GOVERNANCE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Andrew Sawyer

Andrew is a current Kindergarten Dad and has been serving as SES’s interim Board President for a few months. He has been an active member of the PA since they joined Sunrise over two years ago. He works in indigenous health where he gets to work with numerous stakeholders with various perspectives. Andrew also serves as the president of their strata’s board and on an Electoral District Association for the area. He thinks that the best way to teach his children is to lead by example. He brings the capacity to facilitate difficult conversations to the board table as well as a deep desire to serve the Sunrise community.

Diana Sharpe

SES Vice President Role

Diana's family moved here in 2013 from what is now Okanagan Waldorf School. Diana is a parent of 3 - one daughter who entered kindergarten in 2013 and graduated Gr. 8 in 2022, another daughter who attended Sunrise 2013 - 2019, and a son who you may see on the basketball court, or on his bike (or sometimes unicycle) riding to school.

Diana has attended school board meetings as an ex-officio member for many years, and prior to that had chaired the Parent Association at Sunrise for a couple of terms. She has had opportunity to build relationships with many at our school, and has been known to say "I love meetings". Diana is a council facilitator with the Ways of Council and engages in circles regularly. She starts many days with her local Ashtanga yoga community. She has owned and operated Sharpe Occupational Therapy Services Inc. in the Cowichan Valley since 2013, a team that serves children with sensory integration and other presenting concerns. She spends her days fostering & admiring child-directed, active play and enjoys learning people's stories and priorities through deep listening.

Committee membership: Human Resources Committee

Camillo Costa

SES Board Treasurer Role

One of the main reasons Camillo’s family moved to Vancouver Island was for Sunrise Waldorf School, which has been a tremendous blessing for their two children. As a parent, he has had the opportunity to witness the school's holistic approach to education and how it positively impacts the children's growth and development. The chance to contribute his skills and experience to an organization that has made such a significant impact on his family and the community is why he is excited to serve on the Sunrise Waldorf School board of directors at this time. Camillo has a diverse cultural background and a commitment to justice. He has acquired strong analytical and problem-solving skills through his studies in law, business and the environment. He has experience in decision-making, strategic planning and collaboration. He looks forward to serving Sunrise in supporting a safe, nurturing and enriching environment for all its students.

Committee Membership: Finance Committee, Policy Committee

Mark McGivern

SES Board Secretary Role

Mark has a grown son and daughter who went to Sunrise for a year in 1998. The school has had a special place in his heart ever since. It was then that he decided to become a Waldorf teacher himself. He trained at the Rudolf Steiner Centre in Toronto in 2001 and taught middle school grades for 6 years in Nelson. He is currently involved in a few anthroposophical efforts. He works in communications with the Anthroposophical Society in Canada, is an active member of the local Vancouver Island branch, mentors students in the Rudolf Steiner Foundations Program, and has co-founded a new group called The Anthroposophy and Social Justice Project that seeks to apply anthroposophical insights to today's need for social healing. Mark first published book is Tolkien's Hidden Pictures: Anthroposophy and the Enchantment in Middle Earth. He has lived and worked in Nicaragua, Japan and Dubai. He currently lives in Victoria.

Lucien Power

Board Director

Lucien is a parent to a current Sunrise student, and has a younger daughter, too. Lucien appreciated his Waldorf education as a child in the UK and, after a brief stint in engineering, has spent over 15 years in education, including teaching and administration in Waldorf schools for 11 years. Currently, Lucien is a Principal at a local independent elementary school in the Cowichan Valley and has experience working in independent schools, and with the MECC. Lucien completed the Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program at the Center for Anthroposophy in 2013 and holds both a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and a Bachelor of Engineering degree. Lucien and his family moved to the Cowichan Valley in 2021 from Squamish to enroll at Sunrise. Lucien is keen to support Waldorf education here in the Valley and to meaningfully contribute to his child's school and community.

Committee membership: Board Development Committee

Hazel Whitehead

Board Director

Hazel has been a parent at Sunrise Waldorf School since her son was in kindergarten. Her son loves going to school here and is a perfect fit in his class. Hazel spent two years on the PA as a Parent Enrichment Coordinator and has been active in school life as a frequent volunteer. When not hanging around at school she works at a small farm mostly with horses and in the garden. In past lives she worked in the Social Services and in Theatre and Film making costumes. She is excited to help out on the board and learn new skills that will be applicable in her future career in Social Work/Counselling.

Committee membership: Policy and Accessibility Committee

Erez Laxman

Board Director

Erez is a proud father of two boys at Sunrise Waldorf School. Even before coming to Vancouver Island, he and his wife had heard of Sunrise and the beautiful way it treats children. After arriving in Canada in 2022 and starting to work as residential caregivers at Glenora Farm, the opportunity for the Laxman family to join the school opened up, and they feel fortunate to have had that chance. At Glenora Farm, Erez was part of facilitating some school trips and had the opportunity to show the students a glimpse of farm life. The farm is a Camphill community and operates according to the values that also live at the heart of the school. Erez completed a Waldorf teacher seminar and taught for several years at a public middle school, as well as two years as a class teacher at a Waldorf school. He has a long-standing and deep interest in education, and supporting a healthy school and society is one of his goals.

The Sunrise Educational Society

Principles of Good Practice and Confidentiality Agreement

Preamble: The following principles provide professional standards for interaction between members of the Sunrise Educational Society (SES) and between Board members and their many constituents (parents, educators, administrators, school community members , students, colleagues, and the public). The SES Principles of Good Practice (PGP’s) and Confidentiality Agreement defines high standards and ethical behavior of Board members, to support the Society’s commitment in furthering the long term success of the Sunrise Waldorf School. Accordingly, membership on the Board of Directors is contingent upon agreement to abide by "the spirit" of these PGPs.

Overview: The following Principles of Good Practice are set forth to provide a shared understanding on the responsibilities of individual members of the SES Board of Directors.

Sunrise Educational Society Principles of Good Practice:
1. A Director actively supports and promotes the Society’s mission and vision and the School’s strategic plan, goals, and policy positions.
2. A Director is knowledgeable about the Society’s mission, vision and goals, including its commitment to equity and justice, and represents them appropriately and accurately within the community.
3. A Director stays fully informed about current Board activities and issues by attending meetings regularly, coming to meetings well prepared, and participating fully in all matters.
4. The Board sets policy and focuses on long-range and strategic issues. An individual Director does not become involved directly in specific operational management, personnel, or curricular issues.
5. A Director takes care to separate the interests of the school from the specific needs of a particular parent, student, faculty member or constituency.
6. A Director accepts and supports Board decisions. Once a decision has been made, the Board speaks as one voice publicly.
7. A Director keeps all Board deliberations, and school matters confidential.
8. A Director guards against conflict of interest, whether personal or business related.
9. A Director has the responsibility to support the School, the Head of School, Faculty, and its management team; and demonstrates that support within the community by speaking in good will and following the Board and school’s communication policies and overall policies.
10. Authority is vested in the Board as a whole. A Director who learns of an issue of importance to the school has the obligation to bring it to the Head of School, or to the Board Chair, and must refrain from responding to the situation individually.
11. A Director contributes to legal and fiscal sustainability of the School, including strategic planning for development, financial support, and active involvement in annual and capital giving.
12. Each Director, not just the Treasurer and Finance Committee, has fiduciary responsibility to the school for sound financial management.

Constitution & Bylaws