"The university is made not of bricks and mortar but the people inside."
— Thomas Jefferson
| The Staff |
| Our staff is made up of people remarkable for the depth and breadth of their expertise and for their faith in the ability of each child to learn according to his or her own style and timetable. The current staff to student ratio is 1 to 6. This allows the students to have access to a phenomenal variety of skills and experience. Please be introduced to our staff (in alphabetical order): |
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Angela Sevin comes to us as an experienced Sudbury staff member. She completed a masters program in experiential education through Mankato State University in Minnesota. This exploration of study led her to take an active role as both a founder and staff member at Diablo Valley School also a Sudbury Valley modeled democratic school.
She has helped create Big Rock Sudbury School as a community for the children to learn in a creative and meaningful way. Under her leadership, as our acting Judicial Clerk, the students have developed a culture of a community of working together for the good of all of the members.
Her passion for fine arts and crafts has been contagious with the staff and younger kids. Sewing, paper making, origami, stamp art, drawing, reading, tutoring academic subjects are all activities that you will find the children engaged in with her.
Her soft-spoken manner and her reserve tends to hide her love for the outdoors, but having climbed Mt Denali she truly has outdoor experiences to share with all of us. Her love for the outdoors and people is reflected in her recent work as a volunteer cross-country ski guide with Environmental Traveling Companions, providing access to wilderness for people of all abilities.
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Coby Smolens began writing about schools and education in the sixties. His career spans two continents and a double handful of pursuits: Attended The Experimental College at SUNY at Stonybrook, graduated Philadelphia Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has created or co-created several for-profit and non-profit businesses and organizations, including The Community Information Network, a non-profit environmental education organization. He is a musician, entrepreneur and father. He’s also been, like his father before him, a tradesman and mentor, teaching apprentices in every field he’s ever worked in, including: sailing, building renovation, mechanics, theater, video archiving and computer operation, to name a few.
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Margit Pirsch was born and raised in Berlin, Germany,
where she earned her BA in Special Education. She worked in this field for
several years. Besides working with younger children she worked with
juvenile offenders but grew dissatisfied with the institutional methods
commonly in use at the time. She decided to give herself some time to
explore, traveling through Europe, and North and South America.
She settled in California in 1985, where she started her own Playgroup. Based
on intuitively held ideas about the value of freedom & self-determination
in education, her groups gained a tremendous reputation were widely in
demand and booked years in advance. She married and raised a daughter
during the 18 years she operated her Playgroup, then – inspired by the
challenges of living with a teenager of her own – began looking for a way
to use her early training with older kids. She joined the widely renowned
Huckleberry Youth Program (HYP) at the Nine Grove Lane facility in San
Anselmo in December 2002, where she continues as a part-time counselor. The
facility offers help for teens and parents in crisis.
"I
have always worked w/children of all ages and through my extensive travels
have seen myself migrate toward children wherever I go. They are food for
my soul. We constantly inspire each other to learn and grow. Kids need a
lot of space and freedom to grow to their full potential. I love the
Sudbury Environment – it gives us all the opportunity to laugh, learn and
play!"
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Randy Sue Collins is a native Californian, born and raised in Novato. She is a professional artist, writer, vision coach, and art instructor. Randy is the Art Specialist at Kenwood Elementary School and also teaches private art classes to children of all ages as well as adult painting. She has developed an award winning children's how-to-draw DVD program Art Adventures with Randy Sue. Randy also teaches Vision Board workshops where she guides people in turning their dreams into reality. A wife and mother of two Big Rock Sudbury School students, Randy believes that all people have a specific life's purpose and the self-discovery of that purpose should be left to the individual, no matter what age, to uncover on their own and in their own time. This is why she is so passionate about Sudbury Schools, where this process is allowed to take place, every day, all day long.
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Walter Hoffman began his energetic life in La Jolla, CA and learned to be a prolific beach comber. From there he moved to Tiburon, CA and continued his career as a young boy collecting everything under the sun. As he got older he realized he would have to start becoming more serious about making a living and decided the Arts would be his passion and received a associates in Arts degree from College of Marin. After many ceramics items and a plethora of paintings, he went to work in construction. After building a home with friends in Stinson Beach, it was time for a big change and Walter decided to see the world at the tender age of 31. Off he went for 5 years with a backpack to New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Asia, Africa, Turkey, Europe and back home. He has a son Ben who has been homeschooled by Paula and him since second grade and has been with Big Rock Sudbury for one year. Canoeing, surfing, hiking, biking, traveling and Big Rock Sudbury School are Walter's passions now.
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