{photo credit: Jessica Wilson}
Welcome to our final Friday Faces post of the year! We have truly enjoyed getting to know our teachers, administration, and staff members over the last several weeks, and we want to wrap this up by introducing a vital group of people that many of you may not know… our SLOCA Board of Directors.
Our Board of Directors is the governing body of SLO Classical Academy. In conjunction with the school's Executive Director the board helps make decisions concerning policies and helps support the strategic vision of the organization. Here they are:
Ken Moore
Board Chairman
Ken is a banking and securities attorney with Stuart | Moore Law. He and his wife Brigid have five children, three at SLOCA on Track A: Connie, Abby (UMS-Grade 8), Joseph (Intermediate-Grade 4), BrigidAnne (Kinder), and Henry.
Q: How long has your family been at SLOCA?
A: We are in our 6th wonderful year.
Q: What brought you here? How did you discover our school?
A: My crazy wife, and the Summer school program. Abby, our now 8th grader, came home alive and chatting about Summer camp 6 years ago. We marked that event as the first time Abby was excited about school, and we enrolled her the following fall.
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: Astronaut and a Dad. One out of two isn't bad.
Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A: More than my wife.
Q: What do you like on your pizza?
A: Anything but anchovies.
Q: Name a book you read this summer and enjoyed, or have read this year.
A: The Martian and The Three Musketeers.
Robert Campbell
Vice Chair
Robert is the Pastor of Santa Margarita Community Church. He and his wife Julie have two high school children at SLOCA: Caleb (Senior) and Meg (Freshman).
Q: How long have you been at SLOCA?
A: This is our 6th year.
Q: What brought you here? How did you discover our school?
A: We have always loved classical education and were thrilled to find SLOCA after moving to the Central Coast. We learned about SLOCA from friends.
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I wanted to be a forest ranger.
Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A: I don't know, maybe 6 or 8 when you count flip flops and cowboy boots.
Q: What do you like on your pizza?
A: Pepperoni, olive and jalapeno. That is the perfect pizza, we make it every single Friday of the year.
Q: Name a book you read this summer and enjoyed, or have read this year.
A: I just finished Hannah Coulter, which is the SLOCA parent reading group book. Wendell Berry is an absolute master with words. I also just finished Stop Your Complaining: from Grumbling to Gratitude, by Ronnie Martin. Oh man, read it, but look out, it gets right to the point.
Becky Baer
Secretary
Becky is a retired teacher who loves working with kids and still tutors in many subjects.
Q: What brought you here? How did you discover our school?
A: I first became acquainted with SLOCA in 2007 when one of my tutoring students enrolled. Because of illness in his family, I was asked to carry out the home school element with him. As I experienced teaching the rich, engaging curriculum to my student, I was hooked and still am.
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: My earliest recollection is of telling others that I aspired to be a “dog petter.” Now wouldn't that be nice!! I remain an animal lover, but sans dogs. Instead I have a pet potbelly pig who loves lots of daily pats, ear scratches and belly rubs.
Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A: About a dozen pair with only three or four pairs worn frequently.
Q: What do you like on your pizza?
A: My latest favorite is is dried Mission figs with goat cheese, only available at home.
Q: Name a book you read this summer and enjoyed, or have read this year.
A: In the nonfiction category, I recently read Being Mortal by Azul Gawande and am currently finishing Ivan Doig's final novel, Last Bus to Wisdom.
Tim Ronda
Facility Team Chair
Tim is the Principal Architect with SDG Architects. He and his wife Sandra have 2 children at SLOCA on Track A: Josh (High School Senior) and Lily (UMS-Grade 8).
Q: How long has your family been at SLOCA?
A: 10 years!
Q: What brought you here? How did you discover our school?
A: We were homeschooling our son, Josh, in 1st grade when we found out from Susie that she was starting a new hybrid classical school. We liked the idea of having more structure but still being involved in Josh's schooling so we decided to give it a try. Classes were held in home dining rooms and garages. I think there were about 27 students total. Josh is a senior in high school this year and Lily is in 8th grade.
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: An inventor
Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A: Let's see:
- 2 office
- 1 dress
- 1 hiking/work
- 1 old hiking pair for painting
- 1 running
- 1 bicycling
- multiple retired running and hiking shoes for chores
- wading boots
Q: What do you like on your pizza?
A: Combination meat, pepperoni, canadian bacon and pineapple…
Q: Name a book you read this summer and enjoyed, or have read this year.
A: Holy The Firm
Jill Talley
Jill and her husband Todd have three children at SLOCA on Track A: Karena (LMS-Grade 6), Violet (Intermediate-Grade 4), and Daniel (Intermediate-Grade 3). Jill is also the chair of SLOCA’s Fundraising Philosophy Committee.
Q: How long have you been at SLOCA?
A: I’ve served on the board for the last 9 years and have been a parent at the school for the last 7 years.
Q: What brought you here? How did you discover our school?
A: When SLOCA first started, 10 years ago, my husband had a chance conversation at a local park with a dad who had kids at the school. Following that conversation my husband headed right over to Barnes and Noble and bought The Well Trained Mind, the essential classical education book by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer. After reading through most of it, he told me, “This is exactly the kind of education I’d love for our kids.” We only had a 6 month old at the time, but we had dreams for the future. Those dreams have come true with all three of our children at SLOCA from their earliest years.
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A television journalist. When I was 10 years old my parents bought me a portable cassette recorder and it came with a microphone. That microphone changed my life. I would ask people all kinds of questions with my microphone and tape recorder and I couldn’t believe they would answer me back.
Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A: I’m going to estimate 14-16 pairs counting flip flops and sneakers, but not counting boots.
Q: What do you like on your pizza?
A: If I had to choose just one it would be a thin crust pizza with lots of veggies.
Q: Name a book you read this summer and enjoyed, or have read this year.
A: Our SLOCA Board of Directors started out 2015 by reading The Once and Future King by T.H. White. It was my first time to read it and it moved me. There are so many incredible quotes from this book that speak to me. The quote our SLOCA board talked about most was this one:
“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”
― T.H. White, The Once and Future King
Chuck Smith
Chuck and his wife Geri have two daughters at (or previously at) SLOCA: Cami (sloCAHS graduate and college student) and Coco (High School Freshman).
Q: How long have you been at SLOCA?
A: Long enough to have one graduate from SLOCA high school last year and another one who has spent her entire educational career at SLOCA–she's currently a freshman at sloCAHS.
Q: What brought you here? How did you discover our school?
A: Geri was home schooling and although I know she was doing an amazing job, she felt she wasn't able to get history and lit taught at the level she wanted. Hence, our move to the SLOCA education experience.
Long version? Cami was in 5th grade and going to Latin class at Mrs. Weinschenck's house — who else was in that class but Ms. Sage Theule. At some point, Geri attended a parent info meeting at SLOCA and was wowed that Susie and Lisa Lewis had already done so much of the research and selection process for great books, amazing curriculum and already had amazing teachers teaching. Geri knew first hand how time consuming and how much effort and energy one must expend to provide a world class educational experience for your children if you homeschool. The team at SLOCA already had a giant head start on the classical education path, and with the motivation and enrichment we experienced from the other families, choosing SLOCA was as obvious as picking out Moby Dick in a school of sardines.
Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I had A.D.D., also known as Avocation Distraction Disorder. Fireman, doctor, bush pilot, businessman, ambulance driver, heavy equipment operator, helicopter pilot, outdoor guide, lumberjack, rancher and race car driver all spent time at the top of my list.
Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?
A: Too many. Apparently I've been classified as a closet shoe hoarder because I don't throw any away. At least that's the story I hear from my wife.
Q: What do you like on your pizza?
A: Everything and anything except meat — not because I love animals so much; although I do, but because I really hate plants.
Q: Name a book you read this summer and enjoyed, or have read this year.
A: Data and Goliath. As one reviewer wrote, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn't mean they’re not after you! Excellent read on data collection by Bruce Schneier.”
A huge and hearty thank you to all of our Team SLOCA and Board members for participating in Friday Faces again this year!
Down Home is taking next week off to celebrate Thanksgiving, and we wish all of our families and readers a week that is restful, reflective, and full of gratitude. We are so thankful for each of you!
