 Rebecca Hausammann earned her Bachelors degree from UC Berkeley in Humanities and received her Masters in Education and teaching credential from Stanford University. She holds a valid California Administrative Services Credential, and this past year served as Assistant Principal of Petaluma High School where she worked to develop an English Learner Academy, to build career pathways and develop an integrated 9-10 program, to design the master schedule, and hire and support teachers. Her passion is working collaboratively with teachers to design instruction that engages and stimulates each learner in their classroom.
Rebecca brings twelve years of experience as a classroom teacher and teacher leader in the Tamalpais district, most recently at Drake High School where Rebecca taught English and drama and was a mentor teacher. Her favorite experience at Drake was teaching in the Communications Academy, an inter-disciplinary, multi-age program for students interested in drama and video production.
Rebecca has worked extensively in school reform, small learning community design and project-based learning. In addition she has developed curriculum and assessment for the Tam District and led professional development for middle and high school teachers.
Rebecca resides in Fairfax, and looks forward to giving back to her community by serving the students, staff and families of Cascade Canyon.
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 PEGGY TUNDER
Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade
Peggy was educated as a child in Cyprus, England, France, Japan and
Hawaii. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in World Literature,
French and Linguistics from Stanford University and a Master's degree
in Special Education from San Francisco State University.
Peggy has directed cultural exchange programs specializing in
environmental education and the performing arts in Europe, Central
America, Canada, the South Pacific and the United States. She has been
a language arts teacher for the California State Literacy Project and
coordinator for the "Hands on Science" program of the Education Task
Force in Marin County.
Peggy is one of the founders of Cascade Canyon School and has always
been an active member of its staff. She is a Director, the Kindergarten
teacher, as well as a specialist in theater and sign language.
 ZOE GHAZI
3rd and 4th Grade
Zoe was educated in Iran, England, France, the United States and Canada. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration (Management) from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a second B.A. degree in Education from Brock University in Ontario, Canada.†
After obtaining her teaching credential at Brock University, she earned additional qualifications to teach French as a second language to grades K-8. She has over 15 years of teaching experience in both public and private schools.
Zoe joined the Cascade Canyon teaching staff in 1996. She is a Director, the 3-4th grade teacher, and the French specialist.
 SARAH BURHOP
5th and 6th Grade
Originally from New Hampshire, Sarah holds two undergraduate degrees, in Psychology and English Literature, from the University of Iowa, and received her teaching credential and Masters of Science degree in Special Education from Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, New York.
She has been working in elementary education for the past six years, and, in 2003, was awarded a two-year teaching fellowship through the New York City Teaching Fellows program for teaching special education in an underserved, urban school.
 LINDA FRANCO
7th and 8th Grade
Linda began her involvement with Cascade Canyon School in 1985. In
1990, she established the middle school program and currently teaches
the 7-8th grade class.
Linda was raised and educated in Michigan. She earned a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Education with a major in Social Science, as well as her
teaching credential, from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She
has taught elementary school subjects, as well as high school algebra,
in Michigan, Massachusetts and California. She was a crisis counselor
and spokesperson for the California Parenting Institute and has been an
educator for 30 years.
TODD BOSTON
Music Specialist
Todd Boston was born on January 22nd of the year 1974 in Philadelphia,
PA to a family of teachers. He began piano lessons at the age of 7 and
later explored the saxophone and drums in the middle school band,
eventually settling on the guitar. From there his passion and love of
music blossomed. In 1994 he earned his Associates degree in
communications from Dean College, MA where he began to study classical,
jazz, Latin, rock, Afro-Brazilian, East Indian, as well as other styles
of music. In his twenties he studied with master teacher Ernie
Chavaria and vocalist/teacher Silvia Nakkach learning about the depths
of music and opening the voice through ancient practices and cultural
songs.
Todd began teaching private students and working with children in
summer music camp programs and is currently the music specialist at
Cascade Canyon School. He fuses his deep knowledge of music theory and
performance with various group exercises to create an atmosphere
conducive to learning and exploration. He plays the guitar, piano,
bamboo flute and drums drawing from the deep connections that exist
between nature and music. He maintains over 100 live performances per
year, is a recording artist, has founded a world fusion ensemble named
Global Village and is currently studying North Indian Classical Music
with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in San Rafael, CA. Todd believes we are all
born musicians.
JAKE CARILLO
Physical Education Specialist
Jake is returning to Cascade Canyon for his second year, and brings
his extensive background in sports. At an early age, Jake found a true
love for baseball beginning on the Little League fields, continuing
through high school and college, and eventually leading to playing
professionally.
From 2001-2004, Jake called both Washington and Nevada home, but he
couldn't stand another minute away. In 2004, he came back to
California. He has no plans to ever leave again. Jake was born and
raised just over the hill in Sonoma County and currently resides there,
again, in Penngrove, with his 4 best pals: "his pups".
These days, in addition to teaching PE Tuesday through Friday
afternoons at Cascade Canyon, Jake owns a baseball school based in
Tiburon. He is happy to have been teaching the game he loves for three
straight years now. On Jake's days off he enjoys running his dogs at
Dillon Beach, camping/fishing, eating gourmet food and watching movies
on the big screen.
NAOMI RIFKIN
Art Specialist
Love for the creative process and the desire to mentor and inspire
youth defines Naomi¹s passion and dedication to art education. Central
to her teaching philosophy is her belief that art is a powerful tool
for inquiry in to the personal and phenomenal worlds. She is delighted
to be part of the Cascade Canyon community.
Naomi¹s teaching experience has included positions as lead artist for
the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Zeum, Bay Area Discovery
Museum, and a wide variety of schools and community centers.
In addition, Naomi initiated a not-for-profit arts organization, Brush
Fire Painting Workshops, in April 2002. Brush Fire Workshops for Youth
feature a flexible curriculum of theater games, creative writing and
painting on themes of interest to the participants.
KARINA SALENGER  Science Specialist
Karina Salenger joins Cascade Canyon this year as our upper and
lower school science teacher. Karina is especially excited to share
her knowledge and love of the biological sciences with the students at
Cascade Canyon. She has a Bachelors in Biology from UC Santa Cruz and
has field experience in urban forestry, erosion control and biological
restoration. She is excited to be a part of the Cascade Canyon
community and has many ideas for incorporating eco-literacy into the
science program.
Karina views science as a tool for explaining the world around us, as a
discipline that empowers people to think for themselves, and as a
subject that encourages wonder.
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HALINA BARRAS
Instructional Assistant
Halina has a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy and
Religion from San Francisco State University. She resides in Fairfax
with her husband and their two children. She has been a Kindergarten classroom aide at Wade Thomas Elementary School and a volleyball coach for Drake High
School and for Marin Juniors. She loves the outdoors, camping, hiking
and playing volleyball.
This is Halina's second year at Cascade Canyon as a
math and language arts aide in the 1st/2nd grade classroom and as an
algebra aide for the 7th/8th grade classroom. She also supervises the
yard during breaks and lunch and has started working in the library.
DONNA RENAUD
Office Manager
Donna Renaud joins Cascade Canyon this year as our Office Manager. Originally from Southern California, Donna moved to the Bay Area in the early 1980’s and has worked as a paralegal in various San Francisco law firms. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Physical Education from Humboldt State University where she competed in intercollegiate volleyball and softball and was a 1985 inductee into the HSU Hall of Fame for Athletics. She now enjoys coaching youth sports, reading, traveling, the ocean, and life with her family. She lives in San Geronimo with her partner and their two daughters, Emma & Hayley.
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Faculty and Staff 
