News
7/1/21
New Director of IT
Please welcome Ling Lam, our new IT Director.
Born in Hong Kong, Ling grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. She received her MA in Education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and has taught Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 5th grade. Before moving to California, she lived and worked in Princeton and taught middle school Computer Science in Robbinsville. She is also the founding teacher of the STEAM program for an international school in Switzerland and has presented the best practices for schools and teachers to have meaningful tech integration in China.
In the last six years in the Bay Area, Ling has taught K-12 Computer Science, coached robotics, and helped schools build their own Makerspace. Since Ling is fascinated by both education and technology, she is passionate about helping both students and staff with all kinds of technical issues or showing them new tech tricks. During her free time, you will find her on a mountain, exploring new trails. Ling enjoys cycling, hiking, running, camping and mountaineering.
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6/25/21
New Grade 7/8 Teacher!
Please welcome Hudson Dougan, our newest Condors teacher. While new to classroom teaching, Hudson has all the qualifications we like - an experiential learning background, outdoor leadership in summer camps, passion and a big heart. Hudson loves the sciences and has a BS in Environmental Sciences Policy and Management from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Most recently, he’s been a field assistant with the United States Geological Survey, a scientific agency of the United States government focused on studying the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. While he will be moving from Minneapolis to join us, he’s not new to the Bay Area, having spent two years at Santa Clara University prior to finishing at University of Minnesota.
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6/3/21
New Kindergarten Teacher!
Welcome our newest and third Kindergarten teacher, Tom Limbert! Tom comes to us with an exceptional amount of knowledge and experience with early childhood learning. He spent a decade at Stanford University's Bing Nursery School before becoming the Director of Woodside Preschool from 2012-2020. He also co-founded Studio Grow, a Danville-based play space for children ranging from infants to 6-year-olds. In addition to teaching, Tom has been passionate about working with families of young children. He was the Parent Ed Coordinator and Social-Emotional Learning Lead at Woodside Elementary School and earned a Master's degree in Education with an emphasis in early childhood development.
Fun fact: Tom is a published author! Tom's first book, Dad's Playbook: Wisdom for Fathers from the Greatest Coaches of All Time with over one hundred inspiring quotes and a foreword from Hall of Fame quarterback, Steve Young. He is also the author of What They Won't Tell You About Parenting, and his most recent book is titled Most Valuable Dad.
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6/3/21
New Admissions Director!
Please meet Teri Raffel, our new Admissions Director. Teri has 11 years of experience working in the Admissions Office at Castilleja School in Palo Alto, where she was known for her incredibly detailed and focused execution of open houses, parent tours, Diversity Nights, School Fairs, tuition assistance info events, and multiple student campus visit days. Three years ago, Teri stepped away from her role in admissions at Castilleja when her husband was presented with a job at Harvard. After moving to Massachusetts, she saw an opportunity to try something new and decided to go back to school and recently earned her M.Ed., Early Childhood Education! She then spent time in several classrooms from PreK to 1st grade, where she was known for constantly striving to deepen her understanding and teaching practice; and whole-heartedly dedicated to educating and nurturing the whole child. With 10+ years of Bay Area independent school admissions experience and her recent Early Child Development education, she's destined to be a great addition to our Helios family.
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3/15/21
New Helios Teachers!
We're thrilled to announce two new teachers that will be joining our ranks for the 2020-21 school year. Please join me in welcoming Cory Patterson, our new Grade 7/8 Science Teacher and Jona Patterson, our new Grade 1/2 Teacher.
Cory and Jona join us from The American School of Hague, a fabulous international school located in Wassenaar, the Netherlands where they have been teaching for the last four years. They have two young children and are excited to return to the US to be closer to family. Both love the outdoors and want to raise their children engaged in outdoor pursuits so they develop a love and appreciation for nature. Hiking, backpacking, paddling and climbing are at the top of their outdoor adventure list.
A little more about Cory:
Cory has almost 20 years of experience working in grades 5-8. He’s most passionate about science education, particularly physical sciences. He has served as both the Science Chair and Lower School Science Coordinator at previous schools. While serving as a Science Chair in Manila, his priority was to shift from content and textbook driven courses to a more hands-on, inquiry-based approach. He has also had the unique opportunity to create and teach IDEAS; Innovative Designs through Engineering Activities, a required course for all seventh-grade students, where failure is valued and problem-solving and collaboration are vital.
Cory has a Master of Arts in Science from University of Las Vegas, NV and a Bachelor of Education from Washington State University, Summa Cum Laude.
A little more about Jona:
Jona also has almost 20 years’ experience, working predominantly in Grades 2-4. Her teaching philosophy centers on empathy and that learning should spark joy. She has a passion for humanities and while personally loves expressing herself through written words, she is also drawn to immersive history experiences where students can bring in visual and performing arts as part of a summative task. It’s part of why she was drawn to Helios’ Experiential Learning. She leads with SEL in mind, reminding students that all feelings are OK and helping them become effective navigators of their emotions to guide and harness their positive power.
Jona has a Master of Education in Instructional and Curricular Studies from University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Bachelor or Education from Washington State University, Summa Cum Laude.
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3/10/21
In Person Learning resumed on February 1.
REMOTE LEARNING OPTION AVAILABLE.
Weekly COVID testing on campus is required for in-person students.
For more information visit our Distance Learning Page.
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2/10/21
In Person Learning resumed on February 1.
REMOTE LEARNING OPTION AVAILABLE.
Weekly COVID testing on campus is required for in-person students.
For more information visit our Distance Learning Page.
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2/1/21
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Please join teachers Melissa Vineyard and Emeric Bisbee as they take us into African Civilizations prior to colonization. Most of our history with Africa is about slavery and its legacy. This set of offerings is meant to CELEBRATE African civilizations. All students and parents are welcome to join!
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1/26/21
HELIOS IS RETURNING TO CAMPUS ON FEBRUARY 1 2021.
Weekly COVID testing on campus is required for in-person students. For more information visit our Distance Learning Page.
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1/15/21
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12/1/20
Join us this #GivingTuesday and
support the Helios Annual Fund!
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11/23/20
HELIOS IS GOING REMOTE ON NOVEMBER 23
Remote since March, Helios School welcomed students safely back to campus on October 6th. With weekly COVID testing on campus we've had zero cases thus far. Unfortunately, due to Santa Clara School District going purple, we have decided to go remote (Helios@Home) until after the holidays.
For more information visit our Distance Learning Page.
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9/15/20
ANNOUNCING OUR NEW SEL PROGRAM: SIX SECONDS
Helios will be using the Six Seconds’ programs and tools going forward. I founded Six Seconds because I wanted to support people of all ages to create positive change. Our world will be made better if we all practiced the skills of emotional intelligence (EQ)! At Helios we will engage the entire community in this practice and make sure students, teachers & staff, and parents are developing their skills alongside one another.
OUR STUDENTS: This year, Helios will boost Social Emotional Learning in the classroom through dedicated lessons and integrated curriculum. We will administer the SEI-YV assessment which provides feedback on a child’s EQ within a framework for growth and development. SEL is teachable and we will continue to check in with the student periodically to assess their progress. Research shows that EQ scores predict performance on critical life success factors like relationships, wellbeing, life satisfaction and personal achievement. For children in particular, EQ has been linked to success both academically and later in life.
OUR TEACHERS & ADMINISTRATORS: Our Helios teachers will also be invited to develop their own EQ skills (through teacher training and development opportunities) and I expect to see renewed energy and a sense of purpose, as they re-discover the power and joy of connecting to students and to each other in a learning community. Our SEL initiative will also allow administrators to hone powerful leadership skills and use these skills to nurture all stakeholders. It will allow administrators to craft schools and communities that support the development of caring, compassionate, motivated and successful individuals, friends, family members, and engaged citizens of the world.
OUR PARENT COMMUNITY: Last but not least, our parent community will also have opportunities to get tested, learn EQ skills and tools and connect with other parents on this journey.
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9/9/20
We are excited to welcome the Marvegos art method to Helios this year! Marvegos offers a combined open studio and structured art program tailored to the needs of lower and upper school students.
In lower school (1st-4th) students will learn the concepts used in fine art through a hands-on, interactive contemporary teaching method. The goal of the Art Exploration program is to build self confidence by empowering children to make their own creative choices.
In upper school (5th-8th) students will learn techniques to develop their own style of art making and create artworks that are original and truly their own. Students will apply elements of form and composition to their drawings while exercising creativity and developing observation skills.