Alexis Sheridan-Rucker

Principal

Mrs. Sheridan-Rucker was born and raised in Southern California and earned her Bachelor’s Degree with a double major in Psychology and Criminology, Law, and Society from UC Irvine. Upon graduation, she began working for the Boys and Girls Clubs and learned that she wanted to further her work with children. After relocating to the Bay Area, she earned her Education Specialist credential and Master’s in Special Education & Education Administration from San Francisco State University. Mrs. Sheridan-Rucker has worked in different educational settings around the bay, including public and nonpublic schools since 2007.

Under the tutelage of the founding directors, Mrs. Sheridan-Rucker grew into her position of Principal, where she has flourished and revitalized the program. Having worked for six years as an Education Specialist for Springstone, she has a strong framework for understanding the needs of the students and faculty. Working in partnership with Mrs. Wong and the Board of Directors, Mrs. Sheridan-Rucker has established herself as an executive with excellent leadership skills and a strong commitment to the unique and vital role that Springstone plays in our community.

Christine Mendoza

Faculty

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Ms. Mendoza came to The Springstone School as our guidance counselor after her experience working with students and families in both the hospital and classroom setting. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology with an emphasis in Linguistics at the University of California, Los Angeles where she also gained the opportunity to study Language and Culture in Florence, Italy and taught English to Italian-Speaking third grade students. Ms. Mendoza continued her academic experience back in the Bay Area at Mills College in Oakland where she received her Masters of Art in Education. Ms. Mendoza spent time in the pediatric hospital setting working with Child Life professionals, music therapists, and art therapists as she studied for her Masters in Education. She is passionate about creating environments that are both therapeutic and inviting for children and adolescents to learn and grow in. Ms. Mendoza conducted and published her own research on hospital interior and environmental design on the healing and well-being of pediatric patients. With her devotedness to establishing therapeutic relationships with the students she works with, Ms. Mendoza is pleased to be joining Springstone as our guidance counselor.

Andrew Fosburgh

Faculty

Mr. Fosburgh attended Laney College in Oakland and then received his Liberal Arts Associate Degree at Sacramento City College before transferring to California State University of Sacramento where he received his Bachelor’s in English Literature. While studying at CSU Sacramento, Mr. Fosburgh worked in the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) program with other teachers on and off campus and completed his TESOL certificate. After graduating from CSU Sacramento, Mr. Fosburgh taught beginner guitar classes before making the decision to pursue Teaching as a career. He is currently enrolled in his second year of a teaching program working towards earning his Master’s of Education. Mr. Fosburgh is excited to be at Springstone where he can work directly with students in order to make a positive impact and help them accomplish their educational goals.

Marian Kidder

Dean of Operations

Ms. Kidder is a proud Bay Area native with a deep love and appreciation for the history and cultural diversity of her community. Raised by three generations of teachers, administrators, and educators, her keen eye for detail and enthusiasm for learning and teaching have been life-long. While studying at City College of Alameda and San Francisco City College, Ms. Kidder began her work in education as a teacher’s assistant in Hayward, and honed her professional skills first in her family business, then later in running a boutique real estate office. Having grown up in a family floral and event production business, creativity is a way of life for Ms. Kidder. She has had the honor of supporting numerous Bay Area non-profits with her professional event planning and event design skills, helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for education-related organizations. In her most recent position, she handled business administration and human resources as Operations Director at a non-profit, non-public school in Alameda. Ms. Kidder is pleased to have joined Springstone in the summer of 2019, bringing over 10 years of experience in the Special Education administration field. Ms. Kidder is honored to work with the dedicated families, and faculty to help build bright futures for Springstone students.

Eli Chan

Faculty

Ms. Chan joined the Faculty of Business at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia after receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Calgary in Canada. She also spent a number of years in Hong Kong and in Beijing where she had the opportunity to teach students from preschool through adulthood. In 2009, she returned to North America to raise her family and sought to provide the best educational experiences for her own children. She has since worked in the Lafayette School District serving special student populations. Ms. Chan has earned her Master’s of Education from Saint Mary’s College of California and holds a Mild/Moderate Education Specialist credential. Ms. Chan enjoys sharing her passion for lifelong learning with the students at Springstone each school day.

Stephen Moore

Faculty

Mr. Moore is a Bay Area native with deep connections to the Lafayette community. He attended Diablo Valley College then earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State East Bay. Mr. Moore began teaching in 2015 and has since gained experience teaching in both the general education setting as a 7th grade History and Science teacher as well as a Mild Moderate Special Education teacher for 7th and 8th graders. Mr. Moore has been working with youth throughout the Bay Area community for over twenty years as a mentor, coach, and big brother. Mr. Moore is attune to the honor and responsibility it is to support students as they reach their highest potential both academically and socially.