Working for Waldorf High School of the Peninsula

Waldorf High School of the Peninsula, located between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, will graduate its first senior class in 2011. We have a strong, mostly part-time faculty. We continue to search for experienced, trained Waldorf high school teachers who could take leadership roles in forming and carrying the school.

We are looking for individuals who can share and help us realize our vision, who are excellent teachers with mentoring capacities, and who work out of the depths of Waldorf education (spiritual science) in a living way. In order to build around our current dedicated staff, we invite applicants who are cross-disciplinary—who can teach both English and history, for example, or physics and earth sciences, or biology and math. We also need a faculty member with technological expertise, an understanding of innovative technological curriculum, and the desire to investigate with students the critical technological questions of our time. We will be starting an athletics program next fall and will be attentive as well to teachers who have some coaching and athletic experience.

With the high school beginning its fourth year, we see progress in the realization of many founding ideals. The streams of endeavor we have identified as desired signatures for the school are: experiential and interdisciplinary learning, technology transformation, social and emotional development, service learning and social justice, environmental awareness and stewardship.

Questions we continue to explore include:

• How can we develop the wisdom to honor and manifest Rudolf Steiner’s educational and social philosophy, considering the needs of today’s adolescents?
• In a highly competitive, university-laden community, how can we provide an integrated, experiential curriculum with meaningful mastery-oriented assessments? How can we build a community of learning and of excellence, de-emphasizing grades while satisfying college application grade demands?
• In the heart of Silicon Valley, how can we form a technology program that teaches students how to use technology and to be aware of the hidden impacts of using it on self, relationships, and the world—to see technological innovations as tools rather than compulsions?
• Can the debilitating effects of technology be ameliorated by engaging in traditional crafts such as blacksmithing, woodworking, felting, and weaving? We suspect that wedding technology with traditional crafts could bring some kind of creative balance and rejuvenation.

Administrative Assistant Needed—Immediately

This job is for someone who enjoys high schoolers and their amazing energy. It requires the equanimity and good will to work in a small office where teachers also have their desks, students pass through, and parents stop by. It calls for someone who is computer and database savvy and is comfortable with machines as well as people. The challenge of the job is to bring organization and efficiency warmed by a sense of humor and love for this small and lively community.

Hours and Pay
The High School Coordinator supervises this position, which pays $16/hour and requires 40 hours each week during the school year and approximately 15 hours per week during the summer recess. The hours are 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Monday through Friday.

Responsibilities

• Answer incoming calls and relay messages
• Pass along concerns or questions to appropriate staff or faculty members
• Work with the High School Coordinator to organize and update information and files
• Keep enrollment materials current and help organize open houses
• Maintain confidentiality regarding school and parent-related issues
• Manage student attendance recording
• Take care of student injuries and accidents
• Work with the Communications Manager to update the school web site
• Receive and distribute incoming mail; handle outgoing mail
• Help develop an archive of student work and assist with new projects
• Schedule parent conferences and handle student forms
• Work with database entry and tracking
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have excellent verbal and written communication skills, be very organized, be self-directed in gathering information, be able to solve problems and deftly manage multiple tasks. He/she will need to be proficient in email, Microsoft Word, Excel and database entry and reporting. Ability to work collaboratively is essential. Experience working with high school students is important. Must be a high school graduate. A BA or AA is preferred.

For more information and to send a resumé, contact Donna Davies, Human Resources, at 650-948-2072 or donna@waldorfpeninsula.org.