Administration
Leadership
Ms. Akmenkalns, Credo’s Executive Director, became a Waldorf teacher in 2004 and came to Credo from Woodland Star, where she most recently taught first through fifth grades. She is a founder of Live Oak Charter School and was a board member, finance committee member and mentor at Woodland Star. She earned her Waldorf teaching certificate from Rudolf Steiner College, her MA. Ed in Waldorf Education and teaching credential from Touro University, and her administrative services credential from Sonoma State. Ms. Akmenkalns served as Credo’s Assistant Director for four years. Prior to her career in education, Ms. Akmenkalns worked as a manager in the software industry. She is the mother of two K – 12 Waldorf graduates.
Ms. Boyle is Credo’s Enrollment Director. Ms. Boyle earned her BA in Sociology from U.C. San Diego and her teaching credential from San Francisco State. She has previously taught as a special ed aide at Drake High School, in Close Up Civic Education in Washington, D.C., and as a middle school teacher at Davidson Middle School in San Rafael. Ms. Boyle was a founder of Live Oak Charter School and is the mother of two Waldorf students, including a Credo graduate.
Staff
Heather Topham, Testing and Accountability Coordinator, is a Waldorf parent and early childhood educator who has taught at Live Oak Charter School and at Sagewood Waldorf School in Bend, Oregon. She earned her BA at Sonoma State University. Email: Heather.Topham@Credohigh.org.
Faculty
History & Social Studies
Ms. FitzGibbon, Credo English and Social Studies teacher, earned her BA in history from U.C. Santa Cruz, her teaching credentials from San Jose State University, her Waldorf Teacher Certification from the Center for Educational Renewal, and her Master’s Degree from Dominican University. She has taught English and Social Studies at a junior high school in Morgan Hill and Waldorf kindergarten at SunRidge Charter School. Ms. FitzGibbon is a cohort guide for the class of 2021 and is the mother of two Waldorf graduates.
History
Ms. Baker teachers 9th grade History through Art and 12th grade History through Archictecure. She earned her BA in Architecture from Yale University, her teaching credential from Cal State, and a Waldorf Teaching Certificate from Center for Educational Renewal. Prior to teaching at Credo, Ms. Baker taught middle school at Live Oak Charter School and at Stone Bridge School. She served as a member of the Credo development team for three years. Ms. Baker is the owner of Baker Pre-Construction Company, an estimating consulting firm providing construction cost information to some of the Bay Area’s leading architects and builders. She has served on the Sebastopol Charter School Board of Directors for over ten years. She is also the mother of two Waldorf students. Email: Alysson.Baker@Credohigh.org
History, Art, Dance
Ms. Farais teaches Dance, History and Art. She earned her BA in History and her single subject social studies credential from Sonoma State and did her student teaching at St. Vincent’s High School. She is a riding and dance instructor and enjoys performing, historical reenactments and making visual art.
Mr. Lambrecht is Credo’s Athletic Director and History teacher. He earned a BA magna cum laude in history and completed a Secondary Social Studies Credential from the University of Colorado, Boulder. In 2000, Mr. Lambrecht earned an MEd from harvard University with emphasis in school reform and experiential education. He is the Founding director of Sebastopol Outdoor Adventure non-profit, 1Revolution. He is father of three children, including two Credo students. Email: Paul.Lambrecht@Credohigh.org
English
Ms. Bliquez, Credo English teacher, has a teaching credential from Sonoma State University, an MFA in English and Creative Writing from Mills College, a BA from Connecticut College and a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of California at Berkeley. In addition to her work as an editor for Tin House literary magazine, Ms. Bliquez has taught English in Istanbul, Turkey and at various community colleges in the Pacific Northwest and the Bay Area. She is the mother of two Waldorf students, and she serves as a cohort guide for the Birch cohort. Email: Emily.Bliquez@Credohigh.org
Ms. FitzGibbon, Credo English and Social Studies teacher, earned her BA in history from U.C. Santa Cruz, her teaching credentials from San Jose State University, her Waldorf Teacher Certification from the Center for Educational Renewal, and her Master’s Degree from Dominican University. She has taught English and Social Studies at a junior high school in Morgan Hill and Waldorf kindergarten at SunRidge Charter School. Ms. FitzGibbon is a cohort guide for the class of 2021 and is the mother of two Waldorf graduates.
Ms. Hutchins is a graduate of Summerfield Waldorf High School who completed her English Single Subject credential at Sonoma State. She earned her BA in English at the University of California, Berkeley, and her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of California, Irvine. She is the cohort guide for the Oak cohort. Email: Martina.Hutchins@Credohigh.org
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Dr. Gordon is the founding director of the Student Press Initiative at Teachers College, Columbia University, andthe former director of the New York City Writing Project. He comes from a background in small press publication that led him to the high school English classroom, first in Northern California and then in Manhattan. For eight years he was a full-time instructor i the Teaching of English Master’s Program at Teachers College, where he also earned his doctorate in English Education. Before coming to Credo, Dr. Gordon was named Senior Fellow for Innovation at Columbia University, and in that role co-founded the multimodal learning program, Literacy Unbound. His entrepreneurial work in education has been deeply influenced by his doctoral research in design thinking. Email: Erick.Gordon@Credohigh.org
Math
Mr. Bojarsky, Credo math and science teacher, is a longtime Waldorf math and science teacher who comes to us from Haelakala Waldorf High School in Maui. He previously spent twelve years teaching math and physics at Natomas Charter School, seven years teaching math and science at the Sacramento Waldorf High School and six years at Highland Hall Waldorf High School in Los Angeles. Mr. Bojarsky has a BS in Chemistry, and MS in Geoscience, a Waldorf teaching certificate from Emerson College in England and single subject teaching credentials in math and physics.
Ms. Elam, Credo math teacher, earned her BA in philosophy and her math credential at the University of California, Riverside, and an MFA in Creative Writing at Chapman University, where she was named Outstanding MFA Student of the Year. Ms. Elam has studied in the Waldorf High School Program at Rudolf Steiner College and taught math previously at Casa Grande High School for sixteen years. She has served on the Board of Directors of Live Oak Charter School and is the mother of two Waldorf students. Email: Debbie.Elam@Credohigh.org
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Science
Dr. Shaw teaches physics, chemistry, woodturning, robotics and the electric vehicle and design elective. He grew up in England, where he earned his BS in Chemistry from the University of Exeter and his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Bradford. He spent four years as a post-doctoral research fellow at King’s College, London, focusing on methods and applications of magnetic resonance, then moved to San Diego, where he worked as a physicist in private industry, developing magnetic methods and devices for the detection of contraband and explosives in concealed locations. In 1995, Dr. Shaw moved to Sebastopol to pursue his lifelong love of craft as a blacksmith and woodturner, and in 2004 he inaugurated the green woodworking program at Sebastopol Independent Charter School, where he taught for eight years. Dr. Shaw earned his teaching credentials in Physics and Chemistry from Sonoma State University. He is the father of a Credo graduate.
Ms. Gast teaches science and practical arts and serves as a cohort guide, along with Mr. Guthman, for the class of 2020. She earned her BS in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and her California Single Subject Teaching Credentials in Biology, Chemistry and Physical Science from Sonoma State University. Ms. Gast is the mother of four daughters, including a Credo graduate and a Credo student. Email: Kelly.Gast@credohigh.org
Mr. Bojarsky, Credo math and science teacher, is a longtime Waldorf math and science teacher who comes to us from Haelakala Waldorf High School in Maui. He previously spent twelve years teaching math and physics at Natomas Charter School, seven years teaching math and science at the Sacramento Waldorf High School and six years at Highland Hall Waldorf High School in Los Angeles. Mr. Bojarsky has a BS in Chemistry, and MS in Geoscience, a Waldorf teaching certificate from Emerson College in England and single subject teaching credentials in math and physics.
Ms. Poulan is a biology and chemistry teacher.
Ms. Hodges teaches art and Biomimicry.
World Language
Monica Roney, Credo’s Spanish teacher, earned her BA in Spanish Literature and Culture from CSULB and completed her studies in Madrid, Spain at La Complutense University certification program while living abroad for several years. She brings her lifelong love for languages and teaching Spanish for more than 20 years in the Bay Area to Credo High. She enjoys spending time with her family outdoors, hiking, cooking, and staying active. Email: Monica.Roney@Credohigh.org
Ryan Branche, Credo Spanish and Mandarin teacher, earned his BA in Community Studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin. Prior to teaching at Credo, Mr. Branche was World Language Department head at Fusion Academy. He has studied in South America and traveled widely. Email: Ryan.Branche@Credohigh.org
Ms. Fang, Credo Mandarin teacher, earned her BS in Engineering from Shandong University of Technology, Shandong, China; an MS in Engineering from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China; her Single Subject Credential in Mandarin from Patten University; and her Waldorf teaching certification and Eurythmy training from Rudolf Steiner College. Ms. Fang has previously taught Mandarin at Marin Waldorf School, the Community School for Creative Education, Sacramento Waldorf School and the Sacramento Mandarin School. Email: Yanping.Fang@Credohigh.org
Ms. Mintzer, Credo Spanish teacher, earned her BA in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin, studied at the University of Madrid, and earned her teaching credential at the University of California, San Diego. She has taught at the International School of Brooklyn, the American School in Mexico City and a in rural community outside of Otavalo, Ecuador, and in Spanish immersion at schools in Oregon. She is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and Nutritional Counselor and mother of two. Email: Kimberly.Mintzer@Credohigh.org
Visual & Performing Arts
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Mr. Atkinson, Credo’s World Percussions teacher, has been an energetic presence on the San Francisco Bay Area music scene since the 1970′s. His initial studies in Nigerian, Ghanaian and Congolese drumming lead him to Brazilian shamanism, Caribbean music, American jazz, folk and popular music. He has performed with master musicians and dancers since the 1980′s and is respected as an inspiring performer and gifted teacher who brings psychological, spiritual and scientific insights to his presentations. Mr. Atkinson’s most recent recording is a CD of original, traditional and innovative arrangements for Brazilian Bateria. Read more about Mr. Atkinson at http://www.pulsewave.com. Email: Kim.Atkinson@Credohigh.org
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Special Education
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Physical Education
Academic & College Counseling
Ms. Tuchel, Credo’s Student Services Director, is well-know to the Credo community as a teacher and administrator at the Sebastopol Charter School from 1995-2017. Ms. Tuchel earned her BA in Biology from San Francisco State University and her California teaching credential from Dominican University. She earned her Waldorf teacher certification at the Center for Educational Renewal and studied Waldorf remedial education at Rudolf Steiner College. She trained as a Collaborative Counselor and Simplicity Parenting facilitator with Kim John Payne at Antioch University. Ms. Tuchel is an artist, a writer, a naturalist, a calligrapher, a singer, a mother and grandmother. She enjoys gardening, playing the guitar, walking her dog, bird watching, botanizing, and hiking.
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