on the cycling team. After earning her teaching credential from San Francisco State, they moved to Charlottesville, VA and both started their teaching careers. In 1998, they relocated to Petaluma. Ms. Wigert’s children both graduated from Live Oak, and it was during their time at Live Oak that she started the middle school math program. In 2009, she earned her M. A. in Education with an emphasis in Waldorf along with many other Live Oak faculty. She believes that math should be accessible, enjoyable, and challenging for all students. Her hobbies include running, mountain biking, singing with Cinnabar Chamber Chorus, and puzzles of all sorts. She also spends summers on Lake Huron in a rustic cabin built by her grandfather in 1952. Her family makes the annual road trip to Ontario, Canada, taking in the many small towns along the way. She cherishes this time with extended family, lifelong friends, and nature at its most pristine.