Kindergarten
Dandelion Teacher - Michael Rohner
Michael Rohner was born in Austria where he attended a Technical Engineering High School. At a college in Western Austria he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree and a teaching credential in Mathematics and Music. His path led him to work with severely handicapped adults for two years, followed by six years as a middle school teacher in Austria and Liechtenstein. During this time he acquired another teaching credential in Special Education. In 1996 he moved to California and acquired his Waldorf teaching credential from the Rudolf Steiner College in San Francisco.
In his words:
“Kids are wonderful. They carry a wonderful spark inside. I strive to be the one to transform that promise into a flame, into a glowing light. Kids are our future. Their experiences right now will be the backdrop of their lives as adults, and will influence all their future decisions. I am passionate about teaching them to be careful with nature, to be compassionate, keep their curiosity alive, to make connections - learn that we are all interconnected.
Every morning I see the hope for the world in their smiling faces. As a teacher, you just have to be mindful, pay attention. As you would with a seedling, you don’t make them sprout, you just nurture that growth. In Kindergarten, this nurturing is done mostly through doing: making bread, cooking, gardening etc., mixed with the magic and wisdom of story and the joy of song.
At the Novato Charter School there is the space for change. Teachers are free to innovate, to look at what is possible. I have never felt stuck or stifled here but always supported. My colleagues inspire me because they too are constantly innovating. What I receive from NCS is the same thing I want to give Kindergarteners: the opportunity to be inquisitive, to explore, keep your curiosity in a real sense, and be able to implement it.
If a plant is healthier from the start, its future is brighter and stronger. So it is with a child. I suppose that is why they call it Kindergarten: A garden of children.”
Dandelion Support/Assistant - Nettie Faville
In her words:
My passion for teaching coincided with the birth of my own children. They enabled me to experience the development of the young child wholeheartedly, inspiring me on a path which I intend to follow forever.
I received my certificate in Early Childhood Education and have been teaching for 23 years, beginning with toddlers and then “graduating” to Kindergarten. The first 13 years I focused on preschool and pre-kindergarten, before becoming a kindergarten assistant at the Novato Charter School. The development of the 5 and 6 year old is truly a magical place, as the children come each day with such tenderness, compassion, and awe, inviting me into their world of wonder.
During my 10 years at NCS I have been dedicated to studying Waldorf methodology, which has continually strengthened my appreciation for the philosophy. I believe nurturing the “Head, Heart, and Hand” in an environmentally-based curriculum is the true root of sustainable public education. As a life-long Marin County resident I have great passion for this community and here at NCS I have found my true home away from home.
Sunflower Teacher - Gina Espinosa
Mrs. Espinosa has an extensive background in early childhood education. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.S. in Liberal Studies and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. In the summer of 2008, Gina attended the Fundamentals of the Waldorf Kindergarten course at Rudolf Steiner College. Her teaching experience includes five years as a Kindergarten and First Grade teacher at the Oxford School in Berkeley, CA, a socially, economically, and culturally diverse public school, as well as nine years as a preschool teacher at the Mulberry School, also in Berkeley.
In her words:
“I want children to experience a rich curriculum of art, music, and nature. I think young children are gifted with imagination and creativity and I seek to preserve the innate wonder of early childhood.
At the Novato Charter School family involvement makes our school very special. Teachers work together in creative ways and there is a warm spirit of cooperation. We give children ample time for creative play both indoors and outdoors. This allows children to strengthen bodies and develop healthy social skills and foster interest in the world around them.
The Kindergarten classrooms are inviting, secure, joyful environments. I love the smell of warm bread; cooking everyday makes the classroom smell wonderful.”
