Gloria Elena Londoño Valencia
Pedagogical Advisor
Gloria Elena Londoño Valencia was born in Chinchiná, Caldas, Colombia; She lived most of her adult life in Cali, where she worked as a Waldorf teacher for almost two decades. Her teaching motivation is to have the opportunity to follow the vocation of service she has experienced from a very young age which, as she mentions, is the motor of her life.
Her first approach towards Escuela Caracol was through Nana Göbel from FREUNDE, who recommended her as a Pedagogical Advisor. Before involving with Escuela Caracol, Gloria Elena worked in Luis Horacio Gomez School in Cali, where she finished two eight-year rounds. Her specialty within Waldorf Education lies in language and words.
She has deep studies in Anthroposophy, specifically in Biography studies, a subject she graduated from in 2020; this subject has shown its use as it was a bright tool use by Gloria Elena to help teachers, staff, and students alike.
Lily Maribel Mendoza Sancoy
Lead Teacher, Kinder Caracol I
Marilily, as the children refer to her, has been working in KinderCaracol since 2009. She was born in San Marcos La Laguna and comes from a family of 10. In 2014, Marilily finished her Waldorf training at the Centro Antroposófico in Cuernavaca, México, becoming the first indigenous woman to complete this training. Marilily is the lead teacher for our kindergarten children. Her manner in the classroom is warm, gentle, bright and cheerful, and she enjoys sewing, singing, drawing and painting.
Sandra Pérez
Lead Teacher, Kinder Caracol II
Sandra has been working at Escuela Caracol since January 2011. She was born in San Marcos La Laguna where she lives with her parents, four brothers and two sisters. She studied computation in San Marcos, Sololá, and Santa Clara, all areas around Lake Atitlán. She enjoys reading, painting, cooking, embroidery, and spending time with friends.
Wendy Cecilia Cholotío Alvarez
Lead Teacher, Kinder Caracol III
Wendy Cholotío is currently a lead teachers of Kindergarten.
Wendy was born in San Juan la Laguna and showed a very special call towards teaching and small children from an early age. She graduated as a Childhood Bilingual Intercultural Teacher in the Escuela Nacional Bilingüe Intercultural, from Santiago Atitlán.
Wendy heard of Escuela Caracol through social networks, during her first visit to our school, she was impressed by the gardens and the general happiness of the students.
Wendy worked in the traditional education system for three years as a kindergarten teacher. In Escuela Caracol, she has received constant training and tutoring on the Waldorf pedagogical approach by the kindergarten titular teachers and from our pedagogical director, Gloria Elena Londoño.
Such special approach Waldorf Pedagogy has to teach through arts and ludic activities, and the happiness, joy, and enthusiasm shown by the Escuela Caracol’s students, have been the greatest motivations for Wendy, being one of her greatest dreams for her little son to become a Escuela Caracol student as soon as he turns three and a half years.
Santiago Cuc Quiacain
First Grade Teacher
Santiago Cuc Quiacaín is the current Escuela Caracol’s first-grade teacher. He was born in San Pablo la Laguna, a small town next to San Marcos la Laguna.
His first contact with Escuela Caracol was through Social Networks. Santiago’s first experience within the Waldorf environment was a watercolor workshop imparted by our Mentor, Thomas Wildgruber.
Santiago kept involving with the Escuela Caracol’s community until he began working at the school as the gardening teacher with the primary students in 2018. During this year, Santiago began with his training with weekly meetings with our pedagogical director, Gloria Elena Londoño, being introduced into Waldorf Pedagogy and Anthroposophy.
In 2019, Santiago went for the first time to Cuernavaca, Mexico, to follow his first official Waldorf training journey.
Santiago has shown special sensitivity towards the arts, especially to oil painting, having outstood since very young for how easily he could express himself through arts.
What motivates Santiago as a Waldorf teacher, is to have the opportunity to share in a novelty and fun way the knowings that will serve as nurturing tools for our students to grow as holistically developed human beings.
Santiago is currently studying in the “Universidad del Valle de Guatemala” to become a Maths and Physics middle school teacher.
Emiliana Puzul Sacach
Second Grade Teacher
Originally from Marcos La Laguna, she comes from a family of 9, she joined the caracol family in 2018 as a Principal teacher of the first grade, last year she left the 3rd and 4th grade group to take on the first grade group.
She teaches Kaqchikel in the elementary (a native language), she is graduated as a Bilingual Intercultural Primary Education teacher, she completed her second year at the Universidad Panamericana studying the Profesorado de Segunda Enseñanza Media, she is in her fourth year in the Waldorf training in Cuernavaca Mexico and this year she will graduate from it. She loves working with children and loves pedagogy.
She is the President of the teachers’ council.
Sonia Quiacain
Third Grade Teacher
Sonia was born in San Pablo la Laguna, she is a teacher of intercultural bilingual primary education, she has a high school teaching degree in Pedagogy and a technician in Educational Administration, she stands out for her knowledge in the field of maths and handicrafts. She had a special approach during 2017 with the Caracol School by participating in workshops given and attending as an observer to the different primary groups.
Sonia is the Director at Escuela Caracol.
Sonia Virginia Sancoy
Fourth Grade Teacher
Sonia Virginia Sancoy is currently the fourth grade teacher. She is originally from San Marcos la Laguna, municipality of Sololá. She graduated as a primary school teacher. Last year she accompanied two groups at the same time, 4th and 5th. She is also a crafts teacher. Previously she worked as an administrative assistant at Escuela Caracol.
Ignacio Porón
Fifth & Sixth Grade Teacher
Ignacio is the lead teacher of fifth & sixth grade, the students who are about to graduate this 2023. He used to be the arts & craft teacher in previous years. He is studied Waldorf Teacher for Primary Education in Waldorf training at the Anthroposophical Center in Cuernavaca, México.
He has a beautiful family with 4 children.
Nastascya
English teacher
Nastascya is an English teacher at Escuela Caracol. She is originally from the United States and speaks Spanish very well. This year she joined the Caracol team and we are all very happy to have her at the school.
Nicolás
Music Teacher, Elementary
Nicolás is a music teacher and assistant teacher for elementary school at Escuela Caracol. He has a degree as a music teacher, among the instruments he plays are the flute, guitar, saxophone and piano. He is originally from San Pedro La Laguna and is studying to become a lawyer and notary public.
Heidy Annytha Quiacaín Pérez
Kinder Caracol Assistant Teacher
Heidy is 23 years old and is originally from San Juan La Laguna. She graduated from the Escuela Normal Regional de Occidente de Santa Lucía Utatlán as a Bilingual Intercultural Early Childhood Teacher. Heidy has always been interested in teaching since she was very young.
Her nahual is 13 AJ, the nahual of children. She has always been closer to young children.
Alessia
Kinder Caracol assistant teacher
Sonya
Auxiliar Teacher Elementary, Escuela Caracol