One of the things I
find magical about working at StarShine is the way everyone works together.
No one is to ‘big’ to do a job. Trish McCarty, the Founder of
the school, calls it the StarShine Effect and she has actually written a book
with the same title.
There are days when Jan Parsons, the Assistant Headmaster, is
working in the cafeteria. There are days when our Registrar, Crystal Mosca, is
teaching class. There are days when one
of the high school teachers, Rand Blunck, runs between fixing blown fuses and
repairing computers. And days when Lynne Ericksson, the school photographer,
can be found painting, hanging curtains, unpacking boxes or producing a
newsletter.
In a small school setting, like StarShine everyone wears many
‘hats’ and no one is afraid to change hats quickly. Not all small schools work this well, but at StarShine it works perfectly.
I wear the ‘hats’ of Superintendent, Headmaster, Special Education
Director, Parent and Student Counselor and Federal Projects Coordinator. Sometimes I’m even on trash detail or the
receptionist.
In addition to the teachers, the students learn to help in
amazing ways. Several of the StarShine High School students assist in the
after-school program caring for the younger students, one student works on
weekends to support the garden, and 10 to 12 students work at the StarShine
Radio Program.
If you’re ever in
Phoenix, feel free to stop by and visit StarShine Academy. Just be aware… we
may put you to work.
Read
more inspirational Kids Without Stuff stories about the magic at StarShine you’ll
want to read:
