Odyssey School for the Gifted: Faculty Bios

Education statement from Stephen:
"Education is a profession, not an 8-4 job. A true educator should continue to grow by keeping abreast of the newest literature, research and pedagogy, and by reading experiencing and experimenting. An educator must be interested in the entire educational system not just their school, their grade, their classes. Educators must remain aware in order to know what of the old to discard and what of the new to adopt--what of the old is valid and what of the new is just repackaging. More importantly, an educator must be continually aware that they are part of a larger system called the community and their work must always reflect the development of the emotional intelligence of that community.

Education in today's society is the only avenue to competence and the necessary highway to exhilaration. I embrace the high demands I have of students and myself. I teach because of those precious moments when I see a student grow, risk, challenge, learn, become aware, find success, turn around a failure, be curious or just say “thank you.” It is the look on their faces when this happens that makes me teach. "

Stephen K. Smuin is the co-founder of Odyssey School, San Mateo, CA, founder of the middle school program at The Nueva School, Hillsborough, CA and an accomplished author, teacher, consultant and workshop presenter. His current experience, administering and teaching at a middle school for gifted and talented children, spans 20 years. Prior to his founder roles at Odyssey School and The Nueva School, Stephen K. Smuin was Associate Director at the Independent Learning School in Palo Alto and was Director of the Montana Indian Youth Practicum in Helena, Montana.

Smuin teaches gifted and talented students at Odyssey School and did so at The Nueva School. His teaching specialty is writing and humanities. He has also taught English and Social Studies at San Mateo High School, Writing, Government and American History at the Independent Learning Center, Palo Alto CA, Educational Games at Hayward State University, CA, Social Psychology, American Government, World & American History at Loyola-Sacred-Heart High School, Missoula, MT, Social Studies in the Upward Bound program at Carroll College in Helena MT, and Psychology, Sociology and Economics at Libby Senior High School, Libby MT.

In addition to his experience in education, Smuin is a prolific book author, columnist, editor and reviewer. He is the author of three books and thirty-five magazine articles. His books include More Than Metaphor: Strategies for Teaching Process Writing, Addison-Wesley, 1993, Can't Anybody Here Write?: 137 Strategies for Teaching Writing in the Social Science Classroom, Mushroom Enterprises, 1982, Turn Ons!: 187 Teaching Strategies for the Social Sciences, Paramount Publishing, 1978. Between 1977 and 1984 he wrote and published numerous magazine articles on topics ranging from basketball, ballet, Bay Area travel, public television, diet, Michael Smuin, simulation gaming and students' right to fail. Smuin's experience as an editor and columnist was with San Francisco Bay Area publications from 1976-1981 where he covered primarily entertainment.

As a specialist and expert in teaching gifted middle school students, Stephen K. Smuin has a long career of educational consulting. Here is a sampling of his consulting projects:

In 1979 Mr. Smuin started presenting workshops nationally and internationally. He has presented to the World Gifted Conference (Hamburg, Germany, Toronto, Canada, Salt Lake City, Utah), California Association of Independent Schools, College of Notre Dame, University of Montana (Missoula, MT), Association of Curriculum Development, Lesley College (Boston, MA), California Association for the Gifted, 6 Seconds, California League of Middle Schools, San Mateo County Office of Education and the Young Presidents Club. The topics he has presented cover classroom management (“Class Discipline”), the arts (“The Role of Arts Education” & “Scheduling the Creative Arts”), writing (“Learning to Write, Writing to Learn”), “Gifted Education”, emotional intelligence (Affective Education in the Classroom” & “Advisory That Works”) and curriculum (“Integrated Curriculum” & “Fusion Curriculum”).

Mr. Smuin has a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the San Francisco State University and is an M.A. (candidate) in Political Science from the University of Montana. In addition to teaching middle school he has also taught at the high school and university levels. He has coached high school basketball, football and track and served on the Board of Directors for the Hillbarn Theater in Foster City, administered Artist-in Residence programs for both Odyssey and The Nueva Schools and was a research consultant for an Emmy Award winning ballet for the Dance in America series in 1984.

Stephen K. Smuin's certifications include the California Life Social Science Secondary credential for teaching and the California Life Administration credential for school administration.

Mr. Smuin's training, experience, educational philosophy and beliefs have shaped the exceptional program at Odyssey:

Throughout his rich career Mr. Smuin has continually taught Writing and Humanities and believes ongoing experience in the classroom is an important factor in being a successful Head of School. His dual role as teacher and administrator gives him a unique perspective on the educational and emotional needs of gifted middle school students. The mission and vision of Odyssey School reflects this daily experience with the students and fosters respect and camaraderie with his talented staff.

Smuin's personal interests include skiing, travel, cooking, reading, painting with water colors, home construction projects and spending time with his yellow lab, Yuki.

Rich Brown, Humanities

Education statement from Rich:
"To create a safe learning environment that nurtures the intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual health, and development of its members. To develop active, compassionate, life-long learners by creating a vital, inclusive learning environment that sets high educational standards, promotes a global worldview, and honors the uniqueness of each individual. Further:

To nurture intercultural understanding and respect;
To promote cooperation, equality, nonviolence, and sustainability;
To involve learners in the process of personal mastery through self-exploration; To support the comprehensive health and wellness of all members of the learning community."

Rich Brown is a graduate of California Integral Studies in San Francisco with a Masters of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science in Communication and Education/History from the University of Texas in Austin.

He has taught on the middle school & high school level as well as in higher education since 1976 from Colorado to Southern California to the Bay Area.

Rich's passions include long distance running and cycling, Tai Chi, Yoga, and martial arts, travel, gardening, and camping. Rich has further expertise in the areas of health, nutrition, and wellness.

In Rich's classroom there will be a beehive of activity as students develop their own goals and objectives on projects designed to study major themes or periods of history. Rich loves students investigating, researching, and presenting material that they have found, organized, and developed themselves. With Rich's wealth of travel experiences he is a natural for our extensive world studies curriculum.

Rich brings over 20 years of teaching experience in the public, independent, special education, and gifted talented classrooms to his position at Odyssey.

Rich surprised students on his first trip to camp by making a dinner blessing in American Sign Language, of which he is also proficient. We welcome Rich to the Odyssey community.

Millie Cruz , Administrative Assistant

Millie Cruz takes over some of the “mother” duties for Odyssey this year as the new Registrar and administrative assistant. Millie previously functioned at the front desk at The Nueva School for the past six years. For over 23 years Millie has had extensive administrative experience in a variety of venues and thus she comes to Odyssey with a wealth of experience and skills in the administrative area. She is a mother of two grown daughters and also has grandchildren to occupy her time as well as her love of all crafts projects. We welcome Millie to the Odyssey community.

Erin Leydig, Science and Mathematics, Sixth Grade Advisor

Education statement from Erin:
"I am committed to inspiring my students to become passionate about science and mathematics. I strive to build self-confidence in my students so that they know they can achieve mastery in all areas. I set and maintain high standards in my classroom to promote the development of integrity and effective organizational/study skills."

Erin Leydig has taught science and mathematics at Odyssey School since her graduation from Stanford University eight years ago in 1997. In 2005 she was an award-winning Educator of the Year for her innovative science teaching methods with gifted middle school students at Odyssey School. She was honored by KTVU television station and Sylvan Learning Center as a hands-on educator who likes to challenge herself to find new ways to teach science to her students. Ms. Leydig is currently a 2006 Disney Teacher Awards nominee in the Middle School Science Teacher category and is an inductee to the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

In addition to teaching science and mathematics at Odyssey, Erin Leydig also leads the annual Outdoor Education and Community Service programs. She is an experienced environmental educator who volunteered with SEED, Students for Environmental Education in East Palo Alto, CA at Costaño Elementary School teaching nature, ecosystems and human interaction with the environment. Leydig has led numerous Outdoor Ed week-long field trips for Odyssey to places such as Catalina Island and Kings Canyon National Park.

Ms. Leydig graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford with a BA in Human Biology with an Area of Concentration in Education and the Biological Sciences. While at Stanford she also studied marine biology and conducted individual research at Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey, CA. In the fall of 1995 she studied economics, Art History, French and African literature in Strasbourg, France with Syracuse University's Department of International Programs Abroad. In 1996 Leydig interned as a full-time research assistant in the biotechnology industry and is currently teaching a course in biotechnology as part of Odyssey's Passions program. Ms. Leydig has been trained in physical science and advanced physics through the Exploratorium's Teacher Education Program. In 2001, Leydig received a Masters in Secondary Education from San Francisco State University.

Hiroshi Imase, Japanese and Computers

Education statement from Hiroshi:
"I am at Odyssey to help students to find their confidence and talent in them through Japanese class and daily interactions with students. I must be a good role model for students in terms of work ethics to be a part of community member."

Hiroshi Imase is Odyssey School's Japanese instructor as well as the computer skills teacher. He holds a Master of Arts degree from San Francisco State University (SFSU) in Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language. His thesis topic, completed in 2002, was “developing software based interactive teaching aids for language acquisition (emphasis on particles).” He also holds a BA from SFSU in Criminal Justice and worked in the Public Defenders office at the Juvenile Guidance Center.

Imase Sensei guides Odyssey students through three years of intensive Japanese language instruction and prepares them to converse comfortably while traveling in Japan in the spring of their eighth grade year. Imase also instructs students in Japanese culture, society and home life so they can adjust to the lifestyle differences during their Japanese home stay. During the 2005-2006 academic year he organized and hosted the Japanese exchange and home stay program with 13 Tokiwagi high school students who visited Odyssey School from Japan. His training of the Odyssey students provided the basis for them hosting the Japanese visitors and making them feel welcome in a foreign country. Bay area media covered the home stays extensively because of the unique nature of Odyssey's multi-cultural program, its impact on local families and the leadership of Imase. Also in the 2005-2006 academic year, Hiroshi Imase is teaching one of his passions in Odyssey's Passions Program: photography. His photographs are used extensively by Odyssey to document school trips and special events and can be seen on this web site.

In addition to his teaching experience at Odyssey School , Mr. Imase has been a teaching assistant at SFSU, a teaching volunteer at The Nueva School and a tutor for first and second semester university students in Japanese. He has chaired the Committee of International Conference of Practical Linguistics of Japanese and also been the Chair of the Computer Assisted Language Learning session.

Brian Herndon, Drama, Stage Combat, Chorus

Education statement from Brian:
"Students rise to meet the challenges posed to them, and their efforts to overcome those challenges teach them more than easy successes. These challenges should have different facets so that individual students can succeed in different ways. Without a commitment to the struggle, a student cannot excel."

Hillary Mills, Math, Creative Arts, Studio Arts

Education statement from Hillary:
"Education is best described as a symbiotic relationship, give-and-take between students and teachers, administrators and teachers, parents and teachers, parents and students and more. There is a level of energy provided by all parties to make an exciting, exploratory environment where everyone feels comfortable, respected and knowledge is created and passed on amongst everyone."

Hillary Mills is the 21 st century version of the quintessential Renaissance woman. She has a life-long connection with fine arts, a passion for athletics, a love for environmental education and diverse experience working with middle school and high school students.

Ms. Mills graduated from the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) with a BA in Environmental Systems-Earth Sciences and a minor in Healthcare & Social Issues. Through these studies she honed her mathematical skills in many scientific math courses.

She has traveled to Scandinavia, France, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand and studied in Mexico while in college. In the fall of 2003 she participated in a National Outdoor Leadership School semester course in Baja, California, Mexico where she participated in and taught experiential education courses while backpacking in the desert and sea kayaking along the coast of the Sea of Cortez. During her secondary education she was a Four Year Varsity Letter Track and Field Athlete and also Team Captain for her large Division II team. She was honored as a National Scholar Athlete in 2004.

Hillary Mills is from a family of artists and art professors. Her grandfather was an Art Professor at a small Liberal Arts college, and by growing up touring his studio, indulging in weekend Art classes at the University of Iowa, and being inspired by her own father's sketchbooks and artistic journals, she has molded a unique passion and experience in the world of art. She brings these arts education skills and talents to the Creative Arts program at Odyssey.

The Outdoor Education program at Odyssey is fortunate to have Mills as an enthusiastic addition to their staff. Mills has been a Wilderness Outings Instructor with UCSD Outback Adventures, a Research Assistant at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO) and a Naturalist with Naturalists-at-Large. At SIO she worked alongside esteemed Geology, Geochemistry and Marine Biology professors to develop an interactive middle school Earth Science digital library project. Her background brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the, already excellent, Outdoor Ed program at Odyssey.

Just prior to her joining Odyssey in the summer of 2005, Hillary Mills volunteered in Sri Lanka. There, in addition to teaching English and leaderships skills to Tamil children, she coordinated and helped to develop education and leadership curriculum for the volunteer program (VISIONS).

ills also worked with kids as a Site Coordinator for School Outreach Services at the YMCA-Youth and Family Services in San Diego. She served on the YMCA Healthy Kids Day committee while there. She brings her commitment to children's health to Odyssey and teaches Ultimate Frisbee and Swimming in the Movement program and has recently started an after school Running Club. She has developed a relationship with the San Mateo High School athletic program where she will be a volunteer track and field coach and create a bridge for Odyssey students to access the high school facilities. Ms. Mills is also volunteering at the Precita Eyes Mural Center in San Francisco helping with community projects and educational programs.

Arthur Whitney

This ancient Chinese passage from the book of I Ching correlates to the results potentially reaped by practicing the art of Tai Chi Ch’uan described as, “a discipline in which a person can discover more about themselves, enabling them to strengthen their own nature”, according to Sifu, Arthur Whitney who is currently teaching at the Odyssey School.

Sifu Arthur Whitney; has been a practitioner of the ‘Yang Style’ of Tai Chi Ch’uan since 1969 (36 years). Trained under Sifu Master, Jeng Lo of the Universal Tai Chi Ch’uan Association of San Francisco, Ca from 1973 - 1985 (12 years). Arthur also studied Qigong (chi gong) under Sifu Master, Shi Jian Shu (from Bejing, China) (1985-1986). Under Shi Jian Shu’s guidance, Arthur created his own Chi Gong Style (thirteen breathing techniques that correlate with each posture).

In 1987 Arthur was invited by Stephen K. Smuin to join the movement program at Nueva School, Hillsborough, Ca. teaching Tai Chi to 7th and 8th grade students.

In 1997 Mr. Stephen K. Smuin co-founded the Odyssey School, San Mateo, CA, where Arthur is presently teaching the 6th grade students. Arthur has been teaching Tai Chi to these gifted and talented students for the past twenty years.

Sifu Arthur; established his ‘Hokan Tai Chi Ch’uan Association’ in 2000. Presently teaches his ‘Inner Students’ at his Dojo at his home.

Taoist Sage Chan San-Feng dedicating the art to the world, -“My deepest desire is that all the heroes under heaven (all good people), can realize health and longevity - beyond the perfection of martial technique.”

“My deepest and inner insight into Tai Chi and my creating the Zen jo Chigong developed from my forty-five years of practicing the ‘Middle Way Path’ of Buddhism.

‘Zen Jo’ a Buddhist concept from the Second Chapter of the ‘Wonderful Lotus Flower Sutra’. “To reach the stage of Zen jo (contemplation) is to realize that the mind (Mu Ryo) is infinite, (Muge Riki) Unimpeded life force, (Mu Sho I) fearlessness, (Zen Jo) contemplation”.

Milton Reynolds

Milton Reynolds is a Senior Program Associate with Facing History and Ourselves. Before joining Facing History he spent over ten years as a middle school teacher, a diversity/communications consultant and as a curriculum design specialist and has over 25 years of counseling experience. Dedicated to improving dialogue and implementing innovative solutions to address difficult social issues such as race relations and juvenile justice and delinquency concerns, Milton sustains a high level of engagement in his home community. In addition to serving as a commissioner on the San Mateo Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission, he also is the current Governing Board Chair for LEJ (Literacy for Environmental Justice); a San Francisco based environmental justice/youth development non-profit, in addition to serving on the advisory board of The Working Group.

Milton has a strong interest in understanding how the legacies of our collective history manifest themselves in our present society and specifically, how the past informs our actions and decision making processes and shapes the institutions and practices that structure our society. In recent years, the American Eugenics Movement and its ideological legacies has become a subject of particular interest in Milton's studies.

Milton's background is an eclectic tapestry of such varied and divergent experiences as being a youth counselor, middle school teacher, service-learning coordinator, tour guide, stand up comedian, and a research associate at U.C. Berkeley and more recently at Stanford University at the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. Milton received his B.A. with distinction in Sociology from San Jose State with a minor in Communications.

Yuki Murasaki Shikibu aka Yuki, Spiritual Advisor

Yuki, three year-old Yellow Lab on July 17, 2006, is a specialist in unconditional love and the Spiritual Advisor at Odyssey School. She can often be seen happily greeting both students and visitors as they enter the school and making them feel welcome and accepted. She spends her days at school keeping the kids in order and offering her unique style of canine love and affection as needed.

When Yuki (meaning "Snow" in Japanese) is not at school she loves retrieving balls and playing "chase" with other dogs. Yuki has successfully graduated from
obedience training and analysis from her licensed instructor. She is intolerant of aggressive dogs with insufficient training in emotional intelligence and likes to keep them at a distance. She is also an avid swimmer and practices frequently at the dog park and at the lake at a Smuin family home in Idaho. Occasionally, Yuki can be seen assisting Erin Leydig with the student's PE swimming program and coaching the kids with encouraging barks as they swim laps.

Yuki's finally found her "dreamboat," "Big Boss Hoss" living near Sacramento. "Boss" had those dreamy brown eyes and sweet bark she was looking for and 7 puppies was the result. Her puppies did not scatter but ended up in homes of two students, one teacher and one former staff member so we get to see the kids regularly.

Yuki Murasaki Shikibu (Murasaki Shikibu is the author of the novel Genji) is the great-granddaughter of a Grand Champion and granddaughter of a Field Champion. She was born in Montana and moved from her 17 brothers and sisters at the young age of eight weeks to her current home at Odyssey. The Odyssey students are in the process of teaching her new skills and tricks, which she will happily show off to anyone with a MILK-BONE.

FACULTY BIOS

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Stephen K. Smuin, Head of School

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