Middle School Team
Seventh Grade Teacher
Blythe Osner
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.
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Eighth Grade Teacher
Jen Benedetti
Jen Benedetti
As a teacher on the Live Oak middle school team, I step into the classroom each day with enthusiasm, ready to engage and listen. I love the learning process, and Live Oak is truly a creative community of learners who support each other in academic and personal development. Prior to teaching here, my experiences mentoring under-resourced teens taught me how an individual’s health, aptitude, and personal freedoms are directly related to the education they have received. For me, teaching is my way of offering young people tools with which to embark on that great exploration of their human potential. I truly honor the role of being a guidepost on their journey to self-discovery.
In college, I pursued a degree in English Literature because I believe in the power of well placed words. I went on to become credentialed in English Language Arts because I love witnessing folks learn how to use their voices in diverse ways, speak their truth, and feel heard. Throughout my teaching career, I have worked with k-12th graders and find joy and delight in all the stages and ages of learning and life. At the end of each day I find myself at home with my hilarious family, our aging kitty “Thunder Troll”, and our big bully dog “Ayla” (who is just too much). We love family movie nights, playing games, silliness and sharing food with friends. |
Sixth Grade Teacher
Rachel Mohr
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. Mary Alice’s class.
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Dedicated Math Teacher
Krista Wigert
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.
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