Governance
The Structure of the School
The Board of Trustees
The Faculty Circle
FSDM Faculty Manager Team and Sectional Chairs
Administration
The Alan Howard Waldorf School is incorporated in the Province of Ontario as a non-profit corporation and, in addition, has charitable status with Revenue Canada. All full-time employees of the school, trustees and class representatives are automatically members of the Corporation.
The legal and financial affairs of the school are the responsibility of a volunteer Board of Trustees drawn from the faculty, parents, and friends of the school community. One-third of Board members are Faculty members.
During the 2003.2004 school year the Board of Trustees adopted a new management structure for the school, known as Facilitated Shared Decision-Making (FSDM). The school will be undergoing a gradual transition from the old management structure to the new. In the new structure, the Board of Trustees will be replaced by a Board of Governors, responsible for policies and legal matters, but not active in management.
Until the Governors are ready to step into place, the Board of Trustees will continue to function as the school’s main governing body, and hold monthly meetings. Trustees are elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Corporation.
Returning Board Members
Chris Farano – (Parent Board Member 2007-2008 Chair 2008 – 2010) Chris and his wife Shelley Brown have 3 children in the school: Russell in grade 5, Theo in grade 2, and Tilly in Sun Garden. Since 1997 – Chris has been the Manager of the Toronto Area of an international volunteer run charitable organization with over 45,000 members in 27 countries. Responsibilities include all aspects of business operations, including finance, asset acquisition, development, construction, liability protection, leasing, litigation, tax matters and regulatory compliance at the municipal, provincial and federal level. Between 1987-1997 Chris was self-employed and raised in excess of $20,000,000 for real estate development including non-profit housing, residential and commercial projects. During this time, he oversaw all aspects of development and funding.
Netta Zweig – (Community Board Member 2008-present, Parent Board Member 2000-2004, Board Chair 2001-2004) Netta grew up in Toronto, but has lived in Los Angeles, Buffalo, and Baltimore. Netta completed an M.A. in Education, and is presently working as the Administrative Director of Camp Ramah in Canada. Netta’s daughter was a student in the school for nine years and graduated from the Waldorf School of Baltimore in Grade 8 – currently, she is in Grade 11 at TWS.
Joan van Kralingen – (Parent Board Member 2004-present, Secretary 2004-2007, President 2007 – present) – Joan and her husband John Ford have one child in the school, Julia, who is in Grade 7. This is Joan’s 7th year as a parent at the school and 6th year on the Board, having spent the first year as a Class rep. Joan has a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Toronto, and currently works as Policy Director for the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines for the Province of Ontario.
Janet Hendershot – (Faculty Board member 2005 – present) Janet is in her eighth year of teaching at the AHWS as the Therapeutic/Remedial teacher. She is a Fine Arts graduate of York University and of the Rudolf Steiner College, Sacramento. She is active in her community and is Past President of the Ontario Society of Artists. She has taught for twenty years as well as administered a successful graphic design business for many years. Entering her fifth year as a Board member at AHWS Janet is also an active member of the Finance Committee
Paula Rosa – (Faculty Board Member October 2007 – present) Paula is the Grade Seven Teacher, Physical Education and Extra-curricular Sports Coach. Paula joined the school in 1996 as an Assistant Kindergarten Teacher and since January, 2001 has been a class teacher in the Grade School. In addition, Paula has taken an active coaching role in the Middle School volleyball and basketball sports program. Paula Rosa earned her B.A. in 1984 from the University of Toronto in History and Linguistics. In 1996 she added a Bachelor of Education in Primary Education from the University of Toronto. Paula graduated her first Grade Eight class in 2008, of which many students had been with her since Kindergarten. With a love of music and a gift for inspiring healthy physical activity, Paula creates a wonderful educational experience for children.
Robert Teuwen – (Faculty Board Member October 2007- present) Robert is the Grade Five Teacher, and Woodwork Teacher. Robert joined AHWS in 1994 as a class teacher and has graduated Grade Eight classes in 1999, 2002, 2006 and 2009. He was home schooled following the Waldorf curriculum. He rejoined his original class for high school, graduating in 1984 from The Toronto Waldorf School. Robert went on to obtain a degree in Physics and Philosophy at the University of Toronto. In 1993 he became the Grade Eight class teacher at The Toronto Waldorf School. Truly gifted at inspiring individual development in children, Robert’s passion for science, the environment, and sailing on the open seas are irresistibly engaging for all students.
Mary Vorvis – (Community Board Member 2007 – present) Mary’s daughter Elena Alexandra graduated from AHWS in 2008. Upon joining the Board, Mary has been dedicated to co-chairing and raising the profile of the Capital Campaign committee. Mary brings experience in fund-raising, business development, HR management and networking. Mary is recognized for her ability to develop relationships with strategic partners, investors and internal management.
New Members:
Cathy Cooper – (Parent Board Member) Cathy and her husband, Milan Rupic, have one child, Lionel, at the School, who is in Grade 4. This is her 6th year as a parent at AHWS. Cathy has volunteered in various capacities at the School. In particular, last year she was class rep (Grade 3) and also served as the Community Council – Board Liaison. She has a B.A. in Geography (York University), an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School, and an LL.M. She has spent most of her career in the Crown Attorney’s system with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, first as a prosecutor, then extensively doing appeals, and, since 2000, as criminal policy counsel.
Sarah Luke – (Parent Board Member- Treasurer) Sarah and her husband, Ian Chernoff, have two children in the school: Alexandra in grade one and Samuel in the nursery program. This is her 4th year as a parent at AHWS. Sarah grew up in Fredericton, New Brunswick and moved to Ontario in 1997. In 1993, she completed a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New Brunswick with a focus in Math and Biology and completed an MBA from the University of Western Ontario in 2000. She has over 16 years of experience in business, having run a medium sized business, and then later working for Deloitte Consulting as a Senior Manager – focusing primarily on people change management and organizational effectiveness. For the past 3 years, she has shifted priorities and has enjoyed the flexibility of independent consulting.
Eduardo Rojas – (Parent Board Member) Eduardo A. Rojas was born and raised in Chile. At 21 he emigrated to Toronto where he studied economics at York University and the University of Toronto, focussing on macroeconomics and monetary theory. Currently, he works as a senior economic advisor in the Office of Economic Policy at the Ontario Ministry of Finance. He has been involved with AHWS for several years. His daughter Catherine graduated in 2009 while Julia is currently in grade 7.
Lisa Gibson – (Faculty Board Member) Lisa is the lead childcare teacher in our new Early Learning Centre. Lisa has worked at the AHWS since 1997 as a Nursery Assistant Teacher and a Kindergarten Assistant Teacher. She also directed the Junior Nursery Programme, an Afternoon Programme for the Lower Grade School, co-teacher with the parent and tot program on Saturdays and a number of day camps offered at AHWS. She completed her E.C.E. training with honours, and has attended numerous conferences and workshops on early childhood Waldorf pedagogy over the years. Prior to teaching, she completed a diploma in the fashion apparel industry in which she worked for thirteen years. Lisa shares her warmth, calm presence and skills with children and parents alike.
The faculty consists of the teachers and assistant teachers in the Early Childhood Education programmes and in the Grade School (including Main Lesson and Specialty Teachers). Each faculty member is introduced at the end of this Handbook. As is traditional in Waldorf schools around the world, the teachers meet together every Thursday. The purpose of the meeting is to share teaching experiences, develop professionally, engage in pedagogical and child study, and co-ordinate details of school life. The weekly meeting of the Faculty Circle is the heartbeat of the school. The Faculty are also responsible for all decisions made that relate directly to teaching or working with the children. Professional development is an ongoing process at the school and involves all Faculty members and professionals from beyond the school. The school’s teacher development and evaluation process includes the following and is described in greater detail in our policy binder, available on request. Note that all teachers report to the Faculty Managers.
FSDM Faculty Manager Team and Sectional Chairs
As part of the FSDM (Facilitated Shared Decision Making) structure of the school, individual teachers have taken on the roles of managing various essential aspects of the school’s educational activities. There are five Faculty Manager roles, and four Sectional Chairs representing the middle school, lower school, ECE and Childcare. Faculty Managers and Sectional Chairs meet in a Managers’ Circle once a week to address opportunities to strengthen the pedagogy. Faculty Managers report to the board through the Facilitator.
- Teacher Development Manager: responsible for maintaining the standard of teaching through teacher development and evaluation.
- Curriculum Manager: responsible for overseeing student curriculum implementation.
- Social Health and Discipline Manager: responsible for maintaining standards of student behaviour and the social health of the classroom.
- Student Assessment Manager: responsible for ensuring all senior kindergarten, Grade Two students, and other students as requested by the Main Lesson teacher are adequately assessed, and for recommending appropriate remedial action where needed.
- Staffing and Human Resources Manager: responsible for staffing all teaching positions and implementing AHWS human resources policies.
For the 2009-10 school year, there will be a Facilitator, a Business Operations Manager, an Enrolment Manager, a Business Operations Assistant an Office Administrative Assistant and an FSDM Coordinator/Staffing Manager.
- The Facilitator is responsible for ensuring that all issues that arise in the school are dealt with appropriately and that all aspects of school management are running smoothly. The Facilitator reports to the Board of Trustees through the Chair. The Facilitator also mandates task groups to make recommendations or decisions, and gives input to the Board for financial or legal decisions that have pedagogical implications.
- The Business Operations Manager is responsible for overseeing and maintaining a sound financial footing. The Business Operations Manager reports to the Board of Trustees through the Facilitator.
- The Enrollment Manager is responsible for publicity, enrolment and re-enrollment.
- The Enrollment Manager reports to the Board of Trustees through the Facilitator.
- The Business Operations Assistant is responsible for accounting, payroll, purchasing and related duties as well as helping to support our facilities. The Business Operations Assistant reports to the Business Operations Manager.
- The Office Administrative Assistant is responsible for answering the phone, greeting visitors, attending to immediate front-office needs, and assisting the administrative staff as needed. The Administrative Assistant reports to the Business Operations Manager.
- The FSDM Coordinator/Staffing Manager is responsible for providing support to the FSDM Faculty Manager team and the Facilitator, as well as managing human resources. The FSDM Coordinator/Staffing Manager reports to the Facilitator.
