*** We are working on getting pictures of each staff member for this page. For now, you will need to visit the bulletin board in the office for pictures of staff not shown here. ***

Office Staff:

Tom Cooper (Principal)

Tom has been Principal at Sycamore for the past ten years. During his tenure he will be the first to admit that he has gained far more from his interactions with the Sycamore Learning Community than he has given. He is frequently overwhelmed by the quality work the students produce. He is indebted to the parents for the continual support they give to the school. He is proud to have the opportunity to work with such dedicated and committed professionals that are assembled here at Sycamore.

The zigzag path that brought Tom to Sycamore—(Can you imagine that he once was an administrator at a fundamental school?)—has only solidified his strong belief in the importance of multi-age education. He is a strong advocate of using authentic multiple assessments to determine a child’s success. He believes that the student voice is the most important voice in a school setting. He recognizes that a school is only as strong as its staff and he challenges anyone to find a better staff than Sycamore’s. He is proud to have contributed to Sycamore’s illustrious history.

Diane Boutney (Office Manager)

I’ve been at Sycamore since 2001. Working with Tom Cooper, staff, students, and parents has been an enlightening experience. Being a part of a creative and dedicated staff and enjoying the outstanding programs offered at Sycamore are a fine way to avoid retirement.

Teaching Staff:

Lisa Bennett (Co-Teaching in Room 7, Grades 1/2

Since 1996, I have had the good fortune to teach in several Sycamore classrooms and team-teach with some outstanding teachers. I initially taught first and second grades in Room 8, but moved to kindergarten in Room 13 after the birth of my son Ben. I spent three rewarding years in Room 13. Upon the arrival of my daughter Emmy I took a leave of absence. Now I am in Room 7 on Mondays. Through each of these experiences I developed a teaming relationship with other Sycamore teachers. Rosemarie Terbrusch introduced me to the ‘ways of Sycamore.’ I thoroughly enjoyed working with Frank D’Emilio to create a developmentally appropriate, single-age Kindergarten, that retained a multi-age character. For the past few years, I have been lucky to work with the master of classroom organization, Elaine Haley. I have gained a great deal through these collaborative experience


Jacqueline Canfield (Room 10, Grades 2/3)

The Sycamore Teacher: Insight from the TAO of Teaching

Effective motivation of students is not an obvious thing. Sycamore teachers allow children to follow their interests, then they use encouragement and natural influences to promote growth. For example if your children want to learn more about toys, study toys. The history of toys reveals a great deal about the history of our world. Students who are pushed are not responding to their own needs and are being kept from knowing themselves and developing positive inner strength.

Ask your children what they would like to do and guide them into ways of accomplishing those things with an eye to further learnings.


Jodi Connelly (Room 4, Grades 4/5/6)

When I was a little girl I used to play school. There would always be lots of students, played by my siblings and assorted stuffed animals. We would have a great time learning and playing. I guess I have always wanted to be a teacher. Now that I am one, I have the greatest time thinking of fun new ways to learn! I thoroughly enjoy teaching and the challenges it brings. I work very hard to create a learning environment where kids and their parents are comfortable and challenged.

As a National Board Certified Teacher and recently completing an Administrative Services Credential, I look forward to new challenges and experiences. With a love of animals, nature and, of course children, I strive to create a place where every person is encouraged and motivated to stretch themselves to new heights. Raise the bar and provide the tools, training and support and everyone will make it over.

Kathy Davis (Room 12, Grades 2/3)

I have been at Sycamore since 1984 and have grown to love this school. I started teaching elsewhere in a much more traditional setting. Since moving to Sycamore I have seen the value in the student-centered learning that is so much a part of this school. Being immersed in a creative and dedicated staff, incorporating high quality programs such as the Learning Record, attending workshops including the Californian Math Project and working with our wonderful students and their families have all helped me in my growth process. The students in our room are very much a part of the creation of the learning environment of the classroom, with all of us being learners and teachers. It is a very exciting way to teach and learn and now that I am at Sycamore I feel I'm home!

Frank D’Emilio (Room 3, Grade 4/5/6)

I have been part of the Sycamore Community since 1989. During this time, I have come to realize what a truly unique and special place this is. I have had the opportunity to teach many different grade levels and put into practice the ideas of multi age learning, authentic assessment and student- centered curriculum. I look at Sycamore not as a place where I work, but as a family of which I am a part.

Elaine Haley (Room 7, Grades 1/2)
Children’s merry voices
Math studies on floors
Picture books everywhere
Open French doors

Crows’ insistent squawks
Sounds of all kinds
Paintings and sculptures
And investigating minds

Stone garden plots
The trees to see
Young ones working
What a place to be!
[The true joys of teaching are not about me—hence no “I.”]

Lenora Hester (Room 17, Grades 4/5/6)

Hello! My name is Lenora Hester and I’m currently teaching grades 4, 5 and 6 here at Sycamore. I truly enjoy getting to know each of the students and their families individually. One of my passions as a teacher is to help children develop interpersonal communication skills, as well as effective conflict resolution skills. I also enjoy dreaming up fun and exciting activities that not only teach students the things they need to learn, but also encourage critical thinking and problem solving. I’m starting to sound like a teaching credential textbook, but it’s all true! I hope that as one of the facilitators in the lives of our children, I can make a positive and memorable contribution!

Caroline Lee (Room 8, Grades K/1)

I graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in
Psychology and a double minor in Asian American Studies and Education. Right
after my undergraduate studies, I went to Columbia University, Teachers
College for my M.A. in Education and an Elementary Teaching Credential. This
is my very first year at Sycamore Elementary and I am delighted to join the
Sycamore family! I am very interested in multiculturalism and multicultural
education.

Lynne Le Forge (Room 6, Grades 1/2/3)

I grew up in the Sacramento area and my life’s journeys eventually brought me South to attend the Claremont Graduate University where I earned my teaching credential and a masters degree. I’ve been teaching since 1898. Along the way I’ve received a CLAD credential, been trained in the California Arts Project and achieved National Board Certification. The CA Arts Project provided me with a thorough understanding of the State’s visual and performing arts framework. This training also complemented my strong background and interest in dance. I enjoy integrating dance, movement and music into my instructional program. It’s amazing how quickly seven year olds can memorize the X7’s when moving like a lizard! I strive to make learning meaningful and provide individualized instruction in a child-centered classroom with a loving atmosphere of mutual respect and caring. Good teaching requires creativity and lots of individualization. A multi-age setting supports that and helps make Sycamore a good match for me.

Tina Mann (Room 6, Grades 1/2/3)

I "retired" from teaching at Sycamore two years ago when my daughter Madeline arrived. Full-time motherhood is more fun than I ever could have imagined. (I must say, it is also more difficult!) I see staying at home with Madeline as a joy and a privilege. However, it is a wonderful opportunity to be able to teach one day a week at the school I have grown to love. Sycamore is more than a unique school, it is a close-knit community. The staff members are not just co-workers, they are friends and family. The children are phenomenal. The parents couldn't be more supportive. I am so pleased to be part of it all again. I thank everybody for their warm welcome back!

Helen Park (Room 13, K)

I received my B.A. from UC Irvine and received my credential training and Masters degree from Claremont Graduate University. I am involved with Claremont Graduate University- Teacher Ed department during the summers working with aspiring teachers. Most importantly, I enjoy spending time with my family and we are excited to share that there will be a new addition to the Park household in March of 2004.

Educational “philosophy” is such a big word. It is quite difficult to express in just few sentences. I have some guiding principles that are very important in my classroom. One is that we are all unique individuals. As a classroom teacher, I respect, value, and even cherish the uniqueness in all students and encourage students to do the same. With the acknowledgement of the uniqueness in each of us, I have accepted that students will acquire knowledge and understanding in a variety of ways and at different pace. As different as we all are we are also part of a family. We happily learn to live together for 180 days. I would like my students to know that I care about each and every one of them. I care about how happy or sad they feel today. I care about what they wrote in their journals and I care about how their soccer game was on Saturday. If we were sitting across each other with a cup of coffee, I am sure I would have much more to share about my educational “philosophy”, but for now this is what comes to my mind.


Charliemae Randolph (Room 1, Grades 4/5/6)

I teach students to think!

I will begin my 33rd year of teaching September 2003. I am very excited because I am a manufacturer of teaching students to learn and to dream.

Diane Rus (Room 11, Grades 2/3)

I love to learn new things, and to get to know different kinds of people, so teaching seems the perfect career to me. I’ve taught in Claremont at Sycamore since 1990; prior to that, I did a lot of bilingual teaching in La Puente and Pomona districts; my students ranged from 2nd to 8th grade. I also served for 2 years in the Peace Corps, in an Aymara Indian village in Peru, teaching children in a kindergarten program, teaching kids in a 4-H agricultural program and teaching their mothers about nutrition and health issues. During college, I worked teaching English-speaking adults in the Boston area how to read and write, and bilingual tutors how to meet their students’ language needs. Currently, I am also involved in doing some anthropological research in a Mayan Indian village in Southern Mexico, as well as helping produce books of oral testimonial history told by them in their native language. Of all of these experiences, I believe that Sycamore’s unique community of learners is the most gratifying to work within. To my way of thinking, it encourages creativity, thoughtfulness, responsibility, well-rounded growth, and personal connectedness. Though different families come and go, a common vision seems to unite us all in meaningful work.

Rosemarie Terbrusch (Room 9, Grades 1 and 2)

Working with children and families is my great joy! I have been lucky enough to have opportunities to do so in various capacities. I have taught elementary school in New York, San Francisco and Palo Alto. I worked at Sycamore in the 70’s and 80’s and following a ten-year absence, I rejoined the staff in 1996. During my absence I worked as a Marriage and Family therapist with adults, children and families. All of these experiences, I believe, have helped to deepen my understanding and knowledge of children and their development.

I love spending time with the children and facilitating an environment that allows them to grow intellectually and socially. I particularly appreciate Sycamore’s valuing and inclusion of the family in creating a powerful learning environment for the children. But most of all I love the children’s enthusiasm, innate goodness, curiosity and sense of humor.

Leslie Wallace (Room 2, Grades 4/5/6)

I have been teaching since 1996. I began teaching in the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District. I taught 2nd, 2/3, and 4th grade there. I decided to leave that district because their student educational goals differed from mine. I began teaching at Sycamore in 1999 in a 4/5/6 multi age classroom. I believe Sycamore’s educational philosophy mimics mine.

Let me share my educational and personal background with you. I went to the University of California at Santa Barbara where I received my bachelors degree in Drama. I continued my education at Claremont Graduate University where I received my teaching credential and my masters degree in Education. I have four children and have been married since 1995. My philosophy on education is very simple. It is based on child centered learning. I believe the child has the ability to be in charge of his or her learning. Education is at a turning point in California. There are some serious problems with our educational system but I firmly believe that if more schools in California took on the philosophy of Sycamore we would see a positive change in our educational system.

I believe that there are many aspects involved in the educational goals of children. It starts at home and continues on into the school system and right on into the community. In order for children to become involved with school it is up to the parents and teachers to help guide them. I enjoy watching the development of a child’s learning take place in the classroom. I don’t issue out information and expect them to recite it back in order for them to do well on a test. I observe them make meaning from all possibilities they think of. This makes their learning important and valid to them. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.


Mary Worland (Room 5, Grades 1/2/3)

What might you like to know about our classroom? First, I hope it is a place of learning and caring, with adults and children involved together in questioning, exploring, intellectual risk-taking and problem-solving. Second, I hope it is a place of emotional safety, creativity and appreciation of diverse view-points. I hope we are a workshop for what I believe about learning: multiple paths, multiple intelligences, multiple voices, multiple ways of demonstrating understanding…and, of course, multiage! You are welcome in our classroom, as a participant or observer.

Additional Staff Members:


Ellen Brownell, MFT (Counselor)

My position at Sycamore is that of counselor on campus one day a week. Parents, teachers and Mr. Cooper work together to refer the student who could use support and gain some skills to better cope with stressful situations. I see myself as an advocate for the student without breaking confidentiality. Often I am able to provide a different perspective on a given situation which can help the parents and teacher further assist the student. I appreciate the support I have received from the Sycamore community.

Eve Burch (Librarian)

I love the environment of the library. There is nothing quite so stimulating as being surrounded by interesting books and curious children. Sharing my love of reading and discovery with the Sycamore students is the joy of this job. I earned my BA in Theater and Cinematic Arts from BYU with an emphasis in performance. During the annual testing in the spring, Deborah Page and I work with many of the primary graders in an interactive learning workshop. I have a personal stake in the goings on here, as three of my own children have attend Sycamore.


Michael “Snoopy” Fletcher (Physical Education)

You cannot discover new oceans
unless you have the courage
to lose sight of the shore.

Snoopy teaches Physical Education at Sycamore to grades 4, 5, and 6. He has taught PE twelve of his thirteen years at Sycamore.

Susan Headley (Physical Education)

Watch us work and notice our differences. . . watch us grow and notice our similarities. We work together as individuals; we grow together as a group. We share our thoughts as individuals; we incorporate our growth as a group. We are Sycamore’s Primary P.E. leaders. We are lead as a group, yet we explore in our own time. We are solo learners, learning to move in unison with others, using a variety of teaching methods based on each student’s individual needs. We are the Primary P.E. group.

Susan began teaching us at Sycamore in the 92/93 school year. A mom with three school ages children, she learned to build her teaching strength based on firm beliefs that each individual learns in their own time and space. Space is an important part of primary P.E. Children are provide the opportunity to learn in a way that meets their individual learning stiles. Children are responsible for their own behavior and learning is enhanced by student interaction and movement. Each P.E. class will allow us to individually reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, consistent with muscle toning, muscle strengthening, fit bodies and sound minds.

Mulitage classes means third grade students working beside kindergarten students, second grade students mentoring first grade students . . . we do it all. A learning experience mixed with individual skill building activities . . . we interact each day. That is the basis for Primary P.E. at Sycamore.

Kim Kenner (Extended Day Care Supervisor)

Even though I am new to Sycamore this year, I have been working with children for over twenty years. My family and I have had the distinct privilidge of being abroad for almost tow years and prior to that, I was the director of Parkway Children’s School of Excellence in Phoenix, Arizona.

I love Sycamore’s philosophy and its child-centered environment which has been implemented into our after-school program. It is a priviledge to work with such a dedicated staff and parents.

If you are interested in our program, please come and visit us. You are welcome any time.


Deborah Page (Language Arts Resource Specialist)

Sycamore has woven a thread throughout my entire life. I attended this school from K-6 and during that time my mom, Lillian Page, came on the Sycamore teaching staff. She stayed on this staff for 27 years. While attending Sycamore, the school shifted from traditional towards more progressive, starting with a grant to explore this new idea: “team teaching”! The school has been going great guns ever since and now I am back again!

True to the Sycamore spirit, my position is an unique Sycamore idea. I work one-on-one with students on reading and writing. I fully support the Sycamore educational philosophy and I individualize my work with each student ot target specific needs, using high-interest materials.

While not at Sycamore, I work as a writer and curriculum developer, mostly with environmental and energy topics. Not a traditional career life, but do you expect anything else from a Sycamore grad?

Jann Shebesta (Speech Language Specialist)

What skill can you learn that you will use everyday for the rest of your life no matter what your interest or occupation? Speech, of course! It is the very core of expressing yourself. Your speech is one of the first ways you present yourself to others. What? You are going on-line? Though not verbal, you need those language skills to communicate on-line also. The ability to communicate with others is truly a treasure.

As the Speech Language Specialist, I see many examples of the empowerment good communication skills give to both children and adults. I am happy to be a part of aiding those who have a need for help in these areas.

Joan Simons (Resource Specialist) and Sandra Alfaro (RSP Assistant),

Joan has been the Resource Specialist at Sycamore since 1992. She holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education and five California Teaching Credentials for grades K-12. She has many years of experience teaching regular and special education students, in multi-age classrooms and small groups.

Sandra came to Sycamore in 2001, after assisting in several programs at Oakmont School. She speaks Spanish, has worked in radio, and sings. Her father, Roy, was the custodian for many years at Sycamore.

The Resource Specialist Program (RSP) is designed to academically assist students who have normal or above intelligence and an identifiable learning disability which is interfering with the student’s academic progress. Students generally are functioning up to two years below grade level, in one or more academic areas, to qualify for assistance through RSP. Learning disabilities can include visual and/or auditory discrimination, memory and sensory-motor disorders.

A classroom teacher, administrator or parent can refer a child to the Student Study Team (SST), for suggested interventions and/or academic screening, based on observed classroom performance and/or standardized test scores. The SST makes appropriate recommendations for classroom interventions to improve student performance. If after a reasonable amount of time, usually 3-6 months, improvement is not observed, the SST reconvenes and may recommend, with parent permission, further study and evaluation by the Guidance Team (GT). THE GT (classroom teacher, administrator, parent, school psychologist and other specialists) will review the student’s case and, with parent approval, may recommend psychological and cognitive testing to determine eligibility for Special Education placement and assistance. Each student’s case is evaluated individually to determine eligibility, according to Federal Requirements through IDEA (Individual with Disabilities Education Act) and California Education Code guidelines. Academic assistance can be provided to eligible students through small-group, direct, remedial instruction, assistance with assignments in the classroom and through collaboration with the classroom teacher to recommend instructional modifications.


Melanie Ann White (Music Teacher)

Bringing music to Sycamore is certainly not a job…it’s an adventure and a rollicking good time! I feel very lucky to be part of the Sycamore family. More importantly, I really love what we have been able to accomplish over the past couple of years that ultimately provided us with an opportunity to share our experience with our families as well as the Claremont community.

After 17 years of working with elementary schools—private and public—either as a teacher or in the capacity of an independent consultant, I believe that I have discovered my intended purpose in life. It is not merely sharing the gift of music that I have been blessed with but, rather, finding ways to inspire colleagues and a wide variety of children to share their gifts with me as well as those around us.

While the source of my material is created from within my mind, it is my selfish desire to help bring out the best in the children who are my true source of inspiration. At the end of the day, my primary wish is to pass on a little bit of hope and inspiration that children can take into the future to share with many generations to come.