Mission and Vision
Wah’-shă Academy’s mission is to provide an alternative education opportunity that empowers students to embrace learning, achieve their personal best, and build their emotional, social, and physical well–being.
Our vision is to further empower students through a gentle weaving of experiential, wilderness, holistic, and college prep learning styles. Therein acquiring, demonstrating, articulating, and valuing the knowledge and skills that will support them as life-long learners participating in and contributing to both the local and global community.
We also envision our students practicing the school’s core values: respect, responsibility, relationship, trust, and excellence.
I’m Regina Splees Tafoya
I am a teacher with over 20 years of experience in Japan, Maui and now Colorado.
My teaching journey began with becoming Montessori certified, in addition to attending any training I possibly could find led by some amazing individuals with even greater experience. These trainings include Waldorf trainings in Japan and Gradalis, Animator &educator training with Catherine Cadden, author of Peaceable Revolution through Education, Living Values Education Program, Music Together, Oxford Reading Tree, Jolly Phonics, non violent communication, restorative justice, Orton Gillingham, Kumon, Kamana outdoor wilderness awareness program, Mathnesium.
I have served as both school director, as well as classroom teacher.
I graduated from Grand Canyon university with a degree in Communications and Art, and now find myself securing a Colorado teaching license.
Photography was my focus at Grand Canyon, and I spent much of my time in the darkroom developing. When not in the darkroom, or writing poetry, I played for the Grand Canyon NAIA champion tennis team.
After graduating, I found myself in Japan teaching English, speech, and literature at a few universities, then settling into family life with a Japanese husband.
The mother’s in my playgroup noticed that I have teaching skills and a natural ability interacting with children. With that, I found myself obtaining certification from Montessori Centre International, and founding a small international school in Kanagawa, Japan.
Gateway International Center became known for its unique curriculum and communication process. My staff and I implemented a combination of The Living Values Education Program strategies with nonviolent communication practices. It caught the eye of the Meiji University’s head of Education Department who would send students to observe our school.
Over the years I have sought out a number of specific teachers with whom to study, and have gained incredible mentors who have influenced my style of teaching, offered me various certifications, and above all given me great trust to pass on this knowledge to others.
Resources
Accreditation
Kindergarten Curriculum
- Parent Guidebook
Forms
- Schedule a Tour (will leave this site to our admin site)
- Contact us for a Tour or any other questions!
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