Phil Wolch
Profile
- Full Name
- Phil Wolch
- Position
- 4th / 5th Grade Teacher
- Bio
-
While I was born in the Midwest and still call Kansas my home, my family traveled internationally for many years. We lived in Iraq, Brazil, Columbia and Spain for significant periods of time. After graduating from college in ’74, I moved to California. No particular reason except that I had never been farther west than Mead, Kansas. I'm glad I did because California has now become my new home. Sharm and I were married at Bodega Bay during the horrible floods of 1986. After a 10 year stint as a social worker I became a fine furniture maker, attending the School of Furniture Making at the College of the Redwoods in Mendicino. This class was taught by the internationally famous James Krenov. I loved/love this work but marketing was not my gift. Our dear son, Nick, was born and he changed my life. As the owner of a furniture making business, I could arrange my own hours. Those hours were spent enjoying the development of my son. We decided to enroll Nick in the Santa Rosa Playschool – the founding school for the present Charter School. That preschool required Monday night meetings every Monday night. Slowly I began to rethink my direction in life – not exactly a mid-life crisis. I decided to enter Dominican College to become an educator, receiving my credential in ’93. At the same time the Charter School legislation was adopted. I became a significant contributor to the design and implementation of our present Charter School. There were difficult times but we survived and have grown strong with renewed direction. I have appreciated our choice and effort to become an IB PYP school, particularly since there was such a strong overlap. Both IB and our charter School have similar core educational values. I was so taken by the IB PYP that at our initial training in Seville, Spain, I was fortunate enough to arrange a teacher exchange. In 2000, I decided to take a significant risk and arranged to exchange teaching positions with Susan Hillman, a third grade teacher at the Istanbul International Community School in Istanbul, Turkey. This one month exchange was amazing for my family and myself and it renewed our desire to visit and understand other cultures. I have been involved in a variety of school activities including being the school's technology mentor, the first IB coordinator and arranging numerous community building events. Recently, I have felt the need to continue my professional development, to understand more clearly educational issues and my orientation around these issues. I am presently enrolled in Dominican University’s graduate school and will receive a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in June of 2001. During these seven years at the Santa Rosa Charter School I have been continually renewed by the joy of children learning and the dedication of our parents. Together we have become a family of learners. I am proud and humbled in being part of this family.
History
- Member for
- 2 years 37 weeks
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