Waldorf School of the Peninsula is thrilled to welcome Omar Kharroub, known on campus as “Coach Omar,” as our new Athletic Director! We’re excited to have Omar join our community, bringing his energy, passion, and structured approach to our Athletics Department.
Omar’s journey to WSP is as inspiring as it is impressive. Growing up locally in South San Francisco, he began his athletic career in middle and high school, participating in football, basketball, baseball, and even wrestling for a season. His dedication to sports and education led him to play football in college on athletic scholarships, including at Southwest Baptist University and Sterling University. After earning a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Notre Dame de Namur University, Omar’s athletic pursuits took him abroad, where he played football professionally in Europe and South America.
Upon returning to the Bay Area, Omar rekindled his love for coaching and working with students. He coached football for several years throughout Silicon Valley before transitioning into athletic administration. As an Athletic Director at various schools in the area, he focuses on building and strengthening programs while supporting athletes to succeed both on the field and in the classroom.
Omar’s philosophy emphasizes the power of “Small Things,” and he saw it first hand in our athletes at last weekend’s Middle School Basketball Tournament at Sacramento Waldorf. Their dedication to detail and perseverance on the court exemplified the impact that attention to small details can have on overall performance. He observed:
The girls’ team demonstrated high energy and consistent effort throughout their games.
The boys’ team showed remarkable perseverance, maintaining full effort regardless of the score—a quality Omar noted as particularly impressive for middle school athletes.
All athletes exhibited emotional resilience, handling the highs and lows of competition with grace.
Having only just met some of our high school athletes at this week’s Pep Rally, Omar was struck by their positive and relaxed attitude, excellent manners, and initiative in welcoming him to WSP.
At WSP, Omar aims to elevate our athletics program by focusing on the small but crucial details that make a big difference. He’s committed to providing our student -athletes with opportunities typically found in larger high schools, ensuring they have the best possible experience while having fun. Omar’s approach emphasizes surrounding students with excellent coaching, great personalities, and mentors who can support them in learning valuable life skills that will serve them well into adulthood.
When asked what he would like our parents to know as he begins this journey, Omar emphasizes patience, understanding, and cooperation. He’s jumping in full speed ahead to work towards elevating our program, but it will take some time. He stresses the importance of regular and punctual attendance at practices to build team spirit, cultivate teamwork, and boost morale. For WSP community members who aren’t directly involved with athletics, Omar encourages coming to games and matches, as a great crowd significantly helps our teams.
Omar plans to be very intentional in preparing our students for life. He believes it’s not only about the wins and losses of their sport but also about what that will teach them as they grow and develop towards their next stage of life. Whether it’s middle school studentsers moving to high school or high school students transitioning to college or the professional world, they are building skills and habits for their future. While it’s important for students to experience emotions, Omar emphasizes the value of learning to control and balance them.
We’re confident that Omar’s extensive experience and passionate approach will elevate our athletics program to new heights. His commitment to fostering not just athletic excellence, but also personal growth and life skills, aligns perfectly with WSP’s holistic educational philosophy.
As we embark on this exciting new chapter in WSP athletics, we encourage everyone in our community to extend a warm welcome to Omar. If you see him around campus, pPlease don’t hesitate to say hello and introduce yourself. Let’s all come together to support Omar in his mission to enrich our students’ lives through sports and teamwork.
By Michaela Bergmann | Eurythmy Teacher, Middle and High School
Eight WSP students joined me in our WSP van to make the 45-mile trip to the four-day Youth Eurythmy Festival in San Francisco earlier this month.
When we arrived, we were greeted by High School eurythmy troops from four other Waldorf High Schools from San Francisco, Portland, New York, and San Diego. We knew that we would be doing eurythmy together and had also prepared some pieces to share. We also knew that the whole group would have the opportunity to move together.
Each morning, we met and began the day with a morning verse and Eurythmy Verse from Steiner. We then divided all the participants into two groups of 25 each. One group worked with Mrs. Tiersch on a piece by Beethoven and a verse by Novalis.The other group collaborated with Alexandra Spadea from New York, to work on the Melonga Triste by S. Piana and J. McDowel.
In the afternoons, the students took masterclasses from members of the Spring Valley Eurythmy Ensemble and practiced the pieces they brought with them for the sharing on Tuesday evening.
One thing that I found particularly remarkable was the absence of complaints on our daily drive back. Despite spending six hours a day practicing eurythmy, the group’s enthusiasm and positivity remained. When I experienced the students doing eurythmy together, they had an understanding of each other on a deeper level. This experience of moving together brought each one of them an earnest heartfelt striving that had transformative power.
Along with the fun this practice brings and the social health it cultivates, one could feel that it connects to something bigger. The effort of each individual contributes to making the group experience complete. This type of movement invites the participants to experience and become aware of the space around themselves, between each other, and their connection to the world.
The festival culminated in a beautiful finale where each group shared their individual group work with one another, showcasing the fruits of their collaborative efforts.
I am grateful to the students who were willing to take time out of their February break to go with me on this journey. Thank you all, it was a very special experience for me.
I had an amazing experience growing close to my friends and making friends with many new people. It was a beautiful experience to learn from different people and see the love for eurythmy be expressed in so many different ways. I would love the opportunity to experience something like this again and I think the organization handled the gathering a lot better than I ever expected.
— Paulette, 11th grade
It was a great experience, it was really fun and I enjoyed meeting new people. It was great to see how other people across the country do eurythmy, and I felt that our performance together went really well.
— Luca, 11th grade
I learned so much and my appreciation for eurythmy has grown immensely. Meeting and spending time with all the other Waldorf students and teachers was an amazing experience. I loved all the time I spent there and I can’t wait to go on another trip soon.
— Daphne, 11th grade
This Eurythmy convention was very fun and eye opening for me. During the convention we worked with many different teachers that all taught me something new about eurythmy. I can tell I’m getting better because my movements feel clearer and more controlled. Eurythmy is a really interesting way to move and connect with music, speech, and gestures. Eurythmy taught me a new way to express myself through movement and rhythm, and this convention helped me out a lot with that, and I will be eternally grateful for that wonderful opportunity.
—Tomás, 10th grade
This eurythmy convention was a unique and special experience. I learned a lot about eurythmy and met students from all over the country.
— Samanyu, 11th grade
I was originally a little apprehensive about going to a eurythmy conference, but I grew to really enjoy my time there with everyone. I made a lot of interesting connections and found people who share my interests. Overall, I had a great time at the eurythmy conference and look forward to more opportunities.
— Arnav, 11th grade
Being able to be with people who grew up so differently yet sharing the same experiences was truly special. I got to bond with many people and really immerse myself into the art of eurythmy which made the trip amazing.
— Samih, 11th grade
We are thrilled to introduce Christina Assirati as WSP’s new Pedagogical Administrator for Preschool – Grade 5.
Christina brings a wealth of experience, passion, and a dedication to Waldorf education that will enrich our school community.
Christina’s journey into Waldorf education began in Brazil while teaching at a bilingual preschool. Faced with having to teach three-year-olds to read and write, she began to explore different approaches and discovered Waldorf education through a colleague’s recommendation to visit her friend’s Waldorf Kindergarten. Christina was immediately captivated by the beautiful environment and natural materials. This experience, and speaking with the teacher about the curriculum, led her to delve deep into Waldorf philosophy.
Soon after, Christina enrolled in the local Waldorf teacher training program while at the same time pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in education from the University of São Paulo. Her dedication continued as she and her family moved to Chicago, where Christina completed her Waldorf Teacher Training, as well as worked at the Chicago Waldorf School as a substitute teacher and kindergarten assistant. With two young children in tow, she and her husband embarked on a year-long adventure working abroad in Nairobi, Kenya. While there, Christina volunteered at the Nairobi Waldorf School, further expanding her global perspective on Waldorf education. There she and her mother-in-law enjoyed teaching workshops on Waldorf doll making.
After returning to Chicago, Christina began her career as an Early Childhood teacher at the Chicago Waldorf school. In 2015, she and her family relocated to the Bay Area, where she joined WSP as our Honeybee Lead Teacher. For the past decade, Christina has been an integral part of our community, both as an educator and as a parent to two daughters who attended WSP.
Christina’s transition to the role of Pedagogical Administrator stems from her desire to serve WSP on a larger scale. She sees this not only as an opportunity for personal growth, but also to contribute strategically to the school’s development. With the upcoming re-accreditation and the recently developed Strategic Plan, Christina believes this is an inspiring time to take on this new role.
At WSP, the role of the Pedagogical Administrator is to support and guide teachers, provide administrative structure for the functioning of the school, and serve as a liaison for students and parents for a wide variety of needs. This includes recruitment and onboarding of faculty, overseeing faculty professional development and classroom observation, tracking student progress and identifying support needs, as well as proactively partnering with parents regarding student needs.
In her new position, Christina intends to:
Keep the Student Experience at the Center of What We Do: This is at the heart of all decisions and initiatives.
Strengthen Relationships: Foster collaboration between faculty, parents, administration, and board, ensuring everyone feels supported and heard.
Support New Teachers: Provide mentorship and guidance to help our new teachers integrate into our community and understand our school’s culture.
Enhance Educational Support: Prioritize the growth of our educational support department.
Christina also welcomes parents to reach out to her with questions about the curriculum or any concerns they may have. She looks forward to offering guidance and fostering collaboration between parents and faculty. Email Christina to reach out to her and find a time to talk, join an upcoming hike, or an introductory virtual session (more information coming soon).
Quick Facts about Christina
Her love for chemistry in school, with its orderly nature and emphasis on careful observation, led her to initially study Health and Nutrition.
If she had to recommend just one book to parents and faculty members, or maybe the first book, it is Torin Finser’s The Second Classroom.
Outside of work, Christina enjoys crisp morning hikes with her husband and their Yorkie Poo, Gigi. She also loves swimming in warm waters and paddle boarding on lakes and rivers.
A unique hobby she picked up while volunteering at children’s hospitals is “diamond painting.”
At 15, she underwent open-heart surgery, an experience that has profoundly influenced her worldview.
Her multicultural background – with a Brazilian mother and German father – has shaped her personality. She credits her German heritage for her punctuality!
As we welcome Christina Assirati to her new role, we look forward to the positive impact she will have on our school community. Her experience, dedication, and vision for WSP promises to strengthen our educational programs and foster a supportive environment for students, teachers, and parents alike. Christina is excited to contribute to WSP in this new capacity and is committed to providing the same positive experience her family enjoyed to other families and children.
By Ashley Brickeen | Lower School Admissions Director
Imagine you are in an important meeting when BUZZ. You take a second to peek at your phone—a friend has sent you a text asking about getting together today after work. You quickly switch back to listening to your meeting, but now you’re also thinking about your schedule. What do you have after work today? Can you juggle things so you can get together with your friend? Why does your friend want to see you? You should get back to them. They’ll expect you to respond, especially as they know their message was delivered. You quickly flip open your calendar to check—yes, you can meet up but only if you do so right after work. You tune back into your meeting—wait, are they now talking about your project?
Brain science shows that humans actually can not multi-task. What we can do with varying levels of competency, is switch our focus very quickly between tasks. But with every switch between tasks, there is a brief re-set, where we have to quickly review what we were doing before we switched focus. Adults, with fully mature brains, are generally better at this form of quick switching than teens and children.
Now imagine the above scenario, but it’s not a meeting at work. It’s a classroom and you’re trying to learn chemistry.
Here are two insightful articles that explore the effects of phones and social media on young people:
“End the Phone-Based Childhood Now” by Dr. Jonathan Haidt, looks at the impacts of social media and phones on adolescents and children. Nationally and internationally, parents and schools are witnessing how phones are reducing student learning, negatively impacting student emotional well-being and in some cases, leading to radicalization and extremist views.
While I appreciate Dr. Haidt’s work on social media and agree with his argument that it has negatively impacted the mental health of girls in particular, I think he has missed a lot of the negative impact experienced by boys. For some time, researchers have known that white supremacist and other radical groups were using social media to target boys and normalize racist and sexist beliefs. “How White Supremacists Recruit Kids” touches on this issue which I think Dr. Haidt is too quick to discount.
As we navigate the complexities of our digital age, it is crucial for parents, educators, and policymakers to recognize the profound effects that phones and social media can have on young minds. By fostering open conversations about these challenges and implementing thoughtful strategies to mitigate their impact, we can create environments that prioritize learning and emotional well-being. Encouraging students to engage in meaningful face-to-face interactions, setting boundaries around technology use, and promoting critical thinking about online content are essential steps. Together, we can empower our children to thrive in both their academic pursuits and personal lives, ensuring they are equipped to face the world with resilience and clarity.
By by Mia Hammerschmidt | Educational Support Teacher
Baking during the holidays is more than just a festive activity—it’s a wonderful way to help children with learning challenges develop important skills in a hands-on, engaging way. Measuring ingredients strengthens math and number recognition skills, following a recipe improves reading comprehension and sequencing, and mixing or kneading dough can enhance fine motor coordination. Plus, baking encourages patience, focus, and a sense of accomplishment when the final product is complete.
Here’s a simple and sensory-friendly Cinnamon Dough Recipe to try with your children:
Ingredients:
1 cup of applesauce
1 cup of ground cinnamon
(optional) 2 tablespoons of craft glue
Instructions:
Mix the applesauce and cinnamon in a bowl until it forms a dough.
Roll the dough out on a floured surface and use cookie cutters to shape it.
Let the creations air dry for 24-48 hours or bake them at a low temperature (around 200°F) until hardened.
This cinnamon dough is perfect for making holiday ornaments, and the spicy aroma adds a festive touch to your home. Best of all, this activity promotes creativity while strengthening motor and cognitive skills.
In the afternoons, the students took masterclasses from members of the Spring Valley Eurythmy Ensemble and practiced the pieces they brought with them for the sharing on Tuesday evening.
This eurythmy convention was a unique and special experience. I learned a lot about eurythmy and met students from all over the country.
After returning to Chicago, Christina began her career as an Early Childhood teacher at the Chicago Waldorf school. In 2015, she and her family relocated to the Bay Area, where she joined WSP as our Honeybee Lead Teacher. For the past decade, Christina has been an integral part of our community, both as an educator and as a parent to two daughters who attended WSP.
