Specialty Teachers

Specialty Subject Teachers

Andrea Reier, Spatial Dynamics

Ms. Reier was born and raised in Hungary. She immigrated to the U.S. in 1998. She received her bachelor's degree and her teaching credential in Physical Education and Adaptive Physical Education and Therapy at the Hungarian University of Physical Education in Budapest in 1996. She also recently received her CA single subject teaching credential in Physical Education for K-12. She is very drawn to Waldorf education. She studied Spatial Dynamics and Bothmer Gymnastics with Jaimen McMillan. She taught at the elementary and high school level in the Hungarian public school system and taught at the elementary level at the Greenwood Waldorf School in Mill Valley before joining this wonderful Live Oak community in 2018.

Movement and sports have always been her love. She played European team handball in the Hungarian National League and she was a Young National track and field competitor and a regional champion in 800m and Pentathlon.

She has a deep love and care for children and respects the teaching profession. She brings her professionalism, encouragement, and contagious positive energy to our children.

Jeff Castro, Music & Strings

Jeff was born in southern California and grew up in Stinson Beach, California as a youth. Jeff was raised by two musicians and was immersed in a culture that used music to connect people to each other and the communities around them. He grew up listening to different ensembles that played jazz, mariachi, and classical music at local venues. Jeff pursued his B.M. at Sonoma State University where he studied Music Education with an emphasis in Jazz Education. While not teaching music, he is often performing, composing, and arranging music for various jazz, vocal, and classical ensembles. Jeff is a father of two amazing children, ages 14 and 10. He enjoys gardening, being in nature, baking, and spending time with his family.

Gayla is a Northern California native, born in Grass Valley and raised in Auburn and Sonoma. She grew up sewing and crafting (thanks mom!), and her cousin taught her to knit as a teenager. She attended UC San Diego, where she earned her BS in Biology and met her husband Rick. They have been together for 26 years and have 3 grown children who all attended Live Oak. Gayla worked in the medical field prior to having kids, and started as a parent volunteer at Live Oak in 2003. She was hired as the library aide in 2007, and started aiding in handwork in 2008. She has also been a middle school aide, the CyberCivics teacher, the “costume queen” and has been teaching handwork for grades 1-8 since 2018. In accordance with a California law change, all specialty teachers must also have a California credential, so in her “spare time”, Gayla is getting her multiple subject credential. When her credential program is over she looks forward to going for walks, gardening, hanging out with her family and trying to crochet with a cat (or 4) on her lap.

Gayla Overmeer, Handwork/Library