Faculty
Peter Day , is the head of school. With decades of involvement with Quaker schools and meetings, Peter Day is committed to Friends' concepts and beliefs that he says, "guided my life." Peter is an active member of Orange Grove Meeting and has been on the Board of Friends Western School for several years. A graduate of a Quaker high school, he helped found a Quaker elementary school that his children attended. His career in the apparel industry gave him the opportunity to live in several different communities and in each of them he helped develop programs to cope with racial conflicts. While on the FWS board he saw the challenge of creating a school which has high academic as well as social standards and he welcomes this opportunity to help the school progress as its interim head.
Tracey Cahill is our K-1 teacher. She has a wealth of experience both in public schools and Montessori schools. She completed her teaching credential and her M.A. in Early Childhood Education at CSULA. When Teacher Tracey talks about education she speaks of community and connections, of multiple intelligences and of following ideas that emerge from the child's experiences and activity in the world.
Glen Gabel,
Glen has three years of teaching experience, an M.A. in Education from Portland State University and a B.A. in English with a minor in film from USC. He taught the 5-7 grade class at FWS in 2007 and has returned as the 2-5 grade teacher. He brings great enthusiasm for our school: "The staff plan curriculum that engages all aspects of the child's mind. Oneon one education and mentorship happen every day; with small class size teachers tailor curriculum to the students' needs. The students feel "ownership" over their education and this creates a tight-knit community. Before coming to FWS I had only read about this kind of thing; being a part of it has been wonderful. Many schools teach children to learn; Friends Western School goes beyond that, we teach children to love learning."
Sonia Reyes, has over 20 years experience in a variety
of public school settings. She is our Spanish
instructor.
Friends Western School draws from the arts community, our talented parents and selected student teachers to fill our staffing needs.
Leadership
FWS is under the care of Orange Grove Friends Meeting. It is governed by
a board of directors made up of Quakers as well as members of the community.
Parent participation on many active committees and in the classroom is welcome
and encouraged.