Mrs. Sparre

Mrs. Sparre grew up in Reseda, CA, in the San Fernando Valley.  From there, she moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.  

The diversity of families, school culture, and being part of a community that cares so much about family and children are just a few of the aspects of the IV School environment that Mrs. Sparre appreciates.

When she’s not working at school, Mrs. Sparre enjoys yoga, meditating, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends. The Sparre family has quite a menagerie with nine chickens, three black cats, and a little white malti-poo.

Mrs. Takahara

Mrs. Takahara comes from the edge of the farmlands of Petaluma, in Northern California.  She adored her tiny school and its simple setting.   The playground with nothing on it fostered creative play!!  Every summer, her parents packed up the three kids into a sedan and pulled a tent trailer across the country and back for six weeks at a time.  (She has visited 47 states and, yes, she plans to visit the three New England states to get to 50.)

She went to school at UCSB in 1986 and has not homesteaded far since graduating.  Her favorite experience on campus was working as a Resident Assistant, Director, and other jobs in the Residence Halls and living in dorms for seven years!!  During her young years, she fulfilled a big life goal of learning to speak Spanish by studying the language in Costa Rica.  

Mrs. Takahara loves the warm hearted spirit and culture of Isla Vista School.  Riding her bike to school has become a favorite daily journey - what a beautiful ride!

Mrs. Takahara’s future dreams include writing a book called “Little Tent Trailer on the Prairie” based on her childhood travels.