Lower School Staff

Our teachers are intelligent and passionate, dedicated to educating the whole child: mind, body and spirit. Our highly skilled faculty and professional staff also engage themselves in a constant process of professional development. Teachers seek to become better not only at meeting the cognitive needs of their students, but also at understanding child and early adolescent development and therefore the emotional, physical and social needs of each child. Look for staff with their names underlined to read more.

Lower School Faculty

Lower School Specialists

Denise Breland
Lower School Director
B.S., Keuka College
Graduate Studies, George Washington University

Rebecca Denison
Asst to Lower School Director/ Service Learning
B.A., University of California, Santa Cruz

Leah Aguilera

3rd Grade Teacher (3A)
B.A., Mills College;

Multiple Subject Credential, CLAD Credential, UC Berkeley

Mark Bernfield

5-8 Grade Music Teacher

B.A., UC San Diego

Coursework at Berklee College of Music

Kelly Alexander

4th Grade Teacher (4B)
B.A., University of Oregon, Eugene

Barbara Bowman

Library Assistant

Jennifer Ammenti

4th Grade Teacher (4A)
B.A., California State University, Chico

Helen Dittmer

Librarian

PhD., M.A., B.A., University of Chicago

M.L.I.S., University of California

Jan Clitherow

1st Grade Teacher (1A)

B.A., Warwick University, England

Loryn Hudson

LS Learning Specialist

BFA, University of Michigan

Multiple Subject Credential, CLAD, SFSU

Slingerland Institut

Chelsea Feldman

Kindergarten Teacher (KA)

M.A., Mills College

B.A., Reed College

Barbara Jerabek

Nature Program Coordinator

Early Childhood Education Studies

Director, Animal Crackers Pre-School

Vicky Green

2nd Grade Teacher (2B)

Chadron University (University of Nebraska)

Substitute Teaching Certificate, State of Wyoming

Thelma Lancaster

Computer/Cooking

B.A., Macalester College

Baking Degree, Dunwoody Industrial Institute

Kim Kita

1st Grade Teacher (1B)

M.S., Cal State University of the East Bay

B.A., UC Berkeley

Pica Lockwood

K-5 Spanish Teacher

B.A., UC Berkeley

Tontra Love

Kindergarten Teacher (KB)

B.A., UC Berkeley

Multiple Subject Clear Credential, CLAD

Cindy Nelson

Lower School Art Teacher

BFA, University of Illinois

Monica Rees

5th Grade Teacher (5B)

G.C.E., Swansea College of Education, U.K.

Roger Riedlbauer

Rock Band B Coordinator

SFSU, San Diego State University

Taj Simmons

2nd Grade Teacher (2A)

B.A., Linfield College

Multiple Subject Clear Credential, CLAD, SFSU

Mary Ann Scheuer

Library Assistant

M.A., London School of Economics

B.A., Georgetown University

Single Subject Credentials in English and Social Studies, CLAD, UC Berkeley

Rhonda Smith

3rd Grade Teacher (3B)

Narda Skov

Health Educator/Counselor

M.A., Columbia University

B.A., UCLA

Nicole Solis

5th GradeTeacher (5A)

B.S., Susquehanna University

Craig Strong

K-5 P.E. Teacher

B.A., UC Santa Cruz

Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, CLAD, Bethany College

Nicole Toliver

Kindergarten Teacher (KA) Long-term substitute

B.A., California State University, Hayward

Katharine Whalen

K-4 Music Teacher

M.A., University of Minnesota

B.A., University of Colorado, Boulder

Interns

Molly Berry

3rd Grade Intern (3A)

B.A., UCLA

Emily Hedges

Kindergarden Intern (KB)

B.A., UC Santa Cruz

Hallie Hester

2nd Grade Intern (2B)

B.A., UC Berkeley

Carrie Klein

3rd Grade Intern (3B)

B.A., Hamilton College

M.S. Ed., Bank Street College of Education

Claire Monfort

1st Grade Intern (1B)

M.A., John F. Kennedy University

B.A., San Francisco State University

Wynn Nyane

1st Grade Intern (1A)

M.A./ Multiple Subject Credential Candidate, University of San Francisco

B.A., University of Virginia

Christina Wallis

Kindergarden Intern (KA)

B.A., San Francisco State University