Staff

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Our Story

Shade Canyon School is a new public school of choice

with a curriculum inspired by

the principles of Public Waldorf education

that will open with grades TK-2 in September 2023

in Kelseyville, California.

We will then add one grade per year

until we offer grades TK-8.

We believe that by honoring simplicity,

we will nurture the spark of the individual

and nourish a thriving community.

Meet The Team

Besides ensuring a quality education for Shade Canyon students, Mr. Boyd feels that the most important part of his job as administrator is building strong and positive relationships with students, parents/guardians, colleagues, and our greater community. His door is always open, and he wants and needs your feedback. He looks forward to learning of your hopes and dreams for your child and Shade Canyon School. Mr. Boyd was raised in Humboldt County but spent over twenty years living in Lake County and working in public education as a teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent in Kelseyville and Upper Lake. Most recently, he served concurrently as a superintendent and principal for Southern Humboldt Unified School District. Now he is happy to be back “home” in Kelseyville and serving as administrator for Shade Canyon School. He deeply believes in Waldorf educational philosophy and is committed to a holistic educational experience for Shade Canyon students. Mr. Boyd received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Davis, and a master’s in educational administration from National University in Sacramento. He has two adult children, a wife who is also in education, and a young son.

Brittany Segal loved her most recent job as Attendance Secretary at Clear Lake High School as it combined two of her favorite things: kids and activity planning. She only left because she became a first-time mother. Since then, Miss Birdie has spent the past six years at home raising her three children with her husband, John. Now she is thrilled to once again be around children and planning as the Office Manager of Shade Canyon School. The strong, loving and trusting relationship between a Waldorf teacher and a child is the component of Waldorf education that drew Miss Birdie and her husband, John to enroll their children in Shade Canyon. In addition, artistic activities and time spent outdoors in nature allow children to learn at a relaxed pace appropriate to each child’s level of development, an aspect she has observed while parenting her own three children. Miss Birdie has lived in Lake County for eleven years. She likes living here for the quiet, the dark night sky, the small communities, and the farms. In fact, the family of five (plus three cats and one dog) just moved to a nine-acre property on Cobb that they hope to turn into a small family farm of their own! Miss Birdie enjoys needle felting, crafting, and gardening.

BIRDIE SEGAL

DON BOYD

Administrator

Office Manager

SAVANNAH MITCHELL

1st / 2nd Grade Teacher

RACHEL ANDERSON

Kindergarten Teacher

TATIANA LUCERO

KACEY HOLSWORTH

Rachel Anderson taught Kindergarten in public school for five years before staying home for another five years to raise her children. She loves that Waldorf education allows children to learn through play and exploration at their own pace. She is excited to lead Shade Canyon School’s first kindergarten using this method of developmentally appropriate learning. Miss Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a Concentration in Music from California State University, Stanislaus, and a Cleared Multiple Subject Credential from the State of California. Her husband, Mark, is an elementary teacher and a pastor of a church on the north shore. They both enjoy the natural beauty of Lake County where they have lived for nine years. They are outside often with their energetic and playful, young sons. In her spare time, Miss Rachel likes to play piano, knit, crochet, cross-stitch, garden, bake, and cook.

Early in her teaching career, Savannah Mitchell taught at Head Start in Clearlake and was an early interventionist for Easter Seals, working with children with developmental disabilities all over Lake County. Before she had her first child in 2017, she taught at a Waldorf-inspired charter school in Sonoma in grades 1-3. Savannah holds a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Pacific Union College and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Fresno State University. She also earned a Waldorf Teacher Diploma from the Center of Educational Renewal, which represents four years of deep study. A wife and mother of two, Savannah has lived in Lake County for most of her life and desires to see her community thrive.

Afternoon Kindergarten Assistant

Morning Kindergarten Assistant

Tatiana Lucero is a recent graduate of Middletown High School, who has plans to pursue a college education sometime in the future. She has been a teacher's assistant and has experience babysitting and playing with children. Miss Tati believes that Waldorf education provides an environment for children to thrive, creatively, academically, and emotionally, at a developmentally appropriate pace. She is thrilled to be assisting Miss Rachel with the afternoon kindergarten in Shade Canyon’s first year! Miss Tati loves the beautiful natural scenery of Lake County, her home for the past seven years. She likes to spend her free time hiking, swimming, reading, and journaling.

Kacey Holsworth’s first experience of Waldorf education was through her daughter’s pre-school. She fell in love with the idea of outdoor learning and learning through play. She believes storytelling, singing songs, exploring nature, and making art should be a part of every child’s day, just as it is in Waldorf schools. She is excited to be the Morning Kindergarten Assistant for Shade Canyon School. After growing up visiting generations of Lake County relatives, Miss Kacey fulfilled a childhood dream and moved here in 2019. She lives in Hidden Valley Lake with her husband, Michael, three children, and a chocolate Labrador retriever. The whole family loves to be outdoors in the rain, snow, or sunshine enjoying Lake County’s beautiful mountains, trees, and fresh air! Miss Kacey loves to read, go on hikes, and visit the ocean.