Tim de la Torre has been an educator and filmmaker for over 15 years. He taught in two rural elementary schools in the Philippines during a gap year in college, then returned after graduating to be the assistant administrator of 4 elementary schools and a new high school for 2 additional years. Shortly after returning to the states and marrying his partner, Jaymie, they started a filmmaking business that took them all over the world. In 2013, Tim joined the faculty at Pacific Union College and co-managed the Film Program in the Visual Arts Department there where he taught classes, advised students and managed lab spaces and facilities. While Tim is new to Waldorf, the ideas and philosophies have been taking root in him ever since his daughter was born in 2018. He was quite relieved and excited to find an educational model that fit his own evolving views of how to support a child’s intrinsic motivation to learn. Tim enjoys connecting people together, helping solve problems and learning new things. His hobbies include basketball, auto mechanics, computers and electronics, and good stories in a large variety of mediums.

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 Chief Operations Officer 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.

Kristin is a Waldorf graduate who has dedicated her life to supporting children, families, and community. She holds a B.A. in Movement Education from Goddard College and completed Waldorf and Lifeways Early Childhood training at Rudolf Steiner College. With over 20 years of experience in early childhood education, family advocacy, and community service, she continues to direct Golden Oak Daycare, a Waldorf-inspired program for young children. She also founded Gold Hat Theater Company for kids, blending creativity, collaboration, and joy through the arts. Her community work has included co-facilitating a Waldorf outreach program for homeless women and serving as a resident manager and parent educator in affordable housing communities, where she supported diverse families through advocacy, education, and trauma-informed care. In addition, Kristin brings extensive experience in end-of-life care, always meeting others with compassion and presence. At Shade Canyon, Kristin is excited to lead the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, creating enriching after-school experiences that nurture the whole child. In her free time, she enjoys being in nature and spending time with her 15-year-old son.

Vanessa is passionate about preserving the magic and wonder of childhood, and strives to bring love, warmth, beauty and joy to the children and the Kindergarten program. Vanessa has been an educator for over 25 years with experience in private, public and charter schools. Her journey in education began with roles as a volunteer and aide, evolving through positions as a substitute teacher and ultimately a full-time classroom teacher in K-12 settings. She holds a BA in Anthropology from California State University Chico, a multiple subject teaching credential from California State University Northridge, and a Masters in Teaching from Pepperdine University. Originally from Malibu, a move to Chico, CA allowed her to work in various school settings including rural farm towns and mountain communities, STEM schools, and an Open Structured Progressive Schoolhouse. It was there she fell in love with the Waldorf philosophy and practices. Vanessa believes that Shade Canyon’s humanistic approach to education truly allows for children to develop and blossom into the unique individuals that they are - she loves the simple but beautiful rhythms of a Waldorf education! A new resident of Lake County, Vanessa is enjoying getting to know all that our beautiful county has to offer. She loves painting, hiking, swimming, yoga, and exploring local farmer’s markets and hidden secrets. Vanessa’s daughter, Lilah, recently graduated from UC Berkeley and is living in NYC. Vanessa is looking forward to visiting the Big Apple during Spring Break!

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.

My name is John Vaughan, Originally from New Jersey, I recently moved back to Lake County with my wife and children. I grew up wanting to be in law enforcement but as I got older I decided to take a different path. I have worked with teens and children over the course of the past 12 years in various positions such as group homes, trauma treatment facilities, substance abuse treatment, teaching high school and more. I have been trained in Restorative Practices, Trauma informed Care, Psychological First Aid and Counseling to name a few. These experiences have given me the attitude and skills necessary in order to be a compassionate and understanding teacher with clear, firm boundaries. As a first year Waldorf teacher, I am eager to continue learning and growing in my new position as the first grade teacher at Shade Canyon School. I am passionate about working with young people and helping them learn and develop a healthy and constructive disposition. I believe that exercise, developmentally appropriate academic activities and unstructured play are some of the keys to helping our kids become balanced individuals. I look forward to serving our students, school and community in the coming years.

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.

Miss Angela lives a Waldorf lifestyle in relationship with the universe as a basis for her own lifelong learning. She believes that understanding the four senses in early childhood development is foundational to helping children mature through body, mind, and spirit. She is currently finishing her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education with an advanced degree in Waldorf pedagogy. Miss Angela is a graduate of Bauman College in Nutritional Sciences and is a Nutrition Educator with more than ten years of experience teaching nutrition to all grades. She specializes in bread making and the history and cultural significance of bread which she also brings to the Shade Canyon students. In addition to baking bread, Miss Angela is an heirloom rose gardener and after homesteading for thirty years, is a master at preserving foods and baking. She moved to Lake County in 2021 from Tomales Bay, is the mother of three grown sons, and has two dogs, Ruby and Swami. She has a prayerful heart, a meditative mind. Little-known fact: she has translated 1st and 2nd century Tibetan Buddhist scriptures!

Ann began her arts education playing Bassoon at age 10. Ann was principal Bassoon and Soloist with All California High School Orchestra as a Junior in High School. She attended Juilliard School of Music taking the two year Certificate course at 18. Ann played in Project Muse, a music in the classroom program, in Texas for a year then returned to San Francisco Bay Area where she played San Jose Symphony, was Principal in Monterey Symphony, and soloist. Ann lived in a community of artists and was surrounded with artistic initiatives which she has pursued her whole life. San Francisco Waldorf School, where Ann was a founding parent was the introduction to Waldorf and this approach to teaching arts and all education. In 1984 Ann attended the Centre for Social Development. then Emerson College, both in England, where she did the Foundation Year and a Three year Sculpture/Pedagogical Modeling course. She has taught at Napa Valley Charter, and Willits Special Education class. Ann completed the Steiner College Remedial Education Course in 2006. Ann is committed to forming a foundation Waldorf Clay Program for Shade Canyon School that will go from Kindergarten to Eighth Grade and offer a place for each Child’s voice to be heard.

Ms. Melinda recently came to Lake County all the way from the Fingerlakes region in Central NY. While she is still learning about the Waldorf philosophy, it seems that she has been unknowingly living it her whole life. Growing up in the country, her mom taught her gardening, animal husbandry, food preservation, sewing, cooking, and body awareness; and her dad taught her about building a house, economics, living a sustainable life, and how to care for our earth. In fact, her family put a large geothermal heating and cooling system on their property in the early 90s! Ms. Melinda has been caring for children since she was old enough to babysit, and always found her way back to the childcare field while raising and homeschooling her own 4 children and working in the Holistic Health field. She is a lifelong learner and has an abundance of certifications and degrees: BS in Business Administration, MS in Human Services, ND/PhD in Holistic Nutrition (dual degree), and certifications in: Yoga, Personal Training, Herbology, Pet Health, Iridology, Reiki, Homeopathy and she is currently working on her Yoga Therapy certification. Melinda finds the pursuit and sharing of knowledge to be one of the greatest joys of being a human, and is often found excitedly talking about the many ways that humans can and have shaped the evolution of this beautiful planet. Before settling in Lake County, she traveled around the country for 3 years in an RV, visiting approximately 500 parks, museums, beaches, cities, waterfalls, friends, and campgrounds; her favorite place is Jamaca (One Love). It was a happy accident that she stumbled across “Lake County: California’s best kept secret,” and is simply overjoyed with the purchase of her house on one of the local channels. She is often found lounging on or near the water, cooking, making herbal tinctures, playing her crystal singing bowls, doing group yoga therapy with her neighbors, and planning what to do with her 1 acre of rich earth!